I’m not a burger person. I’ll eat them occasionally, but I typically don’t crave them. I very rarely order them at restaurants, unless I’m rushing through a fast-food drive-through.
Big Woods Bloomington (formerly Quaff On!) changed that, though. Once I tried a burger there, I was blown away. Big Woods is known more for their beer, and their wings are the best in town (no joke). So their burgers weren’t even on my radar.
As it turns out, they should have been.
Their JB Burger won the James Beard Foundation’s Better Burger Project. The challenge was to create a burger blended with mushrooms to promote healthier, more sustainable eating. To win, Big Woods beat 233 other restaurants across the country.
The JB Burger blends ground chuck, sirloin and short rib, with porcini and cremini mushrooms, pimentos and green chiles. The patty is then placed on top of a slice of triple cream Brie from Tulip Tree Farms Creamery. It’s topped with arugula, caramelized onions, demi-glace and beer mustard. All of that is sandwiched between Brioche buns.
Big Woods’ Chef Dan Nichols, the mastermind behind the burger, recommends ordering it medium rare and with a Quaff On! Busted Knuckle Robust Porter (if you’re 21, of course).
Hands down, the burger is a must-try. It won the contest for a reason. Customers have ordered it, finished it, and ordered it again in the same sitting because it tasted so good. Even if mushrooms aren’t your thing, you should try this burger.
But if you’re allergic or have some sort of intense aversion to mushrooms, try their other burgers.
Their Fra Diavolo Burger is amazing. Two blackened, 1/4-lb. patties of beef are topped with bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onion and ghost chile jack cheese, then (barely) held together by Brioche buns. It’s a big burger—it’ll barely fit in your mouth. But it’s not as spicy as you would think—the avocado’s creaminess mellows out the blackened seasoning and ghost chile jack cheese.
Meat not your thing?
Don’t worry, vegetarians, there’s an option for you! Try their Black Bean burger. It has spicy feta spread, avocado, lettuce, tomato and onion on a black bean patty, all sandwiched into a Brioche roll.
While Big Woods Bloomington’s other food is delicious, you can’t miss their burgers. Paired with beer, they make a seriously satisfying meal.