Two smash patties with bacon jam, bacon, cheddar cheese, and Draft Room sauce.
Where this dish comes from
Same base burger topped with smoky BBQ sauce, two crispy bacon strips, sharp cheddar, and a crispy onion ring or two for crunch. The Southern-influenced steakhouse burger that emphasizes smoke and sweetness. Most popular in BBQ-adjacent markets (Texas, Carolinas, Memphis).
Use a real BBQ sauce, not the bottled grocery stuff. House BBQ should have a balance of sweet (brown sugar, molasses), tangy (cider vinegar, ketchup), smoky (smoked paprika, liquid smoke if needed), and a touch of heat (chipotle, cayenne). The crispy onion ring is the textural counterpoint to the soft bun and patty.
8 slices thick-cut bacon (oven cooked, per bacon cheddar burger)
FOR THE CRISPY ONION RINGS:
1 large sweet onion, sliced into 0.5 inch rings
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 teaspoon black pepper
5 teaspoon garlic powder
Oil for frying (about 4 cups)
FOR THE BBQ SAUCE (or use quality bottled):
5 cup ketchup
25 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
5 teaspoon chipotle powder (or to taste)
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt
FOR THE BUNS:
4 brioche buns, butter, toasted
FOR THE TOPPINGS:
4 slices sharp cheddar
8 leaves butter lettuce
TO SERVE:
Fries
Flag picks
Instructions
1
Make BBQ sauce: combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Simmer 15 min until thick. Reserve.
2
Pre-cook bacon per bacon cheddar burger recipe.
3
For onion rings: soak onion rings in buttermilk 15 min. Whisk flour, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder. Drain rings, dredge in flour mix. Fry in 375F oil 2 to 3 min until golden. Drain.
4
Cook patties per classic burger recipe. In the last 30 sec, brush patties with BBQ sauce.
5
Top each patty with sharp cheddar. Melt 60 sec.
6
TIP: Brush the bun with the BBQ sauce as well, not just the patty. Saucing both the bun and the patty gives every bite the BBQ flavor; saucing only the patty means half the bites taste like a regular burger.
7
Butter-toast brioche buns. Brush top bun with BBQ sauce. Build: bottom bun, lettuce, BBQ-glazed patty with cheddar, two bacon strips, crispy onion ring on top, top bun (BBQ side down). Flag pick. Plate with fries. Serve.
The Draft Room · Senoia, GA
Reserve a Table
The Draft Room
Start with your number. If you've been here before, we'll fill in the rest.