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Two Orangeville restaurants named People’s Choice winner category of United Way’s NovemBurger contest

December 12, 2024   ·   0 Comments

By Sam Odrowski

Orangeville’s reputation for having some of the best burgers in the region is growing.

Two local restaurants recently crushed the competition in the People’s Choice category of a regional burger contest that saw 14 eateries across Guelph, Wellington and Dufferin competing for a good cause. Out of the 14 competitors, only two resided in Orangeville and both did well in the contest.

Taphouse Craft Beer + Kitchen (34 Mill St.) won first place with its Dirty Deedsy Burger and Déjà vu Diner (318 Broadway) won second place with its Grilled Cheese Cowboy Burger in the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin’s first annual NovemBurger contest.

In the end, 2,765 burgers were sold in support of NovemBurger, and when counting sponsorships and donations, the contest raised $20,000. The funds are being used by the local United Way to support food programs in the communities it serves. Locally, funds were directed towards the Orangeville Food Bank.

“As many of our neighbours, friends and family are struggling to put food on their tables, we are grateful to the community for their support,” said Glenna Banda, executive director of the United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin. “But the fact is, we need every dollar to continue to help make a difference in our communities.  If you have the capacity to give to the United Way campaign this year, or even give a little bit more, every donation will ensure no one in our community has to face challenges alone.”

Taphouse owner Michael Beattie said his restaurant is known for its burgers, so it was nice to secure first place in the People’s Choice category of the contest.

“During a dreary couple of months in the restaurant industry, NovemBurger certainly helped bring some fun and provide us with a wonderful way to honour our late friend, Herbert James, who passed away this summer of a heart complication,” said Beattie.

“Hopefully this drives business throughout the rest of the year as well,” he told the Citizen.

Déjà vu Diner and Taphouse “beefed” on social media over who had the best burger through November.

When it began, Déjà vu posted a photo on its Instagram page with a staff member holding up a sign that read, “The beef in the streets is 100% real, just like our burgers. @Taphouse – bring it on!”

In response, Taphouse’s Instagram page posted a picture with a staff member holding up a sign that reads, “Hey @DejaDiner, should’ve stuck to breakfast! #NovemburgerIsOurs.”

Beattie said the good-spirited competition was a fun way of driving awareness.

“The little side competition with our friends at Déjà vu was a great opportunity to poke a bit of fun at each other and help drive business to both spots!  Looks like they might be coming for us next year though,” said Beattie.

The NovemBurger campaign had 14 restaurants in Guelph, Elora, Fergus and Orangeville each putting forward a unique burger creation to sell through November, with $2 from each burger sold going to the United Way.

“I am so incredibly proud of both Taphouse and Deja Vu, the two Orangeville restaurants who participated in NovemBurger both rising to the challenge delivering prize winning burgers! The fact that only two of the participating restaurants were Orangeville restaurants and they won 1st and 2nd place speaks volumes to the power of our community and the caliber of restaurants we have here,” enthused Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post, who was a NovemBurger ambassador. “The friendly ‘sign war’ between Deja Vu and Taphouse brought incredible attention to the NovemBurger challenge and to the great work that the United Way does in our community.”

She added, “As an ambassador, I had a hard time scoring these two burgers because they were both incredibly delicious! Such a proud moment for Orangeville!”

The Top NovemBurger of the Year, voted on by the NovemBurger ambassadors, who spent a month visiting and tasting all of the burger creations, went to Bar Mason in Guelph for its Kicked Up Mason Burger.

Ambassadors ranked the burgers by presentation, taste, originality and overall execution.

The restaurant that sold the most NovemBurgers through the duration of the contest was Miijidaa Café & Bistro in Guelph which sold 623 Wild North Boar Burgers.

The NovemBurger campaign was presented by Elinseky Scheutt Private Wealth of RBC.

The United Way Guelph Wellington Dufferin plans to hold the contest again next year.

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