The Hunt for the Golden Bulls starts on March 1, 2026.

Follow us on social Media for the most up to date information and clues.

Hello Golden Bull Hunters! Are you ready for the 2026 hunt? We have all new riddles, puzzles, history, and locations for you to solve. We have revised, revisioned and reworked this year’s Golden Bull themes and puzzles. We want to give everyone a chance to feel they can win free burgers for a year and participate.* Here are some key tips, and pointers as you get ready for the 2026 hunt. The puzzles are mostly in the restaurant for our 15th birthday. There are a range of challenges and fun puzzles to conquer or solve. Everyone has a chance to participate in one or more Golden Bull hunts.

As big fans of Willy Wonka, the original movie with Gene Wilder, we thought we’d have our own golden tickets, err bulls that is.  We hide five golden bulls (okay they are brass, we couldn’t afford solid gold) at different times throughout the month in and around Durham. Five lucky winners who found a bull, win a free meal each week for a year*.  How do you find a bull?Throughout March, we reveal clues here on our website and in social media regarding where to find a Golden Bull.  If you find one, follow the directions below to claim your prize.  Full details in the “fine print” below.  Let the hunt begin!

Ground Rules for the Hunt: Please do not destroy any personal property.  No bull will be hidden in a location which requires going inside a non-public space.  No bull will be buried or sealed inside anything.  Nothing will need to be damaged, broken, taken apart, busted, cracked, or dismantled.  The bull will always be accessible 24/7 once it is hidden. Please respect any and all people, businesses, or property while you search.  Thank you and good luck! Teams are welcome, but there can only be one winner on the team.

Because we want everyone to have an opportunity to hunt for at least one Golden Bull, we pick different types of riddles with different days and dates to be inclusive of as many hunters as possible. With that in mind, here is some information to help you plan and strategize.

*****Also, and WE CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH***** there are no known photos of the Golden Bull. It is essential to keep it this way! Therefore, no photos or social postings of any kind will be accepted. Breaking this rule will be grounds for immediate disqualification and a lifetime ban on future Golden Bull Hunts.


​I found a Golden Bull, What do I do?
  1. call BCBB and talk to a manager (919) 680-2333
  2. arrange a time to bring in your golden bull and claim victory
  3. bring your photo ID and be ready for a photo to go on the wall
  4. within 24 hours email a description of how you found the bull (moocow[at]bullcityburgerandbrewery[dot]com)
  5. please do not send a photo of the bull or take photos of you with the bull. You may be disqualified if you take or post any photos of the bull.
*The contest begins March 1st and ends when all bulls are found. The first free burger day for winners is April 1st or the first day in April BCBB is open. The last day of free burgers is March 31 the following year. Must be 18 years or older to claim a prize. IDs will be checked. Bring your ID. One Golden Bull winner per person and per family. If you find a Golden Bull redeem it in person at Bull City Burger and Brewery during regular business hours. Please call us to let us know you are coming in at 919-680-2333. Winners receive one hamburger or veggie burger per week with one specialty $1.25 add-on topping, one regular dirty fry order and one non-alcohol beverage of choice. No substitutions for specialty burgers or special features. Can’t be used toward a specialty burger. Cannot be used toward a hotdog. No alcohol included. A week is defined as any hours BCBB is open for business Sunday through Saturday. BCBB cannot be held accountable for acts of God, weather, and business interruptions during any week. Only one free burger meal can be claimed per week. Cannot be used online.  Multiple burgers cannot be saved up for redemption in one week. Only the person claiming the Golden Bull can receive the free burger each week. No family members, spouses, former spouses, children, cousins (kissing or otherwise) can claim your prize. Winners consent to the use of their names and photos or likeness by BCBB to promote the contest on the website, in the restaurant and in print. Again, we will check your ID. No employee of BCBB or Bull City Solera or Pie Pan Inc. can win. No employee of a business we partner with for the Golden Bull can win. One winner per family please. No repeat winners. No scammers, no loophole finders, no twisters of the rules. It’s free burgers for about a year, that’s pretty good. That’s our fine print. Approximate value is over $1,000.00 USD
“I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera... Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum, et cetera, et cetera... Memo bis punitor delicatum!” - Willy Wonka
Bull #1 - The Pickle Jar
The goal: To guess the number of pickles in a jar at the restaurant. Event will run from Sunday, March 1 through Sunday, March 8. There is an entry form to fill out on line with your guess. The closest without going over wins the bull. We check the answers nightly. If someone guesses exactly, they instantly win.

And for the first time ever... we are giving away a "baby golden bull" this year to one child for free kid burgers for a year. We have a small jar of chocolate chips for the 10 and under kids to guess. 

All rules and details are on the entry form. One guess per person please.
Bull #2 - Fry-Day the Thirteenth
The Goal: To find one of five golden tickets hidden in your french fries, fill out a trivia quiz (no cell phones/no help) and the person with the most correct answers wins the Golden Bull.  This one day hunt will be on Friday, March 13. Dine in only. If you find a ticket you take the quiz on the spot in the restaurant in front of the staff. Cheaters immediately disqualified and sent to the Oompa Loompas. 
Bull #3 - The Golden Poetry Slam
The Goal: To write a poem/spoken word piece, perform it live in the restaurant on Saturday March 21 at 7 PM and have the crowd vote for you. This is a one day event. Your host this evening is none other than the Poetry Fox and Durham’s Poet Laureate, Mr. Chris Vitiello! Start working on your poem or spoken word now! You have up to 3 minutes on stage with a microphone. The rules are simple. Your poem must contain the following words: Bull, City, and Golden somewhere in your poem in any fashion. Poems must be family friendly and please avoid the usual controversial topics such as politics, religion, sex and if Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Let's have fun. Please register in advance so we can have your name on the ballot for voting. 
Chris Vitiello is the Poetry Fox and the current Durham Poet Laureate. As the Poetry Fox, he writes custom poems on-the-spot, on a typewriter, often dressed as a giant fox. As the city's laureate, he organizes public poetry events and conducts a variety of literary mischief around the area. Bookings, commissions, & schedule: PoetryFox.com & @thepoetryfox
@thewritingcabinet to see what other mysteries await...
Bull #4 - On this day, we're Puzzlin’ like before.
​The Goal: To find a hidden Golden Bull in the downtown Durham area using the clues we provide. This one day scavenger hunt will be on Saturday, March 28. First clue released Saturday morning. Bring us the bull that day! See all the scavenger hunt rules above.
Bull #5 - Bull's Eye Spy
The Goal: To find hidden golden medallions, five in all, hidden in the restaurant. We hide the medallions, each one featuring a different part of a bull, one per day all month long. Find all five and qualify to be selected as a golden bull winner.  This is a month-long event, the winner will be announced on Tuesday, March 31. Once you spy a medallion, tell a staff member so we can log your find. Everyone who finds all 5 parts gets one free Golden Bull- style burger in April 2026! We have a calendar revealing the daily part so you don't have to find duplicates. No purchase necessary, but hey as long as you are here....