Carl's Drive Inn; Brentwood, Missouri
Editor's note: A short time ago, Serious Eater Lemons contacted me about contributing some burger intel to A Hamburger Today/Serious Eats. "Sure thing!" I said. Here's the result. For more on St. Louis–area food, check out Lemons's blog: St. Louis Eats and Drinks. Enjoy! —Adam
The secret at Carl’s Drive Inn is speed. Owner Frank Cunetto knows his burgers are at their best fresh off the grill. These flat-grilled babies, available as singles, doubles or triples, arrive crisp around the edges and dressed to order. (Doubles offer the perfect ratio of meat to bun, I’d say.)
Cunetto is a stickler for how much fat and moisture is in his meat, and in the infrequent times he’s not manning the grill is happy to tell you why. He also makes his own root beer, which arrives, of course, in frosty mugs.
