The most popular burger competitions in Spain

Burgers have evolved from fast food to culinary art, sparking a surge in burger competitions across Spain that reward creativity, quality ingredients, and customer experience. Whether you’re in the restaurant scene, passionate about food, or simply a burger fan, these events are worth your attention.

Best Burger Spain: the national contest with pro judges

One of the most publicized competitions in the country, organized by the “Best Burger Spain” team.

Format: Hundreds of venues from across Spain compete. A panel of professional judges visits, samples, and scores the entries. 2025 Highlight: Over 450 burger spots participated. The winner, “EM2” from The Carnival Superbar (León), was crowned champion after a final held in A Coruña. Why it matters: Massive visibility—finalists often experience a huge uptick in media and social media exposure.

The Champions Burger: Spain’s most popular burger festival

A highly engaging, roadshow-style burger festival.

Format: It travels to over 40 cities with competing food trucks. The public votes for their favorite burger. Typical locations: Cities such as Valencia, Santander, and Sevilla hosted major editions in 2025 (Smash Edition). Edge: It’s all about winning the public’s hearts—accessible and highly popular.

Burger Combat: gourmet burgers at Salón Gourmets

A refined competition hosted at the prestigious Salón Gourmets show.

Format: Selected professional chefs go head-to-head with high-end burger creations. Evaluated by: Presentation, flavor combinations, technique, and innovation. 2025 Winner: Restaurant Montana, known for its aged meat, homemade brioche bun, and foie sauce. Ideal for: Gourmet venues aiming to position themselves as the elite of burger cuisine.

Hundred Burgers: crowned best burger globally

Not a competition per se, but a top influence on burger standards worldwide.

Venue: Chain located in Valencia and Madrid. Recognition: Named “Best Burger in the World” by The World’s Best Burgers in both 2024 and 2025. Why it matters: Sets quality benchmarks and is a role model for excellence.

Burger Showdown via Promotty: where loyalty meets sales

Unlike other formats, Burger Showdown merges a competitive experience with loyalty and real sales, all run on the Promotty platform.

How it works:

• Each burger joint represents a city and participates using a special burger during qualifying phases.
• Customers purchase a coupon via the Promotty app, try the burger on site, and vote using the same app.

What makes it stand out:

• Verified public votes through real consumption.
• Built-in loyalty features: point cards, promos, birthday rewards.
• Real-time analytics for each venue.
• Online payment and QR-based validation.
• Major cities such as Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Málaga, Murcia, Alicante, and more took part in 2025.

Participant quote: “With Burger Showdown, we’ve turned a marketing action into a source of income.” — Merchant from Murcia

Comparisons at a glance

• Best Burger Spain – prestige via expert jury, national recognition
• The Champions Burger – mass visibility, festival vibe, public voting
• Burger Combat – gourmet competition with professional authority
• Hundred Burgers – global quality benchmark, not a contest but an icon
• Burger Showdown (Promotty) – loyalty integrated, accuracy, real results

Each contest serves different goals: renown, audience size, gastronomic positioning, or profitability. Promotty’s Burger Showdown integrates all three seamlessly in an innovative way.

Why take part in these competitions?

• Gain visibility—many venues report real sales growth.
• Access loyalty and marketing tools.
• Benefit from social and local media coverage.
• Coupons reduce fraud and provide solid tracking.
• You get to compete and prove your excellence in your city.

For burger lovers:

• Discover new spots.
• Enjoy discounted tastings and enter raffles.
• Vote for your favorites and crown the best local burger.

If you're interested in going further, you can explore other burger competitions in Spain to learn more.