Others, however, say that a Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant invented the cheeseburger, adding it to their menu in 1934 with the actual name "cheeseburger" versus Sternberger's "cheese hamburger." His dad approved of the creation, and so the cheeseburger was bornthough they called it the slightly wordy "cheese hamburger." The first sandwich to actually be called a cheeseburger was created in Louisville, Kentucky. Louisville, Kentucky, 1934 That was how Kaelins Restaurant described the taste when they melted cheese over patties, which they claimed to be the first proper cheeseburger. A single, uncooked burger weighing a nominal four ounces or 113.5grams is a "quarter pounder". The Hamburg steak was on New York City menus by 1837 as an affordable snack for the impoverished masses (via The Guardian). The first veggie burgers, though, as Smithsonian Magazine reports, were a far cry from today's frozen veggie patties. Other can be much more complex. onto a cooking hamburger at his fathers Pasadena, California, sandwich shop, the Rite Spot. 5. Fan-favorites return to menus for summer. He liked it, and so did his dad, and thus the cheeseburger was born. If all of the above sources are telling the truth, then Fletcher Davis would be the original creator, as his story predates the other origin myths. To help make delivery service available to all our customers, even if you ordered directly from Hungry Howies, orders may be delivered by DoorDash. To eating so many burgers? Salted pork belly first appeared on dining tables thousands of years ago in China. According to the company, A&W franchisee Dale Mulder invented the bacon cheeseburger. Click On Detroit | Local 4 |. Another account claims that the inventor was Louis Ballast of Denver, who actually trademarked the word "cheeseburger" in 1935. Although cow milk is the most popular source material today, cheese was originally made from goat or sheep milk. Pastrami burgers are particularly popular in Salt Lake City, Utah.[24]. Then there's the so-called bar burger. Restaurant owner Firas Zabib has said he sells 1020 of the US$6.50 (equivalent to $8.72 in 2022) burgers per day, and that his was the first shop in New York City to sell them.[8]. Jim Delligatti, a McDonald's franchisee outside of Pittsburgh, created the burger in an effort to grow business, according to his Washington Post obituary. Charles Kaelin claims to have invented the cheese-topped burger in 1934 because he wanted, reports Louisville writer Robin Garr, to "add a new tang to the hamburger." This is the earliest example of a menu claiming to be "the birthplace of the cheeseburger." [22], A Burger King "Quad Stacker" cheeseburger, containing four patties and bacon, A cheeseburger at a restaurant in Camden Town, London, A half-eaten McDonald's Big Mac, showing the contents of the burger, "Plaque commemorating invention of the cheeseburger in Pasadena dedicated at LA Financial Credit Union | Pasadena Chamber of Commerce", "Pasadena claims its slice of burger history", "It's an L.A. Thing; Our burgers are the best with good reason: We made them here first", "Yes, it was invented in Pasadena! First, there's the fried and smashed patty. He liked it, and so did his dad, and thus the cheeseburger was born. But if you want a bacon cheeseburger, it's best to go elsewhere. Tax, delivery, additional/premium toppings or breads, crust styles, & Howie Wings may be extra. The history of the bacon cheeseburger dates back to 1963. Try it as a single or a double. ", "Louisville Facts & Firsts - LouisvilleKy.gov", "Our 'Top 5 List' of little-known facts about Bloomington-Normal", "Steak 'n Shake vs Burger King, Memorandum and Order", (7 July 2004) 323 F. Supp.2d 983 (E.D. Claim: The "Luther Burger," a bacon cheeseburger served on a Krispy Kreme doughnut bun, is a real food named after R&B singer Luther Vandross. The Indiana vendor explained his impetus to sell the burger after seeing Paula Deen "[do] it on TV". As with other hamburgers, a cheeseburger may include various condiments and other toppings such as lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, avocado, mushrooms, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard. [18], In the United States, National Cheeseburger Day is celebrated annually on September 18.