Is Salt Lake City the Best Cheap Burger Town in America?

From pastrami burgers to fry sauce, a distinctive—and gloriously old-school—patty culture thrives in the Utah capital.

Scarlett Lindeman

Salt Lake City’s culinary scene rarely whips up the food cognoscenti into a lusty fervor like Austin, Portland, or Charleston. Most assume the city to be culinarily challenged, offering nothing more than bland, staid grub and watered-down beer.

But if you’re on the hunt for Americana, Salt Lake City maintains a hidden cache of gastronomic intrigue. It’s a destination rife with drive-ins, mom-and-pop burger stands, and small, independent fast-food chains, which dot the valley like sesame seeds on a toasted bun. Together, these spots form a proud tradition that binds the city together—after all, the holy trinity of hamburger, fries, and a thick, frosty shake is a corporeal pleasure that even Mormons can enjoy.

The proliferation of quick and easy burger restaurants can be traced to the early 20th century, which brought the first waves of immigrants to the developing city when it needed a fresh labor force to work the mines and railroads. It was the Greeks who first flocked, worked, and then stayed for generations, developing small businesses, diners, and—of course—burger joints. Astro Burger, Apollo Burger, Crown Burger, and Olympus Burger are just a few among dozens with Greek lineage, which is evidenced by the gyros on their menus and baklava at their counters.

Pastrami burgers are another local passion. Born in Los Angeles but flourishing in the SLC, the salty meat-on-meat creation is a requisite for any local burger stand. It’s easier to get the rosy slivers piled high on a cheeseburger than in a deli sandwich.

To help you navigate the offerings, here are five Utah born-and-bred burger joints, leagues above any national chain, where you can get a true taste of the local patty culture.

Salt Lake City’s culinary scene rarely whips up the food cognoscenti into a lusty fervor like Austin, Portland, or Charleston. Most assume the city to be culinarily challenged, offering nothing more than bland, staid grub and watered-down beer. But if you're on the hunt for Americana, Salt Lake City maintains a hidden cache of gastronomic intrigue. It's a destination rife with drive-ins, mom-and-pop burger stands, and small, independent fast-food chains, which dot the valley like sesame seeds on a toasted bun. Together, these spots form a proud tradition that binds the city together—after all, the holy trinity of hamburger, fries, and a thick, frosty shake is a corporeal pleasure that even Mormons can enjoy. The proliferation of quick and easy burger restaurants can be traced to the early 20th century, which brought the first waves of immigrants to the developing city when it needed a fresh labor force to work the mines and railroads. It was the Greeks who first flocked, worked, and then stayed for generations, developing small businesses, diners, and—of course—burger joints. Astro Burger, Apollo Burger, Crown Burger, and Olympus Burger are just a few among dozens with Greek lineage, which is evidenced by the gyros on their menus and baklava at their counters. Pastrami burgers are another local passion. Born in Los Angeles but flourishing in the SLC, the salty meat-on-meat creation is a requisite for any local burger stand. It’s easier to get the rosy slivers piled high on a cheeseburger than in a deli sandwich. To help you navigate the offerings, here are five Utah born-and-bred burger joints, leagues above any national chain, where you can get a true taste of the local patty culture.
Arctic Circle

In comparison to some of the other mom-and-pop joints in the area, Arctic Circle hews more closely to a national fast-food model with drive-thru windows, cheap combos, and children’s play areas. The Utah franchise started serving burgers, fries, and lime rickeys in Midvale in 1950 and has since expanded to include seventy-one restaurants in seven states. Arctic Circle is well-known for its chocolate-dipped ice cream cones called “brown toppers,” as well as its slim, small hamburgers. Its true claim to fame, though, is that it is considered the inventor of fry sauce, a tart and creamy regional condiment that, for Utahns, is the only sensible coating for a naked fry. The pale orange sauce is a sum much greater than its parts, a mixture of ketchup, mayonnaise, and secret spices (some people compare it to Thousand Island or Russian dressing, but it stands on its own). Every Utah burger joint worth knowing offers its own version, but Arctic Circle's medium-bodied, speckled version is the original—pick up a few bottles to take home while you're there. Arctic Circle 7210 South State St Midvale, UT 84047 (801) 566-2311 http://www.acburger.com/
B & D Burgers

