Watertown Brewing Company Captures the 2026 Burger Battle Championship Belt
- Steve Jurrens
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - After weeks of sizzling grills and record-breaking community turnout, the 4th Annual Watertown Burger Battle has officially crowned its 2026 champion. The coveted championship belt is staying downtown, awarded to the Watertown Brewing Company for their massive, flavor-packed creation: the “Smokey and the Bandit Burger”.
Representatives from the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce surprised the brewery team with a heavyweight-style championship belt to celebrate a hard-fought victory over a record 19 participating local restaurants.
The Winning Burger
The “Smokey and the Bandit Burger” was a towering culinary feat designed to push the boundaries of a traditional pub burger. Built on a house sesame seed bun, the burger featured a foundation of pub slaw, a juicy beef patty, and a layer of smoked brisket topped with melted gouda and American cheeses.
To balance the richness, Chef Michael and the WBC culinary team added a pickled red onion and a sweet-and-savory Jack Daniel’s whiskey bacon glaze. The entire stack was crowned with two fried jalapeño poppers and served with a side of wild-berry plum jalapeño honey-bourbon sauce for an extra kick.
The community’s appetite for the burger was staggering. Despite the brewery’s kitchen only being open Wednesday through Saturday, the point-of-sale system recorded an incredible 843 “Smokey and the Bandit” burgers sold during the competition.
Receiving the belt, the WBC team emphasized that the win was a massive group effort, crediting the cooks, waitstaff, and Chef Michael for flawlessly executing the complex recipe while keeping up with the relentless demand.
A Razor-Thin Victory and Top Challengers
With 19 restaurants vying for the title, the competition was the fiercest in the event’s four-year history. Watertown Brewing Company ultimately secured the top spot by a razor-thin margin of just 0.277 points.
Rounding out the top three “People’s Choice” challengers were:
· 2nd Place: Double Barrel Steakhouse in Henry with their “Wagyu Del Monico”.
· 3rd Place: Danger Von Dempsey’s ATY with their tropical-inspired “Da Ono” burger.
The win by WBC actually fulfills a prophecy made earlier in the competition by local “Burger Guy” Todd Whetzel, who noted that the brewery’s entry was “bursting with a plethora of Angus goodness”.
The Iron Stomachs: 2026 Punchcard Winners
While the restaurants battled for the culinary crown, dedicated local foodies waged their own war to taste every single entry. The Chamber of Commerce announced that an impressive 22 individuals successfully completed their punchcards by eating all 19 competing burgers.
This year’s official Punchcard Winners are: Jenni Carter, Mistelle Christenson, Andrew Clark, Noah Clark, Jason Crow, Vicki Crow, Andrew Foster, Brody Hanson, Mistey Knecht, Blaine Knox, Clint Lantgen, Angie Larson, Faith Leiseth-Hansen, Darell Pownell, Amanda Pribbenow, Brian Ries, Todd Ries, Paul Swanson, Ryan Webb, Sandra Webb, Julie West, and four-time veteran Todd Whetsel.
The Chamber extended its deep gratitude to the community for supporting the local restaurant industry, marking the 2026 battle as a resounding success.
