Windy Hollow Biscuit House wins burger war

That’s according to a blind tasting from a 14-member panel who rated burgers from 38 local restaurants during “Owensboro Burger Week.”

Evelyn Miller, one of the owners, said Chef Quentin Lindsey, a 20-year veteran of the kitchen, used to work in a seafood restaurant.

And he came up with the idea of putting shrimp and grits on a hamburger.

“We tried in on toast first,” she said. “But that didn’t work. So we tried it on a biscuit and it was perfect.”

Miller said the burger will remain on the menu at least through the end of the month.

“And then, we’ll see,” she said.

The Biscuit House, which has only been open for 10 months, is normally open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

But Miller said, “We stayed open all week during Burger Week.”

The Shrimp N Grits Burger had an overall average score of 86.86 out of 100 possible points from the judges, one of the highest scores ever recorded.

Dave Kirk, destination management director for the Owensboro-Daviess County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said 34,549 burgers were sold at the 38 participating restaurants over the nine days.

That was more than double the 16,000 that were sold in 32 restaurants over five days last year.

Kirk said, “Over $241,843 was spent in nine days on featured burgers sales alone. When you take those burger sales and add in people buying other food and drinks, you’ve created an enormous economic impact.”

Some people on Facebook suggested that the event become “Burger Month,” saying, “I can’t eat 38 burgers in nine days.”

But Kirk said it will remain at nine days because restaurants were exhausted after selling so many burgers.

Niko’s Bakery and Café, which is just across the parking lot from the Biscuit House, took second place with its Croissant Burger.

J’s Good Grub, took third with its Big Booty Judy Burger; Old Hickory Bar-B-Q was fourth with its Black Angus Hamburger with chili, mac & cheese, sweet heat and Grippos; and Thai Food Owensboro was fifth with its Pa Nang Burger.

Kirk said Beef ‘O’ Brady’s sold the most burgers of any restaurant for the third consecutive year.

Sponsors include the Kentucky Beef Council, Green River Appliance and Hill View Farms Meats.