Who Invented the Hamburger?

Hamburger is a special and popular sandwich that has a meat patty placed between two bread slices or a bun. To improve the flavor of the sandwich, some people add other ingredients like cheese, pickles, onion, tomato as well as lettuce. Others also add condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard. According to reports, the term was derived from Hamburg, a German town. In order to know more about the history of this sandwich, it is important to start with identifying the person behind the invention of the hamburger.

History of the Sandwich
Who invented the hamburger? Several reports claim that the sandwich was invented by Ohioans Charles Menches and Frank Menches. Based on the obituary of Frank Menches, he and his brother invented the sandwich when the stocks of sausages ran out at their food store at the Summit County Fair in 1892. Instead of sausages, they use beef patty for their sandwiches. They also name the sandwiches after the place where the fair was held, Hamburg, New York.
Another report stated that Charlie Nagreen from Seymour, Wisconsin invented the hamburger. According to the Seymour Community Historical Society, he was only 15 when he prepared sandwiches with meatballs and offered these at the Outagamie County Fair in 1885. The historical society also reported that the sandwiches were named after Hamburg steak.
The government of Connecticut together with the Library of Congress agreed that Louis Lunch owner Louis Lassen invented hamburger. The first hamburger was sold in 1895 by Lassen. A report by the New York magazine stated that the sandwich does not have a name until a traveler from Hamburg, Germany, named it after the place where he lived.

Frank X. Tolbert, a historian from Texas, attributed the creation of the first hamburger to Athens, Texas resident Fletcher Davis. Tolbert believed that Davis offered the sandwiches at a small lunch counter in the 1880s. He also offered the sandwiches to the Saint Louis World’s Fair in 1904.

Additional Information and Other Important Details
Aside from the inventors, it is also important to learn about the early major vendors of the sandwich. Many historians agree that the White Castle restaurant at Wichita in Kansas was the first reported food service providers that offer hamburger in 1921. After 19 years, Mcdonalds restaurant became popular for selling the sandwich. This fast food chain was known for offering different types of hamburgers. In addition, it was famous because it introduced the Speedee Service System. The system helped the restaurant sell millions of hamburger in a year.