National Hamburger Day: Name Your Favorite Burger In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — We know you love to fire up the grill on Memorial Day and sink your teeth into a thick, juicy burger, but what if you don’t have a grill or run short on charcoal and propane? Don’t worry, Monday, May 28, also happens to be National Hamburger Day, a good excuse to head down to Carl’s Jr. which a new report says is California’s favorite hamburger chain.

The big burger reveal is courtesy of offers.com, which says it surveyed more than 1,000 U.S. consumers to what burger chain they frequent when they crave this American staple. The choices were Five Guys Burgers and Fries, the overwhelming favorite, and Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr., Burger King and McDonald’s.

But let’s clear the smoke on this: The sample size is so small and the choices so limited that the results of this gimmicky survey are statistically insignificant. And we know that your favorite burger may not — probably doesn’t — come from the grill of chain.

TALK TO US: Given Americans’ love for burgers, this could spark a huge food fight. So, you tell us: Where are the best burgers in your town? Or, if you prefer to grill your own, what’s your secret to a perfect burger? Tell us what you think in the comments.

National Hamburger Day falls near the end of National Hamburger Month. There are so many reasons to love hamburgers: You can eat them while you’re walking — at least, many people can. With beef supplies plentiful in the United States, burgers are an ultimate made-in-America product. And they’re easily customized to individual tastes: rare or well-done, with or without cheese, and with so many toppings that you’ll need an extra shelf in the refrigerator just to hold them all.

But there are questions, too. If they’re made of beef, why is ham, a pork product, in the name? Historians are divided, but one explanation starts with the story that the Mongols stashed raw beef under their saddles so they wouldn’t have to dismount in their quest to conquer the known world and eventually brought the meat to Russia, where the dish we know as steak tartare originated. Several years later, seafarers brought the trade to the port city of Hamburg, Germany, where it was molded, cooked and sold as the “Hamburg steak.”

It eventually made its way to America and was put between the slices of a bun. But who claims rights to the first American hamburger? It could be Louis’ Lunch, a New Haven, Connecticut, eatery established in 1895 that says on its website that it is recognized by the Library of Congress as the “birthplace of the hamburger sandwich.”

But Seymour, Wisconsin, also claims to be the “home of the hamburger.” According to that story, an enterprising 15-year-old, “Hamburger” Charlie Nagreen started selling meatballs at agricultural fairs in 1885, but had little success because people wanted to continue walking through the exhibits as they ate. So he came up with the idea of sandwiching the meat between buns and called it a “hamburger.”

Not so, says Menches Bros., an Ohio-based chain, that claims brothers Frank and Charles Menches ran out of pork for their sausage patty sandwiches at the 1885 Erie County Fair. Their supplier was reluctant to butcher more hogs and suggested they use beef instead. Because their first attempt was tasteless and bland, “they added coffee, brown sugar and other ingredients to create the taste America knows today as the hamburger.”

By the way, pork was eventually added to the American hamburger. In 1963, A&W added bacon to its Teen Burger, creating the first bacon cheeseburger.

So, there you have it.

Finally, several chains are offering special deals to observe National Hamburger Day. You can find out more about them on offers.com. They include:

BurgerFi: You’ll have to take a personality quiz to receive a coupon for free fries with the purchase of a burger. The deal goes through May 31.

Burger King: The King’s Meal Deal for $3.79 includes a choice of two sandwiches from a select menu, plus small fries and a small fountain drink for a limited time.

Carl’s Jr.: The chain is offering its All Star meals for $5 for a limited time.

Jack in the Box: Through June 3, you can get $1 off on a cheeseburger.

Sonic: The classic car hop drive-in is offering a quarter-pound double cheeseburger and medium tots or a signature slinger and medium tots for $2.99 through May 31.

Wayback Burgers: On May 28, participating locations will offer the Classic Burger for $5.28 on in-restaurant purchases only.

Wendy’s: The chain is offering $4 meal deals.

Photo by Elena Shashkina / Shutterstock