Must-Try RI Burgers That Live Up To The Hype

Thursday is a great day for a quest for quintessential American food. It’s National Burger Day and, fortunately, there are plenty of places in Rhode Island to find one to rave about.

Anyone can slap a meat patty on the grill and make it passable with the right toppings. These burgers, found in various food rankings and lists, elevate America’s favorite sandwich to a multi-layered cultural experience with unexpected flavors.

Food writers in the USA Today Network say the Dream Burger at There, There in Providence is a "perfect blend of comfort that is crazy delicious."

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George Motz, a filmmaker, author, TV personality, and chef widely regarded as the foremost authority on burgers, included several Rhode Island eateries in the latest edition of his book “Hamburger America: A State-by-State Guide to 220 of the Best Burger Joints Across the Country.”

Don’t overlook those places that may not look like much but serve memorable burgers. Tasting Table’s Best Hole-In-The-Wall Burger Joints In Every State raves about the mushroom cheeseburger at Stanley's Famous Hamburgers in Central Falls.

National Burger Day, always celebrated on May 28, is an unofficial, made-for-summer consumer holiday celebrating the iconic burger, capping May’s National Hamburger Month observance.

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The origins of the burger itself are hotly debated, with several cities claiming the “home of the hamburger” title.

Louis Lassen of New Haven, Connecticut, is widely credited with inventing the burger in the late 19th century, when he placed a beef patty between two pieces of toast and served it to a harried businessman grabbing a bite at Louie’s Lunch. Family-owned and operated for more than four generations, the eatery says on its website that it “continues to serve the original hamburger, just as it was first prepared in 1895.”

However, Frank and Charles Menches of Canton, Ohio, claimed they ran out of their signature pork sausage for a sandwich at the Erie County Fair in 1885. Their local butcher was reluctant to slaughter more hogs but suggested they substitute ground beef.

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They weren’t impressed with the results, so they mixed in coffee, brown sugar and other ingredients to create a unique taste, according to historical accounts. They named it after Hamburg, New York, the host town of the Erie County Fair.

Another account has it that Fletcher Davis, who was known as “Uncle Fletch,” served his hamburgers from his stand in Athens, Texas. They gained quite a following, but Uncle Fletch’s business failed. Townspeople reportedly took up a collection and sent him to the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.

There, his sandwich reportedly caught the attention of a New York reporter, who proclaimed it an amazing treat. A lack of archival evidence casts doubt on the claim. Still, in 2007, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed legislation designating Athens, Texas, as the birthplace of the hamburger.

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Some sources credit Otto Kuase with creating the first “Deutsches Beefsteak” at his restaurant near the docks of the the Hamburg-Amerika Line in Germany in 1879. So many American seamen asked for the sandwich that Kause listed it on his menu as “American steak.

When American sailors returned home, they brought the recipe with them and taught restaurants along the Eastern seaboard how to make them. The sandwich became universally known as the hamburger in a nod to Hamburg.

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