Hamburger America (2 page)

Yes, George Motz is nuts.

As nutty as Columbus, or Lewis and Clark, but in his quest to find the best burgers in America, George has found something more important. He has discovered, in the mom-and-pop grills and out-of-the-way diners, an America that most of us probably thought had already vanished, a country of individuality and inventiveness, of people willing to rage, rage against the homogenizing of the land. You should enjoy that as much as what arrives on your plate. It’s not just about the meat but the people you will meet.

T
hey came at me from every angle and thankfully none of them were angry. The minute the first version of this book hit the shelves, hamburger enthusiasts thumbed through looking for their favorite burger joints. Most found what they were looking for. Others were not so lucky and were kind enough to let me know what I had missed. For those that let me in on where to find their favorite burgers I’m forever grateful.

You see, this book is not really meant to be a “Best Of” by any means. It is only meant to function as a guide to finding great burger experiences in America. There are thousands and thousands of burger joints in this country and there’s a good chance that your small town secret is not here. I’m getting a little bit closer, however, as I present to you 52 additions to the Hamburger America family of approved burger joints.

The original book profiled 100 great burger places to visit coast-to-coast. Sadly, since the publication of that book we’ve lost two hamburger greats, the Yankee Doodle in New Haven and Tookie’s in Seabrook, Texas. When I had learned of their demise I did everything to save them but it was not to be. Tookie’s suffered a devastating blow from Hurricane Ike and the Doodle had irreparable financial woes. We have bid farewell to the “Double Doodle” and the “Squealer” and are now left only with our memories. The downfall of these two seemingly invincible titans of the All-American hamburger only strengthened my resolve.

In a turn of events befitting a Hollywood survival story, amazingly one of America’s great hamburger treasures came back to life. The Wheel Inn Drive-In of Sedalia, Missouri suffered a major setback when it needed to be demolished to make way for highway expansion. The owner had no interest in carrying on at a new location and shut the doors. Soon after, a former employee of the 65-year-old burger destination chose to take on the Herculean task of refiring the engines, and the Wheel Inn was resurrected just a few short blocks from its original location. It returned because the people wanted it to.

One of the questions I’m asked almost on a daily basis now is, “Aren’t you sick of burgers?” In all honesty, no, and my appreciation of the hamburger grows exponentially with each new burger experience. The deeper I go into Hamburger America, the better it gets, and I still feel as though I’ve only scratched the surface.

While gathering new information about
hamburger joints for the revised edition of the book the most famous vegetarian in the burger world, my wife, Casey, decided after 17 years of avoiding meat that she’d like to have a burger. I was overjoyed, and scared. I chose the Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe to be her first, mostly because it’s a great burger, she loves spicy foods, and I knew John Eckre would be sensitive to the task at hand. Upon taking her first bite, with the entire restaurant watching, someone yelled out, “What do you think??” She replied, “What’s not to love?!” But the best part was that someone sitting next to her at the counter blurted out, “Did you think your husband was making this stuff up?” Needless to say, I’m really enjoying having Casey as a burger companion and, not surprisingly, our tastes are similar.

Speaking of tastes, here again is the all-important list of criteria for being included in
Hamburger America
. To make the list, the burger had to be made from fresh-ground beef (chuck, sirloin, rump—something good from a cow) and never frozen. In most cases age, provenance, and historical context played a factor in deciding what was most relevant for this book. For example, Louis’ Lunch in New Haven may or may not have “invented” the hamburger, but it’s safe to say that it is, without argument, the oldest continually operating burger joint in America (at well over 100 years), run by the same family for four generations, and they still make a tasty hamburger. And naturally, the burger had to excite and satisfy this expert’s taste buds. Many of the burgers in this book fall into the under $5 category, and I avoided most of the supersized forty-seven-pound burgers and bloated, overthe-top wallet-busters—bigger is not always better, and Kobe beef should be enjoyed in Japan as a steak. Furthermore, I chose places you’d want to visit, and should, before the wrecking ball comes down and replaces all of these wonderful bits of Americana with a Wal-Mart parking lot, or worse, a McDonald’s.