[19]. [2][3], Residents of Hamburg, New York, which is named after Hamburg, Germany, attribute the hamburger to Ohioans Frank Menches and Charles Menches. In 1963, we made history by serving a bacon cheeseburger in a restaurant for the very first time. Nagreen was 15 when he reportedly made sandwiches out of meatballs that he was selling at the 1885 Seymour Fair (now the Outagamie County Fair) to make it easier for customers to eat while walking. Their version consists of a Krispy Kreme doughnut around a black Angus patty, melted cheese, and two strips of bacon. "I thought it absolutely (would) be better with bacon," Mulder said. Much like the hamburger, it's impossible to know sure who created America's first cheeseburger. You get your choice of doneness. A hamburger with two patties is called a "double decker" or simply a "double", while a hamburger with three patties is called a "triple". This video has your answer! [17], The largest cheeseburger ever made weighed 2,014 pounds (914kg). In a Roman cookbook dating back to the fifth century A.D., a recipe details how to make something called isicia omentata, which combined minced meat, pepper, wine, pine nuts, and a sauce into a meat patty. How Many Colorado State Universities Are There? Where to find the meal deals for National Cheeseburger Day Tuesday", "In-N-Out Burgers: With an emphasis on quality, this fast feeder shows its rare appeal. Today, the Big Mac is McDonald's second best-selling item, only surpassed by the french fry. The story goes that in 1963, long-time Michigan franchise owner Dale Mulder took cues from his repeat customers always requesting slabs of bacon on top of . People add bacon, avocado, mushrooms, onions, and . LANSING, Mich. It was an addition that changed an already delicious food forever -- bacon on a cheeseburger. In the 12th century, the emperor and his army would place lamb or mutton scrapings beneath their saddles, pulverizing it until it was ready to eat, which they did one-handed while on horseback. Davis is believed to have sold hamburgers at his caf at 115 Tyler Street in Athens, Texas, in the late 1880s, before bringing them to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Which Is The Safest City To Live In The World? You could even mix up the Flavored Crust and go with butter Flavored Crust if youre a fan of buttered hamburger buns, or try Ranch Flavored Crust if you like saucy burgers. The birthplace of the bacon cheeseburger, A&W in Lansing. The restaurant was on U.S.16, an area people had to pass through to get between Detroit and Grand Rapids. (WDIV). Other popular toppings include bacon, avocado or guacamole, sliced sauted mushrooms, sliced sauce and/or chili (usually without beans). So, in 1963, the bacon cheeseburger was born, forever changing burgers. In 1867, a doctor in New York, James H. Salisbury, recommended that his patients eat cooked ground beef patties for their digestive health, creating the Salisbury steak (via History). Where Is The Main Campus For Colorado State University? He also likes playing golf and watching sports. So it decided to use that priceless bit of company history in its promotion for the 95-year-old chain's chairman Dale Mulder in this offbeat video. According to the Food Lovers Companion, The name hamburger comes from the seaport town of Hamburg, Germany, where it is thought that 19th-century sailors brought back the idea of raw shredded beef (known today as beef tartare) after trading with the Baltic provinces of Russia. The hamburger dates back at least to the late 19th century, while the earliest appearance of anything resembling a grilled cheese sandwich is from 1902, so clearly the hamburger came first. - The credited inventors of the bacon cheeseburger, A&W Restaurants, is set to turn 100 years old on June 20. The restaurant? The franchise is named after the last initials of business partners Roy Allen and Frank Wright. Charles Kaelin invented the cheeseburger in 1934 to bring extra flavor to his hamburger offering. He started at the restaurant that has been voted Tulsa's best burger more often than any other restaurant since 1933, Webers Root Beer Stand. That, as What's Cooking America reports, is just a rumor. Probably. The Historical Society explains that Nagreen named the hamburger after the Hamburg steak, with which local German immigrants were familiar. [8][9][10], Other restaurants also claim to have invented the cheeseburger. Where are cheeseburgers originally from? A&W Chairman Dave Mulder opened a franchise in Lansing in 1961. According to the Kansas Historical Society, after creating a bun to go along with the burgers that he sold from a simple street cart in Wichita, Kansas, Andersonfounded White Castle in 1921 along with E.W. While there are skeptics that doubt the birthplace of the bacon cheeseburger, Mulder said he knows the burger's origin. Simple and splendid, and the genuine article. This made it possible for many Americans to consume beef almost daily. An early example of the cheeseburger appearing on a menu is a 1928 menu for the Los Angeles restaurant O'Dell's which listed a cheeseburger smothered with chili for 25 cents. Common cheeses used for topping are American, Swiss, Cheddar and other meltable cheeses. So how did we get here? Allen bought the recipe for the restaurant's