OK, who among us doesn’t have a moment to give Fourth of July props to the cheeseburger?
C’mon! It’s only the most American of our unparalleled collection of all-American foods.
So tell us, dear readers — what are your favorite spots to frequent when the cheeseburger hankerin’ hits you?
But before we get to the cheeseburger, the history of its older sibling — the hamburger — deserves a look as well, and as it turns out, its official beginning is a bit disputed.
So how did ye olde hamburger hatch?
Legend has it that Uncle Fletcher Davis in the late 1880s created the first hamburger at a small cafe on the Henderson County courthouse square — and then “Uncle Fletch” took his creation to the 1904 World’s Fair, in St. Louis, where it was called a “hamburger.” In another account, it’s said that teenager Charlie Nagreen was trying to sell meatballs at a Wisconsin fair in 1885 without much success — until he flattened the meatballs between two slices of bread, and then it was a hit given that folks could carry it around with them. That same year, it’s said that Frank and Charles Menches were short on meat for their sausage sandwiches at the 1885 Erie County Fair near Buffalo, New York — and then conjured up some culinary wizardry after a butcher suggested swapping in ground beef.
Or does Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut — which you can still visit — get the nod as the true inventor of the hamburger? (Although, a cheese concoction apparently did start getting added to the one-of-a-kind creation there in due time.)
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Photo by: Paolo Picciotto/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
You can check out a video report below about Louis’ Lunch, which touts that their burgers are still made the same way — no condiments allowed! — and they even use the same 100-plus-year-old stoves in which the burgers are cooked sideways.
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You be the judge.
But as far as our beloved cheeseburger is concerned, it appears safely accepted that it got its start 101 years ago when 16-year-old Lionel Clark Sternberger was working as a short-order cook at his dad’s restaurant — The Rite Spot — in Pasadena, California, in 1924. Word is that young Sternberger began adding cheese to the patty, which later was dubbed the “Aristocratic Burger: The Original Hamburger with Cheese.”
As you’re well aware, the cheeseburger is fast-food, and after The Rite Spot apparently got things in motion, there are now scads of such establishments all over America that can satisfy your taste buds.
But which one serves the best cheeseburger?
And why?
Is it the quality of the patty? The appeal of the bun? Or is it the chosen cheese? The toppings? The veggies? Bacon or no bacon? Or a combination of all of the above? That answer is, as always, up for debate (psst … it’s In ‘N’ Out), and the final list can change by the day, week, month, and year.
Here’s one breakdown that just may get your stomach churning:
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And do you know of cool cheeseburger spots in your state that aren’t necessarily creations of chain fast-food eateries?
If you don’t, you just may want to check out a few videos that show you just that. Other clips employ variations on that theme and present kingpin cheeseburgers from other vantage points. How about this one?
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So tell us, dear readers — what are your favorite spots to frequent when the cheeseburger hankerin’ hits you?
As we’ve proven here, they don’t have to be national, or even regional, cheeseburger joints. One-of-a-kind mom-and-pop outfits count, too. Truth be told, they may even count more.
Finally, do you have any crowd-pleasing cheeseburger recipes you’d like to share with all of us as our grills get fired up today? Let us know all of your secrets in the comments below.
And all hail to the cheeseburger as we celebrate another Independence Day.
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