Praise the Beef Gods: Burger Bash is returning to Long Beach. Come Sunday, Sept. 13, the city’s biggest burger competition invades the Selva parking lot with a stacked lineup of competitors.
Chef Carlos Jurado of Selva, partnering with me at Longbeachize and James Tir (aka LBFoodComa), has opted to take on the humble and mighty burger yet again for a friendly, Long Beach-only burger competition. As with last year’s event, the timing is ripe: pop-ups to restaurants, Long Beach’s burger game is incredibly distinguished, diverse, and drool-worthy.
“The burger is such a common culinary connector—especially here in SoCal,” Chef Carlos said. “Last year’s event had such an incredible turnout that we had to do it again. We’ve also learned that we need to hone some things. We promise to have more shade available. And, of course, new competitors.”
The lineup for the 2026 Burger Bash.
We understand this is, by no means, a perfectly full slice of Long Beach’s burger game. But it is a damn worthy attempt. Check out the culinary awesomeness invading the parking lot of Selva on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 3PM to 7PM.
Returning competitors for Burger Bash 2026:
- Selva: Headed by Chef Carlos, Selva has long been the steward of Colombian cuisine here in Long Beach.
- Olive & Rose: Chef Philip Pretty’s more casual sister to his Michelin-recognized Heritage, Olive & Rose has always knocked it out of the park when it drops a burger on its menu.
- Midnight Oil: The DTLB Chinese-centric space will dive into the all-American burger for the second time.
- The Good Bar: The vegan-friendly drinkery has long been known for its chili tots, vegan taquitos, and vegan buffalo chicken sandwiches.
And the newbies for Burger Bash in Long Beach:
- Bamboo Club: Chef Joseph Herrera has slowly been updating the food at Bamboo Club—and this will be his formal outing since moving into the space.
- Bar Becky: While we may have said goodbye to Bar Becky at its OG space, Chef Johnathan Benvenuti and the Bar Becky brand are far from dead. Expect a knock out of the park for this one.
- Proudly Serving: The expansive smashburger brand laid roots in Long Beach earlier this year (and had a massive hit with its tuna melt for LB Food Scene Week 2026).
- Sideburns: Chef Thomas Beyrooty’s underrated burger shop that is directly connected to The Stache Bar, his array of burger creations alone makes him worthy for Burger Bash 2026.
And, of course, last year’s winners, defending the title:
- Lemongrass Khmer Grill: One of the shining dishes from 2024’s Long Beach Food Scene Week, Lemongrass Khmer Grill is a spin-off of MealsDotKom, owned by Rasmey Kom and Crystal Millar. And they won both judges’ and people’s choice at last year’s Burger Bash.
How does it work?
There are two types of tickets: General admission and VIP. GA will get a sampling of each burger as well as the ability to vote for the best. VIP will get access to the competition a half-hour early, a shaded private seating area, and buckets of beers and pitchers of margaritas to down while sampling and voting.
The inaugural Burger Bash will take place in the Selva parking lot, located at 4137 E. Anaheim St., on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 3PM to 7PM. (2:30PM entry time for VIP.) For tickets, click here.
