Ok. So national cheeseburger day may not be the best “holiday” of the year, but any excuse someone can give me to put down a burger works for me. The history of the burger takes us back to Germany immigrants who came to this country, serving a chopped/ground patty of beef with breadcrumbs, referred to as the Hamburg Steak. It became a very popular dish in New York City, as immigrants wanted a taste of home. Various people have claimed to being the inventor, the version that you find now, between two buns (not to be confused with between two ferns). We can argue all we want about who invented it, but what is probably the better argument is, where can I get the best one.
Eatocracy, over on CNN, details some more of the history of the burger, and cheeseburger, but at this point, I’d imagine you are more concerned with finding a place open to get your hands on one.
To say where you can get the best burger is tough. Do you mean the fast food variety, the high end burger, the diner burger, there are just too many variables and variations. For my money, the best hamburgers I have ever had come from these restaurants:
- Ray’s Hell Burger – Arlington, VA
- Nice Matin – New York, NY
- In n Out Burger – West Coast, USA
- Sign of the Whale – Washington, DC
