Conquer burgers upon burgers to win exclusive prizes during Fat Burger Month, Haywood County’s annual culinary challenge. The bigger your appetite, the better the prizes. How hungry are you?
FAT BURGER MONTH annual event in haywood
Bring your appetite and your stretchy pants
Come hungry for Fat Burger Month! For the entire month of March, Haywood’s most outrageously delicious burgers reign supreme. Take a flavor-packed journey through local restaurants in Haywood County’s mountain towns of Canton, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, Waynesville, and Clyde.
From towering stacks of patties that rival Haywood’s highest peaks to innovative burger-inspired options, Fat Burger Month contenders represent the Great Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains‘ best. Join in for an unlimited celebration of toasted buns, melty cheese, and all the toppings your heart desires! Your taste buds will thank you.
QUICK FACTS
Haywood County
Where
March 1 → 31, 2026
When
20+
Burgers
6
Tiers of prizes
Reigning Fat Burgers
Bow down to the winning burgers of last year’s Fat Burger Month competition! Until this year’s participants vote in their new favorites, these impressive burgers reign as the fattest, most delicious in the land.
This year’s heavyweight lineup
The Red Fox’s “Carolina Burger” is a two-hander! An extra thick Angus beef patty topped with a scoop of coleslaw, crispy fried onions, melty cheddar, pickles, Carolina Gold BBQ, and signature Boojum beef & beer chili––all teetering on the edge of a pillowy brioche bun.
Multi-level smashburger with 3 seared beef patties, smoked cream cheese, candied jalapeno bacon, pickled onions, fresh lettuce, house-made bourbon BBQ sauce, and bacon jam.
Black Angus patty topped with garlic truffle aioli, chow-chow, pimento cheese, and fried green tomatoes on a brioche bun, served with thick-cut fries.
Two smash patties of Ranch-raised beef, melted Gruyère cheese, and caramelized red onion on a buttered bun with a side of golden pommes frites.
Beef patty topped with pimento, blue, and cheddar cheeses, caramelized onion, jalapeño bacon jam, dijonaise, sunny-side-up egg, lettuce, tomato, and pickled jalapeños, served with tater tots.
8oz beef burger topped with pimento cheese, house-made pickled fried okra, thick-sliced bacon, lettuce, and tomatoes on a brioche bun.
Hand-pattied burger featuring pimento cheese spread, crisp bacon, and a fried green tomato on a split top bun.
Three stacked Angus Beef smash patties with white cheddar, sweet 'n spicy jalapeno bacon jam, fried green tomatoes, beer-candied bacon, and southeastern "white thunder" sauce on a potato bun.
Seared beef patty stacked with a char-grilled hot dog, cheddar cheese, house-made chili, and slaw on a brioche bun.
Three smash patties with bacon between every layer, topped with grilled jalapenos & onions, bacon habanero jam, lettuce, and pimento cheese on a toasted brioche bun.
Pork smash patty and beef smash patty topped with Manchego cheese spread, pickled local farm egg salad, alfalfa sprouts, and roasted red pepper & green olive tapenade.
4oz beef patty served on a homemade Badass Biscuit (bacon, cheddar, chives), topped with crispy bacon, white cheddar, and an over-medium egg.
Non-alcoholic Bloody Mary mocktail with beef broth, garnished with house pimento cheese and a dill pickle coin on a cracker.
Fresh ground brisket burger combined with smoked brisket, pepper jack cheese, chorizo, cheddar cheese, and pico de gallo.
Chuck, short rib, and brisket burger with cheddar-jack and taco seasoning wrapped in a grilled tortilla, topped with lettuce, pico, sour cream, queso, guacamole, chips, cotija, and cilantro crema.
Torched tuna and steak with avocado, cucumber, mixed greens, and red onions wrapped in sushi rice and nori, then deep-fried in tempura batter.
Two house-ground smash burgers, thick-sliced pork belly, Swiss cheese, wild mushroom demi-glace gravy, and beer-battered onion petals on a challah bun.
10 oz hand-pattied, smoked, and flat-top seared house-ground brisket topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles; served with tallow fries.
Pressed sandwich with tender seasoned cubed steak, sautéed onions, potato sticks, Swiss cheese, and mayo-ketchup.
Beef burger topped with homemade ramp bacon jam (made with locally foraged ramps), provolone cheese, and classic toppings on a sweet Hawaiian bun.
No bite too big
How to become a Fat Burger champ
Grab a sticker card from the Visit Haywood Welcome Center or any participating business and collect a sticker for each Fat Burger you eat.
Redeem your sticker card for prizes by completing and submitting the prize form online or in-person at the Welcome Center by April 13, 2026.
Look out for an email from Visit Haywood letting you know that your prizes are ready. Pick them up at the Welcome Center or have them shipped for a fee.
What’s on the table
Eat just one Fat Burger and submit your sticker card to be entered to win a $25 gift card to one of this year’s participating restaurants.
Get a feel for the challenge and eat 3 Fat Burgers to win a burger-themed sticker pack and an entry into the gift card raffle.
Step up your burger game to this classic prize tier. Conquer 6 Fat Burgers to win this year’s exclusive T-shirt (designed by a local artist) plus all prizes from previous tiers.
Not for the faint of heart, those who tackle 10 Fat Burgers earn a “pickle juice” mason jar and all prizes from previous tiers.
