Place: smashburger
Lunch: Samburger (a CYO 1/3 patty with cheddar, fried egg, pickles, onions, mayo, and mustard on an egg bun), haystack onions (w/zesty sauce), Coke
smashburger (their logo is all lower-case) has a "Create Your Own" option where you can define your own burger your way. So I had them whip up my signature Samburger for National Hamburger Day because I'm too lazy to make my own at home, and making burgers at home isn't all that practical anyway unless I want to eat Samburgers all week or just waste a lot of food. I'm just not going to use a whole pack of buns or a whole onion worth of chopped onions before they go bad. And it's not like we're exactly short on burger joints anywhere in the good old USA.
I've had hamburgers on the brain all morning since National Hamburger Day was brought to my attention. While there's much debate over the origin of the hamburger, the first prominent chain was Wichita-based White Castle, who started out in 1921 and is largely credited for creating the strict standardization that assured you got the same quality product regardless of store or market. They set the benchmark for everyone who followed.
White Castle no longer has any existence in Wichita whatsoever (corporate is now and has been in Columbus, Ohio for decades) and no longer makes their burgers the same way they did originally, but they're still a cult hit.
White Castle's departure didn't stop Wichita from being a burger-crazed community. Local chains Spangles, Bionic Burger, and Nu-Way (who have loose meat sandwiches sort of like Maid-Rite) still crank out burgers today. But a recent newcomer, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, has taken the industry by storm. Originally planned as a one-off by three brothers, Freddy's has exploded into a 90-plus store chain with locations in sixteen states and counting in its eleven-year existence.
Burgers aren't just a Wichita phenomenon, of course. We're a burger-crazed nation. And the burgers are getting bigger and better. We just don't settle for that 1.6-ounce McDonald's single patty anymore. Industry growth in recent years has been through gourmet burger chains like Five Guys and Fatburger, two brands that have been regional hits for years but just recently went national. They've spawned copycats who are also growing. And there always tends to be something new to try. I recently had lunch at the new Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's. They had these little sliders with a nice thick beef patty, cheddar, and a garlic aioli. I don't know what they seasoned that meat with but they were just amazing. I could go back just to eat those all day. Or for the two-hour limit they allow you to stay and eat there. You can spend that much time just waiting in line to get in.
One new trend I am NOT happy with is the tendency to take hamburgers off the menu completely in favor of cheeseburgers only. So now you have to actually request "no cheese" and I'm betting what used to be an up-charge for cheese doesn't get any sort of discount for doing so. It's a sneaky way to make more money. Most of the major chains are doing this now.
My favorite burgers tend to depend on my mood, but why not come up with a top five list? So here's my top five all-time favorite burgers. No, In-N-Out isn't on it. Neither are Five Guys. Settle down, fanboys.
1. Wisconsin Buttery (Steak n Shake) - Steak n Shake is my favorite restaurant, period. The Wisconsin Buttery is my current favorite burger anywhere. It's a double-patty with American cheese, grilled onions, and a butter sauce that makes the whole thing. The butter sauce soaks into the bun. It really does taste buttery in a really wonderful way.
2. Freddy's Original Double (Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers) - "Freddy" is Fred Simon, the father of the brothers who founded the chain. It's said this burger was inspired by Freddy's backyard barbecues back in the day. Two thin patties topped with mustard, pickle, and onion on a plain white bun. (You can add other toppings. I always add mayo.) The patties are seasoned with a proprietary mix that's also used on the shoestring fries. Deceptively simple, and completely amazing. And at six bucks and change for the combo (INCLUDING sales tax), priced right. Every Freddy's I've been to from California to Missouri has been an overnight sensation doing In-N-Out level business, even in markets where they're competing directly with In-N-Out.
3. Tillamook Cheeseburger (Burgerville) - The hometown pick. A freshly cooked burger topped with Tillamook medium cheddar. No lettuce or tomato on mine, and add onions. Because Burgerville doesn't put onions on their burgers by default for some dumb reason. Fairly easy to replicate at home, as there's no special sauces...just ketchup and mayo. They use leaf lettuce instead of iceberg. There's also pickles. Everything but the cheese goes on the bottom bun. There...go make your own.
(SIDE FACT: I sometimes take slices of Tillamook cheddar with me to restaurants and order hamburgers, then add the cheddar myself.)
4. Whataburger (Whataburger) - I say the same thing every time I walk in..."Whataburger combo with onion rings, no lettuce, no tomato". The burger looks bigger than its seasoned 1/4-pound patty being on a 5-inch plain bun (toasted and buttered the way God intended). The toppings are mustard, diced onion, and a generous amount of pickles. (And lettuce and tomato if you're not me.) I think it's the seasoning that makes this burger, but all I know is it never disappoints. It's the perfect Texas burger in that everything in Texas must be big, and true Texans would never soil a burger with any condiment that isn't mustard, even if Whataburger claims there are 36,864 ways to order one.
5. White Castle Sliders (White Castle) - The little five-hole steamed patties on a bed of onions with a pickle served on a dinner roll. Crude, simple, and deceptively tasty. Especially if you discard the top buns and fold two together to make a double. Almost guaranteed to leave you belching up that taste all day.
If I went ahead with a top ten, this smashburger would probably be number six. They make some wonderful, if not overpriced, burgers.
But I have to stop somewhere.
