It’s always exciting one of our burger brothers comes to town, in particular when there’s a delicious burger to be had. Last year, Nick Lepore (Burger Buff) popped up at Swine & Sons in Winter Park, Florida.
I had every intention of making the 4-hour drive but a last-minute situation stopped me. Nick lives in Jersey and I knew it’d be a while before I had a second shot at a Burger Buff.
Luckily, Ted (Ted’s Burgers) and Nick had already struck up a friendship that would eventually lead to this burger popup.
On Sunday, November 14th, at 2 PM, J. Wakefield Brewing hosted this beautiful collaboration. If you’re a real-deal burger fan in Miami, then this is where you should have been this past Sunday.
The Collaboration
I got there early to not only make sure that I’d be one of the first to get my meat hooks on these beauties but also to ensure I could find some good parking. During setup, we (Nick, Ted, his wife Stephanie, and his bud Al) had a great time just shooting the shit about burgers.
I’ve eaten Ted’s Burgers (2021 Burger Bash Winner) a few times now and his burgers are getting better each time I’m enjoying them. His smash burger is a descendant of the Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger.
They’ve got those delicious translucent onions and his special sauce on a Martin’s Potato Roll. He’s going to be doing Frita Cubanas at my Croqueta Palooza event on December 4th and I can’t wait!
It was definitely a toss-up as to who got a nicer crust on their burger. Burger Buff’s sauce had a nice little pickle-y taste on the end which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Everyone asked me which one was better but the truth is, they both are very similar yet different in certain aspects. Burger Buff’s blend was a big-time winner.
What made this collaboration great is that it came out of a love and respect for one another. We need more events like this and my upcoming Burger Club. It’s the beginning of a beautiful burger community.
And Then…
While waiting for my burgers, Mikey from USBS sent me a direct message through Instagram asking if I could drop off a burger to him at the Citadel. He originally thought he could sneak away for a few minutes but it was a no-go.
I brought him one burger from Burger Buff and one from Ted’s Burgers in exchange for his Carrier Pigeon (chicken sandwich), chili with cheese, and fresh-cut fries. He was happy and I was happy.
USBS’s new beanless chili was incredible and I lovingly say that it’s the 3rd best fries in Miami. The truth is, his and Blue Collar‘s are my favorites.
No, thank you.