It’s National Hamburger Day and in New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker met with the owner of Louis’ Lunch, Jeff Lassen, to eat the restaurant’s famous burger.
Louis’ Lunch is a family-owned restaurant which was started in 1895 by Louis Lassen. The restaurant claims the honor of creating the world’s first hamburger in 1900, and now four generations later it’s run by Louis’ great grandson, Jeff.
Mayor Elickers’ approval could be heard around the room after he took his first bite and throughout the restaurant the sentiment was the same.
“We have great clientele,” said Lassen. “People coming from all walks of life, and they keep coming back and we go back generations with some families that continue to eat here.”
People traveled from all over the states and some even came from across the globe.
Cynthia Klein came with her family from Los Angeles to experience the burger.
“It looks really good,” she said. “My dad said that he came here when he was a teenager with his family.”
Joe and Kristina Watkins traveled cross country from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They say they heard about the burger from Food Network.
“Absolutely delicious, fantastic,” said Kristina. “We have burgers in Oklahoma, sure. We came here. Oh, it’s phenomenal. So good.”
They sat for over 20 minutes waiting for the signature burger that came with fresh onions, tomatoes, cheese and was served on sliced, toasted bread.
“You don’t need condiments,” she said. “Usually, I put mustard and ketchup and pickles and all sort of things. You don’t need it. It’s just wonderful the way that it is.”
The restaurant prides itself in being condiment free. Signage inside stating, “You don’t get it your way. You take it my way,” and t-shirts worn by employees referring the ketchup as a “dirty word.”
The lack of condiments and long lines did not scare customers away.
“I would definitely come here again,” said Brian Chadwick who traveled to New Haven from Texas. “There was just a few people standing out front, I didn’t think anything of it. Then we opened the door, and the line was to the door. And so, a very cool, very cool experience.”
During the lunch, Lassen also received a plaque from the Library of Congress confirming that the first-ever hamburger indeed was made by his restaurant.