LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The end of Memorial Day weekend is no excuse to wind down your celebration. Today, May 28, is National Hamburger Day. Even if you spent the weekend gathered around the grill with visions of hamburgers and potato salad dancing in your head, America’s favorite tradition of National “Food” Days beckons you to direct your attention (and your appetite) to a big, juicy burger one last time or at least until Fourth of July.
Already hang up your apron after the long weekend? Today, let one of the top local burger restaurants act as the grillmaster. Indulge in a Kentucky-style burger from one of Yelp’s five best burger spots in Louisville to appreciate one of America’s favorite foods in your Old Kentucky Home.
- GRIND BURGER KITCHEN, 829 E. Market Street - As stated on Grind’s menu, all of the burgers in this Nulu restaurant are ⅓ pound of cooked-to-order meat prepared in house. Enjoy a Kentucky-inspired specialty like the “Old Fashioned Burger” complete with Old Fashioned onions caramelized with orange, bitters, and bourbon. Another menu highlight includes the Veggie Burger featured on the popular Food Network television show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives that includes an assortment of veggies that both create and top the burger.
- FREAKIN' UNBELIEVEABLE BURGERS, 5000 Shelbyville Road - Located in Mall St. Matthews, this burger joint boasts a large selection of burgers that range from basic to gourmet. For those who like to keep things simple, Freakin’ Burgers (as they like to refer to themselves) offers a BYOFB (Build Your Own Freakin’ Burger) option as well as the plain ole’ burger with American cheese crowd pleaser. For the adventurers, there’s the “My Old Kentucky Bourbon Burger” with bourbon caramelized onions and homemade bourbon sauce. For the especially bold, try the “Buttermilk Fried Chicken Burger” with fried chicken breast and buttermilk jalapeno sauce.
- STOUT BURGERS & BEER, 1604 Bardstown Road - To celebrate National Burger Day in style, explore the deluxe burger offerings of this Highlands favorite. Stout brings the Kentucky flair with their “Hot Brown Burger,” a spin-off of the classic Kentucky open-faced turkey sandwich. Stout also boasts the 2018 Louisville Burger Week Winner, the “Six Weeker,” which features brie, fig jam, arugula, and caramelized onions.
- BUNZ BERGERZ, 969 1/2 Baxter Avenue - While Bunz provides a Build Your Own Bunz Burger section on their menu, they also create a plethora of Signature Burgerz. With many locally-named items like “The Baxter Ave” and “The Louisville Shroom,” Bunz also gives a nod to local ingredients with ‘The Beer Cheese.” This burger is topped with homemade beer cheese, a popular Kentucky food.
- SIDEBAR, 129 N. Second Street - The jury is in on the flavors of Sidebar's legal-themed items and the verdict is unanimous - it's delicious! Despite the legal jargon dispersed throughout the menu, burgers like "Mutual Agreement" and "Ambulance Chaser" feature Kentucky's own Henry McKenna bourbon BBQ sauce. The "Hung Jury" burger topped with beer cheese and bourbon mushrooms embodies the Kentucky spirit as well with its locally-found ingredients.
If you get the chance to enjoy one of these delicacies, be sure to post a picture of it with #NationalHamburgerDay. Enjoying a local burger with some Kentucky pride on a ‘national’ holiday seems like the perfect way to kickoff summer and continue celebrating the USA!