Bad Daddy's July Burger Drop Pairs Bleu Cheese with Craft IPA

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar is betting on bleu cheese and a craft beer pairing to drive July traffic. The chain's fifth Big Bad Monthly Drop, the Red, White & Bleu Burger, runs July 1-31 at all locations.

The burger stacks a 7-ounce beef patty on a buttered brioche bun with whipped bleu cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, and housemade pickled red onions. Two from-scratch sauces – horseradish mayo and garlic mayo – finish the build. Price is $16 with a side.

"We wanted to capture that spirit with layers of creamy bleu cheese, smoky bacon and bright pickled onions," said John Masterson, Bad Daddy's culinary director. "Every ingredient brings something different to the party."

The chain is also offering $6 pints of New Belgium Voodoo Ranger Juicy Haze IPA as a pairing. That is a simple up-sell other regional chains have used to lift check averages during summer.

July is peak grilling season, and fast-casual burger chains often lean into premium toppings to justify mid-teens pricing. The ingredient choices here are specific: whipped bleu cheese instead of crumbles, housemade pickled onions instead of raw, and two separate mayo sauces. That signals an operator investing in scratch preparation, which matters for margins on a $16 burger but also differentiates the chain from rivals using standard toppings.

Bad Daddy's uses these monthly drops to drive repeat visits during a traditionally slower part of the year. The series has run monthly since earlier this year. The chain, founded in Charlotte in 2007 and now based in Golden, Colorado, operates more than 35 locations across seven states.

The burger is available through July 31.