Let me take a brief moment to introduce you to Kelly and Drew, one of the sweetest couples we know! You’ll be hearing more from them in the coming months as they will be writing a guest post here and there when Scott and I are overwhelmed planning the wedding :) They take on the official “Mid-Twenties” title, but we promise we won’t get too jealous.

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Let me start by saying that the highlight of my sweet, sweet summer was when I was asked if I would be willing to attend a burger and beer festival, featuring some of the greatest eats (and drinks) in the DC area! As a personal friend of Alix and Scott, and an avid reader of “In a DC Minute,” I was ecstatic to attend the event on their behalf and share with you details of yet another great DC area food festival, The 3rd Annual DC BRGR Bash.

The event took place in Arlington’s Gateway Park from 12-6 P.M. The location itself was spot on. Only one black from the Rosslyn Metro, and a decent amount of street parking within walking distance made for easy park access. Gateway Park had more than enough space for the food and beer vendors to set up and for the attendees to enjoy a relaxing day sampling burgers and beer. The event was also kid and pet friendly, with plenty of grassy areas to enjoy.

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When we arrived, my boyfriend, Drew, and I picked up our tickets for our two burger flights. Each flight contained four tickets with the name of the restaurant in that flight and a token to give to the vendor that we thought was the “best.” We had the opportunity to taste Flight A (Willow, Big Buns, Medium Rare, RIS) and Flight D (Chef Geoff’s, Burger Tap & Shake, Georgetown Grilling Society (GUGS), and Mad Fox Brewing Co). At first, the thought of eating eight burger seemed impossible. We decided to do the best we could, if we made it to six we would probably be satisfied. Well, the magic number for the day was….nine. Because not only did we taste each of the eight burgers, but we received a free burger from one of the vendors we voted for. There was no way I was letting my favorite of the day go to waste.

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We started out with Flight A. All of the vendors for each flight had a designated area of the park, making it extremely easy to find our respective restaurants. Drew started with a burger from last year’s champions, Willow Restaurant in Ballston, and I started with the Von Trapp from RIS in DC. For both of us, it was love at first bite. Drew loved the burger from Willow Restaurant, as did I. It even came with a small potato for a side dish. The Von Trapp definitely stole the show for me, mostly because of the melted Gouda on top. Other honorable mentions from Flight A were Big Buns out of Ballston and Medium Rare. Our final vote, and the chip for Flight A went to RIS.

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With slightly full stomachs we made our way to Flight D. We started with the “Pig Mac,” from Burger Tap and Shake, which Drew liked and I found to be just “okay.” After slowly making our way through the flight, we were about to throw in the towel with one ticket left. However, I am no quitter and decided one bite would fine. We cashed in our last ticket at the Mad Fox Brewing tent for their signature Mad Fox Burger. Words cannot describe the regret I would have left with not having tried this burger. Garlic mayo, bacon jam, and cheddar on a juicy beef burger instantly became the best burger I have had in a long time. It was no question that Mad Fox received our vote for best burger of Flight D and for the day. And when I stepped up to drop the chip, they gave me ANOTHER burger!

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Overall, the 3rd Annual DC BRGR Bash made for a great Saturday in the city. In addition to the burgers, we enjoyed some great drinks and were especially impressed with the selection from Old Ox Brewery. The Alpha Ox IPA was a refreshing compliment to some great eats. Dc Brau and Old Bust Head Brewing Co also provided a variety of craft brews, so there was definitely something for everyone. Local bands entertained the crowds in all areas of the venue which really added to the overall experience and tied the event together.

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I can honestly say that attending the DC BRGR Bash will be something we look forward to doing again next year. While we didn’t get to try all of the burgers at the festival, something tells me that the other vendors didn’t disappoint. We highly recommend stopping in at any of these places in the coming months for a cold brew and a delicious burger.

-Kelly