Louis' Lunch
Hamburger restaurant · New Haven
261 Crown St, New Haven, CT 06511
Highlights
Historic spot serving original burgers on toast since 1895
Historic spot serving original burgers on toast since 1895
"I appreciate the strict, historic approach here: The Original Burger is made from a proprietary blend of five fresh-ground beef cuts, cooked vertically in original cast-iron grills dating to 1898 and served on toasted white bread with tomato, onion, and a cheese spread as the only acceptable garnish—the Lassen family-run shop enforces simple rules (no ketchup, no custom orders) and pairs the unchanged sandwich with a local Foxon Park soda." - Stephanie Gravalese
"In East Nashville, louis is turning four and kicking off a new Sunday roast dining series featuring a half or whole buttermilk spring chicken brined in preserved lemon with roasted root vegetables, local soft greens, green salsa fresca, and tomato sugo; seasonal desserts include a dark chocolate hazelnut cake as well as an almond basil ice cream and cantaloupe sorbet. Reservations are available with seatings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m." - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
"Louis’ Lunch may or may not have invented the hamburger — it’s a claim that has been both certified by the Library of Congress and invalidated by evidence. Either way, the fact is the patties at this tiny brick-walled restaurant are ground fresh and cooked to order in vertical cast-iron grills dating to the late 1800s. Don’t ask for ketchup; burgers come on white toast with your choice of cheese spread, grilled onion, and fresh tomato. You can eat your burger with potato salad or a local Foxon Park birch beer in a small wooden booth etched with decades of graffiti, or consume it as originally intended: on the go." - Stasia Brewczynski
"An iconic, historic spot often credited as America's first restaurant to serve a hamburger, known for its storied legacy and classic burger offerings." - Taylor Tobin
"The birthplace of the hamburger is an honor that many eateries have tried to claim over the years, but only one has been officially recognized by the Library of Congress as the real thing. It may also be the only one still cooking burgers on a vertical stove. Louis Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut is a historic little diner that has been around since at least 1900 in some form or another. The original iteration was a lunch truck owned by Louis Lassen. According to the story the current restaurant owner tells, in 1900, a customer ran up to the wagon and demanded a quick lunch “to go”. Lassen took some trimmings from the regular steak sandwiches he sold, put them between two pieces of toast, and gave it to his customer. The hamburger was born. The honor of being the birthplace of the hamburger was confirmed by the Library of Congress with the help of a member of the House of Representatives. (Sorry, Hamburg, Germany.) The lunch truck later evolved into a small restaurant that has been in the same location since the mid-1970s. But even as the restaurant has grown and changed, they continue to cook their burgers on unique, vertical stove towers that date back to 1898. Today, the restaurant continues to serves their burgers as they always have, with only cheese, tomato, or onions as accompaniments to the basic meat. They don’t offer other condiments, so don’t ask. Louis Lunch invented the hamburger, and you’ll have it their way, thank you very much. Know Before You Go This is a cash-only restaurant (i.e., debit/credit cards not accepted), so plan accordingly when visiting." - The25th, d dfakess, Gemmallama, t tiki42, EricGrundhauser, Collector of Experiences, d dorcasdesign, letsspeakspanish, tiki42, Julio Torres, G Gemmallama, Michael Busch, dfakess, macaban110, a amaranthine, b bc9598, j johnshanley, m macaban110, Pl
