And the winner of APP.com's burger bracket is... Harpoon Willy's!
Our March Madness-style Burger Bracket has come to an end, and a winner has been named.
Congratulations to Harpoon Willy's!
This friendly competition to find the Shore's top burger began with 16 restaurants chosen by us and by you, and after four rounds and thousands of votes, Harpoon Willy's in Wall took the win over The Ark Pub & Eatery in Point Pleasant Beach.
Harpoon Willy's beat out Pour House in Tinton Falls in the first round, Burger 25 in Toms River, Brick and Ship Bottom in the second, and B2 Bistro + Bar in Toms River, Point Pleasant Beach, Berkeley Township and Red Bank in round three. More than 1,000 votes were cast in the final round: 775 (55.64%) for Harpoon Willy's and 618 (44.36%) for The Ark.
Harpoon Willy's, which sits along the Manasquan River near the township's border with Manasquan, serves nearly half a dozen burgers made with 10-ounce patties of 80/20 Angus ground chuck blended especially for the restaurant. The burgers are cooked to order and served on kaiser rolls with pickles and salted steak fries.
The burger selection and a "So Cal" burger at Harpoon Willy's in Wall, New Jersey, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Their most popular burger, according to general manager Patrick Praitano and chef Andre Barbero, is the "River Road," a traditional burger topped with a diner's choice of cheese, plus lettuce and tomato if they like. Next are the "Dockside," topped with bacon, mushrooms, sautéed onions and Swiss, cheddar and American cheeses, and the "So Cal," with avocado, frizzled onions, spicy mayo and roasted tomatoes, "which have a litle more umami than your regular tomato," Barbero said.
Not a fan of beef burgers? The restaurant also serves turkey and veggie burgers.
Burger orders that come from the dining room are prepared in the restaurant's kitchen, but when a customer at the bar orders one, it's cooked on a grill behind the bar. Harpoon Willy's is one of few Shore restaurants to cook this way.
"It's part of the show and part of the beauty of Harpoon Willy's," Barbero said.
Sarah Griesemer joined the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey in 2003 and has been writing all things food since 2014. Send restaurant tips to [email protected], follow on Instagram at Jersey Shore Eats and subscribe to her weekly newsletter.
