ILLUSTRATION BY JOEL KIMMEL
The humble burger is not so humble anymore. Once relegated to happy hours and value menus, the classic sandwich is now the focus of some of the region’s top culinary minds. Like fried chicken and ramen noodles, this comfort food’s been reinvented in new, unexpected ways. What chef wouldn’t want to play with the food of teenage freedom, the icon of the casual date, the first meal when you finally get your driver’s license?
Consider the quantity alone. In 2007, when we set out on a “two-week protein-fueled tour of some of the most revered burger joints around,” we crowned seven places king, including usual suspects such as O’Connell’s, Michael’s, and Annie Gunn’s. When we revisited the topic in 2011, we identified “30 places to experience a mouthwatering, guilt-ridden, cooked-to-perfection taste of heaven on a bun.” Five years later, we’ve more than doubled that number. Why? Because the quality of the offerings has risen so dramatically.
Every aspect of the classic sandwich has been elevated. Though you can still find the classic 80/20 beef mix (80 percent lean chuck, 20 percent fat) in a medium-thick patty, other options abound. There are blended meat varieties, as well as nonbeef alternatives: pork, lamb, turkey—even kangaroo. The burgers are cranked out super-thick, wafer-thin, and everything in between. There are veggie burgers so good they surpass the old standby beef patties. For buns, chefs are experimenting with everything from English muffins to sourdough, potato buns to doughnuts. They’re grilled to perfection, then slathered with mouthwatering condiments like mayo butter, gourmet cheeses, and bacon jams… At some places, even the ketchup is house-made.
Meanwhile, the burger’s kid cousin is catching up fast. At The Slider House in Rock Hill, the menu includes the Nashville Hot Chicken, the Bay of Pigs, the All American, and about two dozen other versions. And to wash it all down? A Slider Mary, the brunch staple now garnished with (what else?) its own mini-burger.
