Is New York’s Best Burger in Troy?

After the latest Albany Times Union poll, it’s clear that popularity contests aren’t always the best at determining which things are best within a community. McDonald’s is the most popular burger seller in the world. But it’s far from the best. The golden arches are certainly the most convenient burger option for the most people. Some might suggest the food offers consumers a good value. At the very least, it’s affordable to the widest swath of the restaurant going public.

But the best it is not. Still, the brand for continually tries to get better, and for that it deserves some props.

What if I told you there was another hunt for the best burger in New York, but instead of just being a popularity contest, it also involved a tasting of the finalists to determine which one is truly the best. And what if there was a chance to bring home the prize to one of the shining gems in the Capital Region? Do you think I might be able to get you involved? Could I encourage you to cast a vote?

Because as it turns out, New York’s Best Burger could be in Troy!

Every year the New York Beef Council goes on the hunt for the best burger in the state. The hunt is broken up into three rounds. First come the nominations to create a short list of ten burgers. Second is the voting on the top ten to come up with a final four. Third is a tasting by a panel of judges that decides the ultimate winner.

Last year, thanks to my involvement with Yelp, I was invited to participate in the judging panel. However, not one burger from the Capital Region made it into the top ten.

This year, I will once again be serving as a judge and am hopeful that there might be a hometown burger in the finals. The one in contention is from Nighthawks! And it’s a fantastic burger. Modeled after a classic diner burger, but made with better ingredients with an ideological commitment to local agriculture, on paper it already sounds like New York’s Best Burger.

But before it can make it to the judges, it has to get the votes.

Here is where you come in. Because the voting is happening right now! This week is our chance to rally our friends, colleagues, and loved ones to support this great local business, with a few quick clicks.

The link to vote is right here.

On Monday, May 13, I will be off to Syracuse for the final judging. And I promise to bring you back a report from the judges table to let you know how it all goes down. Ultimately, despite my love for Nighthawks, I’ll have to judge the burger in front of me. Last year, I had to vote against a burger made with local beef on a house made bun, for something a little less ideologically in synch with what I want in a burger.

But this is how food and beverage judging goes. One has to remain impartial and base the results on the taste, texture, and appearance of the entry that’s served. It can be truly heartbreaking, especially when you know a contestant is capable of so much more. Like when I had to vote against my favorite grilled cheese sandwich ever in the first Melt N Toast grilled cheese festival.

If Nighthawks does make it into the top four, I’m cautiously optimistic Josh and his crew can bring home the gold for Troy, because his is a damn fine burger.