By John Gonzalez | gonzo@mlive.com and Amy Sherman | asherma2@mlive.com
March 4, 2020
KALAMAZOO, MI -- We’re about to begin Day 3 of our search for Michigan’s Best Best Burger, and it’s already been pretty epic.
In just two days we’ve sampled a staggering 34 burgers, yes, we said 34 BURGERS, and we’ve already run into some serious contenders.
On Monday we were in the Grand Rapids area, and then on Tuesday we stopped in Muskegon and Shelby.
Overall the Michigan’s Best Team (that’s us, Amy Sherman and John Gonzalez of MLive.com) we’ll visit our 12 Regional Poll Winners and other finalists we pick from our polls/nominations.
You can see some of the photos from our first two days in links below.
In the meantime, we’re off to the Kalamazoo area today (March 4).
It’s going to be another great day.
Why don’t you join us if you’re in the area.
Special thanks to Michigan’s Best Burger search sponsor, the Greater Lansing Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Wednesday, March 4 Itinerary
Nonla Burger in Kalamazoo is nominated for Michigan's Best Burger 2020. John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman of MLive.com will be making official visits in March and announce winners in early April. More info at mlive.com/michigansbest/Kalamazoo Gazette
Stop 1 -- 11:30 a.m.
Nonla Burger
1700 S. Drake Road Suite A
Kalamazoo, MI 49006
Other location:
2103 S Burdick St, Kalamazoo, MI 49001
269-443-2270
"Love their cheeseburger with their special pickles and Nonla spread. Get those fries loaded Nonla Way too.They do great daily special burgers. Marianne
“My vote is for Nonla Burger in Kalamazoo. They have a no-nonsense, classic cheeseburger that is seasoned just right. Between this and their in-house Nonla sauce that goes on each burger, they hit all the flavor profiles that you want out of a good burger. Combine that with delicious fries and their handmade milkshake of the day and you have a burger meal that will leave anyone satisfied.” Jared
“My submission for the best Burger in Michigan is going to be Nonla Burger in Kalamazoo. Their original location is in Kalamazoo on Burdick St, and they just opened a second location on Drake Rd. Their burgers are simple, but executed perfectly. The patties themselves are seasoned well, their veggies are fresh and their special sauce (ie Nonla spread) is delicious. And, their double cheeseburger is a steal at only $4.95. To put another perspective of how good their burgers are, when they opened their second location on Sunday (Feb 16) at 11 am, they ran out of food by 2 pm. They closed to restock and prep more food, reopened at 5, then closed early at around 7:45 because they ran out of food again.” Jordan
Stop 2 -- 1 p.m.
RJ’s Sports Bar & Grill
8118 Portage Rd, Portage, MI 49002
269-323-9262
RJ’s placed No. 2 in the poll.
Stop 3 - 3 p.m.
Corky’s Drive-In Restaurant
1299 Lincoln Rd, Allegan, MI 49010
269-673-4555
“As the matriarch of Corky’s Drive-In in Allegan, I am thrilled to have our family-owned restaurant nominated for “Best Burger.” However, we have a slight logistical problem. We are a seasonal drive-in. We don’t open until March 1, weather permitting. Is there any way we could still be considered? We would love to serve you one of our famous “Heavy Kevie” burger or a burger of your choosing. We named “Heavy Kevie” after a loyal customer who has since succumbed to cancer. Corky’s stands as an iconic legend on M-89 - built in 1947, it has operated as a drive-in ever since with carhops continuing to serve you with old-time classics. Since we purchased the restaurant more than three decades ago all of our family members have worked there in some capacity.Again, we would love to be considered for this Mlive honor. It would confirm and reaffirm the many years we’ve won the title of Best Burger in West Michigan". Linda Mankin
Stop 4 - 4:30 p.m.
Schaendorf Brewing Company
412 Water St, Allegan, MI 49010
269-286-1059
“It’s been an honor to be nominated for MLive’s Michigan Best Burger! We truly appreciate the customers who took the time to nominate and vote for us. Schaendorf Brewing Company is a family-owned business dedicated to local deliciousness that starts at the farm. All of our beef is sustainably and ethically sourced just 15 minutes away from the Schaendorf Cattle Company. It’s then harvested at West Michigan Beef in Hudsonville and processed by Byron Center Meats in Bryon Center. There’s likely no other burger in Michigan with a smaller footprint. We invite you to come in and try what the locals have been raving about and would love to give you a tour of our farm to see where it all starts. The brewery also features a meat market where customers can purchase fresh or frozen beef and other products to enjoy at home. We take pride in serving fresh classic burgers but also one-of-a-kind new creations from our kitchen with our revolving burger of the week specials. The rest of our menu is pretty awesome too, featuring steaks from the family’s farm, Otto’s Chicken raised in Middleville and other locally sourced items based on seasonality.” Nicole Heslip