Hamburger created by Montana restaurant owner garners national attention, beefs up business

Burger beefs up business at Montana restaurant

EUREKA, Mont. — A hamburger that a Eureka restaurant owner invented with leftover food has brought national recognition, saved the restaurant from closing and allowed the owners to hire more employees.

James Monroe’s “Bubba Burger” — a mesquite-fired patty topped with spicy Cajun sausage, jumbo shrimp, chipotle sauce and cheddar cheese — is a finalist in the Ultimate Hometown Grill Off sponsored by the television show “Live! with Regis and Kelly.”

Monroe’s burger, a customer favorite at The Cutting Board restaurant in this tiny northwestern Montana town, won the burger category and now goes up against the winners of the chicken, ribs, pulled pork, pork tenderloin, brisket, grilled fish and other categories for the title of America’s Best Hometown Grill.

The “Live!” show renamed the burger the “Eureka Burger” because another company uses the Bubba Burger name for its frozen hamburger patties.

James and Marsha Monroe appeared on “Live!” July 3, where they grilled up “Eureka Burgers” with Kelly Ripa and her guest, actor Jerry O’Connell.

The national attention has driven business at The Cutting Board.

Marsha Monroe said they opened the restaurant in October 2008 and were close to giving up a few months later when the “Eureka Burger” was entered in the Ultimate Hometown Grill Off.

Since then, the restaurant has gone from serving 100 burgers a week, to 150 to 200 “Bubba Burgers” a day. They’ve hired 12 new employees to keep up with the demand.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer stopped in one day to try one, and this week the Department of Commerce issued a news release saying Schweitzer was endorsing the “Eureka Burger” in the national balloting, which begins at 8 a.m. Friday and continues for 48 hours.

The online voting will determine two finalists, who will be flown to New York City to tape a “Live! with Regis and Kelly” show on Aug. 20. A panel of judges will select the ultimate winner.

On the Net:

Live! With Regis and Kelly: bventertainment.go.com/tv/buenavista/regisandkelly/index.html

Information from: Missoulian, www.missoulian.com