Best burger in Fort Myers, Cape Coral? Vote now in our bracket's Sweet 16

Welcome to The News-Press burger bracket challenge of 2024.

If it’s anything like last year’s pizza bracket, we’re in for a juicy few weeks until the burger champ of Lee County is crowned April 8.

We took your top nominations, seeded and crafted them into this bracket.

The rest is up to you.

Helpful notes before you vote

• Votes are tallied by an independent accounting/polling resource. In this case, it’s Crowdsignal. Votes sent to reporters or posted on Facebook are not counted.

• Only one vote per IP address per Crowdsignal. Your various devices (phone, laptop, desktop, tablets) have different IP addresses.

• If the polls do not immediately load, refresh the page. The poll generally loads better on desktops and laptops rather than on mobile devices. If you have issues voting in the app, try using your browser. Also, avoid using Firefox browser.

• Voting closes at noon sharp each Friday.

Lee County's Best Burger Challenge voting dates

• Sweet 16: Vote today through noon Friday, March 15   

• Elite 8: Voting runs Monday, March 18, through noon Friday, March 22

• Final Four: Voting begins Monday, March 25, and ends at noon, Friday, March 29

• The Finals: April 1-5

• The winner will be announced Monday, April 8

Without further delay, here are the top 16 burgers in Lee County to make our bracket:

Only Doubles vs. Street Eatz & Ale

Only Doubles: Since Kyle Cravo does pop-ups all over the place, this top seed appears in The News-Press and Naples Daily News best burger brackets. His smash burgers are that good. We stand too close to his beloved griddle as fresh-cut onions are pressed into two sizzling Wagyu patties. Our mouths water as the cheese melts, knowing it’s seconds away from being transferred to a waiting potato roll and topped with our favorite mayo-based OD sauce (like Big Mac sauce, only better).  We inhale it just off to the side of his tent and begin plotting our next visit. It’s that good.  (OD regularly appears at Ceremony Brewery in Bonita Springs and comes to Fort Myers and Cape Coral too. The schedule is posted weekly on Instagram)

Street Eatz: Chef Reid Freeman cooked up some mighty good burgers at Smokin’ Oyster Brewery on Fort Myers Beach before it was destroyed by Hurricane Ian. He has since opened this super casual, laid-back Pine Island restaurant which, to no one’s surprise, is serving up some mighty good burgers.

“I have the best smash burger around,” the classically trained chef said.

Take a bite of his double steak blend patties topped with his secret street sauce and you just might agree. (5508 Ave. A, Bokeelia; 239-312-4697; seabokeelia.com or find them on Facebook)

Ford’s Garage vs. Cristof’s on McGregor

Ford’s: We’ve been loving these crafty burgers since 2012, when the first Ford’s opened in Fort Myers. The burger names may have changed since, but the quality of and our love for them haven’t. While our latest go-to is the BBQ Brisket Burger with its addictive hickory smoked brisket, the High-Octane runs a close second thanks to a spicy pepper jack, guac, jalapenos combo. Whichever one we choose, we know we’re gonna love it. (2207 First St., Fort Myers, 239-332-3673; 1719 Cape Coral Parkway, Cape Coral 239-540-3673; 10801 Corkscrew Road, Suite 519, Estero, 239-495-3673; fordsgarageusa.com)

Cristof’s: The premium ground beef burger we had at this charming and cozy Fort Myers cottage/restaurant was one of the few we decided to cut in half. The Cajun-spiced black & blue burger — piled high with blue cheese, crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato and red onion — was as big on flavor as it was in our hands. The homemade potato salad paired perfectly with it. While several burgers are offered at lunch, the Big House Burger takes over for dinner. We’re big fans of that too. (10231 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; 239-791-8473; cristofsonmcgregor.com)

