First Place, People’s Choice

Chef Jared went to the Geneva Lakes Burger Throwdown, put his burger in front of hundreds of voters, and let them decide. Now it’s coming to 1878 on the Lake.

The Result

The 15th Annual Geneva Lakes Burger Throwdown drew a packed floor on May 3. Competitors walked in from restaurants across the Geneva Lakes area, each running their own grill, each competing for the best burger in the region as decided by hundreds of voters scoring through the event app. When the votes came in, Chef Jared Schulz of Lake Lawn Resort had won first place People’s Choice for the second year running, and finished third with the judges’ panel (which included, for the record, Craig Culver of Culver’s fame; the man knows his way around a smash burger).

Chef Jared has a philosophy about People’s Choice that explains why he keeps chasing it. “It’s five people compared to hundreds of voters,” he says. “You gotta be a man of the people.” This year, the people agreed.

The Burger

Chef Jared competed with a pimiento cheese smash burger: a Wisconsin-honest, unapologetic, get-a-few-napkins smash burger built on the same principle he brings to everything that comes out of his kitchen. Crispy caramelized edges from an 80/20 beef blend, pressed once on a screaming-hot griddle.

Here’s what’s on it, in his words: smashed crispy beef on a sharp American cheese (aged, tangy, the kind that melts like a dream), a pimiento cheese spread, arugula, roasted poblano chilies, vanilla caramelized onions, candied bacon with hot honey, all on a potato roll.

“When you eat a burger, you should get messy,” he says. “People are there for the grease, the cheese, the onions, the bacon. They’re there to have really great flavor.”

He built exactly that. The crowd agreed.

Try It at 1878 on the Lake

Chef Jared’s pimiento cheese smash burger is coming to the lunch menu at 1878 on the Lake. If you missed the Throwdown, this is your chance. If you were there and you voted for it, you already know what to do.

Keep an eye on this page for the launch date. It will be worth the wait.

Every stay at Lake Lawn Resort has a story. Some of them start with a burger.