Six months and 44 burgers later, Steve Harris has completed Burger Tour 2.0 – his quest to eat and rank every hamburger in the Animas Valley.
On a crisp fall afternoon, Harris, his brother Tom and eight friends gathered at James Ranch Grill to celebrate. The coalition of “burger buddies” – Harris’ name for anyone who joined him on his tour – watched, laughed and applauded as he dug into a juicy, sloppy barbecue bacon cheeseburger, bringing the tour to a close.
“I haven’t been to my cardiologist in a couple of weeks,” Harris joked after swallowing a bite of free-range beef.
Harris’ goal wasn’t just to find the best burger in Durango – it was to explore the community and share lunch with friends.
“I always said getting together with your buddies and having a burger is the best you can do,” Harris said. “It’s hard to describe, other than that it’s just fun.”
Since Harris launching the tour, Harris built a small but loyal following ‒ about 40 “burger buddies” who were added to an email list called the “Burger Net.”
“I’ve got a big email list ‒ must be 35 or 40 people on it,” he said, “and so I see who wants to come whenever I go get a burger for lunch.”
The Burger Net gained a sort of tongue-in-cheek aristocracy, with Harris referred to as the “fearless leader” and “president.” When Harris left town in July, the task of keeping Burger Buddies updated fell to his friend, Dave Henry, who held the honorary title of “Junior Assistant Associate Burgermeister Applicant in Training.”
Burger buddies received updates on Harris’ journey and burger-themed news ‒ from National Cheeseburger Day on Sept. 18 to the world’s most expensive burger: a gourmet patty stack at a Spanish restaurant priced at nearly $11,000 and available by invitation only. The Burger Net also included notifications of burger buddy birthdays.
Now that Harris has tried every burger-slinging joint in town, he said he’s ready for a healthier diet.
“Steve needs to go on a salad diet till Christmas,” joked Barb Prose, a friend who joined him at James Ranch.
Harris said he ate at most fast-food restaurants alone because they offered less of a dining experience than the sit-down spots. But whenever he visited a proper restaurant, he invited his burger buddies.
Reflecting on his quest, Harris said burgers ‒ more than any other food ‒ are America’s most quintessential meal.
“I would suggest that the burger is America's comfort food,” Harris said. “You can buy a burger at taco restaurants or pizza restaurants. They’re everywhere.”
Another major part of Burger Tour 2.0 was ranking each burger spot in and around Durango using seven criteria: patty size, patty quality, bun quality, topping quality, sides, service and atmosphere.
Harris plans to release his final rankings in an op-ed to be published in the coming weeks in The Durango Herald.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