Jimmy P’s Charred vs. Artisan Eatery

Jimmy P’s: With locations in Naples and Bonita Springs, this marvel of a burger qualified for The News-Press and Naples Daily News best burger brackets. And why shouldn’t it? The burgers are well beyond basic. The 8-ounce Wagyu beef patties are ground fresh daily in Jimmy P’s nearby butcher shop. There are American and Swiss cheeseburgers, regular and jalapeno smash burgers, a BBQ burger and the ever-popular chef’s creative Wagyu craft burger of the day. All are great choices. All are bracket-worthy. (25301 S. Tamiami Trail, Bonita Springs; 239-390-0301; jimmypssteaks.com)

Artisan Eatery: This chef-driven, everything scratch-made, fast-casual eatery in south Fort Myers is one of our favorites for hand-helds. Its pastrami-based New Yorker landed firmly on our Best Sandwiches of 2023 list. And here it is again, deservedly so, on another best list. The Artisan Wagyu burger has a tomato compote, bacon, arugula, slowly caramelized onion, and melty Gruyere on a brioche. We’re hungry just typing that. There’s also black & blue and impossible burgers. We will head there soon. You should too. (8951 Daniels Parkway, Fort Myers; 239-887-4844; artisaneatery.com or on Facebook and Instagram)

Big Nick’s BBQ vs. The Shipyard

Big Nick’s BBQ: There is so much goodness being passed through the window of this small but mighty drive-thru barbecue joint. The brisket sandwich, pulled pork, ribs and our go-to brisket mac and cheese side are just a few. The flavorful, crispy-edged double smash burger is another. In a sea of barbecue, we sometimes forget how good this burger truly is until we order it again. And again. And again. (9211 Cypress Lake Drive, Fort Myers; 239-204-2498; bignicksbbq.com)

The Shipyard: You can see the calming water of the Gulf and stunning sunsets from a majority of the seats in this waterfront Captiva wonder. But order one of the signature 8-ounce chuck, brisket short rib blend burgers and your focus may shift. Ours certainly did when our BBQ burger arrived, topped with fried onions and pineapple slaw. It’s a close-your-eyes and savor-the-flavor kind of burger. We’re even willing to miss a sunset or two for it. Available after 5 p.m. (15951 Captiva Drive, Captiva, at 'Tween Waters Island Resort & Spa; 239-472-5161; shipyard.com, or follow on Instagram and Facebook)

Stones Throw vs. Fat Katz Sports Bistro

Stones Throw: The 8-ounce Wagyu burger at Franco Russo's newish Cape Coral restaurant was on my list of favorite dishes of 2023. It could easily make that list in 2024 too. It’s tender, flavorful juiciness in a brioche bun. The steak fries pair perfectly too. Russo once told me he could eat them all week long. So could we, Franco. (1339 Cape Coral Parkway E., Cape Coral; (239) 291-3900; stonesthrowcc.com or on Instagram)

Fat Katz: As you would expect, this Fort Myers sports bistro has several signature burgers to choose from. All come with a signature three-meat blend, ground in-house since 2013. The problem is choosing just one. While the popular Wine “Oh” is tough to pass up with its cabernet-infused mushrooms, fig jam, caramelized onions and spinach, there’s also the Crazy Larry with peanut butter, bacon, onions, cranberry relish, arugula and goat cheese. Don’t even get us started on the Buffalo chicken, the mushroom Swiss or the pastrami burger. Decisions, decisions. (10080 Daniels Interstate Court, Fort Myers; 239-768-3541; fatkatzsportsbistro.com; also Fat Katz Slider Bar, 19800 Village Center Drive, Unit 200, Fort Myers; fatkatzsliderbar.com)

Matt’s Red Hots vs. KJ’s Steakhouse

Matt’s: This former Dairy Queen-turned-fast-food-joint got lots of love from readers. And we can see why. Place your order at the register and wait for the sound of your burger hitting the flat-top. That sizzle is music to our ears as the edges char oh-so-perfectly. We practically swoon when it hits the potato roll and our name is called. If we’re anywhere near San Carlos Park, we’ll swing by for a double bacon & cheese burger. You should too. (18911 S. Tamiami Trail, Fort Myers; 239-791-8036; mattsredhots.com)

KJ’s: This is the best burger deal in this bracket, toasted buns down. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, you get a burger, fries, and a soda or pint of KJ’s Zombie draft (a lite beer made just for them) for $8. That’s $8.52 after tax. Pinch me. And that burger is no slouch. They sell between 70 and 120 a day and it’s only available during lunch.

