What's Columbia's best burger? Here's what readers chose in our poll

After reader suggestions, four days of voting and one social media campaign, Columbia has a new favorite burger.

Congratulations to The Night Owl Eatery and its weekly burger special. This late-night food truck only open 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday garnered the most votes in finals voting Friday against the Billiards Famous Burger from Billiards on Broadway. The food truck got its start four years ago by owner Rikki Stone, and consistently throughout last week it was a battle between Billiards and The Night Owl at the top.

While Billiards had the most votes June 25 to determine the quarterfinal round, The Night Owl with both its ever-updating weekly menu and social media campaign secured the top spot the rest of week.

The Night Owl sets up shop at 9th and Locust streets, generally in a couple street parking spaces outside of Missouri United Methodist Church. Over this weekend, the burger special was "Life's a Peach," a 1/3-pound angus burger with a homemade peach and habanero sauce, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, red onion and garlic aioli.

Other specialty burgers Stone announced Friday are the Spicy Rancher, with double pepper jack, crispy jalapeños and spicy ranch; the Iron Pig with bacon, queso and grilled onions; and the All-American with double American cheese, lettuce, extra pickle and a house secret sauce.

If ever there is a week where the weekly special is not a burger — such as when the special was pigs in blanket or a southwest chili June 20-22 — it might be good to try the food trucks' patty melt. This nearly was The Night Owl entry from when Tribune readers made bracket suggestions June 24 . This is a burger on Texas toast, with double cheese and caramelized onions.

So if you're up late and downtown and want to grab a bit to eat, give The Night Owl Eatery a try.

A look at the food truck's owner

Stone drew on elements forged in her childhood when launching The Night Owl.

Stone's mother was a successful entrepreneur and business owner, an identity that worked into her own DNA two ways. She tucked away a desire for her own future enterprise, and assumed many of the kitchen duties at home, quite literally feeding her family.

The Illinois native worked in a series of restaurants and bars starting as a teen, and considering pulling away, toward something more stable. But knowing what she loved and loving what she knew kept Stone moving through the food industry.

Stone cherishes feeding people just like her, moving through the world when and how they please.

The original bracket

If a person did not get a chance to vote or wanted to see what as on the polls, but they had closed, here is the original bracket. If it has a "KO" next to it, it was knocked out before quarterfinal voting; "QF" means it was knocked out by quarterfinal voting; "SF" means it was knocked out in semifinals voting; and final placements then are indicated with "1st" and "2nd." As on ballots, they are listed alphabetically by burger name.

• The Addison Burger from Addison’s: An American Grill KO
• The Alcatraz from The Patty Wagon (food truck) KO
• Bacon double cheeseburger from Broadway Diner KO
• Black and Bleu burger from D’Rowe’s Restaurant and Bar KO
• The Big Tex from The Old Neighborhood Cafe QF
• Build-your-own burger from 1839 Taphouse QF
• Canteen Burger from 44 Canteen KO
• Cheeseburger from Booche’s Billiard Hall SF
• The cheese Zip from Mugs Up KO
• Double cheeseburger from Just Jeff’s SF
• The Famous Billiard Burger from Billiards on Broadway 2nd
• The Flat Branch Burger from Flat Branch Pub and Brewing KO
• The large cheeseburger from Mad Cow QF
• Pimento cheese smash burger from Barred Owl Butcher and Table QF
• Texas Burger from Como Smoke and Fire KO
• Weekly special from The Night Owl Eatery (food truck) 1st

More: The Night Owl food truck promises 'CoMo's best street meats and late night eats'

Note: Portions of this story were previously published.

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on X, formerly Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What's Columbia's best burger? Here's what readers chose in our poll