Louis' Lunch

Jeff Lassen opens the door at noon to a rush of New Haven lunch goers looking for a quick meal. The small, quaint brick building with pops of red color soon swells with hungry customers, waiting for their simple hamburgers and hot coffee. If any customer asks for fixings other than tomato or onion, or dare anyone ask for ketchup, he immediately refuses, as they would obfuscate the fresh prime burgers specially concocted daily by Lassen. Lassen, further, cooks these burgers in ancient vertical broilers dating to 1898 to eliminate worries of grease, and serves the beef on sandwich bread, a seemingly rather odd touch. Customers share in quick conversations with Lassen before grabbing their paper-plated sandwiches and leaving delighted with their experience.

At first, this may seem a rather odd eating experience. This hamburger, however, is not just any hamburger. In fact, Lassen and his relatives have been serving these burgers in this unassuming rustic diner since his great grandfather Louis invented them in 1900, over a century ago. Since this historical event, the story of Louis’ Lunch, the Lassen family, and their building, has come to follow the development of New Haven. From industrial growth in the 1890s to urban renewal in the 1970s, Louis’ Lunch has served generations of New Haven residents and participated personally a cultural growth. The building and its tenant now attract tourists, coming from across the country to engrave their name into the ancient wooden counter and declare that they have seen the birthplace of the hamburger.