It is National Hamburger Day and since I missed National Cheeseburger Day back in September (😂), I thought I should probably write something today. However, I don’t want to beleaguer the topic too much so how about just a few points—or better yet—bites? Just the perfect amount it takes to devour a good-sized slider.
I have much admiration and comfort for the universality of the hamburger on a restaurant menu…and when I say “universality” I am of course speaking of just American restaurants. You won’t just find a hamburger on the menus of restaurants like Applebee’s, Chilis, and Buffalo Wild Wings. You will also find them on the menus at the fish house you don’t like because you hate seafood, the Thai place that intimidates you a bit, and the steakhouse where you don’t want to shell out $60 for a steak. Hamburgers are seemingly on most restaurant menus and provide the perfect fallback option.
Although ordering a hamburger can be the economical choice on many menus as I just alluded to with the steakhouse example, don’t think it has been immune to inflation. I see many burgers priced at $17-$20 these days and let me say this: I have had a lot of bad $20 burgers over the past couple years. But I have also enjoyed some pretty good ones over that span as well. Case in point, just this past weekend we ate at a place called Pint House Burgers and Brews here in the Spokane Valley. My $17 cheeseburger came with two patties, a shiny/fresh bun, and the necessity that two hands be used to eat it. Almost worth every penny.
I can easily make due with just the bun, meat, and slice of cheddar cheese but I am not opposed to enhancing a burger with toppings. Back in 2017 I wrote a post that revealed my top five burger toppings but I can save you the link click (because I am feeling nice today) and just tell you them here: bacon, pepper jack cheese, french fries, BBQ sauce, and blue cheese crumbles. And oh yeah, I also love some peanut butter on my burger too!
Happy National Hamburger Day, friends. Make sure to celebrate accordingly. Don’t Blink.