National Cheeseburger Day: Ten South Florida Spots to Get Your Fix

Some food holidays are just more important than others, and anything with burgers is definitely one of them. Whether you're willing to admit it or not, cheeseburgers are at the top of the indulge-without-guilt list, and National Cheeseburger Day on September 18 just gives you an extra reason to do so.

Obviously, you could fulfill your beef-loving desire with a quick pass through a nameless fast food drive-through, but that's no way to honor you true love. It needs to be savored slowly, where everyone can be witness. So pick one of these spots instead. There's one honoring the holiday with a special of its own, another using your cheeseburger lust to feed hungry children, and a bunch more that are just plain good.

Note: A few of these restaurants are offering special deals on National Cheeseburger Day. Keep reading for more details.

Charm City Burger Co.
1136 E. Hillsboro Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Call 954-531-0300, or visit charmcityburgers.com.
Hey, everyone, there's a new burger on the menu at Charm City Burger in Deerfield Beach, and it's definitely worth the indulgence. Dubbed "The Spaniard," it features crispy fried chorizo "chips," a young manchego cheese, homemade guava-jalapeño jam, sherry pickled onions, and a slathering of garlic aioli. The best part about this cheeseburger is still the burger, however. Co-owner and chef Michael Saperstein tells us he's remade his special beef-patty blend to include a secret ingredient that gives a one-up on the flavor profile from his original chuck, short rib, and brisket. Even better: Each patty is now processed in an old-school machine, which equals a looser pack for a burger patty that resembles the texture (and superduper juiciness) that put Charm City on the map for one of the best burgers in South Florida when it first opened six years ago.

Beauty & the Feast
601 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-567-8070, or visit atlantichotelfl.com.
Who said all cheeseburgers need to be about the beef? At Beauty & the Feast in Fort Lauderdale, nothing satisfies an appetite quite like its bison burger. The tender meat is topped with mushrooms and perfectly melted Swiss cheese, as well as a zesty onion bacon marmalade. The finishing touch to the toasted bun, all of it served alongside fresh-cut fries and house-made pickles.

Riverside Market South
608 SW 12th Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-358-8333, or visit facebook.com/riversidemarketsouth.
A new menu item at the new Riverside Market South in Fort Lauderdale recently made an appearance just in time for National Cheeseburger Day. It's known as the Bacon & Bleu Burger, a hand-formed ground chuck patty seasoned and seared on a flat-top grill, and topped with crispy bacon, crumbled bleu cheese, and a fresh-whipped garlic mayo. The whole deal is served on a doughy-soft onion bun with fries. We're thinking it's one near-perfect way to celebrate the day.

Tanzy
301 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Call 561-922-6699.
Tanzy Restaurant’s bun-stuffing good burger, the Tanzy Burger, is a testament to getting all the details exactly right. It sounds simple: a wood-grilled ten-ounce Angus patty with applewood-smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, beefsteak tomato, and arugula on toasted rosemary focaccia. But like so many simple things, you’ve got to get it exactly right; the creamy Gouda cheese is melted so that there is a taste in every bite, the bacon is crisped to perfection, the arugula is peppery, and the bun is buttery and herbaceous. Available for both lunch and weekend brunch, this absurdly juicy burger is one of the best beefy bites around.

Hudson at Waterway East
900 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Call 561-303-1343.
Celebrate National Cheeseburger Day at Hudson Delray. Hudson’s take on this American classic will have your mouth watering with each bite. Hudson’s cheeseburger is carefully crafted with fresh beef and topped with premium ingredients consisting of caramelized onion marmalade, applewood-smoked bacon, and the nutty-but-sweet taste of melted fontina cheese that will give your taste buds an elevated cheeseburger experience. Savor each and every bite of the Hudson Burger amid waterfront bliss as you dine along Delray’s Intracoastal.

Tap 42
1411 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-463-4900, or visit tap42.com. 5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton. Call 561-235-5819, or visit tap42.com/boca-raton.
Tap 42's Prohibition Burger is a thing of beauty, a blend of white cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, Tap 42 "secret" sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion, and house-made Dijionaise piled high — and best served next to your favorite pint of ice-cold beer. Now, with a second location in Boca Raton, distance is no prohibition. (See what we did there?)

Habit Burger
1801 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. Call 561-265-0934.
Doing its part to help end the problem of childhood hunger in America, the Habit Restaurants Inc. is launching a partnership with No Kid Hungry in which guests are encouraged to donate at the register and, in return, receive a certificate to enjoy a complimentary Charburger with cheese on their next visit through October 14. Habit Burger Delray Beach is the first Florida location will participate in this program. The campaign, which will run nationwide at participating* Habit Burger Grill locations between August 26 and September 30, 2015, addresses the serious issue of childhood hunger in the United States, where one in five children cannot count on their next meal. During the campaign, guests at the Habit who donate $2 to No Kid Hungry, a national campaign from the nonprofit Share Our Strength, will receive a certificate for a free Charburger with cheese good on a future visit.

Burger 21
2451 S. University Drive, Davie. Call 954-530-4296, or visit burger21.com.
Burger 21, the “beyond the better burger” fast-casual franchise, is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day by rewarding guests for downloading its new mobile app and loyalty rewards program. Do so and you'll get a free Cheesy Burger. To further celebrate the holiday, the brand is launching its first #BCheesy photo sweepstakes where one lucky fan will win free cheesy burgers for an entire year. Winners will be announced on National Cheeseburger Day, September 18. Starting now, guests are encouraged to download Burger 21's free mobile app and register (you'll need to in order to receive the free food offer). To participate in the #BCheesy photo sweepstakes, customers must post a photo of themselves enjoying their free Cheesy Burger in-restaurant on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #BCheesy. Through Burger 21’s mobile app, guests can earn a $5 reward for every seven visits. The app is available for download at the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Frankey's Sports Bar
900 Silks Run, Hallandale Beach, Florida. Call 954-464-2333, or visit frankeysbar.com.
Frankey’s Sports Bar’s serves its own brand of cheeseburger, a hulking nine ounces of GMO-free, antibiotic-free, all-natural beef sourced locally from Adena Farms in Ocala. This juicy beef sits atop a fresh-baked bun and is garnished with your choice of any cheese, crispy lettuce, fresh tomato, sliced onion, and homemade ketchup. 

Rok:Brgr
208 SW Second St., Fort Lauderdale. Call 954-525-7656, or visit rokbrgr.com.
Founder and co-owner Marc Falsetto has a favorite burger, and it's not what you might expect. Out of 14 handcrafted burgers, it's the one with the most heat: the Spicy Crunch. It's Rok:Brgr's famous patty blend smothered with chipotle gouda cheese, roasted jalapeños, and a chipotle ketchup and topped crunchy Frito chips. If you like it hot and heavy, this cheeseburger's for you.

Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.