Pete's Hamburgers is a seasonal walk-up hamburger stand in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

Pete's Hamburgers
Restaurant information
CityPrairie du Chien
StateWisconsin
CountryUnited States

Description

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Onions poaching and frying on the grill at Pete's

The walk-up stand Pete's Hamburgers operates in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. It is open Friday through Sunday from April through October.[1][2][3]

Pete's serves a hamburger that is poached in shallow water with thinly sliced onions that are poached along with the burgers.[1] Burgers are served with or without cooked or raw onions and condiments; cheese is not offered as a topping.[2] The 'Paul Gokey' burger includes cooked and raw onions, horseradish, and ketchup.[2]

History

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The stand was started in 1909 by Pete Gokey, who owned a food cart he took to local events.[1] He served burgers, and in order to keep burgers not immediately sold from drying out while he kept them warm on the flattop would add water to the flattop; customers returning for a second burger remarked that the second -- watered -- burger was better than the first, and Gokey started poaching the burgers.[2] Eventually he opened a stand at the intersection of Blackhawk Avenue and Beaumont Road in Prairie du Chien.[4] The stand goes through approximately one ton of onions in a season.[2]

Reception

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George Motz wrote, "It's nowhere near a major city and is a destination burger stand if there ever was one."[1] The Minneapolis Star-Tribune said it was "worth the drive to Wisconsin".[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Motz, George; Zimmern, Andrew; Brearton, Kristoffer; Young, Douglas (2016). The great American burger book: how to make authentic regional hamburgers at home. New York: Stewart, Tabori & Chang. ISBN 978-1-61769-182-9. OCLC 921863985.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Pete's Hamburgers". PBS. 19 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Hamburger stand in Prairie Du Chien serving customers for 115 years". WSAW. 26 September 2024.
  4. ^ Brainard, Ryan (2024-10-11). "One of the Midwest's Best Burger Stands Will Close Soon!". KHAK. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
  5. ^ Nelson, Rick (2015-06-06). "Burger Friday: Pete's Hamburgers worth the drive to Wisconsin". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Retrieved 2024-10-12.