Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Restaurants Pay Homage To An American Classic During National Hamburger Month In May

I'm Just A...Volcano Burger, Boursin Burger, Ultimate Burger, Arizona Jerk Burger and Crunch Burger in Paradise...

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Apr 25, 2013, 01:40 ET

ORLANDO, Fla., April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- With National Hamburger Month right around the corner, chefs from Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurants across the country recently competed in Margaritaville's annual burger challenge. Margaritaville chefs were encouraged to create their own signature style burgers for a chance to be included in Margaritaville's Specialty Burger Menu in May. Each week in May, one of the winning burgers will be featured in Margaritaville restaurants across the country. From nacho-inspired creations to Boursin cheese jalapeno burgers and burgers topped with fried potato crisps and sweet-and-spicy bacon, Margaritaville's collection of featured specialty burgers offer selections from the sweet to the savory for a limited time.

While National Hamburger Month is yet to become a nationally recognized holiday, it certainly is one that is gaining notoriety amongst burger lovers. Survey's show that over 70% of beef that is consumed in the United States is done so in the form of hamburgers and cheeseburgers. As a fun side fact, Minnesota holds the current World Record for biggest hamburger weighing in at over a mere ton (2,014 lbs. to be exact). From festivals to eating contests to menu inclusion at fine dining establishments, burger consumption is, and will continue to be, an all-American favorite.

For the month of May, Margaritaville restaurants will feature specialty burgers created by Margaritaville Chefs across the country, showcasing the diversity of the iconic sandwich. With Social Media "Meat-Ups" (encouraging the brand's fans and followers to photograph their burgers for exclusive giveaways) taking place throughout the month, there will be plenty of good food, good drinks and good fun to go around.

National Hamburger Month is one of our favorite holidays here at Margaritaville," said Tamara Baldanza, Director of New Business. "Every year our staff and guests look forward to celebrating our signature burgers and the chefs that created them. There's nothing better than a 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' and an ice cold beer to kick off the summer, so 'meat' us at Margaritaville!"

THE SPECIALTY BURGERS:
Each Margaritaville Executive Chef submitted a new Specialty Burger recipe and fans voted on Facebook for the most delicious sounding burger. Out of the 10 chef submissions, 5 were chosen by Facebook fans with the voting completed April 15th. Thousands of votes were cast and the five winning burgers will be featured across Margaritaville restaurants nationwide during the month of May. The Specialty Burgers are:

Boursin Mushroom Burger – Week #1

Created by Margaritaville Mohegan Sun chef, Mark Collins, this burger is piled high with a grilled portabella mushroom, Boursin cheese, pan-fried tomatoes, jalapenos and an avocado mayonnaise. (Available 4/29 – 5/5)

Volcano Nacho Burger – Week #2

This burger concoction was created by Myrtle Beach Margaritaville Chef Craig Ledger and features Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, Volcano Chili, house-made Queso, fried tortilla strips and for an extra kick some sliced jalapenos. (Available 5/6 – 5/12)

Ultimate Burger Melt – Week #3

What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay there. Chef Franz Zmuda from Margaritaville Las Vegas' burger is served with caramelized onions, fire-roasted tomatoes covered with Parmesan cheese, melted Monterey, Jack &Cheddar cheese, Heinz 57 and served on baked and buttered Texas Toast. (Available 5/13 – 5/19)

Arizona Jerk Burger – Week #4

Topped with sautéed chopped onions, jerk BBQ sauce, Pepper Jack cheese, peppered bacon, pickle planks and served with a chutney mayonnaise. This burger got its start in the kitchen of Margaritaville Glendale by Chef Anthony Garcia. (Available 5/20 – 5/26)

Crunch Burger – Week #5

This bun-less burger rests on a bed of shredded lettuce, covered with chipotle mayonnaise and topped with American and Cheddar cheese, grilled tomatoes, sweet-and-spicy bacon, and lastly fried potato crisps. Add spicy ketchup to this burger and you have our newest Margaritaville Atlantic City (Opening Memorial Day Weekend 2013) Chef Jason LaMotte's favorite burger. (Available 5/27 – 6/2)

WHERE:
All US Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville locations, LandShark Bar & Grill, Margaritaville Beach Hotel and Jimmy Buffett's at the Beachcomber

WHEN:
April 29th – June 2nd

About Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville:
Inspired by the lyrics and lifestyle of Jimmy Buffett, whose songs evoke a cross-generational yearning for an island adventure, the brand is comprised of restaurants, casinos, hotels, retail stores, consumer products, diversified beverage portfolio and a national radio station on Sirius/XM. Margaritaville delivers a tropical experience where guests can escape and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of their favorite destination regardless of their current latitude. Since launching its first location in Key West in 1987, Margaritaville has expanded to 25 of the most popular U.S. and international destinations, including: New Orleans, Orlando, Las Vegas, Myrtle Beach, Panama City Beach, Glendale, Pensacola, Nashville, Biloxi, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Chicago and Honolulu. In addition to the new Atlantic City locations opening Memorial Day Weekend, a Margaritaville Casino, 400 room hotel and resort are scheduled to open in Bossier City June 2013 and the first Margaritaville Vacation Club Resort is scheduled to open in St. Thomas in late 2014. International locations can be found in the Caribbean, Mexico, the Republic of Panama, Canada and Australia. Margaritaville Hospitality Group is headquartered in Orlando, FL and employs more than 2500 people worldwide.