Behold The “Guber Burger!”
What a clever idea! Make a burger, slather it with peanut butter and enjoy the nutty goodness…all good, right?
HA!
Before I take you on a “history of food” journey, a personal note. I shared a bit of video on Instagram teasing this story and got quite a few “ughs” as a response. I don’t share these stories to disgust anyone, this is the history of a unique food that was popular in some parts of the US, and in fact still is! But for some reason, it instilled a visceral reaction – but I thought it had a cool history!
I researched the origin of this unique burger and found this.
The guber burger was invented in the mid-20th century at The Wheel Inn in Sedalia, Missouri, where an inventive Chef took advantage of a healthy peanut butter supply and added it to a burger, which also came with mayo, lettuce and tomato.
I’ve uncovered a number of different takes on a “guber burger” – also called a “goober burger” and research shows there are things being done out there involving peanut butter and hamburgers – like it or not!
But should you like it? Let’s find out!
As the terrific website/book creator Atlas Obscura reports in their great food guide:
“One small drive-in burger joint in the city of Sedalia, Missouri, introduced fast-food fans to a peanut butter–slathered hamburger known as the guberburger.”
“The Wheel Inn, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Kansas City, attracted customers with their well-loved patties, the most unique of which featured peanut butter, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato as its signature toppings. Hungry drivers pulled up for roadside service from the 1940s until 2007, when a highway expansion project compromised the building.”
I love Atlas Obscura for stories like this. They go on to add:
“A former employee took the initiative to reopen The Wheel Inn in a new location, extending the guberburger’s life for a few more good years. Unfortunately, the second location shuttered in 2013. Even though the original location and the business behind the guberburger are gone, other local joints have taken it upon themselves to keep the legacy alive. You can still find peanut butter–topped hamburgers at eateries in Sedalia today, a result of The Wheel Inn’s nearly 70 years as a local staple.”
So the Guber Burger lives on – and I had to make one at home!
As you will see, in terms of ingredients it’s a fairly standard burger: first you salt and pepper the patty, then cook it in a frying pan for about 4-5 minutes each side like this:
Once that is done, you simply put the patty on the bun, and liberally slather it with creamy peanut butter! Add mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and voila, you get this!
My review? If you like burgers, and you like peanut butter, you will like this! It’s really just a substitute for melted cheese, but the peanut butter is creamy and full of flavor, and matches well with the hamburger. I think they don’t add ketchup, mustard or pickle is because those would fight the creamy smoothness of the peanut butter!
For those “completists” among you, here is the entire sequence, including my taste test on camera:
As I said, a lot of reaction for something that, to me, didn’t seem to be that big a deal.
I’ve shared a number of burgers that have unique toppings, like this “Surf and Turf” Burger:
Yes, that is a burger with a thick slice of pineapple, lobster claw and steamed asparagus, as well as some lemon aioli…and that got none of the blowback that the “Guber Burger” did!
Oh and it was delicious: see the recipe here:
And sometimes it’s the way you cook it that makes all the difference.
See my visit to Hackensack New Jersey for an incredible, SLOOOOOOOW-cooked onion burger by clicking here:
And here is one of my favorites as well, from Napa Valley:
That’s burger with a VERY LARGE siding of cheese!
See how they do it at the “Squeeze Inn” here:
Sometimes the presentation is even better than the taste!
Like this for example:
Now that’s a great way to heat uproar meal!
See where they make this “Fire” burger by clicking here:
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Categories: Bite Eat Swallow, Bite! Eat! Repeat!, Burgers, Chef memoirs, Cookbooks, Eat This!, Food, Food Porn, Food Writing, Recipes, Restaurants, Sliders, Travel, Uncategorized, Wacky Food, World's Wildest Food
Bite! Eat! Repeat! 
Never heard of this before! Goodness, is it delicious?
I was fascinated by the history of the burger, and it’s really good! Unnecessary but good! It’s just a cheese replacement and give the burger a nuttiness which is nice! I expect a lot of blowback because people were very negative to the image I shared as a tease, but not really sure why! Thanks for commenting and sharing that!
It makes sense to me, protein on protein. We make whole burgers out of nuts!
That was the perfect song to use!
I remember it from when I was a kid. Being a northerner, it was the only time I ever heard peanuts referred to in this way, and I remember the song got stuck in my head.
Hi John, I have to think about this flavour combination. I’m not sure I like peanut butter enough to eat it on a burger bun. The lobster claw refers: do you have to crack it, it looks like its in a the shell.
No the Lobster is not in the shell, just very brightly colored!
Okay, that does make more sense
I’d give it a crack!
Looks like it could be a good combo. I might try it if my other half is not around. He is not a fan of peanutbutter
It’s kind of fun as a goof!
Although I like nuts, I have always disliked peanut butter, crunchy or smooth. I cannot stand the texture of it in my mouth, so could never eat that burger. (It is also far too rare for me, I would never eat ‘uncooked’ minced beef. )
Best wishes, Pete.
Yes Pete I like it rare, and as my review said, it was good but completely unessential!
Us Aussies love beetroot on our burgers and sometimes beetroot and pineapple (although the slice of pineapple is quite controversial). Not sure I could be doing with peanut butter though. But then, satay chicken, right?
Thanks for that! I LOVED my one visit to Australia – both Sydney and Melbourne – and had a burger with beetroot – love it so much it’s one of the international sliders I feature! https://biteeatrepeat.com/2023/05/25/here-are-the-worlds-best-memorial-day-slider-recipes-bacon-french-fries-too/
Can’t see anything wrong with a Peanut Butter Burger. Just another Satay sauce really. It’s all just food and we all love some food. I would most certainly give it a go, in fact, I would try all your burgers as long as they would fit in my mouth!!
Keep cooking these crazy fun foods John! 😂🤣
Mary :))
Thank you! It was quite pollarding, even when I gave the history of it to add some fun context…agree totally about the Satay!