42 WESTWORD FOOD & DRINK 2023 Nice Buns! THE SEVEN BEST OLD-SCHOOL BURGER JOINTS IN METRO DENVER. Did you know that the Mile High City can claim at least partial credit for the idea of melting cheese on top of a burger patty? Louis Ballast, owner of the Hump- ty-Dumpty Barrel drive-in burger joint, trademarked the word “cheeseburger” in 1935. There’s a monument to Ballast and his drive-in (which he also said was the fi rst in Denver) at 2776 Speer Boulevard, where the Humpty-Dumpty once stood. In honor of that long-gone burger shack, here are seven old-school joints where cheeseburgers are still made in a way that would be Ballast-approved: Bud’s Cafe & Bar 5453 Manhart Street, Sedalia 303-688-9967 Since 1948, Bud’s has been a favorite stop for bikers, autumn leaf-peepers and folks just looking to get away from the city for a bite and a beer. What you’ll get is a compact, drippy cheeseburger on a squishy bun that barely contains the greasy goodness within. What you won’t get: fries. If you need a side, grab a bag of Lay’s — or another beer. The Castle Bar & Grill 6657 South Broadway, Littleton 303-798-5981 castlebarandgrill.co The building that houses the Castle Bar & Grill was once a drive-thru restaurant specializing in casseroles, until someone re- alized what a bad idea that was and turned the place into a bar. Cheeseburgers are now the main draw, along with other pub fare, a sunken bar, and a wall of beer mugs for regulars. The Cherry Cricket Multiple locations cherrycricket.com Over its almost eight decades, the Cherry Cricket has morphed from smoky bar to burger institution. In 2018, the local legend fi nally outgrew its birthplace and expanded by opening a second outpost in the Ballpark neighborhood — and this year, it debuted a third location in Littleton. No matter which one you visit, the smoky, char-grilled patties taste just as good, and the lengthy list of toppings with which you can personalize them hasn’t been edited. These burgers still taste the way they did when you were growing up. Crown Burgers 2192 South Colorado Boulevard 303-753-9696 crownburgers.org Crown Burgers is one of Denver’s last homegrown fast-food eateries, complete with a drive-thru and a list of burgers that range from simple to silly. For a pure taste of nostalgia, the Junior cheeseburger does the job, but on the opposite end, there’s the Royal, stacked with pastrami in addition to all the standard burger toppings. Call yourself the king if you can handle this one. Grandpa’s Burger Haven 23 South Federal Boulevard 303-926-4463 This walk-up burger stand, with only a shel- tered order window and a couple of picnic tables outside, has no website, no Facebook page and no drool-inducing burger photos on Instagram. Since 1953, Grandpa’s Burger Haven has been serving big, fl oppy, sloppy cheeseburgers wrapped in blue-and-white checkered paper. There’s a reason the sign outside reads “#1 on the big big bun.” Jim’s Burger Haven 7855 Sheridan Boulevard, Westminster, 303-429-5258 595 East 88th Avenue, Thornton, 303-430-8021 jimsburgerhaven.com The burgers have been sizzling at Jim’s Burger Haven since 1961, and things haven’t changed much at this Westminster original. A six-inch bun is the star attraction; you can get it stacked with one, two or three patties, each with its own slice of cheese — and the biggest one rings in at just $9.45. My Brother’s Bar 2376 15th Street 303-455-9991 mybrothersbar.com More than a century of folklore and burger grease permeate the atmosphere at My Brother’s Bar, but beyond the leg- ends of beatnik writers and bootlegged booze during Prohibition, the corner bar is still just a great place to relax and enjoy a cheeseburger, even if it’s made with cream cheese instead of American (though you can get that, too). It’ll arrive wrapped in greasy parchment paper along with a personal condiment caddy. The burgers at My Brother’s Bar come with a personal condiment caddy. MOLLY MARTIN
