The Uptown burger bonanza continues to rage, with no less than three new spots getting ready to open this year. Juicy D’s on Oak Street, a Smashburger franchise on Magazine Street near Louisiana, and the two-story Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar at Magazine and Jackson are offering new takes on one of America's timeless foods in hopes of standing out from an increasingly crowded field.

In 1992, New Orleans lost one of her favorite burger joints, Ruby Red's. But it's about to make a comeback in the CBD.

The NOLA Burger Brawl's final matchup was a story of locations. Wait, scratch that. Multiple locations. Riding the tailwind of a recent spate of burger joint openings around New Orleans, the tourney started with 16 purveyors of patty. But, in the end, one of SoLa's staid fryers flexed the muscle of their wide geographical reach, spreading the playing field far too wide for the other upstarts and neighborhood stalwarts.

The time has come to decide whose patty will cut down the greasty nets. After months of flame-broiled competition, the NOLA Burger Brawl finals are upon us. We don't have any fancy cursive writing or video montages played to the song, "One Shining Moment." For the Brawl's decisive round, we've decided to leave it all on the griddle iron.

The Patois chef expands to Oak St., looking to put his mark on the burger.