We are on day 7 of Burger Bash and I am quickly working my way through the Hilton Head line up of restaurants.  It’s been a fun and tasty challenge so far!  Here are my notes from the first half of the inaugural Eat It & Like It Burger Bash:

Day 2- Lincoln & South Brewing Company

Tuesday night at L + S is for trivia.  Their trivia is laid back, fun and enjoyable… but be warned: the competition is STIFF!  You might even be competing against a former Jeopardy contestant!  This week, the trivia was great as always but of course I had to try the Vermont Burger to kick off my Burger Bash experience.  I cannot say enough great things about the patty.  It’s perfectly smashed with lacy, crunchy edges that splay way out from under the Sprout Mama made bun.  The bacon jam adds a nice sweetness and the whipped goat cheese tanginess smooths out the whole bite.

L+S just recently rolled out a Cider and I love it… slightly sweet with a tiny bit of sour and some carbonation.  My other favs of theirs are the kanpai (rice beer) and Beach City Lager.  For a place known for beer, their food is excellent too… a double whammy at Hilton Head!

Pro tip: Pay for the upgrade to fries with your burger because they are hand cut and perfect to dip in the accompanied beer cheese.

Day 4- Chez Georges Bistro & Bar

This dining experience was one of the best I have had in a very long time.  Jesse, Maggie and I sat at the bar and Mike, the bartender, offered excellent service.  We were there for the beef, but George kicked off our meal with a VERY fresh cucumber granita oyster from the May River Oyster Co. that blew my mind.  This was my first granita and I didn’t fully understand what I was eating until I had finished it.  (Granita is a process of making flavored shaved ice to serve on a half shell oyster)  The icy cucumber mixed with the brininess of the oyster was so refreshing and paired so well with my flute of bubbles.  

Chez George’s burger line up this week was stellar with two options including their House Burger and the Roquefort Cheeseburger, which is what I ordered.  It’s 7 oz of kitchen ground beef including short ribs with an ounce of roquefort (similar to bleu cheese) wrapped in the middle of the beef patty.  It’s perfectly cooked and covered with gruyere, sauteed mushrooms and spring onion aioli on the bun.  I cut mine in half and could see that happy, gooey roquefort running through the middle of the patty.  The flavor combination perfectly elevated the burger in my mind with its pungentness of the roquefort, fatiness of the aioli and saltiness of the beef.  Needless to say, I loved it and hope they keep it around on their long term menu.  I have to also give a shoutout to the espellete pepper aioli that was the perfect dipping accompaniment with my crispy frites!

Thank you to Chez Georges for such a phenomenal dining experience!

Day 4- Tin and Tallow

I have to say, I have been a big fan of T&T for a while now and am so glad I don’t have to try to chase down their food truck anymore because it’s permanently parked at Spanish Wells/278.  What I love about T&T burgers is the beef to cheese to bun ratio.  It feels very balanced… not too messy but I don’t need a gallon of water to drink with it.  

When I read about what was on their special Burger Bash sandwich, I got so excited because of its creativity!  It is balanced with cheddar beer cheese, the smallest amount of kick from the spicy pickles and the garlic mayo drizzle.  But the star of the show were the pork rinds.  OMG that crunch surrounded by the gooeyness of cheese and mayo was stellar.  It’s the burger topping that we didn’t know we so desperately needed.  I might have to grab a second one by August 28th!  Note to self: Remember they are closed on Mondays!

2nd Note to self: They now have tater tots!  Gotta try that next time.

Day 7- Slider Bar in Bluffton 

Yes, sometimes I leave Hilton Head and this time it was for a fandamntastic reason… the “Madder Than a Wet Hen Burger” at Slider Bar in Bluffton. 

So technically it’s a chicken sandwich but let’s not get distracted.  The real focus is on the bread… a crème brûlée DONUT… and the fried chicken, egg, bacon and cheddar cheese.  Quite possibly it might be the most outrageous offerings in the whole Burger Bash line up but it earns a top contender nod too.  The sweet donut is split in half, grilled and the perfect combo of gooey dessert with brunch on top.  I loved it.  So unique and I was so impressed with the lengths Slider Bar goes to serve quality ingredients.  In fact, they hand cut their fries, soak overnight in water and vinegar and then fry them up with no additional batter- keeping them gluten free.  Definitely check out Slider Bar next time you’re in the Promenade in Old Town!

Which burgers have you sampled this week?  Burger Bash wraps up on Thursday night (August 28th) so be sure to check out the full line up here and make your dining plans!

Brooke is a Hilton Head freelance writer and shares her best tips for island life with her Instagram @hifromhhi followers.

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