The relatively “new” concept of putting a burger patty between two buns is really not a single discovery but more a culmination of discoveries and coincidences. There is no linear direction in which this concept was developed and no single theory as to who, or which group of people the acclaim for the creation of the hamburger should go. What is clear is that the name of the hamburger was certainly inspired by the town of Hamburg, Germany, or Hamburg, New York.

The turn of the 20^th century saw some truly innovative ideas surfacing on what seemed like every street corner of the developed world. Even war-torn areas gave birth to some striking concepts.

In 1885, the Coca-Cola and Avon cosmetics range both come into being. 4 years later, the automobile and matches followed. Just down the timeline, in 1899, William Middlebrook gave the world the humble paperclip which is still an essential item today. As the century turned, the Dirigible; the Hershey Bar; and the radio and wireless signalling were invented soon to be outdone by an amazing feat 3 years later when man flew for the first time. All of these inventions have completely shaped life as we know it today. So what exactly do all of these novelties have in common with the modern-day burger? They’re of the same generation, birthed at the same time.

It was an era of visionaries and quick thinkers for sure. 

In one case, the hamburger is said to have originated from one such pair of quick-thinkers, Frank and Charles Mendes, who had to make an unplanned adjustment to the pork sandwiches they were selling at the Eerie County Fair in 1885. After running out of pork at the county fair, they purchased and used ground beef for their sandwiches. The fair was held in Hamburg, New York, and thus, the hamburger was born.

Louis Lassen has a similar story – he ran out of the steaks he served from his small lunch wagon (Louis’s lunch) and to ensure that his hungry customer still got the warm meal he’d ordered, Louis made a patty from ground beef and served it between two slices of toast. Of course, the patty is the testament to the burger here, but many people argue that it was really just a toasted sandwich.

Charlie Nagreen is also commonly credited with the creation of the burger. In 1885, at only 15, Charlie was an entrepreneur who saw an opportunity. People who visited the fair were not just hungry for the food, they were hungry for the sights and sounds. Charlie sold pork sandwiches to the people visiting the Seymour County Fair to make it easier to walk and eat at the same time. At some point during the fair, Charlie sold a meatball sandwich instead of a pork sandwich and many believe this to be the origin of the hamburger because this new type of sandwich was named after the Hamburg Steak.

The burger patty

An early account of minced beef, peppercorns, and white wine can be found in the Apicius – an ancient Roman cookbook. It’s said to date back as far as the 4^th century. There are a variety of cultures which have prepared and consumed meat in similar ways. Possibly the biggest influence on the creators of the burger is the Hamburg Steak, which is German engineered to precision and practically a patty. Just kidding on the engineered to precision part, but they did claim the recognition for being the first to create the Hamburg Steak. Wikipedia explains it as the following “Hamburg steak is beefsteak that is shaped into a patty to be cooked after being chopped. It is closely similar to the Salisbury steak.”

The deluxe ingredients

We’ve got mega fast food chains like White Castle and MacDonald’s to thank for the burgers and [the process of] fast food we see today. They provided the foundation for the creativity and inspiration that makes Fuel Shack’s burgers so amazingly tantalizing.

The buns

White Castle is credited with the invention of the burger buns, which have become the signature of the burger since then. Could you imagine a burger being the same without the buns? Nope, didn’t think so, neither could we!

In general, food has come a long way from its original roots. The hamburger has really been revolutionized in the last 50 years or so thanks to the introduction of mega fast food chains, gourmet innovations and the growing need for both amazing and satisfying food. What we know as the modern hamburger is definitely the superior version of the original take.