At it’s height Lum’s had 400 stores. If you are the right age, chances are you ate at one and remember the burgers. Now, with our recipe you can recreate this Lost Favorite, Lum’s Ollie Burger, at home.

Photo by Roy Erickson (See below for information) and is in the public domain

Lum’s Ollie Burger

Lum’s was an American family restaurant chain founded in 1956 in Miami Beach, FL when they purchased the original Lum’s hot dog stand. Their early signature item was hot dogs steamed in beer.

By 1969 Lum’s was so successful, it was admitted to the New York Stock Exchange and bought Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The food operations of Lum’s, Inc. were sold in 1971 to John Y. Brown, then chairman of Kentucky Fried Chicken. Brown sought to improve the menu, and introduced the Ollie Burger developed by Ollie Gleichenhaus.

In 1978 Brown sold the company. The overextended buyer fell on hard times and Lum’s closed in most of its locations over the next few years — although one restaurant, in Bellevue, NE, managed to stay open until 2017.

Ollie’s Trolley

Photo by Julie Sweeney

Although Lum’s is gone there is a place you can still enjoy the original Ollie Burger (besides you own home with our recipe, of course!)

Ollie’s Trolley was an offshoot of Lum’s created by John Y. Brown in the mid 1970’s as a takeout restaurant to serve the Lum’s hot dogs and burgers.

Although most of these have sadly also closed, there are still three, one each in Louisville, Cincinnati and Washington, DC, where you can enjoy the Original Ollie Burger.

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Lum's Ollie Burger Recipe

At it's height Lum's had 400 stores. If you are the right age, chances are you ate at one and remember the burgers. Now, with our recipe you can recreate this Lost Favorite, Lum's Ollie Burger, at home.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Active Time30 minutes mins

Marinating Time12 hours hrs

Total Time13 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Grilling Recipe, Kid Favorite, Main Course, Party Recipe

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Lum's, Special Recipe

Ingredients

Marinade

• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Seasoned Salt
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon A−1 Steak Sauce (We have a Homemade Recipe for this - Click HERE for our A-1 Steak Sauce Recipe.)
• 1 tablespoon Corn Oil
• 1/2 cup Beef Broth
• 1 teaspoon Heinz 57 Sauce (We have a Homemade Recipe for this, too - Click HERE for our Heinz 57 Sauce Recipe.)
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vinegar

Burgers

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds Ground Round or Chuck
• Hamburger Buns 1 for each burger
• Mozzarella Cheese slices 1 or 2 slices for each burger
• Thousand Island Dressing 1 tablespoon for each burger

Instructions

• Place all marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.
• Shape meat into round patties, 3/4-inch thick by 3 1/2-inch round.
• Place burgers in a container that has a lid. Pour the marinade mixture over burgers.
• Cover tightly. Refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Turn the patties over several times during the marinating time.
• When ready to cook, remove burgers from marinade.
• Sear burgers over high heat, on both sides, quickly to seal in the juices.
• Then turn down heat and cook to your desired doneness.
• Place hot cooked burger on bottle of hamburger bun.
• Immediately add cheese slices to melt.
• Spoon dressing on top bun. Place on burger.
• Enjoy this blast from the past.

Photo of Lum’s Hot Dog Restaurant: Fort Lauderdale, Florida is by Roy Erickson. Roy was a professional photographer in the Ft. Lauderdale area and was affiliated with the Best of Broward magazine for over 10 years. Thank you, Roy. Great Picture. This photo is in the public domain in the United States and is housed in the State Library and Archives of Florida. Ollie’s Trolley, Cincinnati photo by Julie Sweeney. Thank you, Julie. Great Picture. Photos may be “representative” of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Additional Information about Lum’s and Ollie’s Trolley Courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.