History of the hamburger in the United States facts for kids
A hamburger (or burger) is a popular sandwich. It usually has a cooked patty of ground meat, often beef. This patty is placed between two halves of a sliced bun or sometimes between slices of bread. People often add different toppings to their burgers. These can include lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, and cheese. Common sauces are mayonnaise, mustard, and ketchup.
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Who Invented the Hamburger?
The exact origin of the hamburger is a bit of a mystery! Many places claim to be its birthplace. Here are some of the main stories:
Early Ideas: Athens, Texas
Some historians, like Frank X. Tolbert, believe the hamburger was invented by Fletcher Davis in Athens, Texas. He supposedly sold hamburgers at his café in the late 1880s. He then brought them to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
The Menches Brothers: Hamburg, New York
Residents of Hamburg, New York, which is named after Hamburg, Germany, have another story. They say Frank Menches and Charles Menches invented the burger. In 1885, at the Erie County Fair, they reportedly ran out of sausage for sandwiches. So, they used beef instead and named the new sandwich after the fair's location. However, some reports say this happened in 1892 in Ohio.
Hamburger Charlie: Seymour, Wisconsin
The Seymour Community Historical Society in Seymour, Wisconsin, gives credit to Charlie Nagreen. He was just 15 years old in 1885. He was selling meatballs at the Seymour Fair. To make them easier to eat while walking, he flattened them into sandwiches. He called them "hamburgers" because local German immigrants knew about "Hamburg steak."
The Bun's Debut: Tulsa, Oklahoma
There's good evidence that the first hamburger served on a bun was made by Oscar Bilby in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1891. On July 4, 1891, he served ground beef on his wife's homemade buns at a party. Before this, ground beef was often served on simple slices of bread, like a "patty melt." In 1995, Oklahoma's Governor Frank Keating even declared April 13, 1995, as "The Real Birthplace of the Hamburger" in Tulsa.
Louis' Lunch: New Haven, Connecticut
The Library of Congress credits Louis Lassen, an immigrant from Denmark, with selling the first hamburger in the U.S. He did this at his small lunch wagon, Louis' Lunch, in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1895.
Hamburger Bun History
The hamburger bun itself was invented in 1916. It was created by a fry cook named Walter Anderson. He later helped start the famous White Castle restaurant chain in 1921.
Famous U.S. Hamburger Restaurants
Many restaurants have played a big part in the hamburger's story. Some helped create it, others developed unique cooking styles, or were the first to sell burgers widely.
Louis' Lunch
Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut, has been selling steak and hamburger sandwiches since 1895. This small place claims to be the oldest hamburger restaurant in the U.S. They say Louis Lassen invented the classic American hamburger in 1900. He put a ground steak patty between two pieces of white toast for a busy customer. Today, Louis' Lunch still flame-broils its burgers in old cast-iron stoves. They still serve them on toast, not a bun!
Dyer's Burgers
In 1912, Dyer's Burgers in Memphis, Tennessee, started making burgers in a unique way. They deep-fried their burgers using a cast-iron skillet.
White Castle
White Castle opened in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas. After World War I, hamburgers became less popular. White Castle helped bring them back by selling many small, square hamburgers. They started punching five holes in each patty to help them cook evenly. Their burgers first sold for just five cents. White Castle was also the first to sell their hamburgers in grocery stores. They even invented the industrial-strength spatula and mass-produced the paper hat! Today, White Castle sells over 550 million hamburgers each year.
Cheeseburger History
The idea of adding cheese to a hamburger created the delicious cheeseburger. Several places claim to have invented it:
- The Rite Spot in Pasadena, California, around 1925. Lionel Sternberger said he invented it.
- Kaelin's Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, claims to have invented it in 1934.
- Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado, got a trademark for the name cheeseburger in 1935.
- Jack’s Lunch in Middletown, Connecticut, in the 1930s, is believed to have invented the steamed cheeseburger.
Hamburger Variations and Toppings
Hamburgers can be simple or loaded with many toppings!
Common Toppings
In the United States, burgers are often served "with everything." This usually means lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. Cheese is a very popular addition. It can be melted on the patty or crumbled on top. Common cheeses include processed slices, Cheddar, or Swiss.
Sauces and Condiments
The three most common sauces are mustard, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Other popular choices include salad dressings and barbecue sauce. McDonald's uses its special "Big Mac sauce" on its Big Mac burger.
Other Popular Additions
Many other toppings can make a burger unique. These include bacon, avocado or guacamole, sautéed mushrooms, and chili. Less common but still tasty toppings are fried egg, feta cheese, salsa, pineapple, and Jalapeños. You might also find teriyaki-seasoned beef, tartar sauce, french fries, or onion rings on a burger!
Regional Burger Styles
Hamburger toppings can change depending on where you are in the country:
- A "Texas burger" often uses only mustard as a sauce. It might have jalapeño slices and cheese.
- In New Mexico, green chile burgers are very common.
- In Wisconsin, "Butter Burgers" are popular. They might have butter on the bun, in the patty, or a pat of butter on top.
- In the Carolinas, a "Carolina-style" hamburger often comes with cheese, chili, onions, mustard, and coleslaw.
- In Hawaii, burgers are often topped with teriyaki sauce and local pineapple.
- In some parts of the Midwest and East Coast, a "California burger" means a burger with lettuce, tomato, and onion. However, in the Western U.S., it often means a cheeseburger with guacamole and bacon.
- Pastrami burgers are very popular in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Burger Sizes
Hamburgers are often described by their uncooked weight. For example, a "quarter pounder" weighs about four ounces (113.5 grams). You might also see "third-pounders" or "half-pounders."
Chicken Burgers vs. Chicken Sandwiches
In the U.S., a chicken patty on a bun is usually called a "chicken sandwich." However, in Canada, they often call patties "chicken burgers." In Hawaii, small pieces of marinated chicken on a bun are called a teriyaki chicken burger.
Special Burger Types
- A burger with two patties is called a "double" or "double decker." One with three patties is a "triple." These often come with cheese and bacon.
- A slopper is a hamburger covered in red or green chile. It's common in the southwestern U.S.
- A patty melt has a burger patty, sautéed onions, and cheese between two slices of rye bread. It's buttered and fried.
- A slider is a small hamburger patty with diced onions on a tiny bun. They are called "sliders" because they are so small you can eat them in one or two bites.
- In Minnesota, a "Juicy Lucy" is a hamburger with cheese inside the meat patty. The cheese melts while cooking, creating a hot, gooey center. Be careful, as the cheese can gush out when you take the first bite!
- Buffalo burgers are made with meat from the American bison.
- A low carb burger is a hamburger served without a bun. Large pieces of lettuce are used instead, often with mayonnaise or mustard.
Images for kids
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Game meats like Elk are sometimes used for burgers. This one shows low fat content.
