A New York man has shared his experience visiting the restaurant that claims to have invented the first hamburger – and the results are in.
Raphael Miranda (known on TikTok as @r.xix__) recently attended the historic Louis’ Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut.
“When I first saw the building, it seemed very out of place compared to the other buildings in the area, but also very understated. It looked like a building I would expect from the early 1900s,” said the 26-year-old Newsweek.
@r.xix__
When Miranda entered the bar area, he was greeted by a simple but nostalgic menu written in chalk. The menu is straightforward: there are hamburgers or cheeseburgers with potato salad or fries on the side. For dessert, there are homemade cakes.
Miranda noted in his video, which has gone viral since it was posted on August 6, that he was expecting fries, but soon realized that by Louis’ lunch he meant bags of Deep River chips.
Although the selection on the menu was limited, Miranda said Newsweek that the hamburger really caught his eye. Unlike traditional burgers, Louis’ Lunch serves its patties between two slices of toast, a nod to the original hamburger served over a century ago.
“I really liked the burger, and to me it tasted freshly made, as opposed to those pre-made burgers from fast food chains, and of course because of the way it’s prepared… I just love that kind of thing,” Miranda said.
He was also surprised by the potato salad and pies. Although he is not a big fan of the classic side dish, he added that Louis’ lunch served the best side dish he had ever eaten.
“I didn’t expect that they also make phenomenal cakes; my favorite is the one with blueberries,” he added.
Miranda’s video was not only viewed nearly 4 million times, but also received thousands of comments from other social media users.
Some people were skeptical about visiting the New Haven restaurant, while others were convinced after watching the clip.
“Medium-rare? That thing still mooes,” wrote one TikTok user, referring to the restaurant that insists on cooking all burgers medium-rare.
Many others thought that the first burger was actually invented in Hamburg, but Miranda said Newsweek Although he believed they made the first patty, “Louis’ Lunch created the first burger between two slices of bread and made the first burger sandwich.”
Given the restaurant’s affordable prices and unique way of preparing burgers, Miranda encouraged users on TikTok not to judge it before they try it.
And the toasted bread? “I’m a firm believer that a burger should be served on a burger bun. However, after my visit, I think I like it on sliced bread,” said Miranda.
One thing is for sure. “We’ve come a long way since 1900,” commented one TikTok user.
