In my last post I told the story of how I received a deceptively cool book from my hip, hip wife, Amy, for Christmas last year. That book was Hamburger America by George Motz. I also laid out the premise of the book. (See my last post for details.) Now we’ll start to get into the first leg of our Hamburger America Odyssey. We begin in Wisconsin while visiting Amy’s family for the holidays. It was almost time to head home to Lincoln, NE, and I decided that the trip back was a good chance to check out one of these burger places.
I started outlining a travel plan. There were about a dozen places that we could stop between Green Bay and Lincoln. Since Iowa only had four places, we decided to try and start knocking that state off our list first. We didn’t really care which one we went to, so we just picked whichever one would add the least amount of extra drive time according to our GPS. As things fell out, on January 5th, 2012, we decided to go to Hamburg Inn No. 2 in Iowa City, IA. Sitting on 214 North Linn St. and open daily from 6:30 am to 11:00 pm, this little burger spot would be our first appraisal of the taste of Motz. When we pulled up to the Hamburg Inn No. 2, we decided to pause for a moment and read the passage about it from the “Hamburger Bible” as we’ve affectionately come to call it. (Praise be to George Motz!)
Reflecting on the criteria of Motz, first the meat had to be ground fresh and never frozen. This wouldn’t be a problem at the Hamburg Inn No. 2. They grind all their meat fresh daily on the premises. This restaurant has an interesting history, especially in the political realm. It has become a spot for politicians on the campaign trail to stop off, grab a bite to eat, rub elbows with some locals, and let their “bubba factor” show through. Presidents like Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama have stopped at this college town favorite and mingled with the locals, showing that they are human and hungry for some darn good burgers just like everyone else.
The Hamburg Inn No. 2 has a great atmosphere. It feels like a small town coffee shop/bistro where you could go to grab a cup of joe and a sandwich while you study. We went inside, were shown to a table, and started looking at the extensive menu.
There was a lot of variety, but there was a substantial portion of the menu that was devoted to the burgers. The burgers start as six-ounce balls of fresh ground chuck and are pressed flat on the hot flattop griddle. No preformed patties here. They are served on cornmeal-dusted Kaiser rolls and you have the option of five types of cheese and numerous toppings ranging from the standard fare like tomatoes and lettuce to more exotic burger toppings like pineapple.
Amy and I both decided to go with a fairly straightforward order with our burgers. We got the standard toppings. The burgers also each came with two sides. I ordered fries and potato salad, which was some of the best potato salad I’ve ever had.
To help wash down my burger I got a cherry shake, which was so rich, creamy, and flavorful it was out of this world. Finally, getting to the burgers. When the food came out we paused to take a quick picture for the scrapbook, savored the fragrance, and finally dug in.
It was love at first bite. Having lived so long in a world of burgers where McDonalds and Burger King were the final word, I had had no idea what I was missing. This first bite redefined burgers and what they should be for me. The meat was moist and flavorful. The flavor and texture of the bun lent a smooth undertone to the fresh beef. It was the first time that Amy ever saw my “burger-gasm” face. As my wife puts it, “It’s when I know you’ve had a good one”. And with that meal I think it’s safe to say I experienced my first multiple burger-gasm. Every bite was sublime. I was in heaven and Amy was right there with me. She definitely isn’t as much of a carnivore as I am, but she was loving that burger.
We finished up our burgers and sat basking in the afterglow of our mealtime bliss. We paid our tab, bought a couple t-shirts, and asked a stranger to take a picture of us outside the front of the restaurant.
We got back in the car and as Amy started to drive I got out an old photo album that Amy’s grandma had given us and started writing a reflection in our scrapbook. We have a five star rating system for our burger experiences and not many have gotten the coveted five star rating, but the Hamburg Inn No. 2 exceeded all our expectations and whetted our appetite for more burger adventures.
Final rating: 5 stars!
Next time we take on Stella’s Hamburgers, and this time we bring friends!
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