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!
A visit to Blimpy Burger can be a daunting but rewarding experience. Part theatre, the cooks behind the counter engage in a sort of Soup Nazi berating of customers that do not follow the cafeteria-style rules of ordering. "Just answer the questions I’m asking you," grill cook Brian told a group of newcomers the first time I visited. In reality, the rules are there to help you, not scare you. They are there to allow the cooks to get your food to you fast, which is a good thing because you'll need this burger in your mouth as soon as possible.
Blimpy Burger is on the edge of the University of Michigan campus, surrounded by student rental houses with mud lawns. For students, the positioning of this decades old greasy spoon could not be better. The interior of Blimpy Burger is wholly utilitarian and the opposite of a comfy dive. A low, drop ceiling and greenish fluorescent lighting give the place a construction trailer feel. A collection of vintage cast-iron swivel stools bolted to the floor service most of the tables.
The fresh chuck that is used for Blimpy burgers is ground in the back daily. When you ask for a burger, you tell the grill cook how many you'd like (up to five, a "quint") and he'll grab that number of one and a half-ounce-balls of beef. The balls are tossed onto the hot griddle and smashed together creating a sloppy, misshaped, flat patty. The burgers are pressed and pressed until they can get no thinner, flipped pressed some more, then tossed on a bun. You'd think these guys had pressed the life out of your burger, but relax; you are in good hands. The result is a glorious grease bomb—a pile of loose, griddled meat that is crunchy in parts and soft in others. The meat is so loose it's practically pebbly. Mohawked grill cook Brian told me laughing, "These things are held together by hope.”
The choice of roll for your burger, toasted on the griddle, includes pumpernickel, onion, or Kaiser, the latter offered with or without sesame seeds because, as Rich explained matter-of-factly, "Some people have diverticulitis." The onion roll is hands-down one of the best I have ever eaten, soft and tasty and able to soak up the copious amounts of grease a Blimpy burger produces. "Onion rolls most places suck," Rich told me bluntly, "These really are great rolls."
A group of healthy-looking sixty-somethings were enjoying their burgers the last time I visited and told me, "This is where we celebrate our birthdays. We've been coming here for over fifty years." When one of the grill guys, Skinny, heard that, he blurted out, "And they STILL don’t know how to order their burgers."
Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger
551 South Division Street, Ann Arbor MI 48104 (map)
734-663-4590
Mon. to Sat., 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Sun., Noon - 8 p.m.
Hamburger America is available at Amazon and comes with a DVD of George's movie of the same title.
love blimpy burger! whatever you do, definitely be prepared to tell the cook what you want from the fryer when they ask. any hesitation will result in them yelling at you!
I eat here more often than is prudent. Mine's a double with bacon, egg, and american cheese - it's like breakfast and dinner all at once. Ordering is intense (I had a friend who was terrified of ordering, so he made me do it) but if you go outside of the lunch or dinner rush, you get a chance to practice without a long line watching and waiting for your inevitable demise. Read up on ordering instructions on the Blimpy Burger website - google it: it's there.
The best thing at Blimpy is something you didn't even touch upon: the deep fryer. Their onion rings are made 3 days in advance to dry out the onions, allowing for a crisper ring with better batter adhesion. Their fried vegetables are, I'm told, amazing, but I only get the rings because I have them smushed into my burger at the end of the grill line.
And if you want a veggieburger, the only way for them to cook it is in the deep fryer, because the griddle is coated in a half-century of accumulated meat juices. Suck on that, vegetarians!
love that you guys featured blimpy burger. i went to Univ of Michigan and we ate there all the time. of course we had to "pre-party" first. part of the reason i gained 30lbs in college. i took my little brother there and he got screamed at by the lady behind the counter -- wish i could remember her name. have to go with the fried egg like papalovesmambo said.
I have never been a fan of the "Yell at the customers/Soup Nazi" way of doing things. I have seen it in many places and under many influences, but it has never felt right to me. when I experience it, I want to throw the food right at the cook after they give it to me and walk out. In fact, I have actually told the person yelling to make it a double order and then I leave right as they are about to hand it to me and ring me up.
See, here's the thing ... it's Ann Arbor, MICHIGAN, not ANN ARBOR, [in michigan]. Same with Detroit. There's a lot more excellent food here than people are led to believe. And there are certainly better burgers.