signature root beer from a pharmacist. [9] Erika Celeste, for NPR's All Things Considered detailed a "doughnut burger" sold at the 2010 Indiana State Fair when discussing the imaginative and caloric "arms race" at state fairgrounds to devise new "wackier" menu items: "[a] fresh patty of beef and melted cheese sandwiched between two glazed doughnuts". A&W celebrated its 100th anniversary in June, making it the oldest fast food chain. [5], Mulligan's, a suburban bar in Decatur, Georgia, serves the Luther Burger in addition to its hamdog. A cheeseburger may have more than one patty or more than one slice of cheeseit is reasonably common, but by no means automatic, for the number to increase at the same rate with cheese and meat interleaved. [4] This origin is mentioned in a January 2006 episode of animated series The Boondocks, "The Itis", in which the character Robert Freeman creates a restaurant which serves the burger. Status: True. When he's not teaching or writing, Paul enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. None other than a 16-year-old named Lionel Sternberger. This is the earliest example of a menu claiming to be "the birthplace of the cheeseburger.". It is said to have included "60 pounds (27kg) of bacon, 50 pounds (23kg) of lettuce, 50 pounds (23kg) of sliced onions, 40 pounds (18kg) of pickles, and 40 pounds (18kg) of cheese." Popular toppings include lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, avocado or guacamole, sliced sauted mushrooms, cheese sauce or chili, but the variety of possible toppings is broad. "And everyone else stole it from us.". The bacon cheeseburger was invented by Dale Mulder. The Texas historian Frank X. Tolbert attributes the invention of the hamburger to Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas. Cheeseburgers can get pretty pricey. It's the best of both worlds, and a trendy way to show off your good taste in food. Hamburgers may be described by their combined uncooked weight. One of the oldest written references to the "Hamburg sausage" is in a 1763 English cookbook, "The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy." [11] One year later, a trademark for the name "cheeseburger" was awarded to Louis Ballast of the Humpty Dumpty Drive-In in Denver, Colorado. There are a lot of rumors circulating around the origin of the burger. Whataburger: Bacon & Cheese Whataburger. Instead of a "double hamburger", one might encounter a third- or half-pounder, weighing eight ounces or 227grams. The Cheese Finally, a cheeseburger would hardly be a cheeseburger without the cheese (which is made from milk). . Lionel Sternberger is reputed to have introduced the cheeseburger in 1924 at the age of 16. Cheese (usually processed cheese slices, but often Cheddar, Swiss, pepper jack, or blue cheese), either melted on the meat patty or crumbled on top, is a popular option. Davis is believed to have sold hamburgers at his caf at 115 Tyler Street in Athens, Texas, in the late 1880s, before bringing them to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The Big Bacon Classic returned to Wendy's menu in October 2009, was called the Bacon Deluxe, and contained four strips of bacon instead of two until its discontinuation in June 2012. Who invented the original bacon cheeseburger? Top this off with the classic condiment you love bestbut if you are up for a bit of adventure, dollop on some barbecue sauce, chipotle mayo or Dijon mustard. However, while it was the Romans who likely created the first burger-esque patty, it was the famous Earl of Sandwich, in 1762, who decided to take his meat and put it between two slices of bread (via History). EBW's version cost CA$8 (equivalent to $9.46 in 2021) (or CA$10 (equivalent to $11.82 in 2021) to add bacon and a fried egg), and contained 1,500 calories (6,300kJ). According to What's Cooking America, the first patents for mechanical meat choppers were filed in the early to mid-1800s. Get the Original Bacon Cheeseburger, now and always at one of 3 Lexington locations.Like A\u0026W Restaurants on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/awrestaurantsFollow A\u0026W Restaurants on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/awrestaurantsFollow A\u0026W Restaurants on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/awrestaurantsFriend A\u0026W Restaurants on Snapchat: awrestaurantsVisit the official A\u0026W Restaurants website: http://www.awrestaurants.com The build: The chain's five-inch beef patty, one slice of American, three strips of . So, in 1963, the bacon cheeseburger was born, forever changing burgers. This type of burger is common in hamburger joints and diners that originated in the 1930s, possibly not coincidentally the same time the first cheeseburger was invented, and in newer restaurants that emulate these diners. The Luther Burger: A Doughnut Bacon Cheeseburger, We Tried 5 of the Most Popular Plant-Based Options at Fast Food Chains. Contact the Creativity Editors. [citation needed] In New Mexico and parts of the Southwest, green chile burgers are very common. They named the resulting sandwich after the location of the fair. The restaurateur added the .