History Out for a burger ! What's your favorite place ! let's see them !

Well its not really a burger place...but its my hometown favorite. Its called Tommy Taco and its the best food in the region

 

Collin ... that's some waay cool family history! ... I'm really digging Unk Newman's diggs! ...

 

Funny...I've been told my whole life that the Hamburger was invented in Athens, Texas circa 1880.

The guy's name was "Uncle" Fletcher (Fletcher Davis or something like that)...the locals thought so much of his sandwich they sent him to the '04 World's Fair in St. Louis along with a Paris, TX recipe for fried potatoes.

A NY Times reporter recorded the event and called the ground-beef sandwich a 'hamburger' after the 'hamburger steak' of which it was comprised. The Times reporter evidently misunderstood that the fried potatoes were Paris Texas 'fries', and mistakenly gave them the name 'French fries'...and the name stuck.

Anyway...I can't believe none of the Houston guys haven't been here talking about Prince's (since 1934)

 

I forgot about Murf's Better Burgers in San Antonio And Top Notch in Austin

 

My fave is Voss Barbecue. Sort of on the edge of New Hartford & Yorkville, west of Utica on 5A. Just a little walk-up with picnic tables, open April to November. Been there 70 years, people line up some nights out to the street and in front of the donut place next door. Get the steak sandwich, though, $4 gets you two pieces of the tenderest steak you ever had. Only once did I ever get one with any fat in it. If I lived in the neighborhood I wouldn't use my kitchen all summer -

 

This place is long gone and their burgers weren't that great, but it's an opportunity for me to post an old picture from around 1979 with my 40 and a bunch of my friends cars hanging out at Gino's because " everybody goes to Gino's, cause Gino's is the place to go" Cheesy jingle, huh?

 

Winsteads in KCMO wasn't bad. Remember Sydney's?? Linwood Blvd and then to NuWays and Then out South to Winsteads...

I remember

How bout HIBoys out on Blue Ridge and 40 Hiway?
Crap now at 3:43 in the morning I'm jonesing for a Burger. Thanks you Guys. Sheesh.

VonDad

 

Smack's, dude...

Now I want a burger...

~Jason

 

The best burger joint I've ever been to is the Varsity in Atlanta, GA. We'll be driving up from Tampa for the Dixie Fried Show next week and you can bet that we'll be stopping at the Varsity.

 

If I remember right it was on Francisquito. How about #2, San Bernadino Rd. in the curve ( closed down in '65 or '66 )? My hang out was the one on Arrow Hwy., in Covina. Sadly, it's gone also....

 

I was just in Traverse City, MI last week and ate at Don's Drive-In twice. I thought the shakes and burgers were great!!

 

Here's a few Texas spots

 

Not known for their burgers but some of the best dogs you'll ever have, Super Duper Weenie in Fairfield CT. Hands down.

 

Knew someone would mention Louis Lunch,also need to go to Teds,RT5 in Meriden,for a steamed cheese burger,another local favorite.

 

Inthe60s in Kent Ohio it was the Short Stop Drive In . Long gone .At that time they had the butter burger supreme. Big shakes and fries .Everybody that had a hotrod or muscle car and became a legend in their own mind used to hang there! Akron Ohio, just down the road also had several burger joints that were good also, the Hungry I, The Flame and Swensons to name a few.Should have taken pictures 40 years ago, who knew!

 

Thats the one. They closed the original, fenced it off. had the university on the south side of the 10fwy. They dozed that and rebuilt a restaurant with inside seating and a gift shop. For the sake of originality,they should just open the 1st one as well.

 

Casey, where in Abilene was that!?!? I'm only 24, but spent the first 18 years of my life in Abilene! When I was there, NOTHING was there except Sonic....and Mr. G's! I LOVED MR. G'S!!!!!!

Brian

 

Here's mine.

 

Smack's Holy Shit. How about Griff's on Truman and Hardesty?

couple of other mom and pop places but I remember the Smack's

How about Teresa's on Truman and Bennington next to the Fire Station?

I still need a burger..

VonDad

 

Ditto, my man.

Jim's Fat Burger off Prospect here in down. Man... this is killin'!

~Jason

 

Around here for the best Burgers and Street Racing in the 50's was Merles Drive IN
Newport Beach/Corona Del Mar.Ca Then to Oscars in Santa Ana for more of the same.

 

Wow Kevin, Thanks! I've only been to CA once, and needed to find a legendary in-n-out burger, cause we don't have them out here. Coming out of LA on the 10 we were watching for signs of one and saw it from the hi-way. Got off and stumbled on it. I thought it was unique.
That's something that it was the #1, first one! And I wuz there
They actually ground the beef in the right side building and would carry big plastic tubs of it across the driveway, between the cars to the left building to cook it.
Now there is no reason to go back to CA.

Frank

 

I'm addicted, too.

Frank

 

Tastee Inn & Out, Sioux City IA, yo. Filthy name, filthier burgers.

 

Sioux City... been to the Pizza Ranch a few times.

~Jason

 

I'm shocked no one from my area has chimed in on this one yet. As seen from a thread of mine from a couple weeks back, (http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=286008 ) there is at least that one around here. The one from the thread is a great drive-in WITH carhops and homemade root beer.




There is one actually a couple miles closer to me that has better food but it's not a drive-in and that is the Melody in New Carlisle. This joint has been around since dirt. It's ALWAYS a 20+ minute wait and it's worth it.


A little further from home is prolly Stevo's favorite place, Kay's in Troy. This is as typical of a 50's style diner as you'll find for miles. stamped and polished aluminum sheet on the walls, cool old Formica counters and stools at a counter. Killer burgers and great hand-made shakes with real ice cream.


Even further out from that is a place that will make many people with blue hair smile as soon as they hear the name; Maid-Rites, in Greenville. This place is about 40 miles from Dayton and damn near worth the WALK! It's in a tiny place that seats about 25 and it's prolly as old as the town. This is one of those kinds of places you either don't tell anyone you're going to, or be prepared to bring back a couple DOZEN sandwiches for those who know you're going. Simple as that.

The photo below shows the joint from the front and the 'gumwall'. Crazy, but tradition is that you stick a wad of ABC gum on the wall while you're there. Seriously.


Great, now I'm hungry. Hey, the coupe does have a full tank of gas...

Vance

 

Haha... i stand by my word,,.. ill buy but you drive!!
=)
Anthony

 

had to call some family on that one, said south butternut around
16th street and the building has been gone for a long time I sure would love to have the neon

 

IN N OUT #1 !

Bob's Big Boy #2 - Especially back when Bob Wian owned them. My Grandma was a friend of his and my Pop used to say I was conceived in the back seat at the car hop drive in.

Have to agree about The Hat being killa but it's Pastrami Sandwiches, not burgers that make it there.

How about Ruby's Damn good burger and the best Clam Chowder on the west coast, well that and Knowlwoods - also good Clam Chowder and the Irish Nachos rock along with the burgers

 

Super Duper Weenie, is that for real ? Boy, try explain that you want to go Super Duper Weenie ! LOL ! In-n-Out, they are pretty good but the line at the Phoenix,Az place was crazy when I stopped in to try a burger ! Yikes !