I love Blimpy Burger! The fried veggies are terrific, and getting a fried egg on your burger is a must. I know the cooks have a reputation for being intimidating, but I've never been yelled at or treated rudely. The best part about Blimpy's is the giant Snow Bear sculpture they create out front every year after the first snow fall.
@samjung23, LOL! I actually like Ann Arbor, it's a friendly town where you can walk the streets without worrying about getting mugged. And yes, there's some great food there, especially the three authentic Indian restaurants. But still ...
@ESNY1077: He wants you to go to Luna Pier and eat the 10 lb. burger at some joint there, a place that George apparently missed on his hamburger pilgrimage. I don't know where he's getting that "not getting mugged' stuff, though. There's only one overrated burger in the Ann Arbor area and it can be found at The Sidetrack in Ypsilanti. It was indeed a killer burger 25 years ago, when it was near-perfect and just about the only thing on the menu. Now, the burger is just another item on the menu and the owner doesn't give a shit. I was recently at both Crazy Jim's and The Sidetrack, and the Blimpy burger kicked The Sidetrack burger's ass.
@ESNY1077, first off there's zero need to be rude. People used to not be rude here ... My point is that SE (run by people I consider friends) should look at other places in Michigan besides Ann Arbor and Detroit. The same goes for Illinois and their focus on Chicago, the focus on Seattle in Washington, etc. There's a lot more diversity than the little they look at that's covered by other media. And I know Adam Kuban will have an open mind about this because that's how he is.
@Summerfield, no I don't. so I took a picture big deal. Get over it already. I just want to see more variety in SE's selections of what they cover in ANY state. Why that's treated as a crime and a sin by people I don't know, I have no idea, but obviously you don't know me.
I asked a couple normal people, and most said Blimpy Burger was horribly overrated. When they went to school there, they ate at the place once and just never came back. My brother told me he used to walk all the way down Liberty for Dinersty all the time, and I told him I did the exact same thing.
The only people that like places like Blimpy Burger are the limousine liberal yuppies that think they're eating like normal people when they go there. I can go to Tony's if I want to get junk like that.
@LunaPierCook: I guess it must be the economy draggging everyone down. I understand. I have good days and bad days. My post was clearly humorous. Sorry you missed it. Motz hit Miller's in Dearborn and some place on Lake Michigan in SW Michigan, so that's not Ann Arbor and it's not Detoit. He didn't hit Dan's Tavern in Saline or Stiver's near Chelsea, but I'm not complaining. You should write him and give him some suggestions. He has a website.
@samjung23: There's no such thing as a "limousine liberal", and I have serious doubts about "normal people". You need a bigger sample than "a couple of normal people", maybe a fat-pig drug-addled radio talk show host, for example. They have burgers at Dinersty?
Blimpy Burger is the most overrated burger joint in the world. Couple that with the attitude(the guy must have been in a good mood when I came by, but he was still a jerk), and I have no reason to patronize the place. I'll go places where the help are happy to see you and the food is good, yet reasonably priced.
The only people that like Blimpy Burger are the ones that probably thought wearing trucker caps were cool back in the day. What was it that trend was called, "blue collar chic?" How insulting.
@Summerfield, I have the book, won it here on SE actually. I like it, and we reference it on occasion for trips. Still, I wasn't talking about the book ... I was talking about SE itself. It ends up being more than refreshing if anything outside the major cities is covered. But really, they only cover major cities because mainstream media does the same.
For example, in the reporting on the Hot Dog Hootenany they mention Koegel hot dogs and that they're on the Detroit coney. They never mention the Flint coney, which is the only one Koegel's is used on (the Detroits use other brands), and the similar-but-different Jackson coney is unheard of unless you've been there. No one knows these things, these smaller places, because they're assumed to not be interesting.
There is so much more out there that deserves regular attention. Frankly, I'd like to see it.
@LunaPierCook: My advice to you is to start drinking heavily. No, seriously, start your own food blog. You've obviously identified a void that needs to be filled. Granted, it'll mean a lot of eating...
@samjung23: One cannot take anyone seriously who uses terms like "blue collar chic", "limousine liberal", and "normal people". They don't have much to do with food, really. By the way, that's quite a feat, you having eaten at every burger joint in the world. My advice to you, Flounder, is to stop wasting your time becoming insulted. Be the burger, Danny.
