A burger bonanza has taken over Winnipeg.
Le Burger Week organizer Daniel Gurevich said, not only have Winnipeg restaurants embraced the food event more than ever before, people in Winnipeg are sharing their culinary experiences on social media in droves.
"It's just been madness. Lineups, people eating as much as five burgers in one day, and trying their best to get them all in," said Gurevich, who also runs the Charcoal Collaborative blog.
Gurevich said last year, 37 restaurants participated in the week-long competition. This year, 59 are taking part.
He said the event had to turn away 15 restaurants that wanted to sign up last minute for the week-long burger competition.
Gurevich said it took local businesses a few years to catch on, but now the event is in full swing.
On the first day of Le Burger Week, Gurevich said Nuburger restaurant sold more than 1000 burgers from its two locations.
Nuburger is featuring ‘The O.C’ burger, a throwback to the teen television drama set in Orange County California, which has oranges and grape salsa, bacon and goat cheese, as well as the ‘Purple People Eater’, topped with pickled purple cabbage, avocado, and feta cheese.
Over at Marion Street Eatery in St. Boniface, people were waiting up to 45 minutes to try a 'Baba's Uncle' burger, which included cabbage, chips and a perogy as toppings.
"It’s really good, really flavourful,” said burger -lover Samantha Wu moments after she sunk her teeth into the Ukrainian-inspired burger.
This is what 840 kaisers looks like! We are ready to go, burgers from 12pm-9pm. #marionstreeteatery #welovebabas pic.twitter.com/GK0EIU2Pg4
— Marion Street Eatery (@MarionStreetEat) September 3, 2016
The restaurant said business was up, and the friendly competition is helping Winnipeggers come together building community spirit, sharing their love of the city, and its culinary scene.
At Bernstein's in River Heights, owner Aaron Bernstein said is selling more burgers in one day than then the entire week in 2015.
This year the deli has created a fried chicken thigh burger with coleslaw, pickles and a special sauce.
"It's photogenic, it's easy to handle without making a mess, and it's delicious," he said, speculating on why it has been a popular choice in the competition so far.
This is the fourth year Le Burger Week has taken place in Winnipeg.
#LeBurgerWeek #leburgerweekwinnipeg #gottatrythemall #goodfoodgoodfriends #thebeachcomberrubenburger pic.twitter.com/O33P7yypRD
— Uncle Bobby B (@Bobs_204) September 3, 2016
#LeBurgerWeek #winnipeg First stop... #santalucia on Main Street! #thegreekburger @Robb_Wpg pic.twitter.com/jMP2S97O2q
— Cindy Calthorpe (@CindyCalthorpe) September 1, 2016
59 locations in Winnipeg for @leburgerweek!!!! Day 1 @Rudys_Winnipeg for the "Man Bun" ! #proudhellmannsemployee pic.twitter.com/yoVkH6Nplb
— Morag Jackson (@morag_jackson) September 2, 2016
#LeBurgerWeek #Winnipeg #stellas I also tried the Holy Cow @ Chew, yummy! pic.twitter.com/mknU78grCA
— Denise Hildebrand (@QPdawll) September 3, 2016