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We're big champions of creativity here at Burger Days-- it's one of the reasons we highlight the area's special monthly burgers with our BOTM posts. The limited-time creations give joints an opportunity to use their imagination and get creative with the beef at little risk since the specials aren't permanent menu additions. (Though, we have yet to find a local joint to match the mind-blowing ingenuity some out-of-towners have displayed.) So starting this month, we're kicking off a new feature where we will review and rate all previous month's BOTMs in terms of both overall quality and creativity. At the end of the calendar year, we'll calculate the results from our monthly findings and declare an overall winner for both burgers and joints. Adam C. kicks off the inaugural review post with his recap of May's BOTMs below:  As the first member of the Burger Days crew to run the BOTM gauntlet, I had high hopes about May's offerings. I’m a big fan of the Burger of the Month concept in general; it gives the local burger chefs a chance to construct a unique burger based on the season or upcoming holidays to entice customers. After eating four of them last month (along with a few extras), I am left a couple of pounds heavier but also a bit disappointed by the lack of creativity and execution.

In Guac We Rock – BGR The Burger Joint

My clear favorite BTOM was the guacamole, tortilla strip, tomato and pickled banana peppers on a burger that was dubbed “In Guac We Rock” from BGR The Burger Joint. Like the other BOTMs, this burger had its shortcomings but clearly separated itself in creativity and overall execution. I loved the balance of the excellent guac, a nice beefsteak tomato and tortilla strips on the beef but I was unimpressed with the picked banana peppers. They were nestled under the burger making for an interesting contrast with the guacamole and tomato but were too weak. I always picture banana peppers as the red-headed step child of toppings-- especially when it comes to burgers. I'd swap our the banana peppers for some jalapenos to kick it up notch. But even with the weaker peppers, BGR's burger was still a winner and easily my favorite of the month. BOTM Rating (out of 10):  Creativity: 7; Overall: 8  

Stephanie's All-American – Bobby's Burger Palace

It's no secret Bobby's Burger Palace continues to keep a D.C.-themed burger off their menu, but after yet another District snub this month, I wasn't too upset. Be thankful this BOTM wasn't named after our City because that would be a tragedy. Conceptually, the burger sounds good. It combines American staples like sesame seed buns, American cheese (naturally), shredded lettuce and yellow mustard with pickled jalapenos (which isn't quite American but we’ll give it a pass since we've adopted nachos as our own). Initially, the burger was great. Good bun, good tasting meat, gooey cheese, crisp lettuce-- it had it all. But then I was hit with an overpowering wave of mustard. I enjoy the mustard but this was too much. There was so much slathered on the burger, I couldn't tell if the spiciness was from the jalapenos or the yellow stuff. If you absolutely love mustard and put it on everything you eat, like I assume Stephanie does, this might work for you, but I wasn't a fan of the key component of this BOTM. BOTM Rating (out of 10): Creativity: 5; Overall: 5  

Black N' Blue – Dogwood Tavern

Unlike Jody's experience during his burger bender for National Burger Week, I enjoyed the Black N' Blue, even though it was missing the "black" portion of the black and blue. My past experience with Dogwood has been that their burger patties lack a solid texture but succeed with flavor. This one fell into the same pattern. The burger is served on a potato roll which is always a good choice and provides a solid sponge to soak up those delicious burger juices. I ditched the supplied tomatoes and lettuce as there is no need for non-fried vegetables on this savory creation. On top of the burger were onion straws (too thinly dispersed to really add flavor but were a nice addition) and an excellent horseradish and blue cheese sauce. Despite the non-blackened patty, this was a solid burger and easily in the top half of May BOTMs. BOTM Rating (out of 10):  Creativity: 6; Overall: 7  

Steakhouse Shout-Out - be right burger 

The first thing wrong with BRB’s burger of the month for May is that it’s not even a burger-- it’s just a sandwich. Off to a bad start already. Why not just put shredded beef, onions, peppers and provolone on a burger? Then you’d have your steak and cheese but it would actually still be a burger. Next, they we were so uncreative they actually reused this idea from April. It’s not a burger, it’s not “of the month,” it’s more a sandwich of a few months and SOAFM just doesn't have the same ring to it as BOTM. In terms of the sandwich itself, it was served on a steamed hoagie roll and was very soft. This was a foreshadowing of the steak and cheese as a whole which lacked any real flavor. The onions tasted like they were steamed -- rather than sauteed and caramelized-- and while the meat itself was tender, it was pretty bland. My best experience with this "BOTM" came at the cash register. Rather than being charged the advertised $10, my Steakhouse Shout-Out rang up as $8.50. At 10 bucks, I’d definitely say skip this item but at $8.50 it’s not a terrible deal. But why drop that much on a simple steak and cheese when there’s a burger with chili, bacon and fried egg on the menu? BOTM Rating (out of 10):  Creativity: 0; Overall: 3 (6 with a 3 point deduction for not being a burger)   May BOTM Rankings: 1) BGR - In Guac We Rock (7.5) 2) Dogwood Tavern - Black 'N' Blue  (6.5) 3) Bobby's Burger Palace - Stephanie's All-American (5) 4) Be Right Burger - Steakhouse Shout-Out (1.5)