The Sioux Falls 12th annual Burger Battle showdown concluded early February after the winner was announced and a new award was debuted.
The Burger Battle started 12 years ago, and was thought up by both community and business members in the downtown area to increase visitors during the—otherwise slow—January, reveals Downtown Sioux Falls (DTSF) marketing manager Jeb Cooper. Since then, it’s evolved into the highly trafficked month-long event it is now.
“We see thousands of burgers sold and millions of dollars in economic impact,” added Cooper. “Every year, the battle gets bigger and bigger.”
A total of 84,547 burgers were sold during the duration of the battle, a 10% increase since 2024. Almost 42,000 votes were accounted for through the DTSF Digital Passport app, up 28% from last year.
Since purchasing the farm in 2013, Thane and his wife, Gina, have been adding, tweaking, and reinventing the festival and their property. “We had a lot more people engaged in the competition,” said Cooper. “In terms of dollars spent on burger battle burgers, the total was $1.5 million, and the economic impact of the burger battle was $3.2 million.”
Chef Lance on Phillips was crowned as this year’s winner of the 2025 Burger Battle. Chef Lance’s Cuban Burger featured an 8-ounce certified angus patty on a toasted Breadsmith Onion Bun, topped with slow-roasted pulled pork, shoulder bacon, raspberry poblano BBQ sauce, pickles, Swiss cheese, and dijon mayo, served with house fries, and Mojo Dipping Sauce.
The Cuban Burger was sold 2,194 times, receiving an average rating of 9.14.
BibiSol’s,“I’m in America, I Should Be Able to Get a Burger Here” Smash Burger received second place with a rating of 9.04. The Morning Glory Burger from Perch received third place with a rating of 8.91. Minervas, with a burger rating of 8.87, got fourth place for Exploring the Infinite: An Evening With Alan Watts Burger. And fifth place was awarded to La Luna Café for their Escabeche Burger, with a rating of 8.74.
PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS
$1,528,111.0 – Dollars Spent on Burger Battle Burgers
$3,251,677.62 – Dollars of the Total Economic Impact of the Burger Battle
DTSF debuted a new award for the kitchen staff selling the most burgers over the course of the battle. Monks Ale House sold 6,197 Deviled Egg Burgers and was awarded the brand new Burger Battle Belt.
The winners will keep their traveling trophies until the 2026 Burger Battle Winners are announced and awarded.
A total of 39 Sioux Falls establishments participated in the battle and 19 locals ate and voted for all 39 of the participants.
“The Battle gives our great culinary scene an opportunity to come up with some really creative dishes and flex their culinary skills,” said Cooper.
Some of the establishments experiment with their burger recipes, others stay true to more traditional adaptations.
“Minervas has gotten a whole bunch of attention from their burger this year,” revealed Cooper. “Theirs had gold flakes and truffle oil in it, and was priced accordingly. It’s always fun to see where people go with it.”
Cooper says the Burger Battle has seen continuous growth, and the support from fans has been not only consistent, but vital to the success of what the battle aims to achieve as the local economy and community is engaged.
“We continue to see it grow year after year,” he said. “We’re always surprised by the community input.”
Local participation has significantly grown, and fans now participate by creating their own social media content, engaging more with Sioux Falls establishments participating in the battle, he added.
TOP 10
1. Chef Lance on Phillips – 9.14
2. BibiSol – 9.04
3. Perch – 8.91
4. Minervas – 8.87
5. La Luna Café – 8.74
6. Club David – 8.69
7. The Treasury – 8.57
8. Windy City Bites – 8.49
9. Tommy Jack’s – 8.39
10. Severance Brew Co. feat. Rudy Navarrete Tex Mex – 8.35
“They’re really engaged with the event, and they’re helping uplift the service industry in, historically, one of the slowest months,” added Cooper.
Stay tuned for the next event DTSF is putting on: the Mash Madness drink competition with three brackets, including a local beer bracket, a cocktail bracket, and a non-alcoholic cocktail and coffee bracket.
For more information, visit DTSF.COM+