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}14-pound (0.11kg) burger to the menu after a friend experienced one while traveling through the Southern United States. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. "A bacon burger became a big item in the restaurant business," Mulder said. According to the company, A&W franchisee Dale Mulder invented the bacon cheeseburger. Paul is a big fan of the Boston Celtics and New England Patriots. John Mitzewich is a food writer, recipe video producer, and culinary school instructor with more than 20 years of experience in the food industry. By the 1930s, it was already standard. "The man who invented the hamburger was smart, but the man who invented the cheeseburger was a genius," the actor says of his favorite food. His father owned a sandwich shop, and one day in 1924, Lionel put a slice of American cheese on one of his father's hamburgers. At the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, hamburger steak, both plain and served with onions, was available at the Tyrolean Alps Restaurant (via What's Cooking America). In the Carolinas, a time-honored popular style for hamburgers and hot dogs served in diners and homes (but not fast food chains) is "all the way", meaning mustard, slaw, chili and onions. Aside from bringing in revenue from sales, it has drawn more fans to come out to the ballpark: apparently, attendance at games has increased and the burger is one of the most popular aspects of the park. [17], "20 restaurants with over-the-top dishes", "Craz-E Burger: Americans embrace 1,500 calorie doughnut burger", "Ballpark Burger Adds Krispy Kremes to the Mix", "Try this burger with bacon and cheese served on a sugary doughnut bun, but no lard included", "A Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger? If you need help with the Public File, call (313) 222-0566. Cheeseburger was invented in 1926 in Pasadena, CA. [7][8], There is good evidence that the first hamburger served on a bun was made by Oscar Bilby of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1891. 2004), "14 Things You Didn't Know About A&W Restaurants", "World's Biggest Cheeseburger Clocks in at 2,014 Pounds", "Free cheeseburgers! Click On Detroit, meanwhile, says that Mulder came up with the idea all on his own and quotes him as saying, "I thought it absolutely [would] be better with bacon A bacon burger became a big item in the restaurant business, and everyone else stole it from us.". Unfortunately, it took a few decades for someone to get the bright idea to add bacon to their cheeseburger, at least on any sort of national scale. - Not even close. franchisee Dale Mulder The credited inventors of the bacon cheeseburger, A&W Restaurants, is set to turn 100 years old on June 20. Hungry Howies Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburger Pizza comes with ground beef, bacon, cheddar, and mozzarella cheese. Get daily tips and expert advice to help you take your cooking skills to the next level. Today, the city is known as the home of boxer Muhammad Ali, the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Fried Chicken, the University of Louisville and its Cardinals, Louisville Slugger baseball bats, and three of Kentuckys six Fortune 500 companies: Humana, Kindred Healthcare, and Yum! Lexington, KY-based agency Cornett was amazed to discover that the famous bacon + cheeseburger combo was invented not by either of the biggest burger joints in the U.S., but rather A&W Restaurants. In the 1926 Lionel Sternberger is reputed to have invented the cheeseburger. Flip the ball and smash slowly so the burger stays together. Everyone knows that the best way to improve anything with cheese is to add bacon. The Romans wouldn't have a true burger until someone decided to add two pieces of bread, and the Earl of Sandwich likewise would be burger-less until someone filled his bread with ground beef. Who invented the bacon [] Or was it? Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. The location is now a coffee and ice cream shop, but the A&W lives on. We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. Common lore claims that the original fry was born in Namur in francophone Belgium, where the locals were particularly fond of fried fish. Ingram. These began to show up on menus several decades later in the 20th century and are thick, juicy and grilled. Ground beef cooked both Hamburg-style and otherwise swept across the United States throughout the 1800s. Louis Ballast, the owner, received a patent for the cheeseburger in 1935. So its not impossible that some people may have paired hamburgers with fries in the period between 1900ish and 1921, when White Castle started. So what genius put it all together? By the turn of the 20th century, you could find ground beef all over the country, and someone finally had the inventive idea to slide that ground beef between two slices of bread. But the construction of I-96 hurt the business because potential customers were now bypassing the area. The cost of a. Mo. "[2][3][4][5][6][7] Recognizing this, General Mills introduced Hamburger Helper in the 1970s, aiming to help American families put together a ground beef-based dinner with only a single pound of meat. While this version of the hamburger was a long time coming, once this type of burger got its start, it rapidly continued evolving throughout the 20th century. The cheeseburger. Did you know the bacon cheeseburger was invented in Michigan? In 1998, A&W released the Rodeo Cheeseburger in conjunction with the release of the film Small Soldiers. You can order the usual toppingslettuce, tomato, pickles and raw onionsfor a classic. According to USA Today, a big portion of that comes in the form of burgers, with the average American eating 156 per year, or about three per week. Germans from Hamburg adopted steak tartare from the Russians and then later introduced it to the United States in the 1700s and 1800s, where it took on the name Hamburg steak. In 1963 Dale Mulder invented. McDonald's uses their own "Big Mac sauce" on their signature Big Mac hamburger. 26, 2023 0 Serious Eats / J. Kenji Lpez-Alt In This Recipe Bacon Arrangements, Compared In the 13th century, the Russians adopted Khan's meat pulverization method, giving it a bit of an upgrade and creating steak tartare. As for who that person was, however, it's a matter of much debate. Dale Mulder LEXINGTON, Ky. - The credited inventors of the bacon cheeseburger, A&W Restaurants, is set to turn . The first sandwich to actually be called a "cheeseburger" was at Kaelin's restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky. [15], During the Jewish festival of Hanukkah, Jews traditionally indulge in eating oily and fried foodssuch as the Israeli jelly doughnut sufganiyot (Hebrew: )in connection to the miracle of the cruse of oil. Dale Talde's Cheeseburger with Bacon . For example, Kaelin's Restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky, said it invented the cheeseburger in 1934. According to oral histories, in the 1880s he opened a lunch counter in Athens and served a burger of fried ground beef patties with mustard and Bermuda onion between two slices of bread, with a pickle on the side. Many food historians credit 16-year-old Lionel Sternberger, who in 1924 decided to slap a slice of American cheese (what else?) As a prior Mashed article notes, this use of less beef overall was an important part of the brand's strategy, as meat prices were soaring at the time. Pork curing methods spread throughout the Roman Empire, and Anglo-Saxon peasants cooked with bacon fat. Sources: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/the-history-of-aw-restaurants-aw-ro Hungry Howies and its related marks are trademarks of Hungry Howies Pizza & Subs, Inc. (HHPSI), a Michigan corp., 30300 Stephenson Highway, Suite 200, Madison Heights, Michigan 48071 248-414-3300. Just a nickel. Which University Is Better Jadavpur Or Calcutta? So, in 1963, the bacon cheeseburger was born, forever changing burgers. 2023 Hungry Howies Pizza & Subs, Inc. All rights reserved. As for the specifics surrounding the invention, tales differ. Memorial Day The Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburgers Recipe These burgers are cooked in bacon fat, dressed with bacon-infused special sauce, smothered with onions fried in bacon fat, and topped with a crisp bacon weave. A Luther Burger, or doughnut burger (among several naming variations), is a hamburger or cheeseburger with one or more glazed doughnuts in place of the bun. Ad Age and Creativity Staff In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans eat over 220 pounds of meat per year on average (via Quartz). Now, the cheeseburger is the main event. On Monday, Wendy's begins its national roll-out of the long-awaited Wendy's Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger, a $4.69 premium burger served on a toasted pretzel bun . There are also different variations of what should go on a bacon cheeseburger pizza. A hamburger (or burger) is a sandwich that consists of a cooked ground meat patty, usually beef, placed between halves of a sliced bun. Doubles and triples are often combined with cheese and sometimes with bacon, yielding a "double cheeseburger", a "triple