Whether you're an armchair traveler, a serious hamburger connoisseur, or a curious adventurer up for a road trip, Hamburger America will be your guide to reclaiming this precious slice of Americana. No other food says “America” like the hamburger, and documentary filmmaker George Motz has made it his personal mission to save our nation's unique burger identity. He has traveled across the country in search of the best burger joints - those that have survived outside the fast-food mainstream - and has documented their rich histories and one-of-a-kind taste experiences. This edition of the book includes George Motz's 1 hour documentary “Hamburger America” that profiles 8 burger joints across the USA.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In the 2005 documentary of the same name (included with the book), Motz documented eight classic hamburger joints across the country. In the ensuing years he's broadened his horizons but not his tastes; here he presents a hundred hamburger spots in 39 states, each profiled with love and accompanied by mouthwatering full-color portraits. From Louis' Lunch in New Haven, Conn.-allegedly the oldest continuously operating hamburger establishment in the U.S.-to Olympia, Wash.'s Eastside Big Tom, Motz talks with the owners, employees and customers who keep the cuisine alive and eclectic. In addition to the traditional, Motz introduces readers to regional spins like Iowa's Maid Rite sandwich, a kind of sauceless Sloppy Joe; the green chili-topped burgers of Santa Fe's Bobcat Bite; and Sedalia, Missouri's "Guberburger," dressed with melted peanut butter. Motz limits his selections to independently owned operations that use fresh, not frozen, meat, the most shining example of which is Oklahoma's Joe Maranto, who raises longhorn cattle for eating at his nearby restaurant. Those with a soft spot for Americana, diner cuisine or delicious burgers will delight in this bright, quirky love letter to the American everyman staple, complete with contact information and recipes.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Review
"A fine overview of the best practitioners of the burger sciences."--Anthony Bourdain
"As a French Chef who took an unexpected approach to the American burger, I'm glad that George has put together this fantastic guide to 100 of the classics."--Daniel Boulud
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential Americana reading and a fantastic guidebook for the perfect food
May 13, 2008
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first saw Motz's documentary Hamburger America (which is included with the book) and was amazed on how he captured more than just places that serve a mean hamburger. Every place he went in the film gave you a look at different types of Americans, their history, their future and all held together by the love of America's favorite food. The book builds upon that. Each entry is written with admiration for the burger, the restaurant and the people that cook them. By visiting different cities, cultures, races, and histories of the many burger joints in this book, Motz is able to bring them altogether on one theme: they all make a great burger. And isn't that what America is about? This hodgepodge of cultures in one place looking for the dream, can all be united by ground beef in a bun. Forget the mass produced fast food chains. It's the local mom and pops, diners, decades old places that Americans hold true to their heart. It was written that if you don't claim your hometown greasy spoon as serving the best burger, then you're a wimp. Well this book covers many of those hometown favorites. Even if you do not especially like hamburgers, this book is essential for reading on American folk-life and its wonderful people.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
By M. Ward
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
this book was really fun to read and so much information about the best hamburger places in the country. Makes you hungry the minute you start flipping through it. The DVD that came with it was a great bonus and very entertaining. This is a great buy.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By J. Driver
Format:Paperback
I got this book for my husband for Father's Day. He has been on a little search of his own for the best burgers around. He loves the book and we can't wait to try some of these on our travels this summer.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By R. Stephan
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I am partners in a small Hamburger joint here in Arlington Texas. I had to have this just to see what great gimmicks there are out there. I was greatly pleased with this book. Two of my favorite places back home in Columbus Ohio made the grade. As well as a place here in Ft Worth... But I don't think the one here compares at all with my criteria... must have been a money thing with them. But it's the DVD that came with the book that makes it all worth while. Wonderful DVD showing some of best and unusual places to be had across America.. Makes you want to do a rode trip.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is terrific. I can't stop reading it. It's like a fascinating trip through time, into the past forty years of life in America.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A great starting point, but it leaves some questions about some burger choices.
June 28, 2009
By DMC-FS5 User
Format:Paperback
We picked up this book, late in 2008, and after viewing the DVD that was included with it, and reading about some of the restaurants featured in areas that we sometimes travel, a few of us have made it a point of sampling the burgers at many of these restaurants....
In all instances, we ordered and sampled the burger that was described in the book, and to date, we've only been to restaurants in the "South" - Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia etc.... We still have so many more to visit..
The fun part for us is making a trip to these locations, and seeing / sampling what the author wrote about in the book.
[...]
Considering the states I've listed above, three stand out...
The best so far is from Cotham's in Scott, Arkansas. Great Burger, Great Ambience... and Great surroundings. This one has to be seen and tasted.
A close second is Char-Grill in Raleigh, N.C. Very good.
Third is in Fort Worth - At Kincaid's...
We can't quite understand why Dyers on Beale in Memphis made it in this book... it's just not up to par with everything else we tasted. We went there twice in different months, to make sure we just didn't have a bad day... The second visit confirmed our thoughts of the first visit there.
El Camino in Austin was also a bit "typical" and did not meet the mark of our expectations.
We'll continue trying to visit (and photograph) the Hamburger America locations and sample their burgers... It's a great guide, with a lot of fun places to visit. But by all means, it's not a listing of the best there is...
