Several Owensboro restaurants are highlighting locally sourced beef during this year’s Owensboro Burger Week, thanks to a partnership with Hill View Farms Meats.
Jim Gilles, owner of Hill View Farms Meats at 5024 Lee Rudy Road, is supplying Angus beef to four participating restaurants: The Cottage Farm Stand, Pizza by the Guy, Niko’s Bakery & Cafe, and the Opportunity Center’s Pinocchio’s Deli.
Gilles said the collaboration reflects a shared commitment among local businesses to support one another during one of Owensboro’s most popular food events.
“It’s been a good collaboration with all four of them,” Gilles said. “We’re all local businesses, locally owned and locally ran, helping one another for this big event that Owensboro really dives headfirst into and supports.”
The restaurants are using Hill View Farms beef in a variety of creative Burger Week entries.
The Cottage Farm Stand is serving the “Daviess County Double,” featuring two smashed Hill View Farms beef patties topped with burger sauce, pickles, caramelized onions, maple bacon, and a fried Wisconsin cheese curd patty on a toasted Hawaiian bun.
Pizza by the Guy is offering “Grip it and Rip It,” a quarter-pound locally sourced beef patty served on Texas toast with ranch, chipotle drizzle, melted mozzarella and cheddar, and crispy cheese.
Pinocchio’s Deli at the Opportunity Center created “Pinocchio’s Bayou Burger,” a Hill View Farms beef patty seasoned with Cajun spices and topped with Colby Jack cheese, caramelized onions and bell peppers, pickles, and house Cajun sauce on a toasted brioche bun.
Meanwhile, Niko’s Bakery & Cafe is serving the “Ciabatta Pesto Melt,” featuring a quarter-pound Hill View Farms patty with aged provolone, house-made pesto aioli, charred cherry tomatoes, and balsamic glaze on a freshly baked ciabatta roll.
Gilles said working with local restaurants is a natural extension of the same philosophy he follows in his own store.
“We always try to support local businesses in our store, so I think it’s important to work with local restaurants too,” Gilles said. “These folks reached out wanting to participate in Burger Week and use a local product, so I was happy to help make it happen.”
Hill View Farms also sponsors Burger Week and has supported the event since its early days.
“I’ve been a sponsor from the first year when Visit Owensboro reached out,” Gilles said. “I said, of course, that sounds like something I’d love to be part of. It’s been exciting to see it grow leaps and bounds.”
While Burger Week brings added attention, Gilles said partnerships with restaurants like Niko’s Bakery and The Cottage Farm Stand extend throughout the year.
“We work with them year-round,” he said. “They keep some of our products on their menus, not just burgers but other beef or pork items as well. It’s been great to work with them.”
The beef supplied to restaurants during Burger Week comes from Hill View Farms’ Angus cattle operation. Gilles said the focus on quality and consistency helps set the product apart.
“All the beef we sell is Angus, and it’s going to be choice or prime on the USDA grading scale,” Gilles said. “That relates to quality and marbling, and we really strive to provide a super consistent product time after time.”
Hill View Farms also operates a year-round storefront offering locally raised beef, pork, and chicken, along with other Kentucky-sourced products.
“We carry the same kinds of products you’d find at a larger store, but everything is locally grown or Kentucky sourced,” Gilles said.
Burger Week continues through Saturday, giving diners a few more days to sample specialty burgers across Owensboro. Gilles said he’s been busy doing some taste testing of his own.
“I counted earlier at lunch — I’ve tasted 21 burgers so far,” Gilles said. “I’m probably not going to make it to the full number, but it’s been fun.”
For Gilles, the event represents more than just a popular food promotion.
“Owensboro is really great about building partnerships between businesses,” he said. “We’re just thankful to be a part of it and to work with some great restaurants.”
