Chef From Tiverton Restaurant Wins Contest For Best Non-Beef Burger

TIVERTON, RI — Newport's 2023 Burger Bender contest took place earlier this year, and a chef at a Tiverton restaurant took home the ultimate prize for non-beef burgers.

Chef Marissa Lo from Boat House in Tiverton won this year’s trophy for best non-beef burger: Salmon Banh Mi. Her burger inspiration included a Gyoza salmon burger, Asian barbecue sauce, pickled carrots, radish, jalapeño, cilantro, and sriracha mayo served on a toasted sesame bun.

As a whole, Newport’s 2023 Burger Bender contest broke records and sold thousands of burgers. The Newport Burger Bender contest, which ran Feb. 17 to 26, featured a record-breaking 56 burgers from 42 restaurants, according to Discover Newport, which sponsors the event.

Competing restaurants served more than 6,200 burgers. The most people ever — 1,800 — voted for their favorite burger.

The Newport Burger Bender, established in 2017, encourages chefs to create unique and mouthwatering beef and non-beef burgers for the contest. Visit Discover Newport for a full list of competing restaurants and burgers.