Please don’t try to be a hero (or a martyr) and eat all of the burgers in this book back to back. One thing that frightened me after the first book was released were the reports I was hearing about people powering through the book, coast-to-coast, in a matter of months. Whoa! Please be careful! During my research, even I, scarfing up to five burgers a day (not recommended), sought out the hotels with exercise equipment so that I might be alive today to bring you this book. My doctor laughed when I told him of my quest to write the Great American Hamburger Book, but then took my expanding waistline seriously, as should you. Embrace moderation.

My primary reason for writing this book was to make sure that the next generation of burger lovers has a starting point for saving the all-American hamburger. The way to do this is to patronize as many of these restaurants as possible. Looking into the not-so-distant future I see the McDonald’s hamburger as a reference point
for many as to what an American burger should look and taste like. This is not a good thing. A real American hamburger is so much more.

Go forth into America—Hamburger America that is—and meet real people and eat real burgers. Across the nation, regional uniqueness abounds. Using this book as your guide you’ll discover the steamed cheeseburger of central Connecticut, the fried-onion burgers indigenous to Oklahoma, and Miami’s Cuban Frita. Meet some of the hardest-working Americans you’ll ever come across, whose commitment to great burgers will astound you. This book is for you, the burger aficionado. It is also for those who truly appreciate the preservation of a part of America that is threatened by the homogenization of the eating experience in this country. When you can appreciate a burger from a mom-and-pop joint that has found success in feeding people with high quality food for decades, you’ll have a much better sense of what this country is really made of.

 

 

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here’s really only one reason to go to Cotham’s—for their “Famous Hubcap Burger,” so famous that you knew that already. What you may not know is that the Hubcap is made with over a pound of meat. You read that correctly; 17 ounces of fresh ground beef is cooked on a flattop griddle and served on a bun that resembles a small throw cushion. But aside from its frightening proportions, the Hubcap makes a tasty meal. I had no problem finishing one.

Cotham’s (pronounced
cot-hams
) is a restaurant that in a previous life served as the local grocery and dry goods store. The place contains the standard country store antiques and collectables that give it a lived-in feel. Original wood and glass cases are still in place, only now they
house vintage food boxes, snuff canisters, and some truly bizarre tonics for curing “the chills and malaria.”

For all of the attention Cotham’s has received nationally, it is still a local place at heart. The restaurant is a major tourist destination, but conversations can still be overheard that start with sentences like, “What church do you go to?” Cotham’s is only a few minutes from downtown Little Rock but from the view out the front window you’d think you were in the middle of nowhere. The scene looks straight out of
The Wizard of Oz
—long, telephone pole–lined dirt roads leading out to dusty cotton and soybean fields. There’s even a working chicken coop right next door to the restaurant.

In 1999 a new location opened in downtown Little Rock. Be aware, though, that both locations are open only for lunch during the week (for three hours) and only the original Scott location is open on Saturdays.

The Hubcap comes with mayo, green-leaf lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles and at $9.75 is a bargain. If the prospect of hefting this Frisbeesized burger to your lips sounds daunting, ask for the children’s “Lug Nut Burger” (get it?) which is much smaller and adds ketchup. But you really need to set your sights on the hefty Hubcap.

President Clinton was no stranger to Cotham’s during his time as governor of Arkansas. The old country store made a nice backdrop when the press followed him out to Scott to get a burger. “He loves the Hubcap,” waitress Danielle told me. Now that the Clintons live in New York, frequent trips to Cotham’s may be a bit difficult.

 

 

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he Apple Pan may serve the best burgers in America. I say may only because I don’t like playing favorites, but believe me, if there were a definitive burger in America this would be it. The synthesis of flavors and textures in their burgers is second to none, and the presentation is entirely Californian with its waxed paper wrapping. And the atmosphere of the place is pure nostalgia, not the kind that is manufactured, but real and enduring. They may serve the best burgers in America because in the 20 years that I have been going there nothing has changed—the burger I ate in the early ’90s is exactly the same as the one I ate last week.