NEW LOCATION!

SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2023 · 2 – 7 PM
Oaks Area at Riverside Park · VERO BEACH, FL

Start celebrating Independence Day week with a bang featuring two of America’s favorite things, Burgers & Brews! Live performances will entertain the crowd all day along with vendors, a kids zone, breweries, car show, food trucks and delicious burgers.

One of the highlights at Burgers & Brews is the “Best Burger in Indian River County Competition”. This competition is held from 2 to 6pm. Purchase your tickets now to have a chance in voting for your favorite burger!

Don’t forget to purchase your VIP tickets to enjoy the reserved seating in the air-conditioned VIP Lounge near the stage, a cocktail bar, and air conditioned restrooms. VIP tickets also include a punch card to the burger competition and brewery area.

For more information or to Purchase Tickets

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EVENT MAP

2023 event map

2022 BURGER COMPETITION WINNERS

Judge's Choice Award

1st Place - The Grill at CW Willis Family Farms

2nd Place - American Icon Brewery"

3rd Place - Big Shots Golf

Peoples Choice Award

1st Place - The Barefoot Cafe

2nd Place - Heaton's Vero Beach

3rd Place - The Brennity at Vero Beach

2023 BREWERY PARTICIPANTS

American Icon Brewery Islamorada Beer Company Motorworks Brewing

Orchid Island Brewery Sailfish Brewery Sidedoor Brewery Tampa Bay Brewing Company

2023 BURGER COMPETITION JUDGES

Kenny Holmes

Kenny Holmes is a former defensive end in the NFL and is a native to Indian River County. After graduating from Vero Beach High School, Kenny was awarded an athletic scholarship by the University of Miami where he served two consecutive terms as the captain for the football program. Kenny was a first-round draft in the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Oilers where he helped lead the Titans to the Super Bowl XXXIV. In 2001, Kenny signed as a free agent with the New York Giants before retiring in 2003. These days Kenny enjoys spending time with family, friends, and being involved in the community.

 

Lisa Hastings

Lisa Hastings is a retired Public School Teacher, a Level Two Executive Wine Sommelier, and a Food Blogger for the Treasure Coast Foodies Group. She hosts fun and engaging monthly wine education classes and tastings at various locations around Vero Beach. She has a deep appreciation for food and wine, and can easily be found writing restaurant reviews, boating, cooking, acting at the Vero Beach Theater Guild, volunteering at Meals On Wheels and Riverside Theater, or serving at her church, Trinity Episcopal. She lives in Vero Beach with her husband, Curt, and they have two grown boys who live in California and Colorado.

Chef Jared Young

Jared Young was born in New York and raised in South Florida. He has held almost every job in the hospitality industry, working his way up starting as food runner at the age of 17 to Executive Chef by 22. He has worked in numerous restaurants in South Florida and Martha's Vinyard before joining the American Icon team in 2020. As co-owner of the team he is in charge of operations and has expanded the food operations. The way he sees it is in the world of craft food, it's not about creating new flavors, it's about perfecting the classics and putting your own twist on it.

Chef Scott Varricchio

Over the last decade, Chef Scott Varricchio has established himself as the premier culinary force in the Treasure Coast. As in cooking, timing is everything. After a 12-year “civilian” career with a New Jersey-based manufacturing and engineering firm, Mr. Varricchio reunited with his childhood friend and acclaimed chef/cookbook author Tom Valenti. Recognizing an opportunity to pursue what had previously been a hobby, Mr. Varricchio took an internship at Valenti's restaurant, Cascabel. His passion for creating approachable dishes with bold flavors in an unpretentious yet refined presentation quickly emerged, and his career path was clear. Chef Varricchio became assistant pastry chef at the legendary New York French eatery, La Cote Basque. There, he learned invaluable skills under the tutelage of famed Jean-Jacques Rachou and Pastry Chef Lincoln Carson. Varricchio rejoined Valenti at Butterfield 81 on New York's Upper East Side where he spent eighteen months before being summoned to the nation's new culinary mecca - Las Vegas. There he studied under James Beard Award Nominee for Outstanding Pastry Chef Lincoln Carson and internationally revered Chef Julian Serrano at the Bellagio's 5-star, 5-diamond jewel, Picasso. Returning to New York City, Varricchio took on the simultaneous role of executive sous chef at two highly acclaimed restaurants: Ouest and 'Cesca. Both restaurants are credited with establishing the Upper West Side as a leading destination for dining experiences. During its first year, 'Cesca was nominated by the James Beard Society as one of the best new restaurants in the country. Prior to reopening Citrus in 2019, Chef Varricchio spent time honing his skills through several culinary internships including work at Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry (3 Michelin stars) in Napa Valley, Eleven Madison Park (3 Michelin stars) in New York City and “L’ecole Valrhona” chocolate academy in lower Manhattan. Chef Varricchio has given back to the local community and beyond through fundraising event participation, support and volunteerism with such non-profit organizations as No Kid Hungry, Saint Edward’s School, McKee Botanical Garden and Quail Valley Charities, to name a few.

    How fast can you eat an apple pie?!

    Be sure to be at the stage by 3:55 to take part in our apple pie eating competition for your chance to win a prize!

    Apple Pie Eating Contest Participants

2023 EVENT SHIRT

 
2023 Event Shirt
 

BENEFITING UNITED AGAINST POVERTY

Proceeds from this event will benefit the transformative programs United Against Poverty (UP) of Indian River County. These programs empower and inspire people living in poverty to lift their families to economic self-sufficiency through a holistic approach of crisis stabilization, education, workforce training.

“The funds raised from Burgers & Brews allow the team at United Against Poverty to continue to work towards their shared purpose of empowering and inspiring individuals to lift themselves and their families to economic self-sufficiency.”
-Matthew Tanner, Executive Director United Against Poverty of Indian River County

UP pic

2023 ALICE Report from United Way: 6,890 households in Indian River County are in poverty, while another 24,331– are ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed). The ALICE working households earn above the Federal Poverty Level but less than what’s needed to survive in the modern economy. ALICE families have been overlooked and undercounted by traditional poverty measures. ALICE is the nation’s childcare workers, home health aides and cashiers heralded during the pandemic – those working low-wage jobs, with little or no savings and one emergency from poverty. They are hardworking people one paycheck away from financial ruin. Even using the most conservative cost scenarios for a family’s monthly expenses these ALICE families live on the brink of financial disaster every day — at risk of falling over the precipice when an emergency comes their way. The ranks of Indian River County households unable to afford the basics grew by 11% during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a total of 31,221 households or 45% struggling to afford the basics.