History
Kenneth Salmon, known as Solly, popularised the butter burger at Solly's Coffee Shop in Milwaukee in 1936, and the style spread across Wisconsin as a tavern lunch counter staple. Madison's Tipsy Cow, the King Street tavern off Capitol Square, codified the butter burger on a downtown bar menu in the early 2010s; the Plazaburger at the Plaza Tavern, the secret-sauce double-stack served since 1964 on North Henry Street, runs in parallel as Madison's other defining tavern burger.
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Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g 80/20 ground beef chuck
- 4 soft white hamburger buns
- 60g salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced thin
- 4 slices American cheese
- Salt and black pepper
- Yellow mustard
- Sliced pickles to serve
Method
- Divide beef into 4 equal portions; form into loose patties slightly larger than the buns.
- Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and the sliced onions; cook 8 minutes until soft and golden.
- Push onions to the side. Season patties with salt and pepper, then sear on the hot pan 2 minutes per side for medium.
- Top each patty with a slice of cheese in the final minute; cover the pan briefly to melt.
- Toast the cut sides of the buns in the butter and onion-fat residue in the pan.
- Place a patty on each bun, spoon a generous pat of butter on top of the patty, then add stewed onions, pickles and a stripe of yellow mustard.
- Eat immediately, ideally with a chocolate malt on the side.
Tip from the editors. Butter goes on top of the patty after cooking; do not skip. Use salted butter and stewed onions; American cheese is canonical, cheddar works.
Where to eat butter burger
Butter burger in Madison
Tipsy Cow ★ 4.4
Tipsy Cow on King Street, just off Capitol Square, runs an American burger menu with Wisconsin cheese curds, craft beer and a long whisky and cocktail list.
OrderA Wisconsin butter burger with fried cheese curds on the side.
TipClosed Sundays; the bar runs faster than the dining room midweek.
The Plaza Tavern & Grill ★ 4.3
The Plaza Tavern on North Henry, a block off State Street between the Capitol and UW Madison, is home to the secret-sauce Plazaburger since 1964.
OrderThe Plazaburger with the secret sauce and a side of fried cheese curds.
TipClosed Sundays; the small-town tavern feel makes the dinner shift the right window.
Dotty Dumpling's Dowry ★ 4.3
Dotty Dumpling's Dowry on North Frances, downtown Madison's burger institution, runs cheese-curd-topped burgers and hand-cut onion rings under $15 at lunch.
TryMelting Pot burger with onion rings
Settle Down Tavern ★ 4.5
Settle Down Tavern on South Pinckney from Sam Parker, Ryan Huber and Brian Bartels is the city's new-American tavern with a deep brandy Old Fashioned list.
DrinkWisconsin brandy Old Fashioned with a high-end pour
FoodNew American supper club menu
Butter burger in Milwaukee
Solly's Grille ★ 4.6
Solly's Grille on North Port Washington Road has served the original butter burger with stewed onions and chocolate malts at counter prices since Kenneth.
TryButter burger and chocolate malt
Sobelman's Pub and Grill ★ 4.4
Sobelman's Pub and Grill on West St Paul Avenue serves Milwaukee's most photographed Bloody Mary with a brat, slider, cheese and pickled garnish stack.
TryCheeseburger and Bloody Mary
Kopp's Frozen Custard ★ 4.7
Kopp's Frozen Custard on North Port Washington Road in Glendale serves jumbo cheeseburgers and a daily-changing custard flavour at counter prices since Elsa.
TryJumbo cheeseburger and custard cone
AJ Bombers ★ 4.3
AJ Bombers on North Water Street downtown is Joe Sorge's burger bar with airplane-themed peanut delivery, the Barrie Burger and a deep beer list since 2009.
TryBarrie Burger
More cities are in research. Want butter burger covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.