Give me the works
You could watch another episode of “Friends” this weekend.
You could even do some homework.
But going on a quest for the best burger in town could really shake things up.
Bryce Richardson, a junior in American studies, said he thinks Carl’s Jr. offers the best burger.
“I like the Western burger. It has an onion ring in it, is greasy and makes ya fat,” he said. “The bun isn’t crisp anymore ’cause the bun soaks up the grease.
“It’s so greasy you can lick your shirt after you’re done.”
Ryan Monk, a junior in journalism, said he thinks Burger King serves the burgers of choice, particularly the sourdough burger. However, Monk said burger selection in Logan is low in comparison to other states.
Restaurants such as In-N-Out Burger or Whataburger, found commonly in southern states, are what Monk said he misses the most.
“Logan should be thankful (though) that there’s no Jack in the Crack here,” Monk said, referring to a diarrhea incident occurring after eating at the hamburger shop Jack in the Box in Arizona.
Dick Whittier, manager of the meat research facility on USU campus, said his personal choice for a burger can be found at Burger King as well.
“I like the open-char flavor,” Whittier said. “It’s a flame-broiled product; flame-broiled gives a different flavor.”
Bonnie Moore, a junior in English literature studies and creative writing, said she thinks Logan’s Center Street Grill serves the best good-old fashioned hamburger. The hamburger, Moore said, comes wrapped in paper instead of thrown into a Styrofoam box.
“It’s like the old days when I was a kid,” Moore said. “Some things, to get better, need to stay the same.”
Katie Reeve, a junior in English literary studies, said she agrees with Moore.
“I’ve heard their hamburgers are the third best in the state,” she said. “They’re big, good, and just good.”
According to Linda Stradley, author from the Web site www.whatscookingamerica.net, there are about eight different claimants surrounding the birth of the American hamburger. The stories have been told “after the fact” and come mostly from family recollections.
One story takes place in 1885 in Seymour, Wis., a town which houses a Hamburger Hall of Fame. Charlie Nagreen, known to many as “Hamburger Charlie,” was 15 years old when he sold meatballs at Outagamie County Fair. Deciding his business would improve if the meatballs were not as difficult to eat, Nagreen transformed the meatballs into patties by flattening them. According to Stradley, Nagreen then placed the patty between two slices of bread and dubbed it a hamburger. Until his death in 1951, “Hamburger Charlie” continued to sell the flattened-meatball sandwich.
Kelsey Burns, a senior in speech pathology, said the quest for the best-tasting burger isn’t a big deal to her.
“A hamburger’s a hamburger to me,” she said. “We grew up with Wendy’s hamburgers (though), so to me it’s nostalgic to go there.”
Leanne Joy, who works in The Quick Stop, said she thinks Ruby Tuesday offers the best variety and the biggest hamburgers to choose from.
Jennie Schmidt, a junior in parks and recreation, said she was torn between burgers offered at LaBeau’s and Carl’s Jr.
“You wanna know how bad this sounds? I really like Carl’s Jr.,” she said. “And LaBeau’s has these awesome pastrami burgers that rock my world. Their fries are fabulous, just fabulous,” Schmidt said.
Jess Jorgenson, a sophomore in family and consumer science education, said even after working at LD’s in Richmond, she is still a fan of their hamburgers.
“I used to work there, and every night I would just look at the food and want it to be mine,” Jorgensen said. “They’re big, they’re juicy, and they smell like nirvana. They melt on your tongue.
“It’s a serious love affair going on with LD’s burgers.”
-britg@cc.usu.edu