We lost one. I’ve been documenting slugburgers / doughburgers / breadburgers / this genre of Depression-era hamburger for years, and the 1926 Willie Burgers in Hartselle, Alabama (originally Johnny’s Burgers) closed this summer. The owner of the building, not the owner of the business, was selling the building.
“I walked in here Friday and all my customers were crying,” she said. “I thought, dang, it’s like I went to my own funeral. And it still is.”
A simple, famliar setup, with a long bar and stools facing the workspace
with more spacious accomodations
keeping it simple
The idea behind these burgers is to combine hamburger meat with filler, like flour, crackermeal, or breadcrumbs. It got started in the Depression as a way to make the meat go further. Here at Willie Burgers, it’s a patty, mustard, ketchup, and onions. They can be customized somewhat but overall, the taste of the patty itself is a love- or hate- thing.
My Google Map for these type hamburgers:
From the SFA: