Taking a big bite of burger week

Macon Burger Week (Nov. 7-15) just wrapped up and, as the new guy in town who landed here in April, I had no idea what I was walking into. 

I thought, “Alright, it’s a burger. How special can it really be?” I was wrong. So, so wrong.

My fellow Maconites quickly shared with me their favorite hot spots and, as always, I listened. 

The good people of Macon don’t just make burgers. They build experiences. They create flavor journeys. They craft patties with the kind of enthusiasm usually reserved for SEC football.

As I’ve quickly learned, when Macon restaurateurs are challenged, they do not rise to the occasion — they sprint to it, dragging creativity behind them like a cape. And Macon Burger Week is their Olympics.

Presented annually by the Georgia Beef Board and Visit Macon, Burger Week transforms the city into a playground of patties.

This year, 24 restaurants participated, each debuting a brand-new $12 specialty burger created exclusively for the event. Many even tossed in fries and a drink for just a few bucks more because — let’s face it — Macon loves a deal.

There’s also the beloved Burger Week Passport, which encourages diners to eat their way through town. Collect five stamps? You get a T-shirt. Hit 10? You’re in the running for grill gear or even a Weber charcoal grill if you manage to get all 24 burgers.

It’s competitive, delicious and a perfect excuse to block off your calendar for nine days of meat-fueled joy.

While I couldn’t try all 24 entries — my stomach has limits and my cardiologist would kill me — here are the standouts from my personal Burger Week crawl:

— Amici Macon and their The Spicy Islander Burger: Think Caribbean vacation meets backyard cookout. A black angus patty topped with grilled pineapple, caramelized banana peppers, bacon, fried jalapenos, provolone and mango sauce on brioche. The ingredients all sounded like something I’d swipe right on but the flavors didn’t quite harmonize the way that I hoped. Nonetheless, it was still a bold and brave burger endeavor.

— Cashman’s Pub and their Southern Peach Burger: A short-rib patty dripping in Bourbon Peach Jam, chicken-fried bacon, fried jalapenos, collard greens, cornbread crumbles, savory cheese spread and hot honey. It was sweet heat perfection. And the short rib patty? She understood the assignment.

— La Bella Morelia and their The Morelia Burger: A blend of chipotle, chorizo and ground beef with ham, pineapple, onion, mayo, lettuce, avocado, tomato and grilled white cheese. This Mexican restaurant doesn’t even serve burgers normally, and they still came in swinging. Unique, flavorful and a great cultural twist.

— Macon Water Ice and their Georgia Peach Burger: An incredibly well-seasoned patty, crispy beef bacon, grilled onions, fresh peaches, peach sauce, lettuce, tomato and cheese. One of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted, period. The peaches didn’t just work — they sang harmony. A truly Macon combination.

— Mercer Village Pizza and their Cheeseburger Pizza: I went in skeptical. Why mess up a good pizza or a good burger? But listen … they pulled it off! The seasoned beef, cheddar and mozzarella blend, burger sauce and fresh cold toppings gave me nostalgic backyard cookout vibes. Big win.

— The Rookery and their The Top Notch Burger: Smash patties with pepper jack, smoked tomato and poblano slaw, onions, and jalapenos. The Rookery normally dominates the burger scene, but this year’s entry didn’t blow me away. Social media agreed. Still good, but not the “Top Notch” we expected.

— Satterfield’s Barbeque and their The Cowboy Killer: Let me repeat this slowly … a slow-smoked Wagyu beef patty. Smoked gouda. Bacon jalapeno jam. Black garlic aioli. Crispy onions. Potato bun. I went twice. I voted for them. I begged for it to be permanent. This was my winner and, based on comments from my followers, we want that burger to be on the menu full time. It was THAT good. 

— Taco Mac and their The Dirty Cowboy: Two smash patties, American and Swiss, bacon jam, “secret” BBQ sauce and a beautifully seared brioche bun. Flavorful, indulgent and rodeo-level fun. 

— The Social Duck and their Peach State Smokehouse Burger: It was supposed to feature peach BBQ sauce, candied bacon, grilled peaches and fried green tomatoes. Unfortunately, the version we were served didn’t match the photo or description. Missing elements, altered presentation — something clearly went awry.

So, who won my heart? The answer is easy: The Satterfield’s burger — although I would be remiss if I didn’t give a huge honorable mention to Macon Water Ice.

Both burgers were excellent, but Satterfield’s won me over with their smoked burger, the incredible hospitality and the astronomical amount of posts and comments from burger-goers on social media.

Planning Ahead for 2026, I’m assembling a Burger Week Squad. A full-on beef battalion. We’re splitting burgers, taking notes and hitting every restaurant because Macon is too delicious to tackle alone.

If you’re interested in joining this elite team of carnivorous champions, shoot me a message. We’ll train. We’ll hydrate. We’ll stretch and then, as we always do, we’ll dine.

Until next time, Macon — let’s eat!

Billy Hennessey is the food columnist for The Melody. Write him an email at newlifenkiss@gmail.com.