History of the hamburger in the United States

Ahamburgeris a specific type ofburger. It is a sandwich that consists of a cooked ground beef meatpatty, placed between halves of a sliced bun.Hamburgersare often served with various condiments, such as dill relish (condiment),mayonnaise, and other options including lettuce, tomato, onion,pickles, and cheese.
The Texas historianFrank X. Tolbertattributes the invention of thehamburgertoFletcher DavisofAthens, Texas. Davis is believed to have sold hamburgers at his café at 115 Tyler Street in Athens, Texas, in the late 1880s, before bringing them to the1904 St. Louis World's Fair.
Residents ofHamburg, New York, which is named afterHamburg, Germany, attribute the hamburger toOhioansFrank MenchesandCharles Menches. According to legend, the Menches brothers were vendors at the 1885Erie County Fair(then called the Buffalo Fair) when they ran out ofsausagefor sandwiches and used beef instead. They named the resulting sandwich after the location of the fair.However, Frank Menches's obituary inThe New York Timesstated, instead, that these events took place at the 1892 Summit County Fair inAkron, Ohio.
The Seymour Community Historical Society ofSeymour, Wisconsin, creditsCharlie Nagreen, now known as "Hamburger Charlie", with the invention of the hamburger. Nagreen was 15 when he reportedly made sandwiches out ofmeatballsthat he was selling at the 1885 Seymour Fair (now theOutagamieCounty Fair) to make it easier for customers to eat while walking. The Historical Society explains that Nagreen named the hamburger after theHamburg steak, with which local German immigrants were familiar.
There is good evidence that the first hamburger served on a bun was made byOscar BilbyofTulsa, Oklahoma, in 1891.
In April 1995, theDallas Morning Newsreported on an Oklahoma author who said that Tulsa beat out Texas as the birthplace of the delicacy.Michael Wallis, author of "Route 66, The Mother Road", was quoted by the newspaper as saying that he had discovered Tulsa's place in culinary history, which he made while researching the state’s tastiest hamburgers. He started at the restaurant that has been voted Tulsa's best burger more often than any other restaurant since 1933,Weber’s Root Beer Stand.  Wallis’ research revealed that Oscar Weber Bilby was the first person to serve a real hamburger when, on July 4, 1891, ground beef was served on his wife’s homemade buns at a Fourth of July party on his farm, just west of present-day Tulsa. Until then, ground beef had been served in Athens, Texas, on simple slices of bread, known then and presently as a "patty melt". According to the Tulsa-based author, the bun is essential. Therefore, in 1995,Governor Frank Keatingcited Athens, Texas' serving of ground beef between two slices of bread as a minor accomplishment. The governor's April 1995 proclamation also cites the first true hamburger on the bun, after meticulous research, was created and consumed in Tulsa in 1891. The Governor's Proclamation cites April 13, 1995, in Tulsa as "The Real Birthplace of the Hamburger."
Hamburger expert and "burger scholar"George Motzhas cited a Texas newspaper from 1894 as the earliest documented mention of a hamburger to date, which says "Hamburger steak sandwiches every day in the week at Barny's Saloon, Moulton."
TheLibrary of Congresscredits Danish immigrant Louis Lassen ofLouis' Lunch, a small lunch wagon inNew Haven, Connecticut, with selling the first hamburger andsteak sandwichin the U.S. in 1895.
The hamburger bun was invented in 1916 by a fry cook named Walter Anderson, who co-foundedWhite Castlein 1921.
The following restaurants have either played a part in the creation of the hamburger sandwich, developed a unique cooking method, or were the first to sell them nationwide:
In the United States, hamburgers may be classified into one of two primary categories: fast food hamburgers or individually prepared burgers made in homes and restaurants. 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 includeslettuce,tomato,onion, and slicedpickles(or pickle relish).Cheese(usuallyprocessed cheese slices, but oftenCheddar,Swiss,pepper jack, orbluecheese), either melted on the meat patty or crumbled on top, is a popular option. 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.
Condimentsmay be added to the hamburger or offered separately on the side. The three most common condiments aremustard,mayonnaise, andketchup. However, salad dressings andbarbecue sauceare also popular.McDonald'suses their own "Big Mac sauce" on their signatureBig Machamburger.Heinz 57sauce is popular among burger enthusiasts.
Other popular toppings includebacon,avocadoorguacamole, sliced sautéedmushrooms, sliced sauce and/orchili(usually withoutbeans). Somewhat less common toppings includefried egg,scrambled egg,feta cheese,salsa,pineapple,Jalapeñosand other varieties ofchile peppers,anchovies, slices ofhamorbologna,pastrami, orteriyaki-seasoned beef,tartar sauce,french fries,onion rings, orpotato chips.
Standard toppings on hamburgers may vary depending upon location, particularly at restaurants that are not national or regional franchises. A "Texas burger" uses mustard as the only sauce, and comes with or without vegetables, jalapeno slices, and cheese.InNew Mexicoand parts of theSouthwest,green chileburgers are very common. In theUpper Midwest, particularlyWisconsin, burgers are often made with a buttered bun, butter as one of the ingredients of the patty, or with a pat of butter on top of the burger patty. This is called a "Butter Burger". In theCarolinas, a Carolina-style hamburger "with everything" may be served with cheese, chili, onions, mustard, andcoleslaw. National hamburger chainWendy'ssells a "Carolina Classic" burger with these toppings in these areas. In Hawaii, hamburgers are often topped withteriyakisauce, derived from the Japanese-American culture, and locally grown pineapple. In areas of theMidwestand East Coast, a hamburger served with lettuce, tomato, and onion is called a "California burger". This usage is sufficiently widespread to appear on the menus ofDairy Queen. In the Western U.S., a "California" burger often denotes a cheeseburger with guacamole and bacon added. Pastrami burgers are particularly popular inSalt Lake City, Utah.
Hamburgers may be described by their combined uncooked weight. A single, uncooked burger weighing a nominal four ounces or 113.5 grams is a "quarter pounder". Instead of a "double hamburger", one might encounter a third- or half-pounder, weighing eight ounces or 227 grams. Burger patties are nearly always specified in fractions of a pound.
In the continental U.S., it is uncommon to hear of a chicken patty or breast on a hamburger bun referred to as a "chicken burger". This is almost always called a "chicken sandwich," except for rare exceptions, such as with theRed Robinchain of restaurants. InCanada, "chicken burgers" generally refer to patties and, when using a chicken breast, to "chicken sandwiches". In Hawaii, small (usually marinated) pieces of chicken piled on a bun are referred to as a teriyaki chicken burger. This is similar to what is found in Japan,but is a local variation.