@Summerfield, that's what I do, but anymore I try not to reference it here as people get bent out of shape about that. Gawd, this place has changed ...
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A visit to Blimpy Burger can be a daunting but rewarding experience. Part theatre, the cooks behind the counter engage in a sort of Soup Nazi berating of customers that do not follow the cafeteria-style rules of ordering. "Just answer the questions I’m asking you," grill cook Brian told a group of newcomers the first time I visited. In reality, the rules are there to help you, not scare you. They are there to allow the cooks to get your food to you fast, which is a good thing because you'll need this burger in your mouth as soon as possible.
22 Comments:
Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger is the best burger I've ever tasted! I like to get a triple with a fried egg, onion, lettuce, and tomato. Delicious!
papalovesmambo at 10:20AM on 05/15/09
love blimpy burger! whatever you do, definitely be prepared to tell the cook what you want from the fryer when they ask. any hesitation will result in them yelling at you!
j at 10:32AM on 05/15/09
I eat here more often than is prudent. Mine's a double with bacon, egg, and american cheese - it's like breakfast and dinner all at once. Ordering is intense (I had a friend who was terrified of ordering, so he made me do it) but if you go outside of the lunch or dinner rush, you get a chance to practice without a long line watching and waiting for your inevitable demise. Read up on ordering instructions on the Blimpy Burger website - google it: it's there.
The best thing at Blimpy is something you didn't even touch upon: the deep fryer. Their onion rings are made 3 days in advance to dry out the onions, allowing for a crisper ring with better batter adhesion. Their fried vegetables are, I'm told, amazing, but I only get the rings because I have them smushed into my burger at the end of the grill line.
And if you want a veggieburger, the only way for them to cook it is in the deep fryer, because the griddle is coated in a half-century of accumulated meat juices. Suck on that, vegetarians!
shoneyjoe at 10:51AM on 05/15/09
love that you guys featured blimpy burger. i went to Univ of Michigan and we ate there all the time. of course we had to "pre-party" first. part of the reason i gained 30lbs in college. i took my little brother there and he got screamed at by the lady behind the counter -- wish i could remember her name. have to go with the fried egg like papalovesmambo said.
WinedAndDined at 11:21AM on 05/15/09
I have never been a fan of the "Yell at the customers/Soup Nazi" way of doing things. I have seen it in many places and under many influences, but it has never felt right to me. when I experience it, I want to throw the food right at the cook after they give it to me and walk out. In fact, I have actually told the person yelling to make it a double order and then I leave right as they are about to hand it to me and ring me up.
BigWoollyMammoth at 11:44AM on 05/15/09
I HATE that man/woman/Pat cook. Its act is not funny, cute, or endearing.
millions at 12:07PM on 05/15/09
I've never seen a burger that nice at Blimpy Burger. How long did you spend posing this?
The place is overrated yuppie fare anyways!
samjung23 at 2:13PM on 05/15/09
See, here's the thing ... it's Ann Arbor, MICHIGAN, not ANN ARBOR, [in michigan]. Same with Detroit. There's a lot more excellent food here than people are led to believe. And there are certainly better burgers.
LunaPierCook at 5:36PM on 05/15/09
I love Blimpy Burger! The fried veggies are terrific, and getting a fried egg on your burger is a must. I know the cooks have a reputation for being intimidating, but I've never been yelled at or treated rudely. The best part about Blimpy's is the giant Snow Bear sculpture they create out front every year after the first snow fall.
peachpearplum at 6:30PM on 05/15/09
LunaPierCook, you're the reason why most normal people hate Ann Arbor.
samjung23 at 9:59PM on 05/15/09
@samjung23, LOL! I actually like Ann Arbor, it's a friendly town where you can walk the streets without worrying about getting mugged. And yes, there's some great food there, especially the three authentic Indian restaurants. But still ...
LunaPierCook at 7:00AM on 05/16/09
LunaPier, what the hell is your point?
