What to Expect From Bud and Burgers Pop-Up Restaurant in the Flats

A brand new burger joint hits Cleveland next week, when Budweiser's Bud and Burgers pop-up restaurant hosted by Scene opens to the public.

Running only Tuesday, July 11 through Friday, July 14, a $4 ticket gets you one of six chef-crafted burgers, a side of freshly made kettle chips and, as the name implies, a Budweiser. Not bad at all for the price, plus, a portion of the proceeds goes to Downtown Cleveland Alliance.

Located downtown in the Flats East Bank in the old Willeyville location at 1051 W. 10th St., Bud and Burgers (which has previously only popped up in Chicago) hosted a preview event today and we got to check it out.

Upon entering expect to be bombarded with enthusiastic hospitality, as well as a large amount of Budweiser logos. While it is a basic domestic, Budweiser is a crisp, easy to-drink-beer that pair's well with just about any of the burgers on the menu.

Created by five Cleveland-based chefs, a sample of five burgers were served on a platter along with a basket of fresh, crispy kettle chips. Each burger will come with its own basket of chips, but it's a pretty healthy serving and can easily be shared by two. There's also a vegetarian option on the menu, but it wasn't available for tasting today.
Up first is the Mojo Burger, created by Chef Mike Mariola, it is a beef and andouille sausage patty with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and jalapeno coleslaw. It's easily the spiciest one of the five burgers, but not enough to be a turn-off, more of an afterthought.

Perhaps the most unique "burger" served was the Empanadas Hamburgesa by Chef Eric Williams. It's exactly what you think if you've had an empanada before. Seasoned ground beef with melted queso inside of a sesame seed toasted empanada topped with chipotle pickles. It's a simple twist on the all-American classic cheeseburger. The melted queso is really good, but I would have preferred my pickles inside the empanada.

The Colorado Lamb Kefta Burger from Chef Demetrios Atheneos comes packed with lettuce, heirloom tomato, pickled red onions and goat cheese tzatziki on a brioche bun. It's sweet and crisp.

Chef Shawn Monday's the French Flip, came with some superb beer braised short rib in lieu of a traditional patty. The caramelized onion and swiss cheese were the perfect compliment to the short rib.

Finally, ZB's Big Shot Burger implied in the name, was the biggest and most stacked burger of the bunch. It came stuffed with Italian cheese, pesto mayo, crispy mortadella and oven dried tomatoes. The Italian cheese is the standout on this one balancing the perfect amount of savory and sweet and leaving you wanting more.

Tickets can be purchased here for those 21 or older, and dining hours are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.