At the beginning of October, here at Milwaukee Magazine we set out on the quest to find the best burger in Milwaukee with help from our sponsors at the Wisconsin Beef Council. The Burger Bracket started with 16 burgers separated into four categories including fancy-ish, Milwaukee classics, double or nothing and the chain gang.
Thousands of voters helped us whittle down the competition until there were just two burgers left last week: The Big Gringo Burger at Oscar’s and the Double Cheeseburger at Nite Owl.
And the winner of the best burger in Milwaukee is [drumroll please]: The Double Cheeseburger at Nite Owl!
Nite Owl is an old fashioned ice cream parlor and sandwich shoppe. The seasonal burger joint is open from the end of March into November. Nite Owl just closed for the season, making this year their 72nd year of business. They’ll be back open in March.
Nominations are open for the 2024 Unity Awards!
Know an individual or group committed to bridging divides in our community? Nominate them for a Unity Award by Oct. 31.
Nite Owl had some fierce competition in the search for Milwaukee’s best burger. Nite Owl, falling into the category of double or nothing, went head-to-head with Uncle Wolfe’s hamburger with cheese. After coming out ahead in round one, Nite Owl then battled it out against Don’s Diner’s Double Naughty Angel Burger. Reigning supreme against Don’s Diner, our David took down Culver’s, a real Goliath in this competition.
From there, Nite Owl’s Double Cheeseburger advanced to the finals against Oscar’s. After a close competition, Nite Owl’s Double Cheeseburger won by just a hair with Nite Owl holding 50.75% of the votes and Oscar’s right on Nite Owl’s tail with 49.25% of the votes.
Winning by a percentage and a half, Nite Owl’s Double Cheeseburger is crowned the winner of Milwaukee Magazine’s Burger Bracket.
So what’s Nite Owl’s Double Cheeseburger all about, you might ask? Well, Nite Owl is known for its daily fresh burgers and once they’re out of fresh beef for the day they close up shop. The early bird gets the worm – or burger in this case – at Nite Owl. The Double Cheeseburger is $9 and guests get the choice between their favorite condiments and can add on lettuce and tomato for an additional cost.
Get your bellies ready for when Nite Owl reopens in March and prepare yourself to taste the best burger in Milwaukee.