An electric fireplace beckons at B & D Burgers, a burger-and-shake institution in the foothills of Salt Lake City that has been feeding University of Utah students since 1981. Co-eds and local residents congregate for crispy onion rings, gyros, and sandwiches on soft, yeasty buns. There are plain burgers, cheeseburgers, and the requisite pastrami burger, but the bacon and blue cheese burger is the real star here. The bacon adds smoky crunch and the thin dressing dribbles off the flame-kissed patty, thicker and juicier than most. The blended milkshakes that rise high above the rim come in over thirty varieties, from butterscotch to banana. B & D Burgers 222 S 1300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84102 (801) 582-7200
Ballard's Iceberg

Note: Not to be confused with Iceberg’s Drive-In, another local chain. Iceberg’s has been in the family since 1959, when the Ballards attached a petite burger shack to the front of their house in Draper, a farming track of South Salt Lake City. The black-and-white photos that capture those early days are hung around the restaurant, which has a walk-up counter and half-a-dozen Formica booths. Iceberg’s uses freshly ground beef for its paper-thin burger patties, which are seared on the flat-top, then annealed together two at a time with American cheese—a double is the standard. For the burger, they omit the fry sauce and go a traditional route, with ketchup, mustard, onion, and pickles, making the compact burgers taste like better versions of those found at the Golden Arches. There are also incredible onion rings, stiff malts and shakes, and perfectly golden, well-seasoned, skin-on fries. Ask for the tangy, orange fry sauce, served in tiny ribbed plastic cups that, in any other state, would hold coffee creamer. Iceberg’s 673 East 12300 South Draper, UT 84020 (801) 571-2453
Crown Burgers

With its brown, beige, and yellow decor, Crown Burgers is happily stuck in the '70s. Each of the seven locations is styled differently with oriental tapestries, stuffed game birds, cuckoo clocks, and French chandeliers. The first Crown Burgers, opened in 1978 by John and Rula Katzourakis and Nick Katsanevas, became the most illustrious of the Greek-owned and operated burger joints in Salt Lake City, and went on to popularize the now ubiquitous pastrami burger. A rosy heap of pastrami drapes the grilled beef patty of the namesake Crown Burger, the richness countered by shaved lettuce, fresh tomato, and a slick of fry sauce. The spot also serves a superior patty melt, featuring burger meat sandwiched between slices of seeded rye with American cheese and caramelized onions. As the old-fashioned sandwich becomes more and more difficult to find these days, Crown Burger continues to do the tradition proud. Crown Burgers 377 East 200 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801) 532-1155 http://www.crown-burgers.com/
Pastrami burger (photo: Jake Lindeman)
Hires Big H

Established in 1959 by Don Hale, a local grocer, Hires Big H still maintains a drive-in. Should you wish, a car hop will shuttle orders out to your car so you can shovel hand-cut fries into your face in the comfort of the rusty Toyota Corolla you’ve had since high-school. Or, you can eat inside the newly spruced-up dining room. The pastrami burgers sit on squishy potato rolls, the fry sauce is tart and creamy, and they concoct a dark and spicy house-made root beer. The legendary root beer floats are served in gargantuan glass steins, with frosty soda bubbling up beneath a crown of vanilla soft-serve that swirls high above the mug. Hires Big H 425 South 700 East Salt Lake City, UT 84102 (801) 364-4582 http://www.hiresbigh.com/
House-made root beer float (photo: Jake Lindeman)

Is Salt Lake City the Best Cheap Burger Town in America?

Arctic Circle

B & D Burgers

Ballard's Iceberg

Crown Burgers

Hires Big H

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