Editor's note: Burgermeisters! Here's another excerpt from George Motz's book Hamburger America. George and his publisher were kind enough to allow us to run them here, along with George's beautiful photos. Eat up!
The Snappy Lunch sells a curiosity called the Breaded Hamburger. Sometimes referred to as the "No-Burger." or the "old fashioned," this throwback to the Depression was invented when meat was scarce. At the Snappy Lunch, the breaded burger still out-sells the regular burger on the menu three to one.
"I don’t even get into it with out-of-towners," said Mary Dowell, wife of long-time owner and local food celebrity Charles Dowell. "I don't even like them!" she told me with a smile. I tried my first Depression-era burger at the Snappy Lunch and really liked it. It kind of resembled a bland crab cake with ground beef inside. "What do ya think?" Mary asked. I told her it tasted like a biscuit and she informed me that I had named the main ingredient.
Charles has been a fixture at the Snappy Lunch since 1943 where at age fifteen he was paid $10 a week. Eight years later his father, a local grocer, helped Charles negotiate the purchase of a share in the restaurant and in 1960 became the sole owner.
In the recently renovated gleaming kitchen at the rear of the restaurant I met 16-year veteran cook Diane. "I never thought a breaded burger could out-sell the regular burger, but they do, every day."
Hamburger America is available at Amazon and comes with a DVD of George's movie of the same title.
Snappy Lunch
125 North Main Street, Mount Airy NC 27030 (map)
336-786-4931
Mon., Wed., and Fri., 5:45 a.m. - 1:45 p.m.; Tues., Thurs., and Sat., 5:45 a.m. - 1:15 p.m. thesnappylunch.com
I grew up about 40 miles from here and have had a few pork chop sandwiches but have always been afraid of the "old fashioned"....might have to take the plunge next time.
I have family in the area and have been to Snappy Lunch several times - the place is a local landmark. The pork chop sandwich is good. I've never even given the Old Fashion a thought, but I might have to try it next time I'm in town.
@burgerbanquet; In my young and wild university days, I had a friend who bought a jar of Chicken Tonight, only to discover the chicken in the fridge was rancid. So he ate it over some rice. I asked him what he was eating, and he said 'Well, it was supposed to be Chicken Tonight, but I guess it's just...Tonight.'
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The Snappy Lunch sells a curiosity called the Breaded Hamburger. Sometimes referred to as the "No-Burger." or the "old fashioned," this throwback to the Depression was invented when meat was scarce. At the Snappy Lunch, the breaded burger still out-sells the regular burger on the menu three to one.
5 Comments:
If things keep going as they are, no doubt I'll be eating a lot of "breaded burgers"!!!!
juliebugsmama at 10:32AM on 03/13/09
I'm already eatin hamburger helper without the hamburger!!
burgerbanquet at 1:17PM on 03/13/09
A post about Snappy Lunch and no mention of Andy Griffith or Mayberry, even?? For shame!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Airy,_North_Carolina
I grew up about 40 miles from here and have had a few pork chop sandwiches but have always been afraid of the "old fashioned"....might have to take the plunge next time.
cdp1223 at 1:23PM on 03/13/09
I have family in the area and have been to Snappy Lunch several times - the place is a local landmark. The pork chop sandwich is good. I've never even given the Old Fashion a thought, but I might have to try it next time I'm in town.
dj_scribe at 3:32PM on 03/13/09
@burgerbanquet; In my young and wild university days, I had a friend who bought a jar of Chicken Tonight, only to discover the chicken in the fridge was rancid. So he ate it over some rice. I asked him what he was eating, and he said 'Well, it was supposed to be Chicken Tonight, but I guess it's just...Tonight.'
NotAmerican at 3:44AM on 03/14/09