That's a bit disapointing.
In all instances, we ordered and sampled the burger that was described in the book, and to date, we've only been to restaurants in the "South" - Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia etc.... We still have so many more to visit..
The fun part for us is making a trip to these locations, and seeing / sampling what the author wrote about in the book.
[...]
Considering the states I've listed above, three stand out...
The best so far is from Cotham's in Scott, Arkansas. Great Burger, Great Ambience... and Great surroundings. This one has to be seen and tasted.
A close second is Char-Grill in Raleigh, N.C. Very good.
Third is in Fort Worth - At Kincaid's...
We can't quite understand why Dyers on Beale in Memphis made it in this book... it's just not up to par with everything else we tasted. We went there twice in different months, to make sure we just didn't have a bad day... The second visit confirmed our thoughts of the first visit there.
El Camino in Austin was also a bit "typical" and did not meet the mark of our expectations.
We'll continue trying to visit (and photograph) the Hamburger America locations and sample their burgers... It's a great guide, with a lot of fun places to visit. But by all means, it's not a listing of the best there is...
That's a bit disapointing.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
By way of anchoring this relatively unknown entity: if you like Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, then you will love this. Hamburger America started as a documentary by filmmaker George Motz in 2005. After favorable reviews and a James Beard Award nomination, he expanded on his mission (and likely his waistline!) and thus was born the book. The version sold here on Amazon includes the DVD, although the latter profiles only eight of the hundred eateries.
To be brutally honest, and with no disrespect, I am not sure all the burgers in the book (or the film) *are* the best tasting burgers you are going to find across the country. George included entries not only for the flavor of the food (not unimportant, of course) but also because of the character, history, and even photographic quality of the restaurant itself. Some are probably here because they are just so unique (think peanut butter burger).
So does Hamburger America contain every great burger in the country? Of course not. Are all the burgers in the book tastier than your local hometown special? Not necessarily. Are they all exponentially better (not to mention healthier) than McDonald's, Burger King, and the rest of the fast food alternatives now dotting the landscape? Most definitely. Will Hamburger America enrich your soul, even as it weighs down your gut? Again, yes. This book provides a slice of Americana to go along with that all-beef patty.
The book itself is almost coffee table quality, full of colorful photos that tell us about the wonderful people and places we would encounter on our journey. Many family eateries are disappearing, and this book provides a Route 66 road map of sorts to catalog for future generations.... Read more ›
To be brutally honest, and with no disrespect, I am not sure all the burgers in the book (or the film) *are* the best tasting burgers you are going to find across the country. George included entries not only for the flavor of the food (not unimportant, of course) but also because of the character, history, and even photographic quality of the restaurant itself. Some are probably here because they are just so unique (think peanut butter burger).
So does Hamburger America contain every great burger in the country? Of course not. Are all the burgers in the book tastier than your local hometown special? Not necessarily. Are they all exponentially better (not to mention healthier) than McDonald's, Burger King, and the rest of the fast food alternatives now dotting the landscape? Most definitely. Will Hamburger America enrich your soul, even as it weighs down your gut? Again, yes. This book provides a slice of Americana to go along with that all-beef patty.
The book itself is almost coffee table quality, full of colorful photos that tell us about the wonderful people and places we would encounter on our journey. Many family eateries are disappearing, and this book provides a Route 66 road map of sorts to catalog for future generations.... Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
fun book, but only for one read
This was a fun book, but after reading it once, I don't think I would read it again so it really wasn't worth buying.
Published 5 months ago by Drucilla Moeding
1.0 out of 5 stars
WASTED TRIP
WASTED TRIP
I received this book from a friend with good intentions.
Based on "facts regarding the state I live in and the states I have good familiarity... Read more
I received this book from a friend with good intentions.
Based on "facts regarding the state I live in and the states I have good familiarity... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Scat Savoy
3.0 out of 5 stars
OK but lacks one thing
The book is clearly a labour of love, and it will charm any burger lover. But I had hoped for more recipes than the handful which were included.
Published on March 16, 2010 by Tom Alaerts
5.0 out of 5 stars
Three reviews in one - Kindle, paperback and DVD versions
I bought the paperback version of this book several months ago and it included the DVD documentary movie version. Read more
Published on October 10, 2009 by Timothy B. Riley
4.0 out of 5 stars
A celebration of freedon
First, I was struck by the quality of the book itself. Thick quality paper stock, ample photos, font size that doesn't require a magnifying glass to read and a dvd to boot! Read more
Published on September 29, 2009 by Donald B. Willaims
5.0 out of 5 stars
America's love with the hamburger
George Motz's book, "Hamburger America" is a delight from beginning to end. Accompanied by an hourlong DVD highlighting some of the places the author has visited, Motz sets out to... Read more
Published on September 1, 2009 by Jon Hunt
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book!
If you travel and love hamburgers this book is a must have. The wife and I love hamburgers and will use this book as a reference when we travel. Read more
Published on March 7, 2009 by Chris Scalchunes
5.0 out of 5 stars
George Motz is an American Hero!
I love this book! I've been obsessed with Hamburger America since I saw the documentary on the Sundance Channel. Read more
Published on June 15, 2008 by R. Stark
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