bacon cheeseburger", or, alternatively, a "bacon double" or "triple cheeseburger". The latter are traditionally prepared "with everything" (or "all the way", "deluxe", "the works", "dragged through the garden", or, in some regions, "all dressed"), which includes lettuce, tomato, onion, and sliced pickles (or pickle relish). They invented the bacon cheeseburger. A&W has been proudly serving it ever since!Like A&W Restaurants on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aw. [13][14][15], An A&W Restaurants franchise in Lansing, Michigan, is credited with inventing the bacon cheeseburger in 1963, putting it on the menu after repeated requests from the same customer. The Times of Israel reported on Burger King Israel employees who had eaten the SufganiKing and called it "delicious". Add the cheese (always American), choice of toppings (lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions) and condiments (mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise). 2,000 calories a day used for general nutrition advice. The story goes that Dale Mulder, Michigan A&W owner, became the first person to offer bacon cheeseburgers on a restaurant menu when he debuted them in 1963. The one and only A\u0026W. That may seem like a far-fetched statistic, but when you take into consideration that burgers are readily available on just about every street corner, it starts to feel a little more plausible. A "Texas burger" uses mustard as the only sauce, and comes with or without vegetables, jalapeno slices, and cheese. The franchise is named after the last initials of business partners Roy Allen and Frank Wright. The gourmet burger fad. Shelhart opened the restaurant in March 2022. According to the Tulsa-based author, the bun is essential. The hamburger remains as one of the cheapest forms of beef in America. Her uncle, Duane Sawdy, used to own the eatery 40 years ago, and she worked her first job there. In 2016, Burger King Israel introduced the SufganiKing (Hebrew: ): a Whopper with two sufganiyot in place of the bun. The longstanding chain also had to mention its signature Root Beer drink when touting its longstanding run as a restaurant. Thats why we are especially pleased to again be supporting Disabled American Veterans DAV as part of our celebration.. The most popular theory by far says that it was invented by a 16-year-old short-order cook named Lionel Clark Sternberger at a restaurant called The Rite Spot in Pasadena, California, when he added a slice of American cheese to a sizzling meat patty. A ramen burger, invented by Keizo Shimamoto, is a hamburger patty sandwiched between two discs of compressed ramen noodles in lieu of a traditional bun. [1], Adding cheese to hamburgers became popular in 1920. [4][6], The Gateway Grizzlies baseball team of Sauget, Illinois have served the Luther Burger at their ballpark. This is almost always called a "chicken sandwich," except for rare exceptions, such as with the Red Robin chain of restaurants. By It's game on for the pretzel burger. [10] The "Krispy Kreme Doughnut Burger" as served at the 2010 Mississippi State Fair was garnished with "lettuce, tomato and a generous slice of raw onion", and was estimated to provide 1,500 calories (6,300kJ). The 800-calorie (3,300kJ) burger was described as having a salty-sweet taste, and surprisingly ungreasy. The invention of industrial-style meat grinders and choppers made ground hamburger much more accessible and popular. Adrianne Pasquarelli Cheesemaking began over 4,000 years ago, but how it started is unclear. According to legend, the Menches brothers were vendors at the 1885 Erie County Fair (then called the Buffalo Fair) when they ran out of sausage for sandwiches and used beef instead. Always tasty fresh, never frozen burgers, crispy bacon, and American cheese finished off with dressing, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onions served on a lightly toasted bun. This record was set in 2012 by Minnesota's Black Bear Casino, smashing the previous record of 881 pounds (400kg). Somewhat less common toppings include fried egg, scrambled egg, feta cheese, salsa, pineapple, Jalapeos and other varieties of chile peppers, anchovies, slices of ham or bologna, pastrami, or teriyaki-seasoned beef, tartar sauce, french fries, onion rings, or potato chips. Charles Kaelin claims to have invented the cheese-topped burger in 1934 because he wanted, reports Louisville writer Robin Garr, to "add a new tang to the hamburger." It was usually seasoned with local spices or mixed with soaked breadcrumbs and chopped onion (in fact, the 1802 "Oxford English Dictionary" defines a Hamburg steak as minced, salted beef that's smoked and mixed with onions and breadcrumbs). Lionel Sternberger is reputed to have introduced the cheeseburger in 1924 at the age of 16.