More Burgers in Illinois

Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Burgers in the Heartland 

Is there any food more American than the burgers? Today we celebrate one of our country's greatest culinary inventions - cheeseburgers. As I've typed many a times on this site, the Midwest is a hotspot for burgers. You'll find the largest concentration of old school burger spots in the Midwest region. States like Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois offer up endless options. Local places that have been serving their communities for decades on end. Here in Illinois you'll find a large number of old school burger spots in the central part of the state. It was back in 2015 that I first introduced the internet to the smashed crispy burgers of Central Illinois. The smashed burger has become a national phenomenon since that post first dropped. You can find one just about anywhere these days but today we head back to the land where they were abundant long before influencers were a thing. 

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Dairy King (Breese)

Our first stop is Breese, Illinois (pop. 4641) where there’s not one but two iconic burger stands that sit across the street from each other. First up is the local Dairy King which has been a part of the Breese community since 1951 when it was a small ice cream shack in the back of another business. The old building was torn down and a new one with a drive-thru lane was built. They have a couple signature items including the Cheese Squeeze which is two smashed beef patties with American and Swiss cheese plus grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo. If melts aren’t your thing go for a classic cheeseburger which gets a textbook smash. A large selection of the locally made soda pop called Ski is the other big draw, along with ice cream. The soda pop comes from the nearby Excel Bottling plant and is avilable in different flavors like citrus and a cheery that was developed for Dairy King. They sell the largest volume of fountain Ski including an exclusive Rainbow Ski which is a mix of flavors and a bunch of crushed ice. A legendary stop in the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metro area.

Cheeze Squeeze and Rainbow Ski at Dairy King 
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Wally's (Breese)

You'll find Wally's right across the street from Dairy King. They opened in 1951 in a converted gas station. We arrived around 10:45a about 15 mins after opening and it was already packed with locals picking up lunch on the job and families coming from soccer and such. Many were leaving with boxes of burgers to bring elsewhere. The meat is ground on site and formed into thinner patties that are cooked up to 50 at a time on weekends. It’s best to get a double which is less than $4 and better than most burgers of any price-point. Although these weren’t smashed they were full of flavor and carried the aroma of a slider. I knew I would like me some Wally’s just from the looks of it but I was surprised just how good it was. One of the best anywhere but some still prefer the spot across the street.

Double Cheeseburger from Wally's 
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Fairview Inn (Fairview Heights)

We drove over the Mississippi River from St. Louis into Fairview Heights Illinois: home of the Fairview Inn, a dive bar known for it’s burger. Fresh balls of beef are smashed on a tiny four wheel flattop behind the bar. Pictured below is a double that almost melts in your mouth due to the softness of the beef and the bun. A real deal contender that’s relatively unknown outside of the area. Both the bar and the cheeseburger reminded me some of Green Gables in Hudson which served one of the best burgers in the state before burning down in a fire. Hopefully this place doesn't meet the same fate. 

Double Cheeseburger at Fairview Inn
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Bill's Toasty Shop (Taylorville)

I finally got to visit this Central Illinois classic that I’d been trying to get to for years but it just never worked out despite the fact it’s open 24/7. Bill’s Toasty Shop has been at it since 1932 and shows no signs of slowing down. Burgers come in 1/4, 1/2, 1 lb and 1.5 lb portions with the 1/2 pounder pictured below. It’s a classic setup with a long counter with seating for about 10 and a few tables lined up against the wall behind it. The grill is at the front near the window and there’s pretty much never a time when burgers aren’t being cooked on it. Fresh balls of beef are lightly smashed and full of flavor from the veteran flattop. This was one bad ass burger and the handspun milkshakes are also great.

Cheeseburger at Bill's Toasty Shop
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Fulgenzi's Pizza & Pasta (Springfield)

Double Smashed Crispy Burger, Slim Jim Sandwich, Chilli, and a housemade tortellini soup (not pictured). That was our lunch spread at Fulgenzi’s in Springfield across the street from the State Fairgrounds in the former location of the local legend that was Custard Castle. The space was taken over in 1979 by a local alderman who turned it into an Italian restaurant but kept around the regionally loved smashed burgers that made Custard Castle so popular. Central Illinois style Chilli, yes it’s a thing, always spelled with two L’s, is very popular in these parts too. The most glaring characteristic of Central Illinois style "chilli" is the puddle of grease on top of each bowl. This is called oleo oil and it comes from the suet used. You’re supposed to use all the oyster crackers you get with it to soak up all the oil. Other than that it’s ground beef, kidney beans and whatever other secret ingredients are used. I’ve seen recipes calling for tomato juice and other interesting stuff. Honestly I’m getting to old to eat this but I had to document it and gave it a taste too. I like it but it’s without a doubt a heart stopper. Despite numerous trips down here I’d never heard of The Slim Jim Sandwich which is another regional specialty which the lady taking our order told me is a relic of another long gone town favorite, Tops Big Boy. A Slim Jim is grilled hot ham, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and sauce which here is thousand island dressing but elsewhere around town some spots use tartar sauce which is basically what Bob’s Big Boy Sauce was back in that chains heyday. No room for a Horseshoe but they have those here too. There's lots of interesting food stops down in the State Capital.

Lunch at Fulgenzi's (click pics to enhance)
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See ya next time @chibbqking