ESNY1077 at 12:03PM on 05/16/09
@ESNY1077: He wants you to go to Luna Pier and eat the 10 lb. burger at some joint there, a place that George apparently missed on his hamburger pilgrimage. I don't know where he's getting that "not getting mugged' stuff, though. There's only one overrated burger in the Ann Arbor area and it can be found at The Sidetrack in Ypsilanti. It was indeed a killer burger 25 years ago, when it was near-perfect and just about the only thing on the menu. Now, the burger is just another item on the menu and the owner doesn't give a shit. I was recently at both Crazy Jim's and The Sidetrack, and the Blimpy burger kicked The Sidetrack burger's ass.
Summerfield at 5:25PM on 05/16/09
@ESNY1077, first off there's zero need to be rude. People used to not be rude here ... My point is that SE (run by people I consider friends) should look at other places in Michigan besides Ann Arbor and Detroit. The same goes for Illinois and their focus on Chicago, the focus on Seattle in Washington, etc. There's a lot more diversity than the little they look at that's covered by other media. And I know Adam Kuban will have an open mind about this because that's how he is.
LunaPierCook at 5:29PM on 05/16/09
@Summerfield, no I don't. so I took a picture big deal. Get over it already. I just want to see more variety in SE's selections of what they cover in ANY state. Why that's treated as a crime and a sin by people I don't know, I have no idea, but obviously you don't know me.
LunaPierCook at 5:58PM on 05/16/09
I asked a couple normal people, and most said Blimpy Burger was horribly overrated. When they went to school there, they ate at the place once and just never came back. My brother told me he used to walk all the way down Liberty for Dinersty all the time, and I told him I did the exact same thing.
The only people that like places like Blimpy Burger are the limousine liberal yuppies that think they're eating like normal people when they go there. I can go to Tony's if I want to get junk like that.
samjung23 at 7:19PM on 05/16/09
@LunaPierCook: I guess it must be the economy draggging everyone down. I understand. I have good days and bad days. My post was clearly humorous. Sorry you missed it. Motz hit Miller's in Dearborn and some place on Lake Michigan in SW Michigan, so that's not Ann Arbor and it's not Detoit. He didn't hit Dan's Tavern in Saline or Stiver's near Chelsea, but I'm not complaining. You should write him and give him some suggestions. He has a website.
@samjung23: There's no such thing as a "limousine liberal", and I have serious doubts about "normal people". You need a bigger sample than "a couple of normal people", maybe a fat-pig drug-addled radio talk show host, for example. They have burgers at Dinersty?
Summerfield at 1:55AM on 05/17/09
Blimpy Burger is the most overrated burger joint in the world. Couple that with the attitude(the guy must have been in a good mood when I came by, but he was still a jerk), and I have no reason to patronize the place. I'll go places where the help are happy to see you and the food is good, yet reasonably priced.
The only people that like Blimpy Burger are the ones that probably thought wearing trucker caps were cool back in the day. What was it that trend was called, "blue collar chic?" How insulting.
samjung23 at 4:49AM on 05/17/09
@Summerfield, I have the book, won it here on SE actually. I like it, and we reference it on occasion for trips. Still, I wasn't talking about the book ... I was talking about SE itself. It ends up being more than refreshing if anything outside the major cities is covered. But really, they only cover major cities because mainstream media does the same.
For example, in the reporting on the Hot Dog Hootenany they mention Koegel hot dogs and that they're on the Detroit coney. They never mention the Flint coney, which is the only one Koegel's is used on (the Detroits use other brands), and the similar-but-different Jackson coney is unheard of unless you've been there. No one knows these things, these smaller places, because they're assumed to not be interesting.
There is so much more out there that deserves regular attention. Frankly, I'd like to see it.
LunaPierCook at 6:35AM on 05/17/09
@LunaPierCook: My advice to you is to start drinking heavily. No, seriously, start your own food blog. You've obviously identified a void that needs to be filled. Granted, it'll mean a lot of eating...
Summerfield at 11:53AM on 05/17/09
@samjung23: One cannot take anyone seriously who uses terms like "blue collar chic", "limousine liberal", and "normal people". They don't have much to do with food, really. By the way, that's quite a feat, you having eaten at every burger joint in the world. My advice to you, Flounder, is to stop wasting your time becoming insulted. Be the burger, Danny.
Summerfield at 12:03PM on 05/17/09
@Summerfield, that's what I do, but anymore I try not to reference it here as people get bent out of shape about that. Gawd, this place has changed ...
LunaPierCook at 12:06PM on 05/17/09