Start up your grill, because it is National Hamburger Month! May has always been a month of cookouts, mainly because of the nice weather and because Memorial Day weekend is towards the end of May.

The term “hamburger” actually originated from Hamburg steak, which was was first recorded in 1884. This “Hamburg Steak” was commonly used in Hamburg, Germany in the middle of the 19th century, and has since made its way to America and has become one of the most common sandwiches across the entire nation. As a matter of fact, Americans alone eat approximately 50 million burgers each year, which adds up to the average American eating 3 burgers every week.

Furthermore, McDonald’s is a prestigious fast food restaurant that has continually made its name known not only in the United States, but across the globe as well. From Australia to Canada, there are 35,000 of these burger restaurants that can be found in 118 countries around the world. Additionally, McDonald’s serves an astonishing 68 million customers on a daily basis, and it would be excruciatingly difficult to serve this many customers if it wasn’t for their 1.7 million employees worldwide. They actually serve an average of 75 hamburgers every second. The average price of a Big Mac globally is $4.14, so McDonald’s is making $310.50 every second if they just sold Big Macs. But this amount is only for hamburgers. It does not include the cost of fries, a soda, a dessert, or another sandwich if one were to spend more money on his/her meal.

Honest Abe’s is a local burger joint in Lincoln that has immensely grown in popularity since opening in 2012. The restaurant serves a multitude of hamburgers on a weekly basis. Their weekly average ranges between an astonishing 2,300 and 2,600 hamburgers, which adds up to a daily average ranging between 330 and 370 burgers. As a matter of fact, their single day record for the most hamburgers sold is 848. The most popular hamburger Honest Abe’s serves is the “Greatest Burger Ever,” which is dressed up with applewood bacon, grilled onions, American cheese, the Honest Abe’s special cheeseburger sauce, ketchup and shredded lettuce. Despite this being the most popular burger, the heaviest burger Honest Abe’s sells is a “daily special” burger known as the “OH MY DAYUM.” The “OH MY DAYUM” is a burger consisting of two 6 oz patties, 4 slices of American cheese, the Honest Abe’s special cheeseburger sauce, shredded lettuce and pickles. With delicious meals and savory burgers to choose from, Honest Abe’s continues to be one of the top local restaurants around Lincoln and across the state.

Based off of a survey given to 25 adults and high school students, the ideal toppings to include on a hamburger include: pickles, lettuce, ketchup, tomatoes, mustard, onions, and cheese. On the other hand, not ALL people put these “ideal” toppings on their hamburgers. Some say they like to include toppings such as mayo, bacon, barbeque sauce, mushrooms, spicy ranch, feta or swiss cheese, and even guacamole. Surprisingly, one student said they will not eat a burger if it has one patty. On the other hand, they prefer two patties compared to one on their burgers. Two people said they did not put toppings on their hamburgers where they preferred no toppings at all. 14 out of the 25 students and adults from the survey said they bought their meat to make hamburgers from the store. Other students said they prefer to eat out when they eat hamburgers. Some popular restaurants these people eat at include: Five Guys, Runza, Red Robin, and Applebee’s, with Five Guys being the most popular.

As one can clearly see, hamburgers are a popular food item in the United States and across the globe. There is never a wrong time to make some hamburgers, so go out and do it! After all, May is National Hamburger Month, and the perfect weather provides a great opportunity to have a cookout and spend time with your friends.