GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., Nov. 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Robin's extensive burger menu is adding a first of its kind new burger to its lineup.  Inspired by the 2013 Best of the Bash Award Winner at the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE (SOBEWFF) Amstel Light Burger Bash, the new Finest Smoke & Pepper Signature burger is available exclusively on the Red Robin menu starting today.  It is the first of what will become a line of handmade, half-pound Black Angus beef burgers topped with superior bacon, cheeses, sauces and produce.  

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As a renowned chef and restaurateur, Chef Laurent Tourondel brought his high-level expertise and culinary experience to his winning 2013 SOBEWFF creation, the Smashed Smoke burger.  Inspired by Chef Tourondel's award-winning creation, the new Smoke & Pepper burger features a half-pound Black Angus burger seasoned with Alderwood smoked sea salt and topped with freshly black-peppered bacon, extra sharp Cheddar and house-made Smoke & Pepper ketchup, served on a buttered and toasted ciabatta bun. The Smoke & Pepper burger with Red Robin's famous Bottomless Steak Fries^™ is available for a limited-time for $13.49.

"As a chef and owner of many wonderful restaurants around the world, I am constantly coming up with savory combinations to create an exceptional taste experience," said Chef Laurent Tourondel. "This new burger at Red Robin is an upscale take on a classic bacon cheeseburger.  The sweet, smoky and peppery flavors of the sauce blend perfectly with the high quality seasoned beef and bite of peppery bacon on this burger.  I am pleased to see their version of my award-winning recipe available in almost 500 locations!"

"Red Robin's new Smoke & Pepper burger is an exciting next step in our long tradition of  serving the best in burgers," said Denny Marie Post, Red Robin's senior vice president and chief marketing officer. "As America's Gourmet Burger Authority, we are excited about expanding our gourmet burger offerings with the Smoke & Pepper Burger, inspired by Chef Laurent Tourondel and we look forward to more great winners to come."

All chefs who participate in the Amstel Light Burger Bash, presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray in Miami, are invited to submit their burger for the chance to win $10,000 and be crowned the Best of the Bash Award winner and have his or her winning recipe featured on the Red Robin Gourmet Burgers menu as part of the Finest line.  

Additionally, Red Robin is giving away a trip for two to the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival Amstel Light Burger Bash in February 2014.  The trip includes airfare, car rental, two nights of hotel accommodations, tickets to the Amstel Light Burger Bash event and $500 in spending money.  Sweepstakes entrants must be 21 years of age or older.  Runner-up prizes include 12 $50 Red Robin gift cards.  For more information, visit www.redrobinsfinest.com.

For more information on Red Robin's Finest, holiday menu items or to find a restaurant location, visit http://www.redrobin.com.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (NASDAQ: RRGB) 
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., is the Gourmet Burger Authority^™, famous for serving more than two dozen craveable, high-quality burgers with Bottomless Steak Fries^™ in a fun environment. Red Robin's award-winning burgers have earned the title of Best Burger in the full service category in the Zagat Fast Food Survey four years in a row. In addition to its many burger offerings, Red Robin serves a wide variety of salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts and signature Mad Mixology^® Beverages. There currently are more than 480 Red Robin restaurants across the United States and Canada, including those operating under franchise agreements. Red Robin… YUMMM^®! Connect with Red Robin on Facebook and Twitter.   

SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.