“The Flying Elbow” has never had so many people packed inside as they did on Monday evening. Iowans came from near and far to try the burger joint’s smashburger after it became the winner of the annual Iowa’s Best Burger Contest.”I had goosebumps and just shock, I guess. Like did this really just happen?” said owner Garret Goodman.”I’d say, ‘You want a good hamburger? Go to the Flying Elbow!'” said customer Tim Shore.The road to this achievement hasn’t been easy. In 2018, the Flying Elbow was destroyed when a tornado slammed downtown Marshalltown. Then the hits kept on coming.”So a tornado, a pandemic and a derecho in between didn’t help things. So it’s just been obstacle after obstacle, but I believe in the business,” Goodman said.The Flying Elbow just opened its new location in September, and the customers have quickly become fanatics.”I’ve got the best customers. We call them ‘Elbowmaniacs,'” Goodman said.Customers loved the burgers so much that they wrote into the contest.Goodman credits his ingredients for the mouth-watering taste.”We’ve actually got a local source of Wagyu beef. A Wagyu farmer here in Marshalltown,” Goodman said.And his persistence doesn’t hurt either.”It feels like some of the hard work and heartaches and all the trials and everything that’s happened up until this point is definitely feeling like some hard work paying off,” Goodman said.More top 10 spots:Some past winners:
“The Flying Elbow” has never had so many people packed inside as they did on Monday evening.
Iowans came from near and far to try the burger joint’s smashburger after it became the winner of the annual Iowa’s Best Burger Contest.
“I had goosebumps and just shock, I guess. Like did this really just happen?” said owner Garret Goodman.
“I’d say, ‘You want a good hamburger? Go to the Flying Elbow!'” said customer Tim Shore.
The road to this achievement hasn’t been easy. In 2018, the Flying Elbow was destroyed when a tornado slammed downtown Marshalltown.
Then the hits kept on coming.
“So a tornado, a pandemic and a derecho in between didn’t help things. So it’s just been obstacle after obstacle, but I believe in the business,” Goodman said.
The Flying Elbow just opened its new location in September, and the customers have quickly become fanatics.
“I’ve got the best customers. We call them ‘Elbowmaniacs,'” Goodman said.
Customers loved the burgers so much that they wrote into the contest.
Goodman credits his ingredients for the mouth-watering taste.
“We’ve actually got a local source of Wagyu beef. A Wagyu farmer here in Marshalltown,” Goodman said.
And his persistence doesn’t hurt either.
“It feels like some of the hard work and heartaches and all the trials and everything that’s happened up until this point is definitely feeling like some hard work paying off,” Goodman said.
More top 10 spots:
Some past winners: