By Stephanie Gallman, CNN

(CNN) -- Step aside Iowa and fried butter -- there is a new national fried treasure to feast upon.

The country's first deep-fried cheeseburger is making its debut among at least 30 other varieties of hamburgers served by 15 different vendors at the National Hamburger Festival in Akron, Ohio, this weekend.

"We cook the cheeseburger, put it on a bun and dip it in batter before dropping it in a deep fryer," said Drew Cerza, the festival's founder.

Cerza came up with the idea for a deep-fried burger alongside a chef at a local burger restaurant. He wanted to combine two of his favorite things -- hamburgers and chicken wings. Cerza said the special batter is a cross between funnel-cake batter and pancake batter, making the deep-fried cheeseburger both sweet and savory.

By Michael K. McIntyre

Inventors in Akron, the nation's invention capital, have solved one of the most vexing issues of our day: Deciding between a burger and a wing.

What if you wanted a cheeseburger and buffalo wings, but you could only order one item. Voila. The deep fried cheeseburger was born, and it will debut at the National  Hamburger Festival in Akron this weekend.

The slider-sized burger – cheese, bun and all – is dipped in batter and deep fried, giving it that wingy crust and that cheese-burgery insides. It's the creation of Drew Cerza, the festival's founder, and Scott Buford, chef/owner of MetroBurger.

By: Bob Fenner, newsnet5.com

AKRON, Ohio - The smell of charcoal was in the air Saturday night at Lock 3 Park in downtown Akron.  Hamburger lovers were in their glory at the 6th annual National Hamburger Festival.

Beef, buns and cheese were the magic combination as burger fans showed up for a taste of heaven.

Dan and Michelle Batton of Akron came out with their two daughters.  They know what they like in a burger.

"I like spicy burgers.  I look for jalapenos and spicy mustard and such," said Dan.  For Michelle it was an easy choice.  "Barbecue and onion rings," she said.

By: Garrett Downing, newsnet5.com

AKRON, Ohio - The sixth annual National Hamburger Festival is expected to draw thousands of people this weekend at Lock 3 in Akron.

It will also bring a unique—heart-attack-waiting-to-happen—attraction: a deep-fried cheeseburger.

The calorie-packed treat is made by taking a slider-sized cheeseburger, dipping it in special batter and deep frying. It is a creation of the festival’s founder Drew Cerza and MetroBurger’s owner Scott Buford, according to a release from the city of Akron. Drew Cerza, the founder of the festival, said the batter taste like a mix of funnel cakes and pancakes.

 

Metro Burger, an Akron, Ohio-based gourmet burger restaurant, has completed its franchise development program and is beginning to grant single-unit and multi-unit franchises. The latest in burger franchise opportunities, it is the first to offer an urban-chic, fast-casual dining experience. Along with fast service and affordable prices, guests are surprised there are over 33 million burger combinations.

Scott Burford, CEO of Metro Burger, who defines the concept as "fast-casual with a metro-chic atmosphere," spoke about why Metro chose to franchise: "We believe franchising provides the best opportunity to dominate the fast-casual segment of the $100 billion burger industry. So we designed our concept from the very beginning to be a franchise. Every aspect was carefully implemented to ensure maximum efficiencies and profitability for our franchisees."