Burger Brawl adding a taco contest this year
Sixty contenders will cook for the crowds on June 26 at Xfinity Live. It's a fundraiser for Philadelphia schools.
For its sixth year, the Philadelphia Burger Brawl will broaden its menu.
Not only will about 40 restaurants and chefs grill burgers for the charity event, but 20 contenders will create tacos for a separate contest.
This year's outing, sponsored by Comcast Business, will be Sunday, June 26 - from 4 to 7 p.m. in Parking Lot G outside Xfinity Live in South Philadelphia. (VIP access will begin at 3 p.m.)
Attendees 21 and over also can sample specialty cocktails using Jim Beam and Sauza Hornitos from about 20 competing bars.
Winners will be determined by a panel of judges, including Mike Jerrick from Fox 29, Matt Cord and Steve Morrison from WMMR, former Phillies player Garry Maddox, and chef Robert Irvine, host of The Food Network's Restaurant Impossible.
Prizes will also be awarded for the People's Choice winner in each category and every attendee's vote counts.
Burger contenders scheduled to participate to date include: 2312 Garrett Bar, Aldine, Bareburger, Blue Duck, Butcher & Singer, Bridget Foy's, The Dandelion, The Fat Ham, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House, La Peg, Lo Spiedo, Lucky's Last Chance, Misconduct Tavern, Moonshine Philly, NBC Sports Arena, Parc, Samwich by Suppa, South Bowl, Spot Burger, Steam Pub, Taproom on 19th, Twisted Tail, Village Whiskey, and Vintage Wine Bar.
Taco contenders to date include: 1100 Social, Buena Onda, Café Ynez, El Poquito, El Vez, Heffe Tacos, Loco Pez, Lolita, Misconduct Tavern, Revolution Taco, Taqueria Feliz.
Burger Brawl began as a neighborhood fundraiser for founders Rob and Maggie Wasserman's children's school, the William M. Meredith Elementary School, in South Philadelphia. Their goal was to gather a few restaurant industry friends to create a small event at Fleisher Art Memorial that would eventually fund a new computer lab for Meredith.
Burger Brawl soon outgrew Fleisher and in 2014 moved to XFINITY Live. More than 3,000 people attended and more than 50 restaurants participated.
After funding one computer lab and two technology initiatives, Burger Brawl has set even higher goals. The Philadelphia Burger Brawl is one of the partners with the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, the Olitsky Family Foundation, AIM Academy (Academy in Manayunk), and the Philadelphia School District to run a four-year pilot program for two Philadelphia public schools that were selected based upon a districtwide process in 2014 - Andrew Jackson Elementary School in South Philadelphia and the William H. Ziegler School in Northeast Philadelphia.
This four-year pilot program will utilize technology to increase literacy for elementary school age children. If the program proves successful, it could be rolled out district-wide.
A portion of the proceeds from this day will go to Compete 360, an organization founded by Garry Maddox to support the education and development of urban youth.
Tickets are available at www.phillyburgerbrawl.com. General-admission tickets are $75 and include one vote for the best burger and one drink. Through May 19, general-admission tickets are being offered for $50 with the promo code "Brawl." VIP tickets, which are $125, allow early access, as well as entry to a VIP lounge and one vote for your choice of best burger. Through May 19, VIP tickets are $100 with the promo code "Brawl." Children ages 10 and younger are free, and those ages 11 to 21 are $35. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
Parking for the Burger Brawl at XFINITY Live is free.