Blues clubs, country bars with neon signs, and Graceland- this is what springs to mind when most of us picture Memphis, Tennessee. But, this city known for its musical history also has a legendary food scene. And, at Dyer’s Burgers on Beale Street they have a very special way of making their burgers that involves using grease that’s more than a century old!
The beef burgers at Dyers are first flattened, then they’re cooked in large, custom-made cast iron pans that are 4 inches deep and 36 inches across. Unlike a griddle where the surface is oiled, these patties are actually fried in vats of grease since the pans are so large. It’s the same grease that’s been strained and collected since 1912, the year the Titanic sank and the same year Woodrow Wilson was elected President of the United States.
One night the grease was not disposed of and it was used the next shift. And, customers noted that the burgers were extra delicious that day. Since then the grease has only been strained and seasoned, but not tossed out. Which means there are possibly a few 1912 grease molecules still in the mix. In addition to straining the grease, they also season it with a secret blend of ingredients so that it imparts extra flavor into the burgers as they cook.
The burgers are collected from the grease with a spatula and deposited directly onto the bun so some of that famous grease coats the bun as well. Grease can famously last for a very long time since it doesn’t spoil easily. And, with them adding fresh grease to the containers daily we can imagine the tubs of this stuff don’t ever have a chance to go bad. Since many fans of Dyer’s order double or triple burgers they go through a lot of beef on any given day, which adds to the grease collection.
In addition to the novel way they fry the burgers, Dyer’s also has a strict policy on their burger toppings. They only offer cheese, mustard, pickle, and onion on their burgers. Additional toppings are not only not standard, there aren’t any other toppings even stocked in the kitchen. What’s on the menu is what you get. Though they do offer ketchup for their fries, so one presumes you could sneak some onto your burger as well.
Back in 1912 Elmer “Doc” Dyer opened the restaurant. In 1935 the restaurant was bought by a longtime employee of Dyer’s, Kahn Aaron. Both the burger tradition and the grease have continued ever since.