The beauty of hamburgers is their versatility. Chefs around the world have innovated endless combinations of buns, patties, toppings, and sauces. Who would have thought that glazed doughnuts would work so well as buns for traditional patties or that black bean burgers would take off the way they did?
Ultimately, burgers bring people together. Gathering with friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances to nosh on comforting, filling hamburgers is a tried-and-true bonding experience, and it can turn even the worst days around.
For example, at The Pharmacy, a European-style beer garden slinging burgers in Nashville, hamburgers are the centerpiece of its exceptional menu full of hand-crafted foods. Nashvillians know and love the extensive burger options, including some stand-out creations that are unique to The Pharmacy. In this instance, burgers have truly worked to bring the East Nashville community together–thanks to its reputation as a community epicenter, The Pharmacy has expanded to three locations in the Greater Nashville region.
But how did we get to where we are today?
History of Burgers
It all began when ground beef came to America. A large number of German immigrants moved to the United States around 1848, when political revolutions were rampant in the country. With them, these German immigrants brought beer gardens and new types of meat preparation. “Hamburg-style” chopped steak became quite popular.
About 20 years later, chefs began cooking ground beef patties. Around the same time, at-home meat grinders became widely available. Suddenly, the hamburger was a fast-food staple at fairs and roadside restaurants. The burger reached its first widespread audience at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.
After a brief dip in popularity due to the release of Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle about the meatpacking industry, the opening of the first White Castle restaurant in Kansas in 1921 cemented the burger into America’s culinary lexicon. The restaurant’s system for on-premise meat grinding provided a template for other burger juggernauts to come. (Source: History.com)
How Do Burgers Bring Us Together?
With such a rich history, it’s no surprise that hamburgers bring people together. Here are a few ways burgers remain at the center of our culture and communities.
1. Familiarity
Whether you’re looking for burgers in Nashville, burgers in California, or beyond, one thing we can all agree on is that burgers remind us of home. Hamburgers are comfort food at their finest, and for many Americans, eating burgers evokes memories of picnics, pool parties, and family gatherings from childhood to adulthood.
2. Affordability
Hosting a small gathering in your yard? Grab a pack of burgers! Grilling for 100 at a family reunion? Burgers are still a great choice!
Burger patties are affordable, easy to cook, and nearly universally appreciated. That goes for non-meat burgers, too, like black bean patties and impossible meat patties. No matter a person’s dietary preferences, there’s an affordable burger option for them to enjoy.
3. Variety
There truly is no limit to the types of burgers you can create. Burgers in Nashville often boast juicy, farm-fresh beef patties smothered in unique sauces and fresh vegetable toppings. On the West Coast, you might find avocado and thousand-island dressing on your burgers. In the Midwest, it’s cheeseburgers or bust. The sheer possibilities that burgers possess encourage eaters to have fun with their peers and share a memorable meal together!
Serving Community with Your Burgers In Nashville
Hamburgers have been a staple in American culture for over a century. Nearly everyone has a treasured memory of eating a really great burger—and as long as ground beef continues to exist, burgers will continue to bring people together. At all three locations of The Pharmacy in Nashville, the staff is just as committed to the community as they are to their amazing food, and the whole city is better for it!
