Arty’s in Wilton is finalist in best burger contest

Sakir Alimoski shows off the first-place trophy belt for the Food Truck Fight event on June 18, 2022. Mr. Alimoski’s food truck – Arty’s Ice Cream and Grill of Wilton, Iowa – won top honors at the event in Bettendorf. Now, Arty’s is a finalist in the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s best burger contest. CREDIT DAVE THOMPSON

A Quad Cities area restaurant has been named a finalist for the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s best burger in the state contest.

Arty’s Ice Cream and Grill in Wilton, Iowa, is one of the 10 finalists for the annual honor. The contest winner is scheduled to be announced on May 1.

Arty’s also won the Food Truck Fight at the Isle Parkway in Bettendorf last June. It marked the first time the growing festival was held in Bettendorf. The event, which previously was held in LeClaire, brought together 18 food truck vendors from across the region so foodies could get a vast variety of meals at one location.

Here are this year’s finalists in the Iowa Beef Industry Council’s best burger contest:

  • Arty’s Ice Cream & Grill, Wilton.
  • Ben’s Burgers, Ankeny.
  • Birdies, Burgers & Brews, Graettinger.
  • Burger & Company, Spirit Lake.
  • Fishback & Stephenson Cider House, Fairfield.
  • Foodie Garage Eatery, Dubuque.
  • Flight Bar + Grille, Huxley.
  • Jeronimo’s Bar & Grill, Springbrook.
  • Parlor on Main, Central City.
  • Troy’s Bar & Grill, Earling.

“In total, we collected 6,414 votes for 509 Iowa restaurants,” said Kylie Peterson, director of marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council. “This year’s Top Ten restaurants are award-winning worthy, but are only a few of the many restaurants in Iowa that do an outstanding job of promoting and serving our beef products to their customers on behalf of Iowa’s beef farmers.”

Five of the Top Ten restaurants are new qualifiers, including Ben’s Burgers, Burger & Company, Flight Bar & Grille, Jeronimo’s Bar & Grill, and Parlor on Main.

The final phase in the quest for the 2023 Iowa’s Best Burger will now begin. All Top Ten restaurants will be visited by a panel of anonymous judges who will evaluate the burgers based on taste, appearance, and proper doneness (160 degrees Fahrenheit). The judges’ scores and comments will be accumulated and the winner will be announced on May 1 to kick off May Beef Month.

Last year, The Flying Elbow in Marshalltown took home the title of 2022 Iowa’s Best Burger. Winners in previous years include: 2021 – Bambino’s of Ossian; 2020 – Twisted Tail Steakhouse & Saloon of BeeBeeTown; 2019 – Wood Iron Grille of Oskaloosa; 2018 – Café Beaudelaire of Ames; 2017 – The Smokin’ Hereford BBQ of Storm Lake; 2016 – The Chuckwagon Restaurant of Adair; 2015 – The Cider House of Fairfield; 2014 – Brick City Grill in Ames; 2013 – 61 Chop House Grille in Mediapolis; 2012 – Coon Bowl III in Coon Rapids; 2011 – Rusty Duck in Dexter; and 2010 – Sac County Cattle Company of Sac City.

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