Cast Your Vote Now in Iowa’s 2026 Best Burger Competition

The Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen's Association have officially kicked of Iowa's 17th annual Best Burger Contest! The first stage of the 2026 competition is now underway, and that means it's time for YOU to nominate your favorite Iowa restaurants.

How Does it Work?

The nomination period for the 2026 Best Burger Contest is February 9th through 5 p.m. on March 9th, which gives Iowans 29 days to cast their vote. All you have to do is visit the website HERE, fill out some basic information about yourself, and then start voting!

The contest is broken down into drop down menus by city (in alphabetical order), so you can only vote for ONE restaurant per city. If you don't see your chosen restaurant listed in the drop down menu for a particular city - no worries! Just scroll to the very bottom of the page, and you can enter the city and name of the restaurant yourself.

What Are the Rules?

In order to be considered for Iowa's Best Burger Contest, there are a few stipulations that you should be aware of before you vote. First of all, the website says that burger "must be 100% beef, although other ingredients may be added to the patty," and "all burgers must be composed of a formed ground beef patty/patties served on a bun or other bread product," with all additional toppings and condiments placed between the buns (or BUN if it's an open-faced burger).

As far as the restaurant goes, it has to be a place that is open year-round, and the nominated burger MUST be on the restaurant's regular menu. Also, if the restaurant has already won the competition before, it is not eligible to win again (past winners are listed at the end of the article). Make sure you don't waste your vote on a place that can't win!

Check out a full explanation of competition rules HERE.

What Happens Next?

Once the nomination period is over, a total of 10 burgers will be selected as finalists, and those finalists will be determined by the number of nominations each restaurant receives - that's why your vote is so important!

From there, an panel of judges will visit each restaurant... but you won't know they're there! They will not reveal themselves as judges or ask for a free meal - they will remain anonymous. Here is the official judging criteria:

• Taste of Burger Patty - 50%
• Appearance & Presentation - 30%
• Proper Cooking Temperature/Degree of Doneness (medium doneness, internal temperature reaching 160° F) - 10%
• Overall - 10%

When Will We Find Out the 2026 Winner?

The top 10 finalists are typically revealed in mid-March, with the winning restaurant announced on May 1st, the first day of National Beef Month.

Get our free mobile app

Who Has Won the Contest Before?

Out of the 16 winning restaurants so far, there are 11 that remain open for business. Here's a look at those winners:

READ MORE: Friday Fish Fries During Lent 2026 in the Corridor & Cedar Valley [LIST]