On the East Side of New Haven, looking quite out of place sits a charming little brick building straight out of a children’s fairytale. With white lattice-work arched windows and bright red shutters, you can’t miss Louis’ Lunch. This landmark restaurant is not just any old burger place, it is the granddaddy of the modern burger place, the very birthplace of the American hamburger.
In 1895, a Danish immigrant named Louis Lassen served steak sandwiches out of a small lunch wagon to mostly working-class people of New Haven, Connecticut. A blacksmith by trade, Louis began to supplement his income by selling eggs and butter from a push cart around 1892. A few years later in 1895, he began to offer lunch items as well, the most popular being the steak sandwich. The lore of the first hamburger goes something like this; One day, a regular customer came to the lunch cart in a rush, asking Louis to throw together something quickly because he was running late. Louis had recently ground some leftover steak, so he made it into a patty, broiled it, and served it between two slices of white sandwich bread. Somehow, word got around about this quick and delicious menu item, and the rest is history.
The no-frills interior is a nod to the turn of the 20th-century lifestyle with no television screens showing sporting events or microwaves to be seen. Instead, antique vertical cast iron broilers sit along the back counter and slatted benches line the walls where factory workers once sat for a simple lunch meal. Don’t expect staff to cater to you at Louis’ Lunch, in fact, a simple request for ketchup or mustard will get you booted from the premises. Leave your ego at the door and just enjoy the simplicity of the menu.
Address:
261 Crown Street
New Haven, CT 06511
Photo by depositphotos.com
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