You've heard of Copa's famous margaritas, but a lesser known fact about the student–favorite establishment is that on Wednesdays, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Copa offers their award–winning burgers at half–price. With seven burgers and an endless number of toppings available, choosing can be an overwhelming experience, which is why we've decided to save you the hassle and try them all. Here's the verdict, ranked:
7. Turkey Burger
The Turkey Burger with the San Remo toppings scored a perfect ten on presentation—a thick turkey patty topped with provolone cheese and a gorgeous pile of garlic spinach—but unfortunately, the turkey itself was rather dry. The sautéed spinach and the turkey made for an odd mingling of textures, but the garlicky flavor of the spinach was strong (albeit overpowering), and gave the burger a sophisticated taste that didn’t leave me feeling greasy after. If you go for the turkey burger, make sure to get a topping combo with sauce to make up for the dryness.
6. Sirloin Burger
Each sirloin burger at Copa is a half–pound of chargrilled beef, which means that these bad boys are thick with two C’s. I ordered it with the Charleston toppings—fried onions, cheddar, and Copa’s special BBQ sauce. Upon first bite, I realized that the patty–to–topping ratio was unbalanced—the patty was a little too thick for the toppings and I could barely taste the cheese and onions. A solid choice if you're looking for something simple, but otherwise definitely go for one of the more specialty burgers.
5. Miami
The first thing that stood out to me about the Miami burger is that it wasn’t served on your average Copa bun, but on a ciabatta roll. While the menu says that it is “ciabatta flat bread,” the one flaw with this burger is that the bread is almost as thick as the patty, throwing off the bread–to–meat ratio. A shame, because the burger's flavors were overall spectacular. Between the tangy Dijon mustard and creamy Copa mayo, the sauces blended perfectly to create a wonderland of flavor that left me wanting to lick the plate clean. The ham and pickles also worked in perfect tandem to give the sandwich a Reuben feel with the Swiss cheese. We recommend getting this either open–faced or on a regular bun to appreciate all the flavors.
4. Wild West
It's described as a “lean bison burger topped with spicy chipotle ketchup and fried onion straws". Is your mouth watering yet? Biting into this monster required cutting it in half first. The mayo and spicy chipotle flavors created a savory and salty, sweet yet tangy explosion in my mouth. While there could’ve been more fried onions to give the burger that extra kick of flavor and texture, the Wild West Burger was a flavorful experience that I would 100% recommend for your half–priced burger trip.
3. Burger Benedict
WARNING! In the words of the Copa staff: “THIS BURGER DOES CONTAIN EGG PORN.” Piled high with ham, poached egg, and jalapeno hollandaise sauce, the Burger Benedict is truly orgasmic. I had never understood the hype of having an egg on your burger until this. The yolk from the poached egg cascaded down the sides of the burger to meet the creamy hollandaise and altogether make the burger extra juicy and tender. While the ham helped the burger to stay true to its Eggs Benedict inspiration, its lack of flavor made it feel a little out of place. If you're looking for the best beef burger on the menu, this is the one to get. Have your camera ready for that inevitable yolk porn.
2. Salmon Burger
When you hear the words tartar sauce, you normally think of fish sticks, not burgers. But at Copa, they take the classic seafood sauce along with salmon to make one of the best burgers ever. Lettuce, tomato, and onion add a fresh crispness to the construction, tied together by their famous remoulade sauce. The salmon was also cooked to perfection. Light yet filling, this burger may not be your first choice when you come to a restaurant looking for beef, but allow it to change your mind because it's to die for.
1. Vegan Black Bean Burger
Before I receive any hate for rating a vegan burger as the best burger to get at Copa, hear me out. Packed with onions, tomatoes, corn, jalapeños, black beans, and topped with the Acapulco combo—guacamole and pico de gallo—this is nothing like you've ever had before, vegan or not. The patty was cooked to perfection as it was crispy on the outside, yet tender on the inside, allowing the burger to melt into pure heaven in my mouth. There was no overpowering vegetable taste that black bean patties can sometimes lend. It was a meal to make me question converting to the vegan lifestyle myself—so if you're at Copa, this burger is a risk you need to take.
