Every month Fierce Bites goes out in search of great burgers, pizza, drinks, and tacos for both the meat-eater and Vegan crowd. This month’s menu is burger-heavy, with offerings from our friends at Kuma’s Corner, Grill Em’ All, and Zombie Burger. Sizzle Pie and Epic Deli are rounding out the menu with a Kermit the Frog inspired pizza and cheesecake tribute to the late Jimmy Buffet.
Kuma’s started in 2005 with its flagship location at the corner of Belmont and Francisco avenues in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood. From their origins as a corner bar with solid American bistro fare, they’ve grown to five locations that offer the finest burgers available on this planet or any other. Kuma’s was recently named one of the 26 best burgers in Chicago by Timeout Chicago. With Chicago being a major foodie city with tons of great food, it’s a huge honor.
This month’s BOTM is named after the Buffalo, NY hardcore band, Snapcase. Paying homage to Snapcases’s hometown, this unique burger is stacked with Kuma’s signature 10 oz patty, a house-made Buffalo chicken tender, cherry pepper aioli, Provolone cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, and tomato. This month, Kuma’s Corner has partnered with the Pearl Jam fan-run non-profit, the Wishlist Foundation. $1 from every Snapcase Burger will support this organization dedicated to supporting Pearl Jam’s charitable efforts and the Pearl Jam fan community.
As a bonus, we’re throwing in a Kuma’s appetizer. Let us introduce you to the beautifully picturesque, Jelapeño Popper. And no, that isn’t a typo. These deep-fried beauties are jalapeños stuffed with a cream cheese and chorizo filling and served with a raspberry jalapeño jam. A must-have appetizer when visiting any of the Kuma’s locations.
Founders Matt Jacobson and Mikey McKennedy came together and envisioned an independent pizzeria that would serve up the perfect slice. In 2011, they opened up their first location on East Burnside Street in Portland, Oregon. Since then, they have consistently ranked in the top 10 independent pizzerias in the country. They serve East Coast-style slices and pies with a healthy blend of West Coast flair by turning the freshest, highest-quality ingredients into tried and true classics with bold new pizza visions in a variety of meat, veggie, and vegan options.
September’s Sizzle Pie offering is a cult classic, the It’s Not Easy Being Green. This specialty pie uses a basil cashew spread base, crumbled sausage, white onion, jalapeño, and grated pecorino. When you order through the Sizzle Pie app and add a sauce heart, you will be making a contribution to Friends of Trees. This amazing organization inspires people to improve the world around them through a simple solution: planting trees.
Grill Em’ All has cemented themselves as a Los Angeles burger institution. Chef Ryan Harkins and former professional wrestler Matt Chernus started by serving gourmet burgers out of a food truck back in 2009. Before opening up their heavy metal-themed brick-and-mortar they won the first ‘Great Food Truck Race’ and were featured on the ‘Best Thing I Ever Ate.’ Their popularity led them to lay their food trucks to rest and serve burgers and fries at their restaurant in Alhambra, California.
This month’s burger gets its name from the thrash metal band Exmortus, who actually formed in nearby Whittier, California. What better way to celebrate the release of their new album, Necrophony, than with their own burger? The Exmortus burger stacks Grill Em All’s signature half-pound burger with shredded honey chipotle chicken, extra crispy bacon, house-made ranch, and Muenster cheese. And if the burger isn’t enough, the Exmortus is also available as fries.
This popular McHenry, Illinois eatery is known for its subs, sandwiches, chimichangas, crazy appetizers, craft beer, cold brew coffee, and dessert. Epic Deli creates a special menu every month along with a Vegan companion. Whether you’re Vegan, vegetarian, keto/low carb, or just an over-indulging carnivore; they have something for you. If you head over to their IG page you can see for yourself in real-time, the awesome creations they’re constantly putting out.
As a tribute to the late Jimmy Buffet, Epic Deli has created the Cheesecake in Paradise. This beautiful pie is a vanilla bean cheesecake with a graham cracker crust and topped with a filling made from freshly chopped pineapple, strawberries, guava, and papaya.
Zombie Burger + Drink Lab are famous for their inventive flavor combos and once you look through their menu you’ll see just how inventive they can get. The GOREmet eatery evokes a classic roadside burger stand but in a ‘post-apocalyptic chic’ setting. They proudly pair fresh ingredients with expert preparation. Zombie Burger features its very own custom three-cut beef burger blend, specially-crafted buns, and hand-mixed shakes.
Zombie Burger’s contribution to this month’s menu is their stacked Children of the Cy-Hawk Corn Family burger. This monster burger is stacked high with fried pork tenderloin, crispy Webster City slab bacon, golden aged cheddar cheese sauce, cardinal red BBQ, and black & gold charred sweet corn salsa.
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