Louis Lunch - Birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich

Louis Lunch is one of those famous little restaurants that is always on the Food Network and Travel Channel. It is the birthplace of the Hamburger Sandwich, for real! This was my first time going to the local favorite and I have to say it will NOT be my last.When you open the door, you are hit with the smell of beef cooking slowly.

Established in 1895 in New Haven Connecticut, Louis Lunch doesn't mess around with their burgers. It is the same burger now as it was back then, right down to the grill used to cook it. They can cook up to 27 patties at a time in these sideways flame grills. They are made fresh to order so it can take a little while to prepare but trust me, its worth it.

 Louis Lunch is also extremely particular about how you enjoy their burger, they want to be sure the meat is not tainted by the evils of condiments like ketchup or mustard. So they are forbidden, sorry but you know something that has lasted this long is worth a try without those comforts. Toppings are only cheese, sauteed onions and tomatoes. On the side, your choice of potato chips or potato salad. We went potato salad all the way Baby, it was creamy good and got us pumped for the burgers. Louis Lunch is very small and can only seat maybe 18 people so finding a place to stand or sit is a challenge however we got lucky by coming at an odd time, 3:00pm. We managed to find a seat in one of the little cubicles in the corner while we ate our potato salad and waited for our burger to cook to perfection. Looking around we noticed everywhere there was exposed wood there were layers upon layers of names carved. Apparently Louis Lunch encourages their patrons to leave their mark, so of course we did. 

 Finally our burgers were ready! Served on a small paper plate on white toast, here came our first taste of America's first Hamburger Sandwich! Bite and.... WOW! Tasted like pure charcoal and beef! Good thing I didn't put any condiments on, It would have robed my taste buds of that perfectly grilled American original flavor.

 Oh and here comes the cheese!

Everyone should try this burger at least once in their lifetime. And do yourself a favor, listen to the experts and leave the ketchup packets home.
4 out of 5 forks
http://www.louislunch.com/