12 Top San Antonio Chefs Compete at 6th Annual Burger Showdown
12 Top San Antonio Chefs Get Ready to Throwdown at the Burger Showdown 6.0
2025 Burger Showdown takes place Oct 10th at Cherrity Bar
San Antonio, fire up your appetite—because the Burger Showdown is back and bigger than ever, brought to you by the flavorful minds of founder Kimberly Suta of Homegrown Chef as well as Alan Williams and Susie LaFredo of The Flavors of Texas (powered by the San Antonio Restaurants Group).
What:
On Friday, October 10 (at 6:30 pm), the grills will be sizzling at Cherrity Bar as 12 of the Alamo City’s top chefs go head-to-head in the ultimate burger battle—all to benefit Mercy Chefs and their vital flood relief efforts in Kerrville.
If you’ve never been, this isn’t just another foodie event. This is one of the coolest culinary throwdowns in Texas, where bold creativity meets serious grill skills and a searing passion to be the best—and guests get to taste it all! That includes all the burger sliders you can eat, decadent French fries from JD’s Chili Parlor’s Chef Diana Anderson and Texas Cookie Shop’s incredible cookies for dessert. Did we mention, we’ll also have Karaoke that night, brought to you by KJ Tammy Cruz.
“I’ve been to a lot of competitions and food festivals and, honestly, this is one of the best! Great food, and it’s obvious the chefs actually want to be there,” says Alan Williams of The Flavors of Texas.
Awards
Four chefs will be awarded this year! Guests will get the chance to vote for their favorite chef and a panel of judges will also determine a winning chef, with a third chef chosen as a runner up (which factors in both primary categories). Judges include: David Elder, Chris Flores of “Eat Migos,” and a “Mercy” chef. Lastly, Liam Garcia will be judging the new Kids’ Favorite Burger category (more details on that below).
Please Note: Cherrity Bar will have an array of beer, cocktails and more available for purchase the night of the event. Drinks are not included with your ticket purchase.
This Year’s Sponsors
This year’s Burger Showdown is made possible thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, including Ben E. Keith, Food Related, Unifresh Produce, Texas Cookie Shop, Olympia Trophy Center and incredible host venue, Cherrity Bar. Their commitment to San Antonio’s culinary community helps make this one of the city’s most anticipated—and most delicious—events of the year. Additional sponsors will be announced soon, so stay tuned!
TICKET LINK
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/
This Year’s Competitors (in alphabetical order) & Their Mind Blowing Burgers:
Chef Justin Bluhm – STXBBQ
Blackberry Bacon Cheesecake Slider: Mesquite-grilled Akaushi patty topped with smoked cream cheese and macerated blackberry sauce, served on a brioche bun with arugula, prosciutto bacon, and candied chilies.
Chef Ernie Bradley – Cherrity Bar
The “I Blue Myself” Burger: Ground brisket patty with miso garlic shiitake mushrooms, creamy blue cheese, and pancetta, all nestled in a soft bun.
Chef Jared Cattoni – Dos Sirenos Brewing
Pomegranate Al Pastor Burger: Pomegranate sticky-glazed pork patty al pastor, layered with pineapple pepper jam, shishito flameado, micro cilantro, all on a sesame seed bun.
Chef Joseph Casanova – Bandit BBQ & Burgers
Bandit Prime Brisket Burger: Mesquite-smoked Angus beef patty on a locally-made sweet sourdough bun, loaded with Bandit Prime chopped brisket, white American cheese, mayo, Signature Spicy Grandad’s Sauce, red onions, and house-made pickles.
Chef Marlen Davila – San Antonio Zoo
Texas Firecracker: Juicy patty made from house-smoked brisket and spiced bacon, crowned with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, fiery jalapeño-pineapple pickle, tangy red onion, and a rich garlic aioli on a toasted bun.
Chef Guidon Degollado – Cuba 1918
Meet the Cuban Frita: A juicy smash patty of seasoned ground pork and beef, layered with melty Swiss cheese, tender roasted pork, sweet grilled onions, crispy shoestring fries, and finished with a zesty housemade Cuban red sauce on a toasted round bun.
Chef Francisco Estrada – Naco
La Chilanga Smash: Smashed burger layered with chilaquiles in a creamy cheese jalapeño sauce.
Chef Phillip Gonyea – Krazy Katsu
To Be Announced
Chef Jona Helmy – Sahara Samurai’s
Kefta SLamb Burger w/ Chili Crisp Aioli: A perfect mix of lamb and beef seasoned with Shobu spice blend, chopped garlic, peppers, and Japanese tare, topped with medium cheddar cheese, house pickles, thin-sliced onions, and chili crisp aioli, served on a toasted milk bun.
Chef Anthony “Nene” Hernandez – Milpa
Me Vale Verde: Beef and pork chorizo verde smash patty with nopale ranchero, whipped requesón, and limón aioli on a toasted potato roll.
Chef Kaius – The Chef Kaius Xperience
The Bad Bunny XP (inspired by the team’s trip to Puerto Rico this past summer): Grilled chuck blend burger topped with smoked and braised oxtail, guava peach marmalade, queso de freír, and papitas, all on a grilled potato bun.
Chef Jeanette Perez – Chef Brian West Inc.
The Burger, Bee: Blended patty of Applewood bacon, beef, and sharp white cheddar, topped with caramelized onions, homemade pickles, chef’s signature BeeBeeQueen Sauce, and bibb lettuce, on a custom bun that’s the lovechild of Japanese milk bread and brioche.
VIP Tickets
With a VIP ticket, guests kick off the night in style! Enjoy early entry at 6:00 p.m.—a full 30 minutes before the crowd—to get first dibs on those chef-crafted burgers. They will also receive one beer, a swag bag loaded with goodies, and three voting tokens to cast their ballot for the chefs who wow your taste buds. It’s the ultimate way to savor every bite while supporting a great cause!
What’s New in 2025
Kids’ Burger Category – This year, we’re adding a fourth award by request. Burger Showdown founder Kimberly Suta’s beloved cousin, Liam Garcia—a budding food enthusiast and cook—has requested to sponsor an award and be the judge for “Kids’ Favorite Burger.”
Texas Cookie Shop is back to sweeten the night with over-the-top treats.
Returning sponsors from last year are keeping the energy high and the flavors flowing.
For More Information, email event organizers at sutapants@gmail.com or call/text 210-725-2339.
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