Who makes the best burger in the Orlando area?
That’s a pretty controversial question -- and we tried to get to the bottom of it on this latest episode of “Best of Central Florida.”
Without further ado, here are some picks:
Makaila’s Choice: Beth’s Burger Bar -- located in Orlando and Lake Mary
Owner Beth Steele joined hosts Makaila and Justin to chat about what exactly makes these burgers so special. Their buns are delivered fresh every day, each patty is hand-crafted, and they bring to life some pretty fun ideas, like putting Cheetos on your burger, Steele said.
She’s also proud of the charity and community events that Beth’s Burger Bar gets involved with. Steele brought with her three burgers to our show, and Justin raved about the Western Burger.
The award-winning hotspot takes pride in being well-known in the area.
“My name’s on the door and the windows, but it’s my staff (that makes it so special),” Steele said.
People’s Choice: Junior Columbian Burger in Orlando (with multiple locations)
Justin and Makaila were joined by Erika Escobar, a regional manager; and owner Luis Garcia to chat about this fan-favorite restaurant.
Just like the name implies, here, you’ll find a Columbian burger with sweet and salty flavors that perhaps you’ve never tried before. Think: Crunched-up potato chips and a pineapple sauce.
Junior Columbian Burger is open late, to meet those after-the-bar cravings, and if you watch the video clip above, the team built one of the burgers step by step, to show you exactly what you’ll be trying. They added garlic sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, pineapple sauce, potato chips and never-frozen beef. Garcia said if you’re apprehensive about the Columbian ingredients, you can start slow -- for example, consider getting the pineapple sauce on the side.
They offer more than just burgers. You’ll definitely want to try the hot dogs and empanadas too, Garcia said.
Justin’s Choice: 534 Scratch Kitchen in Orlando
Have you heard of 534? This restaurant was recently chosen to be on “Food Paradise” on the Travel Channel, much to owner and founder Timothy Green’s delight.
Green spoke about the experience, saying how honored he felt to be featured among some heavy hitters -- restaurants in places like Las Vegas and Chicago.
As far as 534 Scratch Kitchen is concerned, they have a great location, a historic building, and it’s the place to go after the game, Green added. You can get a lobster burger, a 534 burger loaded with different proteins, and that’s not all -- you have to try the lobster tacos, candied Brussels sprouts, snow crab, chicken wings, and wash it down with a smoked old fashion.
Green said they take a lot of pride in their creative menu.
For more on all the places mentioned above, check out the video atop this page.