While May 28 is officially National Hamburger Day in the United States, the average American eats three burgers every week, putting our annual national consumption at about 50 billion. While no doubt an American culinary icon—McDonald’s alone sells 75 burgers every second—nearly 60 percent of all sandwiches in the world are hamburgers. The name “hamburger” is derived from the city of Hamburg, Germany. It is said that German immigrants were fond of a similar dish called “Hamburg-style chopped steak” but the hamburger, as we know it today, almost certainly originated here in the United States.
The origin story of the burgers themselves is not so simple.
MYTH 1
Fletcher Davis, a food vendor from Athens, Texas, is often credited with telling the story of the hamburger’s invention. According to his account, he first served a “hamburger sandwich” at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. He claimed that he created the sandwich by placing a grilled beef patty between two slices of bread and adding various condiments. Some say perhaps hamburgers were purely a local or regional favorite until Fletcher brought them to the World’s Fair, at which time they became a mainstream food item.
MYTH 2
Another story with greater evidence is that of Louis Lassen, a Connecticut cook who owned a lunch wagon from which he served factory workers. In 1900, response to a customer’s request for something “quick and delicious,” Louis swiftly crafted a meal using the ingredients typically reserved for steak sandwiches. He placed broiled ground beef between toasted bread and presented the customer with his solution.
The lunch wagon later became a restaurant, which has been beloved and defended by locals for more than a century and in 2023, Lassen burgers remain true to their foundation. For starters, cooks still prepare food with the 1895-dated broiler used by Louis himself, which many believe lends credibility to the story. Patties are laid on white toast (since 1937, from nearby Pepperidge Farm), then sliced diagonally. The burgers are served on paper plates (invented in 1904) with bottles of Connecticut-made Foxon Park soda.
THE EARLIEST VERSION
In 1885, Charles Nagreen, age 15, found himself selling meatballs at the Seymour Fair in Wisconsin. Recognizing his patrons would need something more portable as they walked among the exhibits, he flattened the meatballs into patties and placed them between two pieces of bread. As his hometown of Hortonville was also home to many German immigrants, he christened his creation the “hamburger.” This marked the beginning of a long journey for Hamburger Charlie, as he came to be known. He continued selling his hamburgers at the fair for another 65 years.
The Seymour town museum showcases Charlie’s legacy, featuring a display that includes photographs of Charlie and his crew posing alongside a sign that boldly proclaims, “Since 1885.” The exhibit also includes artifacts such as Charlie’s original spatula, his butter pot, and even a lucky horseshoe. Early newspaper articles, interviews with individuals who lived during that time, and even Charlie’s own daughter corroborate the fact that the burger was served at the Seymour fair in 1885.
We may never have a definitive answer. One thing most people do agree on is that no one thought to add cheese for at least 25 years. Legend has it Lionel Sternberger, a 16-year-old working at his father’s sandwich shop in Pasadena, California, added a slice to a hamburger in 1926.