Pete's Hamburger Stand — Restaurant in Prairie du Chien

I read all the hype about these burgers being a must try and one of the best they have ever had. I looked forward all summer to making the trip to go try it out on one of the days they were open. (After making it in error earlier in the year when they weren’t. If you go, realize it’s a semi seasonal stand, and in while season they are only open Fri-Sun with some holiday exceptions.) We finally had a free weekend day again with nothing to do and drove 2 hours for what we were sure was going to be a life changing burger based on the hype. (It almost borders on a cult like following!) I was a little skeptical based on the fact that the burgers are boiled………but with people claiming you had to try it to believe it, I figured any place still in business this long deserved the benefit of the doubt. I was also a little excited by the prospect of a place brave enough to not only boil hamburgers, but to also offer them only 2 ways: with or without onions. No cheese, no lettuce, no tomato, nothing else. After all, if your menu is that singular AND you boil the burger there must be some kind of hidden ingredient, spice, magic pixie dust or maybe even boiling water from the fountain of youth……something. In my mind, no one in the universe simply boils hamburgers if there isn’t a catch. When we arrived we were stoked! Sure enough, there was a long line on both sides of the stand and that’s always a good sign for someone trying a new place! After about a 15 minute wait with no movement, the line suddenly started moving rapidly. (They cook all the burgers in one giant batch at a time and are then able to serve them quickly until they are gone. If you don’t get one, presumably you have to wait for the next big batch to be ready. No big deal, we got ours on the 1st batch we waited for.) After giving our preference of onions or not (also boiled), you could also request ketchup, yellow mustard, or brown mustard.

We got our bag of burgers and made our way to the park nearby on the river and pulled into a spot ready to have our lives transformed! With Gracie, our ever hungry Pitty in the back seat eagerly watching and hoping we wouldn’t like them we took our 1st bites. Hmm. Then our 2nd. Waited for the magic to kick in………gave it a 3rd, and then knew Gracie’s patience was about to pay off. We were eating boiled burgers. They tasted exactly as they looked. Not bad, just kinda ok. Not really seasoned with anything, just kinda boiled. The bun was actually very good. Soft and fresh, but also a bit soggy on the bottom with boiled hamburger water soaked in. I ended up wishing I’d asked for extra ketchup and mustard on mine to give it some more flavor. It vaguely reminded me of a White Castle or Krystal burger but thicker. Probably/usually amazingly good when you are drunk, but not so amazing sober. We each ate one to make sure nothing magical kicked in unexpectedly at the end (it didn’t), then scraped the onions off and made Gracie the happiest pit bull in WI with our 2nd burgers. (She’s spoiled and there was another place we wanted to try if the burgers weren’t amazing enough to eat 2 each.)

Overall, we thought they were ok. They weren’t bad by any means, and you can get worse elsewhere I’m sure. It’s just that they tasted exactly like what you would imagine a boiled on a cast iron cooktop hamburger to taste like. I sooo wanted it to be...

This cozy little place feels entirely out of time. Walking up to the window of this tiny stand felt like walking 50 years into the past, but in a good way, a very nostalgic way. I wasn't sure what to expect, and so I told them (a lovely older couple and a young man) I'd never been there before. The young man took the time to politely explain the menu to me, as simple as it is. Here it is: Burgers are served with or without onions, and you can have your onions fried or raw (I went with fried, they really pile them on!). The burgers do not come with cheese, but you can order them without a bun. The only sides offered are bagged frito-lays potato chips and canned soda. I was slightly disappointed to see they didn't offer fries at all. But, when you've been running a place this long, I trust that you know what you're doing. The burger was really good, but not great, and it had sort of a sweet tangy taste that made me feel like they used worcestershire sauce and possibly coca-cola for the deglaze. The burgers are all served well done (fine by me). I went with sour cream and onion potato chips and an A&W soda. The soda was warm, but hey, it's summer. We were able to get two meals for under $20, which feels like pretty good value to me. Overall, this is a definite must-see and must try, even if it's just for the novelty of it. A few notes: The stand is walk-up only and has no dedicated seating available, although there are benches along the...

Pete's Hamburger Stand is a legend in Prairie Du Chein. Been around since 1909 operated by same family and located in a small trailer across the street from Stark's. People start lining up outside around lunch time. It's only open now Friday thru Sunday for lunch and later into the afternoon so we plan our visits so we can partake in the delicious hamburgers. Only serve hamburgers two ways, with or without cooked onions cooked fresh on a large steam cook table in front of your eyes. The smell is incredible and permeates into the street pulling in people like a pied piper. Ladies, if they could bottle it it would be a man magnet. Guys, would make a great air freshener for your car or truck. Comes with ketchup, mustard, or spicy mustard as you want. The burgers are juicy and lean and the buns are soft. They also sell chips and pop or water. The burgers are $5.00 each, but they're thick. There is no seating there, so my wife and I usually pack a picnic basket, grab some burgers, and go the St. Feriole Island riverside park, find a table, and watch river traffic and the eagles while we eat our lunch. It's our tradition when we're in Prairie and hopefully you can try it out and have the...