Moody County restaurants must be doing something right.
For the second year in a row — and much to the surprise of many involved — a small-town establishment has taken top honors in the Brookings Area Burger Battle.
Egan’s very own BlueJays earned, through consumer votes, this year’s top bragging rights in the battle with their Sweet-Heat Burger. It was owners Kevin and Shari Hammer’s second time entering the battle. The patties were covered with Canadian bacon, pepper jack cheese and drizzled with a sweet chili sauce — and were, according to the chef, an instant hit.
“I was trying to think what we could make using ingredients we already had in-house,” co-owner Shari told the Brookings Register. “I made it for a girlfriend of mine, and it was a one and done,” she laughed.
According to Shane Anderson, creator of the social media site and founder of the event, the burgers are judged on customer service, creativity and taste. Twenty-eight area restaurants participated, coming from as far south as Egan, west to De Smet, north to Castlewood and east to Elkton.
“We started with eight or nine in 2021,” Anderson explained, noting it was a way to build dining traffic amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The competition now focuses on getting people out and about during what are usually quiet winter months for area businesses and introducing newcomers to the area.
“This is our sixth year, and it was competitive.”
Anderson compiles the votes and averages everything on a scale of one to five. The overall best average wins, he said.
BlueJays joins past winners The Merc in Flandreau (2025); Pints and Quarts — a two-time winner; Rub N’ Tug; and the Pheasant Restaurant & Lounge, all three in Brookings.
“I was quite shocked to be really honest. I mean, I knew the burger batch was going over well – better than ours last year. I just thought, we’re so small, you know. How do you get that many people to vote?” said Shari.
But this January and February were the biggest two months the business has seen in 12 years.
“These were people that had been traveling and trying all of them…usually this time of year on the weekends, we get side by side with the four wheelers coming off the river. We only had two days of that this year. That usually is what makes our January and February, but it had to have been the Burger Clash. It made a big difference. I think for us, the biggest thing with being involved wasn’t necessarily the win, but the number of people that walked through the door.”
While it was their first win, it will likely also be the Hammers’ last as the family looks to move on from BlueJays. The business is up for sale.
“Our kids were little when we bought it and it’s been a great experience,” Shari said. “It’s been kind of a hangout for our kids and others in the community,” but with a now-26-year-old daughter (Sydney) and Addy and Tate turning 18 and 16, new challenges await, the Flandreau natives said.
BlueJays for now remains open seven days a week, with the convenience store opening at 8 a.m. and the restaurant closing at 10 p.m. They offer breakfast one Sunday a month and boast a holiday buffet — all, according to them, because of a loyal and supportive staff.
The double quarter-pound “Sweet Heat Hawaiian” burger is not yet on the menu, Shari said, but she urges customers to request one.
“As soon as we get new menus printed, it will be there,” she promised.
Brian Bloom at [email protected].
Carleen Wild Wilson at [email protected].
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