Get ready for $5 burgers during Louisville Burger Week

Dana McMahan | Special to the Courier-Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Would you try this 'blended burger' made of mushrooms? A blended burger veers from a traditional patty by incorporating mushrooms into its beef mix and correspondingly offering a healthier, more sustainable option. But take a bite of it - and you'll forget all of that.

Burger fans can eat their way across Louisville with $5 burgers at more than a dozen restaurants July 24-30 during Louisville Burger Week, presented by the Kentucky Beef Council.

“It's a gluttonous week,” said promotion organizer Tony Frank. “People will eat a lot of burgers this week.”

Restaurants participating July 24-30 so far include Drake’s Paddock, Drake’s St. Matthew’s, Mellow Mushroom Highlands, Mellow Mushroom St. Matthew’s, HopCat, Freakin’ Unbelievable Burgers, Stout Burgers & Beers, Molly Malone's Highlands, Molly Malone’s St Matthews, Red Herring, Sullivan’s Tap House, Set at Theater Square, Bourbon Raw and Macaron Bar (with a dessert burger).

Red Herring, 1757 Frankfort Ave., will offer a 6-ounce Black Hawk Farms burger with house-made ketchup bun, charred spring onion, a pimento cheese slice and house-made pickles.

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Drake's special is a BLT burger with a fresh, 8-ounce burger with hickory-smoked bacon, iceberg slaw, jalapeno-green tomato jam and Parmesan-garlic mayo. Stout Burgers & Beers, 1604 Bardstown Road, is serving a SHU Burger with its aged beef blend, house-made roasted red bell pepper spread, pepper jack cheese and house-made chipotle aioli.

Others burgers will be announced later and at least some restaurants will offer a veggie option.

Diners get a burger passport which they'll have stamped at participating locations throughout the week. After collecting at least three stamps, they're eligible for a grand prize drawing that includes a grill and a Louisville Slugger “Beef Ruth” bat.

Fans who follow @louisvilleburgerweek on Instagram and Twitter and use #502BurgerWeek will be entered to win gift certificates, Kentucky Kingdom passes, concert tickets and more.

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The idea is getting people in to try new restaurants and embrace the dining scene in July, when most folks are grilling out at home a lot, Frank says. Especially for places that serve local meat, he noted, “they're getting a deal.”

Restaurants are willing to slash their cost for this promotion as a way to show off what they're proud of, he explained.

“It's a special week," he said. "It's only one time per year. The consumer should recognize that these restaurants are definitely making sacrifices to offer the $5 burger.”

Restaurants will also offer their usual specials alongside this promo, Frank said, such as half price drinks on Wednesday at Red Herring. That said, “don't assume fries are included,” at most places, he added.

Frank's organization puts on themed events like this around the country, and for sure “there's a burger phenomenon that's happening,” he said. “The burger's pretty universal -- everybody loves a good burger. You see these popping up all over the country, from San Diego to Nashville.”

A portion of proceeds from the promotion will go to a local charity.

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And finally — the six "commandments" of Louisville Burger Week:

1. THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE THEY WILL RUN OUT

Expect that the restaurants will be extremely busy. So, if a place runs out toward the end of a shift, handle it like an adult: go back the next day, earlier, order your burger, and thank them for working hard to do this for you.

2. THERE WILL LIKELY BE WAITS

People have been talking about Burger Week 2017 for months. Don’t be surprised if restaurants have waits.

3. YOU WILL TIP LIKE A PRO

The $5 burger price brings out the cheap in all of us, but really, you’re likely getting a $10+ burger (many restaurants are going way overboard with ingredients, trying to outdo each other), so please tip at least 20 percent.

4. YOU REALLY SHOULD BUY A DRINK AND/OR OTHER FOODS

The purchase of sides and extras is not a requirement. But we think it says a lot to those working hard to bring you an extraordinary experience. Grab some fries, a beer and say thanks.

5. CHECK TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM

Restaurants will be encouraged to post their waits and remaining burgers for the day via their social channels. Go to 502burgerweek.com and don’t forget to tag your Instagram photos and tweets with #502burgerweek to win prizes throughout the week.

6. DINE-IN

Just a final note that restaurants will not offer their $5 burgers to-go. A big incentive for them to participate is knowing they’re bringing new customers in and also getting orders for sides and drinks to help them support these deep discounts.

For more information, visit 502burgerweek.com.

Tell Dana! Send your restaurant “Dish” to Dana McMahan at thecjdish@gmail.com and follow @danamac on Twitter.