First Cheeseburger in America...Kaelin's

I will be working onsite in Louisville for much of this fall. So, one of the first things I settled upon arrival was asking a local about the best burgers around. To my surprise, he claimed that the first cheeseburger was made nearby. I also had a great tip before I even left good ol' south Florida to check out another local restaurant called Jack Fry's.

So there you have it...my checklist for Louisville had a great start with 2 solid leads. On my third night in town I got a cab to Kaelin's, which claims to be the "Birthplace of the Cheeseburger."

Upon arrival, I could tell this was the place. The neon sign out front was likely to be the same sign before there was cheese on meat patties. Check it out for yourself.

Then I had to figure out how to get in. The building appears to maybe a combination of add-ons over the years or acquisitions of the property on the lot. I found my way around back to a parking lot with multiple cars. Which made me feel much better as the website and a sign out front boast about $2 Cheeseburger night..a different end of the spectrum I have recently been privy to. The large front patio was somewhat empty. But, to Kaelin's credit I was dining a bit early for dinner or maybe even a bar crowd.

I entered through the back door which I found with an arrow from the side door. A classic feel that is kind of hard to describe. The booths and tables were what one might expect of the area and the joint's potential age...wooden and old, while the decorations were a bit odd. Items that you could pick up at a garage sale or maybe see at your grandparents home.

Let's talk about the burger. It came with home made potato chips and was cooked to order and color coded with a mini yellow pirate sword which I suppose indicates medium rare.

Let's just say I've had better. I'm happy that someone invented the cheeseburger, but this original doesn't make my top 10 and won't get me to send anyone out of their way except to experience the history. I could have probably finished 2 of them. The bun was quality and of the right size. Not a pillowy dream that many of you want to dress your sandwiches with. Staple garnishings included a healthy slice of tomato, nearly a full slice of onion, and a piece of romaine.

Apparently they serve a lot of burgers each day and the patties are made in the back. I hope you enjoy the pics and make sure to check out their website. I will probably make it back in the weeks to come to give them a second try. We'll see how it goes.