Where to Celebrate National Cheeseburger Day

Monday mornings are tough, but this series isn't. Social Sightings is a quick taste of recent food tidbits that goes down as easy as your first cup of coffee, and should whet your appetite for the week ahead.

Monday, September 18, is National Cheeseburger Day, and while we don't typically subscribe to the hype around national food days, one now-iconic American staple deserves the attention: the cheeseburger. That's partly because cheeseburgers are so delicious, but also because the word "cheeseburger" was actually patented in 1935 by Louis Ballast, owner of Denver's Humpty-Dumpty Barrel drive-in. There's even a monument commemorating that fact at 2776 Speer Boulevard, the former site of the drive-in (which is now home to a KeyBank).

Also worth celebrating is the fact that a bar that serves one of Denver's most beloved old-school burgers is celebrating its 150th anniversary. While My Brother's Bar didn't serve burgers in 1873 (nor was it called My Brother's Bar then), it's been dishing them up for decades.

The most popular is the JCB, loaded with jalapeño cream cheese. To celebrate the bar's storied history, it's serving up the JCB and regular burgers for $1.50 each on Monday, September 18 (dine-in only, limit one per person, with purchase of any other item). Members of the Colorado Symphony will also be on hand playing live classical music from 6 to 8 p.m.
My Brother's Bar isn't the only place around serving classic burgers done right. Spots like Bud's in Sedalia, Grandpa's Burger Haven on South Federal Boulevard and Crown Burgers on South Colorado Boulevard are also beloved staples. The Cherry Cricket, which has been in business for nearly eight decades and recently opened a third location in Littleton, is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day with all-day specials at all three outposts, with $8 margaritas, piña coladas and rum runners as well as a $10 Cheeseburger in Paradise. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., it will also throw a party in Littleton with live music — including plenty of Jimmy Buffett covers to pay homage to the late musician. Check out our full list of the best old-school burger joints in the metro area.
Every year, we scour Denver for more great burgers in order to compile an annual top ten. The 2023 edition includes mainstays like My Brother's Bar along with some newer additions, including our 2023 Best of Denver pick for Best Hamburger, Fat Sully's. Yes, the pizza place dishes up a damn good double cheeseburger dubbed the Lights Out, which also happens to be a damn good deal: $9.95, or just $7 during happy hour.
Westword readers also vote for their favorite burgers every year as part of the annual Best of Denver issue. Last year, Knockabout Burgers inside Avanti in Denver took the win, and rightfully so. Its burgers are thicker than the typical smashburger style that many places are currently serving, and come with a wide range of topping options. Try the indulgent goat cheese and prosciutto burger with honey balsamic drizzle.

What's your favorite place to get burgers in Denver? Let us know at [email protected].