Best Burger
Short’s Burger and Shine
18 S. Clinton St., Iowa City
Short's Burger and Shine is a reincarnation of sorts. It was 1920 when Short's Shoe Shine, one of the first African-American-owned businesses in Iowa City, opened up and started shining shoes. Years later, new owners -- including former Iowa Hawkeye and NFL star Nate Kaeding -- started up a new store in the same space, but this time serving up burgers rather than shoe polish. Open just a couple of years, the new burgers have already found a devoted following.
What voters said:
- “Fresh local beef (and beer!)”
- “All they do is burgers, so they HAVE to be good! Vegetarian burger, by the way, is amazingly delicious.”
- “Best burgers in AMERICA!”
Runners-up: Blackstone, Hamburg Inn No. 2
Last year’s winner: Hamburg Inn No. 2