Walkerville Eatery has been crowned the winner of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland's 1st annual Burger Battle.
The restaurant at 911 Walker Rd. scored top marks in all five categories of the competition, beating out nine other restaurants across Windsor-Essex for the best burger title.
Customers were asked to vote on a scale of 1 to 5, with five being the highest, in judging the burgers.
Several categories were considered including presentation, freshness factor, bun to meat balance, toppings, and points for a statement that best describes the customer's experience.
The first-of-its-kind event in the community saw close to 400 passports sold and customers were treated to a "buy one, get one free" burger meal.
Ann Hetherington, Chair of Burger Battle, says the response from the community was tremendous.
"People who purchased passports told us they went to all 10 restaurants, which in around a eight-week period is amazing," she says. "We've heard from people who said I've gone to new restaurants I've never been before and I will go back,"
Hetherington says the passports were $20.
"The passport holders had the opportunity to go into any one of 10 restaurants. So it's one of those win-win-win situations. The restaurants saw an increase in business, we raised some money for charities and the passport holders got to eat two meals for the price of one," she adds.
The contest was developed by the Windsor-Roseland Rotary Club to raise funds for the club and for two charities in the community, The Welcome Centre Shelter for Women and Families and The Residence for Young Men.
The participating restaurants included:
Walkerville Eatery, Windsor
River's Edge Tap House, Windsor
Thirsty Butler, Windsor
Joe Schmoe's, LaSalle
Sandy's Riverside Grill, Windsor
Sir Richard's Wine & Ale House, Windsor
Smoke N Spice, Windsor
The Dugout Sports Lounge, Windsor
Edna's Restaurant by Stev, Belle River
CREW Winery, Harrow
Passports for the 2nd Annual Burger Battle will be available in December 2023 with the anticipation that more restaurants will join in the fundraiser.
With files from Rob Hindi