PSA: It’s National Burger Day, people!
That’s right — fire up those grills, loosen those belts, and let’s embark on the most delicious cross-country journey your taste buds have ever taken. Sure, people have been chomping on ground beef since the dawn of “what if we smashed this meat?”—but the genius idea to slap that beef between two slices of bread and call it a hamburger? That’s when history got delicious. Now, I’m no burger historian… but after digging into the beefy backstory of America’s favorite sandwich, I kinda feel like one.
Turns out, burger history is packed with drama, debate, and an absolutely ridiculous number of buns. And lucky for you, I’ve grilled up the juiciest facts. Because, like all great inventions — Wi-Fi, karaoke, sweatpants with pockets — everyone wants credit. So let’s break down the boldest claims in the Great Burger Origin Battle:
1. Louis Lassen – New Haven, Connecticut (1900)
Louis Lassen — the burger MVP of 1900. According to the Library of Congress, Louis was just minding his business at Louis’ Lunch when a hungry customer asked for something “quick and delicious.”
So Louis, in a stroke of genius, grabbed some ground beef, tossed it between two slices of toast, and said, “Here. Eat this.” And just like that, history was made — with no ketchup, no mustard… just vibes and beef.
And yes, you can still visit Louis’ Lunch today! But fair warning: they still don’t serve ketchup. They’re not just making burgers — they’re making a point.
2. Charlie Nagreen – Seymour, Wisconsin (1885)
Meet Charlie Nagreen, aka “Hamburger Charlie” — a 15-year-old meatball maverick with a dream and a food stand at a county fair. Legend has it, Charlie realized people were too busy walking around to sit and eat, so he did what any brilliant teen would do: he flattened a meatball, shoved it between two slices of bread, and called it lunch-on-the-go. Boom — mobile meat magic.
Wisconsin locals say this was the birth of the hamburger, and honestly, who are we to argue with a state that literally deep-fries cheese for sport?
And yes, Seymour now proudly calls itself the “Home of the Hamburger”. There’s even a festival. With a giant burger statue.
3. The Menches Brothers – Hamburg, New York (1885)
Frank and Charles Menches were working a fair, doing their thing, when disaster struck: they ran out of pork. (Insert dramatic gasp.) But instead of giving up or serving sad salads, they pivoted like true pioneers and grabbed some ground beef instead.
They tossed it on the grill, slapped it between bread, and named it after the town they were in — Hamburg, NY. And yes, that means the hamburger may have been named by two hungry guys just trying to avoid customer complaints.
Unsurprisingly, Hamburg proudly claims to be the burger’s birthplace, and honestly, we’re here for the beefy drama.
4. Fletcher Davis – Athens, Texas (1880s)
Enter “Old Dave” Fletcher Davis — a man who knew his way around a grill and a marketing opportunity. In his little café in Athens, Texas, he was already slinging ground beef patties on slices of bread with mustard and onions.
But then he took his creation to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, and BOOM — the burger hit the national stage. Some say this was the moment America collectively said, “Yes, this is who we are now.”
Whether Athens is the true OG is still up for debate, but they’ll happily tell you everything over a side of fries.
There’s a Bun-Slinging Dark Horse…
While others were using plain old bread, Oscar Bilby said, “Let’s do this right,” and served up beef patties on homemade yeast buns — with root beer, no less — on July 4th, 1891. It was such a hit, it became a family tradition.
Fast forward to 1995: Oklahoma’s governor declared Tulsa the Real Birthplace of the Hamburger.
Why? Because Oscar didn’t just make a burger — he put it on a bun and made it iconic.
Final Verdict: Who Really Invented the Burger?
Trying to pin down the true inventor of the burger is like arguing over who first invented sarcasm — everyone insists it was them, nobody has receipts, and frankly, we’re just glad it’s a thing.
So who wins?
We do.
Because thanks to a handful of hungry geniuses (and what was probably a last-minute meat scramble), we now live in a glorious world where a hot, cheesy, beautifully stacked burger is never more than a drive-thru or backyard grill away.
Long live the burger.
