Kaelin's in Louisville, Kentucky, known as the "birthplace of the cheeseburger," has closed, in part due to low sales and real estate problems. The restaurant was established in 1934, but was sold in 2004 to no longer be run by the original family. While they say they're closed for remodeling, there is currently no set plan for reopening. [Tip o' the hat to Michael Makis]
The cheeseburger was not invented in 1934 at Kaelin's in Louisville, Kentucky. Most articles claim that the cheeseburger was invented in the 1920s by grill chef Lionel Sternberger at the Rite Spot restaurant in Pasadena.
I'm not 100% sold on Sternberger's cheeseburger, but Kaelin's claim has serious competition.
12 August 1926, Ogden (Utah) Standard-Examiner, pg. 7, col. 4:
Heinie, “Hot Dog” Man,
Now Has Sandwiches
Heinie, for years known as “the hot dog man,” has now acquired the sandwich and lunch counter at Lagoon and is now in a position to serve his patrons in very short order. Heinie’s special is a combination cheese and hamburger sandwich. “Just try it—it is a gustatory knockout.” Other snappy, tasty items include toasted cheese sandwich, ham sandwich, hamburger plain, coffee, milk or buttermilk, and delicious cakes and pastry. Heinie’s two stand are located just across the midway from the northeast corner of the dance hall.
23 August 1933, Waterloo (Iowa) Daily Courier, pg. 3, col. 5:
Ladies were in charge of the Waterloo Junior Chamber of Commerce picnic Tuesday evening at Falls Avenue pool and the menu was reported by numerous members as being far above the usual hamburger and cheese sandwich fare at strictly stag parties.
August 1935, Soda Fountain (NY, NY), pg. 27, col. 1:
“Hamburger-Cheese Buns”...Jersey City “Cheese Hamburger”...
growing up in Louisville i never really believed Kaelin's claim. but it was a great place to get a burger. nothing gourmet about it just a nice piece of grilled beef and fresh accoutrement. also, it seems like everyone i knew in high school worked there at one point. what a loss.
Yea I am from louisville and i am acctually the great grandson of Carl Kaelin (the First owner of Kaelins) and he was the one who claimed the restaraut to be th birthplace of the cheesebuger because we are the first resaraunt to acctually have it listed as a cheese burger on the menu. Most places beck then only had a ham burger with cheese so we are tecnically the birthplace of the cheese buger and it has saddend my whole family to see i close even though we did't own it anymore. I have heard though that they are making it into a sprots bar or someting and is going through renovations right now.
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5 Comments:
The best link about this story:
http://fatlip.leoweekly.com/2009/03/09/i-cannot-haz-cheeseburger/
rdominick at 2:41PM on 03/10/09
@rdominick: HAHA, that's awesome. I love the army of cloned kitties.
Robyn Lee at 3:06PM on 03/10/09
The cheeseburger was not invented in 1934 at Kaelin's in Louisville, Kentucky. Most articles claim that the cheeseburger was invented in the 1920s by grill chef Lionel Sternberger at the Rite Spot restaurant in Pasadena.
I'm not 100% sold on Sternberger's cheeseburger, but Kaelin's claim has serious competition.
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/cheeseburger/
12 August 1926, Ogden (Utah) Standard-Examiner, pg. 7, col. 4:
Heinie, “Hot Dog” Man,
Now Has Sandwiches
Heinie, for years known as “the hot dog man,” has now acquired the sandwich and lunch counter at Lagoon and is now in a position to serve his patrons in very short order. Heinie’s special is a combination cheese and hamburger sandwich. “Just try it—it is a gustatory knockout.” Other snappy, tasty items include toasted cheese sandwich, ham sandwich, hamburger plain, coffee, milk or buttermilk, and delicious cakes and pastry. Heinie’s two stand are located just across the midway from the northeast corner of the dance hall.
23 August 1933, Waterloo (Iowa) Daily Courier, pg. 3, col. 5:
Ladies were in charge of the Waterloo Junior Chamber of Commerce picnic Tuesday evening at Falls Avenue pool and the menu was reported by numerous members as being far above the usual hamburger and cheese sandwich fare at strictly stag parties.
August 1935, Soda Fountain (NY, NY), pg. 27, col. 1:
“Hamburger-Cheese Buns”...Jersey City “Cheese Hamburger”...
barrypopik at 7:11AM on 03/11/09
growing up in Louisville i never really believed Kaelin's claim. but it was a great place to get a burger. nothing gourmet about it just a nice piece of grilled beef and fresh accoutrement. also, it seems like everyone i knew in high school worked there at one point. what a loss.
Goner at 12:24PM on 03/11/09
Yea I am from louisville and i am acctually the great grandson of Carl Kaelin (the First owner of Kaelins) and he was the one who claimed the restaraut to be th birthplace of the cheesebuger because we are the first resaraunt to acctually have it listed as a cheese burger on the menu. Most places beck then only had a ham burger with cheese so we are tecnically the birthplace of the cheese buger and it has saddend my whole family to see i close even though we did't own it anymore. I have heard though that they are making it into a sprots bar or someting and is going through renovations right now.
Plraque at 9:02PM on 07/01/09