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- Food & Beverage
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- American foodFood
- Where:
- United States
- Date change rule:
- Every May
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- 🍔
National Hamburger Month celebrates America’s beloved sandwich throughout May each year. Dive into the rich history of the hamburger, explore its countless variations, and discover why this versatile dish remains a culinary staple. Get ready to fire up the grill, try new recipes, and visit your favorite burger joints!
Want to sponsor National Hamburger Month? Learn how
Expected National Hamburger Month Deals
As National Hamburger Month unfolds in May 2027, expect a sizzle of promotions from major fast-food chains and gourmet burger restaurants. Historically, brands like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s have offered special discounts or limited-time menu items. Upscale establishments such as Shake Shack and Five Guys often feature unique burger creations or combo deals. Grocery stores like Kroger and Whole Foods will likely run sales on ground beef, buns, and toppings, while plant-based brands like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat may also join in with promotions. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as May approaches.
Platform Guide for National Hamburger Month
TikTok
Tag @www.nationaltoday.com and use #NationalHamburgerMonth. Film your ultimate burger build, share grilling tips, or review local burger joints.
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalHamburgerMonth. Post mouth-watering photos of your favorite burgers, from classic cheeseburgers to gourmet creations.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NationalHamburgerMonth. Share your family’s favorite burger recipes, host a virtual cookout, or poll friends on their go-to toppings.
National Hamburger Month Hero
Louis Lassen
History of National Hamburger Month
As far as credit for the transformation of the European meat sandwiches into the sesame-seed bun, wide patty, condiment and leaf-laden burger we know today? You might as well draw a name out of a hat. For the sake of simplicity, we’ll tell you that among the first to serve American hamburgers were the owners of the first White Castle restaurants, who in turn spread the story of the burger’s invention by a chef named Otto Kuase (whose sandwich included a fried egg on top of the patty; the egg was later omitted).
The other main component to remember about the hamburger’s origin is its presence at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. At that event, burgers were served and became popular enough to become a de facto exhibit of their own. Writing up the Fair, the “New York Tribune” called the new hamburger “the innovation of a food vendor on the pike,” the word ‘pike’ meaning the fair’s midway, a mile-long span that showcased numerous amusements and activities. History has (fairly certainly) revealed the vendor in question to be the late Fletcher Davis. Counterclaims have been made in print and oral histories, but we accept them as more variables in the swirling mists of time that have irrevocably obscured the hamburger’s precise birth circumstances.
But hey, we don’t have to be historians to eat our favorite food, right?
National Hamburger Month timeline
As fast-food burger chains compete more and more intensely, patties increase in size, resulting in McDonald’s “Big Mac” and Burger King’s “Whopper.”
Chef and entrepreneur Walter "Walt" Anderson opens a hamburger stand in Kansas, his business eventually leading to the successful White Castle restaurant chain.
In a contested piece of historical fact, Fletcher “Old Dave” Davis of Athens, Texas, invents the hamburger, serving a beef patty between two slices of bread at the St. Louis World’s Fair.
Connecticut blacksmith and preacher Louis Lassen receives credit for creating the first hamburger — though as we’ve seen there is room for debate.
Fletcher Davis of Athens, Texas, perhaps invented the hamburger, serving a beef patty between two slices of bread. However this fact, much like everything else about the invention of the burger, is up for debate.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Hamburger Month
Local restaurants and diners can celebrate National Hamburger Month by offering special ‘Burger of the Week’ features or limited-time burger creations throughout May. Promote these unique offerings on social media using #NationalHamburgerMonth. Butcher shops can highlight premium ground beef blends and offer grilling tips to customers, while local breweries might pair their craft beers with recommended burger styles. Food trucks can host special ‘burger pop-ups’ in different neighborhoods, creating excitement and drawing new customers.
National Hamburger Month FAQs
When is National Hamburger Month?
In 2027, National Hamburger Month is observed for the entire month of May, providing ample opportunity for grilling, dining out, and celebrating all things burger. Get ready for a month-long culinary adventure!
How many hamburgers are consumed in the U.S. annually?
With roughly 50 billion hamburgers eaten each year, the U.S. demonstrates its deep affection for this versatile dish. The sheer scale of consumption highlights its enduring appeal across all demographics.
What are the origins of the hamburger?
While its exact origin is debated, the hamburger’s roots trace back to Hamburg, Germany, where beef patties were a common meal. The concept evolved in America as ground beef was placed between bread, transforming it into a convenient and beloved meal.
Is the hamburger truly American?
The hamburger’s journey from a German-inspired dish to an American culinary icon is a testament to its adaptability. The addition of the bun and various toppings, along with its mass appeal, cemented its status as a quintessential American food.
HOW TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL HAMBURGER MONTH
Throw a backyard barbecue
Considering the preponderance of digestive peculiarities in today’s America, you might need to include gluten-free buns and tofu-base patties, but now is the perfect time to flip some burgers for your family and friends. It's an old-standing American tradition, and May has the perfect weather for it.
Try a different kind of burger
We all have our favorites, our fallbacks, our tried-and-trues. But in honor of a whole month of burger love, go ahead and explore. Angus, chili, Buffalo, California, vegan, and more hamburger varieties are available right down the road at your favorite grocery. And we're only just getting started. Use your chef’s intuition, and cook up something new!
Read up on hamburger history
It’s a given that the internet is chock-full of fascinating facts, stories, theories, blogs, and posts of all kinds. Everyone has an opinion about everything, with America’s favorite food no exception. (You’ll find some mouth-watering images, too!)
FIVE AMAZING FACTS ABOUT MCDONALD’S
“There’s one in every group”
Until the year 1990, there was a McDonald’s restaurant that was not beholden to the rules, regulations and standards of all the other franchise and corporate stores, and it was owned by the original McDonald brothers.
Taking advantage of a technicality
Since the armed services regulation AR 670-1 and the Uniform Code of Military Justice prevented soldiers from getting out of their cars to go into McDonald's restaurants, in 1975 drive-through service was added to McDonald’s branches near a military base in Arizona.
Nothing like BBQ
In 1940 in San Bernardino, California, the first McDonald’s opened, specializing not in hamburgers, but in barbecue foods.
A truly enterprising entrepreneur
Ray Kroc was the “Multi-mixer” salesman who sold McDonald’s their first order of the milkshake machines, and he saw the potential of the company, going on to purchase franchise rights and going down in history.
With attention to good causes
The Ronald McDonald House charities, whose people help sick children and their parents, raised around $450 million in the year 2013, alleviating the suffering of many families.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL HAMBURGER MONTH
It’s patriotic
There’s no denying that the hamburger is America’s favorite food, and the numbers are there to back up the claim: we eat 50 billion burgers a year! That’s three burgers a week for every single person in our great land.
Burgers are the ultimate comfort food
A hamburger, a soft drink, and a container of fries. Who among us doesn’t love to have all three within reach? It’s like apple pie and Fourth of July fireworks. We’ve even heard of some vegetarians and vegans driving two or three towns away from where they live, to secretly indulge!
It’s a nice feeling to be on top
Hamburgers are not only the food eaten most often, but also the top selling food in the U.S. We looked into how burgers competed with delivery and frozen pizza, and it turned out that pizza isn’t even a close second to the ubiquitous hamburger. You can silently chant the refrain, “We’re number one, we’re number one,” as you sink your teeth into that juicy patty…
Social Media Tips for National Hamburger Month
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