Louis' Lunch
Encyclopedia
Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Connecticut
, advertises itself as the first restaurant to serve hamburgers and as being the oldest hamburger restaurant
still operating in the U.S. Opened as a small lunch wagon in 1895, Louis' Lunch was also one of the first places in the U.S. to serve steak sandwich
es.
immigrants flocked to the city to find work in the many factories located there at the time.
According to family legend, one day in 1900 a local businessman dashed into the small New Haven lunch wagon and pleaded for a lunch to go. Louis Lassen, the establishment's owner, hurriedly sandwiched a broiled hamburger between two slices of bread
and sent the customer on his way, so the story goes, with America's first hamburger being served.
In 1907, Lassen moved the business to Temple and George Streets. After a decade there, he left his lunch wagon for a square-shaped little brick building that had once been a tannery
. Forced to move to make way for development in 1975, Louis' Lunch moved a fourth time, relocating the tannery building to its present location, 263 Crown Street in New Haven, CT. The fourth generation of Lassens own and operate Louis' Lunch today.
gas stoves manufactured by the Bridge and Beach, Co., St. Louis, Missouri
. The vertical stoves use hinged steel wire gridirons
to hold the hamburgers in place while they cook
simultaneously on both sides. The gridirons were made by Luigi Pieragostini, of New Haven, who applied for a patent in 1938.
es from ground steak
made from a secret blend of five different cuts of beef
. The hamburgers and steak sandwiches are then flame broiled
vertically in the original antique stoves. The hamburgers are prepared with cheese, tomato or onion as the only condiments or garnish
; never any mustard
, ketchup
or mayonnaise
. If one were to ask for a condiment, he would politely be informed none were available as the proprietors strongly feel the quality of the sandwich would be masked. The hamburger sandwiches are served the original way: on two square pieces of toast
ed white bread
.
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
, advertises itself as the first restaurant to serve hamburgers and as being the oldest hamburger restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
still operating in the U.S. Opened as a small lunch wagon in 1895, Louis' Lunch was also one of the first places in the U.S. to serve steak sandwich
Steak sandwich
A steak sandwich is a sandwich that is made out of steak that has been broiled, fried, grilled, barbecued or seared using steel grates or gridirons then served on bread or a roll...
es.
History
Louis Lassen, a butter dealer, operated a lunch wagon on Meadow Street as early as 1895 and served steak and ground steak hamburger sandwiches, made from scrap trimmings, to local factory workers. The population of New Haven doubled between 1870 and 1900. Tens of thousands of EuropeanEuropean ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
immigrants flocked to the city to find work in the many factories located there at the time.
According to family legend, one day in 1900 a local businessman dashed into the small New Haven lunch wagon and pleaded for a lunch to go. Louis Lassen, the establishment's owner, hurriedly sandwiched a broiled hamburger between two slices of bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
and sent the customer on his way, so the story goes, with America's first hamburger being served.
In 1907, Lassen moved the business to Temple and George Streets. After a decade there, he left his lunch wagon for a square-shaped little brick building that had once been a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
. Forced to move to make way for development in 1975, Louis' Lunch moved a fourth time, relocating the tannery building to its present location, 263 Crown Street in New Haven, CT. The fourth generation of Lassens own and operate Louis' Lunch today.
Antique stoves
Louis' Lunch flame broils the hamburgers, the original way, in antique 1898 vertical cast ironCast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
gas stoves manufactured by the Bridge and Beach, Co., St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The vertical stoves use hinged steel wire gridirons
Gridiron (cooking)
A gridiron is a metal grate with parallel bars typically used for grilling meat, fish, vegetables, or combinations of such foods. It may also be two such grids, hinged to fold together, to securely hold food while grilling over an open flame.-Development:...
to hold the hamburgers in place while they cook
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
simultaneously on both sides. The gridirons were made by Luigi Pieragostini, of New Haven, who applied for a patent in 1938.
Original hamburger and steak sandwich
Louis' Lunch hand forms their hamburger sandwichSandwich
A sandwich is a food item, typically consisting of two or more slices of :bread with one or more fillings between them, or one slice of bread with a topping or toppings, commonly called an open sandwich. Sandwiches are a widely popular type of lunch food, typically taken to work or school, or...
es from ground steak
Steak
A steak is a cut of meat . Most are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers, improving the perceived tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, pan-fried, or broiled. The more tender cuts from the loin and rib are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole...
made from a secret blend of five different cuts of beef
Beef
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef can be harvested from cows, bulls, heifers or steers. It is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of the Middle East , Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Europe and the United States, and is also important in...
. The hamburgers and steak sandwiches are then flame broiled
Grilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
vertically in the original antique stoves. The hamburgers are prepared with cheese, tomato or onion as the only condiments or garnish
Garnish
A garnish is an item or substance used as a decoration or embellishment and often a flavor component on a prepared food dish or drink. In many cases, it may give added or contrasting flavor, some garnishes are selected first to augment the visual impact of the plate, while others are selected...
; never any mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
, ketchup
Ketchup
Ketchup is a sweet-and-tangy condiment typically made from tomatoes, vinegar, sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and an assortment of...
or mayonnaise
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, , often abbreviated as mayo, is a sauce. It is a stable emulsion of oil, egg yolk and either vinegar or lemon juice, with many options for embellishment with other herbs and spices. Lecithin in the egg yolk is the emulsifier. Mayonnaise varies in color but is often white, cream, or pale...
. If one were to ask for a condiment, he would politely be informed none were available as the proprietors strongly feel the quality of the sandwich would be masked. The hamburger sandwiches are served the original way: on two square pieces of toast
Toast
Toast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
ed white bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
.
Endorsements
- The Library of Congress web site states that the first hamburgers and steak sandwiches in U.S. history were served in New Haven, Connecticut, at Louis' Lunch sandwich shop established in 1895 http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/es/ct/burger_1.
- Referring to the hamburger, James Trager wrote in his Food Chronology, "the popular sandwich made its American debut in New Haven, Connecticut in 1900: Louis Lassen grinds .07 cent/LB lean beef, broils it and serves it between two slices of toast (no catsup or relish) to customers at his 5 year old three-seat Louis' Lunch".
- Referring to Louis' Lunch, Earl Steinbicker in his Daytrips New England: 50 One-Day Adventures, claims this is the place where the American hamburger was invented.
- The episode Hamburger Paradise on the Travel Channels show, Food Paradise, features Louis' Lunch.
- A New Haven-focused episode of Man v. Food NationMan v. Food NationMan v. Food Nation is the name given to the fourth season of the Travel Channel's Man v. Food, a food reality television series. It premiered at 9 PM ET on June 1, 2011, with a special preview episode, "The Quest Begins", airing at 9 PM ET on May 25, 2011.In this show, host Adam Richman, actor and...
includes a segment at Louis' Lunch. - Louis' Lunch was rated #1 in Travel Channel's 2010 Chowdown Countdown also called 101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down.