When a mom-and-pop burger joint from Billings, Montana, beats hundreds of competitors to win Food Network’s Best of the Bash at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival, you know something extraordinary is happening between those buns. 🍔
The Burger Dive, owned and operated by Brad and Andi Halsten since 2010, has earned World Food Championships Burger Champion status while maintaining an authentic small-town heart that makes every customer feel like family.
This isn’t just another burger restaurant—it’s a nationally recognized destination where fresh, never-frozen Angus beef, locally baked buns from Grains of Montana, and house-made sauces create award-winning magic.
How The Burger Dive won Billings’ hearts
Brad Halsten had never even worked in a restaurant before opening The Burger Dive with his wife Andi in 2010, making their meteoric rise to burger fame even more remarkable. 💪
Within their first year of operation, the restaurant was named Billings’ best burger in 2011, followed by the same honor in 2014, 2015, and 2016 by the Billings Gazette.
In 2016, Brad competed at the World Food Championships alongside his wife Andi, son Brendan, and father Gary, where Team Burger Dive was crowned World Burger Champion. 🏆
The restaurant’s commitment to quality ingredients and local partnerships includes sourcing buns from local bakeries and working with Montana ranchers for the finest Angus beef, supporting the community with every burger sold.
The restaurant’s success led to opening a second location at West Park Promenade in 2025, proving that Billings couldn’t get enough of their world-famous burgers.
Food Highlights
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The “I’m Your Huckleberry” Burger: The World Food Championships 2016 Burger Champion features huckleberry Hatch chili BBQ sauce, bacon, goat cheese, roasted red pepper mayo, and arugula on a Grains of Montana bun. 🫐
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The Blackened Sabbath Burger: Winner of Food Network’s “Best of the Bash” at the 2014 South Beach Wine and Food Festival, featuring blackened seasoning, smooth goat cheese, bacon, onion ring, arugula, Sriracha sauce, and garlic basil mayo that impressed Rachel Ray.
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The “Date with Jim Beam and Coke” Burger: Featuring bourbon date and Coke barbecue sauce, roasted garlic, arugula, smoked gouda, and garlic basil mayo.
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The “North Beach” Mushroom Burger: Made with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, garlic basil mayo, lettuce, and tomato, this vegetarian-friendly option proves The Burger Dive can satisfy even non-meat eaters with incredible flavor
- The Smash Burger: this thin-patty burger with crispy edges delivers classic smashed burger texture with The Burger Dive’s signature quality ingredients.
- The Juicy Lucy Burger: This ½ lb. patty stuffed with molten American cheese inside, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. Locals declare it as the “most highly recommended burger” for its thick patty that retains all the juices 🧀
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The Outlaw Burger: A local favorite that regulars order repeatedly, with one customer declaring it “one of my favorites” after their fourth visit to the West End location, showcasing Brad’s mastery of bold Western flavors 🤠
- The Santa Fe Burger: A must for roasted pepper fans featuring pepper jack cheese, chipotle mayo, roasted poblano pepper, and roasted red pepper that delivers Southwestern heat with layers of smoky flavor.
- The “Inferno” Burger: This ⅓ lb. pepper jack cheese burger loaded with ghost chili sauce, habaneros, jalapeños, and chipotle mayo challenges heat seekers to test their limits. 🔥
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The Garlic Burger: Featuring roasted garlic, garlic basil mayo, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion, this aromatic creation earned 16 Yelp reviews from garlic lovers who appreciate the restaurant’s house-made garlic basil mayo.
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The Spicy Ahi Tuna Burger: A 6 oz. Ahi tuna steak lightly seared to perfection, warm and pink in the middle, topped with Asian slaw, Sriracha sauce, and wasabi mayo, with one reviewer calling it “scrumptious” alongside their flaming s’more milkshake.
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Garlic Parmesan Fries: These hand-cut fresh fries are consistently called “amazing,” “outstanding,” and “my favorite” by customers who watch a dedicated cook oversee the deep fryer to ensure perfection every time.
Atmosphere
The true dive atmosphere features a fun and funky 1950s-style diner that looks unassuming from the outside but delivers warm, welcoming vibes the moment you step inside. 🎶
The small diner setting gets incredibly popular during peak hours, with the restaurant packed even at 2 p.m., testifying to its status as Billings’ favorite lunch spot.
Everyone is incredibly friendly, creating an immediate sense of comfort and home that makes first-time visitors feel like regulars instantly. ✨
Bottom Line
Visit The Burger Dive for World Food Championships Burger Champion status, celebrity chef-approved burgers that won Food Network’s Best of the Bash.
Come for fresh, never-frozen Angus beef with locally sourced Montana buns, house-made sauces crafted from secret recipes, and authentic mom-and-pop hospitality where the owners started with zero restaurant experience. 🌟
Address:
114 North 27th Street, Billings, MT 59101
🕔 Closed Sun, Open Mon-Sat 10:30 AM–8:00 PM (Sat opens 11:00 AM)