Ranking the 4 Burgers I Ate During Gatlinburger Week

Gatlinburger Week came to a close, but not before I chowed down on 4 burgers here in Gatlinburg. This competition was exciting for us, because we now officially call this place our home. And that also meant we had all week to figure out which ones we thought were fitting to our taste buds. Thankfully, I could eliminate about half of them, since some of the burgers contained cole slaw, pickles, one or the other, or both (Not my flavor profile). In one case, I decided it was worth the risk for one of these undesired condiments. Note: I thought they were all great, so don’t shoot me if you thought one deserved better. And now, on with the list.

4. Friday’s Fajita Burger (TGI Friday’s)

I made it no secret I felt filthy for eating at a chain, but alas, they entered the competition with a burger worthy of tasting. It was $12, which is a good price for a specialty burger nowadays; in fact, most of these burgers were priced lower than their regular menu of sandwiches and such. Peppers, onions, jalapenos, fajita seasoning—things you would associate with fajitas—were on it. It was good. I liked the seasoning on the burger, and the duro wheels tasted like an unseasoned version of a popular onion ring chip, ironically. Munchos is another one that comes to mind. So yeah, overall it was good, but I won’t go back to Friday’s for any other reason…at least not in Gatlinburg.

3. Blackbear-y Bourbon Burger (Maddie Mae’s Cafe and Creamery)

This is where it starts getting excruciating for me to rank these burgers. This was the last one I tried this week, and as it turned out, was actually my first time ordering something since it became Maddie Mae’s (I used to go here when it was Jordan’s Creamery). This burger was very good. It was $13, but they didn’t cheat you with their half-pound burger with a custard egg, cheese, and their homemade blackbear-y bourbon jam. The custard egg was delicious, but the star of the show was the jam. The blackberry flavor was undeniable, but lurking underneath was the bourbon, which delighted this lover of the oak-y spirit. Their burger would be capable of winning another competition, but there were two that rated even better in this one.

2. The Flamethrower (Cliff Top at Anakeesta)

Our very first visit to the Cliff Top restaurant at Anakeesta was a direct result of the Gatlinburger Week battle. First of all, the views of the mountains are incredible no matter where you stand on this mountain, and equally awesome inside Cliff Top. The burger, at first look, seemed like a mouth-burner. The result was a mix of spice and heat that didn’t live up to the name. But that’s a good thing. Most people don’t choose food that’s so hot you can’t enjoy. All of the elements worked well, and even though at $15 it was the most expensive of our chosen burgers, it was well worth it. My son even enjoyed his regular menu item, and another burger, the Mt. LeConte Burger. It was an awesome flavor explosion.

1. The Frickle and Cheese Burger (Boudicca’s Celtic Pub)

After reading the last one, you might be thinking what could top how I described the one at Anakeesta. Well, let me explain. And I think you might understand. Initially, I wasn’t going to try theirs, but it ended up being the first one checked off. The reason: Fried Pickles. I don’t like pickles, but I figured anything fried isn’t terrible. Now, on to the superlatives. At 9 bucks, it was easily the cheapest on the list. Onions, beer cheese, onion rings, Irish white cheddar on two 100% Angus beef patties were the glorious ingredients, in addition to the pickles. As an incredible bonus, it came with a healthy heaping of steak fries, (chips) and a generous side of their incomparable beer cheese. So good, I proclaimed them victorious on Day 1. Someone had to do better. Clearly, that wasn’t the case. They received my vote as Best in Show. I’m rooting for them, and their darn fantastic Irish comfort food has me hooked!

In conclusion, yes I did in fact factor price into the equation. It’s impossible not to. I always contemplate whether a business earns a repeat visit based on value. But make no bones about it, Boudicca’s definitely earned it, regardless of price. If The Flamethrower was $9, it still wouldn’t win because fries weren’t part of the deal, for one. Not only did my winner have a great burger, they threw in their chips, AND beer cheese for an insane deal. And that was game, set, match, in my opinion.

Thank you for reading my latest review of places you might consider when visiting. Gatlinburger Week was highly enjoyable for us, and if you want to know what else earns my praises in Gatlinburger, I would appreciate you subscribing. This means you won’t miss any of my new posts; you’ll get them in your email. Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy my writings!