Here Are the 10 2026 Finalists for Iowa’s Best Burger Contest [PHOTOS]

It's official! Iowa's Best Burger Contest has moved onto the next phase, naming the ten restaurant finalists for 2026.

Back in February, the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association began taking nominations for the 2026 Best Burger Contest. Anyone could nominate/cast their vote for their favorite local restaurants until 5 p.m. on March 9th, as long as the restaurant met the competition's rules (read those HERE). Then, on Friday, March 13th, the ten finalists for 2026 were finally revealed!

Eastern Iowa Finalists

Here in our half of the state, there are finalists from Linn, Cedar, Washington, and Winneshiek County. The list includes:

• Salsa Guy Cafe, Cedar Rapids

• B52 Bar & Grill, Bennett

• Northside Diner, Washington

• Dixie's Biergarten, Decorah

Other Finalists

The rest of this year's top ten finalists are:

• Arcadia, Polk City

• Prairie Canary, Grinnell

• The Landmark Bistro, Grundy Center

• Scooters On Main, Alta

• Smash & Grab Burger Co., Knoxville

• TCI Bar & Grill, Polk City

What's Next?

Now that the ten finalists have been chosen, the rest of the competition is up to a secret panel of judges. They're so secret, even the restaurants won't know that they're there! The judges will decide the winner based on the following criteria:

• Taste of Burger Patty - 50%
• Appearance & Presentation - 30%
• Proper Cooking Temperature/Degree of Doneness (medium doneness, internal temperature reaching 160° F) - 10%
• Overall - 10%

The 2026 Iowa's Best Burger winner is typically announced on May 1st, the first day of National Beef Month. To read more about this year's finalists, check out the Iowa Beef website HERE.

READ MORE: Cedar Rapids’ Oldest Dairy Queen Will Reopen as a New Ice Cream Shop