The winner of Iowa’s Best Burger for 2019 is the Wood Iron Grille restaurant in Oskaloosa. The Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Iowa Cattlemen's Association announced the winner to kick off May Beef Month.

Owners Michael Glesener and Matthew Gunn opened the Wood Iron Grille last fall, with the goal of making it into the Top 10 in Iowa’s Best Burger Contest.

After studying pastry arts in Chicago, Glesener, the head chef, temporarily worked in banking, while his business partner, Gunn, worked in various restaurant roles, along with turf and greenhouse management.

Glesener and Gunn say they take pride in the panoramic views of the fairways and rolling greenery along the Oskaloosa Public Golf Course that customers can enjoy while eating. Aspiring to “raise the bar” for hospitality in Oskaloosa, they’ve worked to provide a place for the community to eat, instead of traveling to Des Moines for dinner.

“With an exceptional menu and service, they are reaching their goals,” says Kylie Peterson, director of marketing for the Iowa Beef Industry Council.

The menu offers three versions of the 6-ounce, hand-pattied burger. The Wood Iron Original Burger features applewood smoked bacon, a sweet and tangy onion jalapeno jam and smoked cheddar cheese. The Cajun Black and Blue Burger is topped with applewood smoked blue cheese and Cajun seasoning. The ’Merica Burger is a classic with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. All the burgers are a mixture of ground chuck and beef short ribs.

WINNERS: The staff of Wood Iron Grille in the southeast Iowa town of Oskaloosa are proudly serving Iowa’s Best Burger in 2019.

The Wood Iron Grille also features beef in the form of Poutine, a combination of slow-braised beef, served over fries, with local Frisian Farms gouda cheese curds; a classic 12-ounce ribeye, hand-cut by the chef and sourced from Upper Iowa Beef; and a flatbread.

10th year for contest

This is the 10th year for the Best Burger contest sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council, through the Iowa State Beef Checkoff Program, and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. The Wood Iron Grille joins an elite group of past best burger winners from around the state. Previous winners include:

The designation as Iowa’s Best Burger comes after a two-phase competition. The first phase is based on votes from the public. For a month, burger lovers went online and voted for their favorite Iowa burger, submitting nearly 6,000 votes, representing around 500 restaurants in Iowa. At the end of the month, the 10 restaurants with the most votes are declared the “Top 10.”

Anonymous judging

Next, three anonymous judges visit each of the restaurants, focusing on the burger patties, and scoring them based on taste, doneness and presentation.

“If the eye-catching scenery and environment of the Wood Iron Grille does not draw Oskaloosans and out-of-towners into the restaurant, their delectable burger will surely do the trick,” says Peterson. “Trust in the judges’ taste buds and make a trip to the Wood Iron Grille in the near future.”

The restaurant is located at 2214 S. 11th St. in Oskaloosa. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit iabeef.org.

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