The Hamburger Wagon

This past weekend, we went to my hometown of Miamisburg for the Tour d'Burg bike ride (more on the ride on my next post). Miamisburg, or the 'burg as I like to call it, has really undergone some wonderful revitalization's since I used 45342 as my zip code and it's great place to visit.

There are several community events throughout the year that are fun to attend - things like Cruise The Burg (car show), Thunder Burg (motorcycle show), Boo in the Burg (Halloween party), and the Spring Fling Art Show. The downtown 'burg area has exploded over the last few years, with restaurants offering patio seating, a wine shop, an ice cream parlor, an outdoor adventure store and a movie theater is in the works to open soon, all of those business are situated right along Main Street.

One long standing tradition is still going strong among all these new comers - the Hamburger Wagon. According to their website, this white wagon stand has been dishing up burgers around Miamisburg since the early 1900s. This link will take you to their website, where you can read more about the history of the Hamburger Wagon.

Now, nothing about these small bite size burgers is healthy. It's kinda like mystery meat, rolled into a ball, smashed flat and then cooked in lard. Yes, I said lard. The wagon's only big enough for two people - one burger maker and one order taker. When it's your turn in line to order, it's kinda like ordering hash browns at a Waffle House - you know, I'll take an order of hash browns scattered, covered, smothered, and chunked. (That's hash browns with cheese, onion and ham, for those who are curious!) There are no condiments at the Hamburger Wagon - it is a simple set up bun, burger, pickle, onion, salt and pepper. That's it. They buns are lined up right on the counter with the toppings ready for the burgers to come out of the skillet. Ordering goes like this:

Wagon Order Taker: "How many do you want?"

JJ, when he ordered: "10 - 6 regular, 2 no pickle, and 2 plain" And that's it. You pay cash, because they only take cash, and you wait off to the side of the line for the order taker's arm to hand out a sack full of greasy burgers. Now, the whole time you eat your burgers, you're thinking - I should not be eating this! And you're asking yourself "Do these even taste good?" But, if you know Miamisburg and/or you grew up there, then you know the Hamburger Wagon and you eat them with pride, even though you know they are not one bit "good" for you. They remind you of your childhood, and that's a good thing! So, I end this post with a shout out and thank you to the fine folks of the Hamburger Wagon. Thanks for being part of the vendor scene at the Tour d'burg event. Indulging in two burgers, no pickle for me, was just what I needed to get back some energy for the afternoon after the 25 mile bike ride - or at least that's what I'm telling myself!