There are many theories on who created the cheeseburger… but the most widespread is from 1926, when 16-year-old Lionel Sternberger, a fry cook in his dad’s Pasadena, California Restaurant, The Rite Spot, slapped a slice of American cheese onto a sizzling burger.
In 1934, Charles Kaelin flavored his hamburgers with cheese but never trademarked the ‘invention.’ A year later in 1935 that credit goes to Louis Ballast of Denver’s Humpty Dumpty Drive-in, who trademarked the name ‘cheeseburger.’
“I love a good cheeseburger with cheese and onions, just mustard and ketchup — mushrooms are good too with that,” said Tony Hawkins, of Ansted, WV.
When we think of things that are quintessentially American, cheeseburgers top the list. I definitely agree.
From the cheesy cheeseburger to those fully loaded ones… whatever your thing, all you cheeseburger lovers — September 18th is your day. A customer favorite at the Heart of Gold diner in Oak Hill is the Challenger Burger.
“It’s like a pound of meat, with bacon, swiss cheese, mushrooms. We have the mushroom swiss bacon burger, which is the double meat, mushroom, swiss cheese, bacon,” owner Samantha Boyce said. “Regular cheeseburgers, double cheeseburgers, double bacon cheeseburgers.”
When it comes to the best cheeseburgers, everyone says good ingredients make all the difference.
“The right cheese has to be on there, like Kraft… and lettuce, tomato, pickles is really good — and onions,” said Rita Hunt of Oak Hill. “I like ’em nice and juicy too. They have to be really good and juicy, running down your hands.”
According to Heart of Gold’s Boyce… when you leave her diner, you’re usually not hungry.