Birthplace of a Legendary Burger: Hackney's on Harms

It was 1939 when Jim and Kitz Masterson bought a white house for $1 from their aunt Bebe Hackney, who operated a back porch snack stand. They then opened Hackney's restaurant in her honor at the site in Glenview and used a hackney coach as their logo.

Since then, the original restaurant, along Harms Road near Blue Star Memorial forest preserve, has been delighting customers with its famous burgers, Reubens and onion loafs, which were named among the top three in the country by Restaurant Management magazine in 2006.

 Thriving business has enabled the family-owned and -operated restaurant to open a second shop in Glenview on Lake Avenue as well as ones in Chicago, Lake Zurich, Wheeling and Palos Park. Each is owned by a relative of the Masterson family.

Even TV host Guy Fieri has taken notice. Hackney's got a taste of national exposure when the famed chef stopped by to nosh on some burgers and onion stacks for a segment on his cable television show, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Glenview Patch recently sat down with former chef Bill Blair, a co-owner and general manager at Hackney's, to discuss the company's  history and the secrets to its success.

Question: What makes your burgers superior?
Blair: We have one butcher who has made it for us for years. We started out with Rugen Meats 40 or 50 years ago. Then we went to another group called Farmers Market out of Northbrook.

They're a special blend of various cuts of beef. They only make it for us, and it's delivered fresh daily. We cook to order, don't add any spices or additives. They're the real deal.

We also bake our own bread and buns in-house [at Hackney's on Lake]. The Hackney dark rye is trademarked and every bit as famous as the Hackney burgers.

Q: How was the famous Hackney's onion loaf created?
Blair: That's another famous signature item of ours. The Hackney's onion loaf was started about 35 years ago. It was fish night, and they ran out of perch. It took them a little while to prep the next batch and while the customers were waiting, a gal in the kitchen said, "Hey, let's bread some onion rings and put them in a basket and fry them." She told the customers, "While you're waiting for your food, we're going to give you something extra special."  So they tried them and they loved them.

Q: If you had to describe Hackney's to someone who had never been, what would say?
Blair: It's a very welcoming, friendly, small, cozy environment where everybody treats you well; we've got great food and a great selection of wine and beer.

Q: How would you characterize Hackney's relationship or connection to the community of Glenview?
Blair: We recently lost one of our leaders, Dennis Hebson, who was very involved with the community, on the chamber of commerce. Hackney's has really been a mainstay in Glenview since 1939.

Q: How did the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives episode come about, and what did you think of the experience?
Blair: Back when the Food Network first began, we were featured as having one of the best burgers in the country. I guess they considered us a "dive" in the good sense of the word. We were delighted. Guy [Fieri] is really nice, and being on the show itself was just great exposure.

Q: Aside from the food, do you think people appreciate the consistency and tradition of Hackney's in the Glenview community?
Blair: It's of paramount importance to us. I've been here over 35 years, and I see people's children and their children's children come in. We have workers here now whom I can remember from when their parents brought them in car seats as infants.

About this column: This "Meet the Chef" is the first of a series in which we introduce you to the man or woman behind some of your favorite food in the Glenview community.