“It’s a 7-ounce, Florida-sized patty,” manager Dino Komosinsky said. “Angus meat. Fresh, never frozen beef. The fresh-baked, toasted brioche bun makes a big difference too.”

It comes cooked to order (a perfect medium in my case) with onion, lettuce, tomato and pickles. Dine-in only. We’ll see you there. (10950 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers; 239-275-4745; kjsfreshgrill.com)

Lehne Burger vs. LYNQ

Lehne: Options abound at this Cape Coral Parkway burger joint. Choose a single, double or triple Angus beef burger, then pick how it’s cooked — from rare to dead. The bun selections (or on a mixed salad) are next with 10 types of cheese, then extra cheese,  greens, sauces and 19 toppings — from grilled banana to BBQ pulled pork. Let your gut guide you to the perfect combination. You’ll be glad you did. (1232 Cape Coral Parkway E, Cape Coral; 239-347-7115; Facebook and Instagram; and coming soon to the food court at Edison Mall, 4125 Cleveland Ave., Unit 1125, Fort Myers)

LYNQ: At this modern and trendy restaurant where cultures and cuisine are linked, it’s easy to skip over the burgers in a sea of tacos, sushi and entrees from Cubano pork to sweet & spicy salmon. Keep your focus. The Big Burger features a home-ground brisket and short-rib patty topped with caramelized onions, mushrooms, tomato, Swiss cheese, truffle fries and a fried egg on a toasted bun hardy enough to handle it all. The Rodeo Burger (with bacon, fried onions, cheese and barbecue sauce) and the Mexican Burger (with black bean chorizo paste, jalapenos, cheese, avocado, pico and chipotle mayo) are other luscious options to keep an eye on. (16230 Summerlin Road, Fort Myers; lunch served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday to Friday; dinner served 4-9 p.m. Monday to Thursday and 4-9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday;  239-204-9345; lynq.life or on Instagram)   

Keg & Cow vs. Zino Neighborhood Restaurant

Keg & Cow: Each month, we look forward to seeing what this Cape Coral restaurant’s burger of the month will be. January’s Spicin Bison — a Cajun seasoned bison/beef patty with grilled mushrooms, pepperjack, cheddar, jalapenos and barbecue sauce — was followed by February’s French Kiss Dip with caramelized onions, Gruyere cheese, horseradish spread and crispy onions on a beef patty. We can’t wait to see what March brings. We can always gladly fall back on one of the eight specialty craft burgers on the menu while we wait. It’s win-win either way. (2384 Surfside Blvd., Cape Coral; 239-558-5001; kegandcow.com)

Zino: Thank you, thank you, thank you to those who voted for the 8-ounce Burger Caprese at this Estero Ridge Plaza gem. We were unaware the former fine-dining Italian restaurant went more casual in September. While Italian favorites and finer items like duck, veal and lamb are still going strong, wings, salads and burgers were added. That Burger Caprese, which comes with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, is juicy, flavorful joy on a toasted bun that deserves all the attention it’s getting. We couldn’t have been more impressed and think you will be too. (20041 S. Tamiami Trail, Unit 19, Estero; opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday; (239) 948-9466; zinoswfl.com)

Robyn George is a food and dining reporter for The News-Press. Connect at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Vote now for the best burger in Fort Myers, Cape Coral: Our Sweet 16