Welcome to Louis' Lunch
261-263 Crown Street
New Haven, CT 06510
Phone: (203) 562-5507
Map of downtown New Haven, CT
showing the location of Louis' Lunch (big version)
The standard fare at Louis' Lunch is the original hamburger and a wide assortment of beverages. Most of the time, potato salad is also served, along with mouth-watering homemade pies and dessert. During our late-night hours on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, we frequently serve hot dogs and steak sandwiches as well. Please look at Our Printable Menu for more details. Louis' does not accept credit cards - cash only.
If you are a first time customer, print out and bring this Free Potato Chips Coupon with you when you come to eat. Come on in and sample our lineup.
Whether you're in the mood for lunch or a late-night treat, Louis' is there for you. We are currently open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 am till 4 pm, and on Thursday thru Saturday from 12 noon till 2 am.
Although we love making burgers for you, we sometimes like to take a vacation too. We are usually closed during the second week of January, as well as the week of Good Friday through Easter Sunday. In addition, we are closed during the entire month of August for our annual spoon inventory. When in doubt, feel free to give us a call to make sure we are open, or just to place an order.
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One day in the year 1900 a man dashed into a small New Haven luncheonette and asked for a quick meal that he could eat on the run. Louis Lassen, the establishment's owner, hurriedly sandwiched a broiled beef patty between two slices of bread and sent the customer on his way, so the story goes, with America's first hamburger.
The tiny eatery that made such a big impact on the eating habits of an entire nation was, of course, Louis' Lunch. Today, Louis' grandson, Ken, carries on the family tradition: hamburgers that have changed little from their historic prototype are still the specialty of the house. Each one is made from beef ground fresh each day, broiled vertically in the original cast iron grill and served between two slices of toast. Cheese, tomato and onion are the only acceptable garnish -- no true connoisseur would consider corrupting the classic taste with mustard or ketchup.
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More than just another eating place, Louis' Lunch has held a special place in the hearts of New Haveners for generations. When it was threatened with demolition some years ago to make room for a new high rise, scores of people from all walks of life took up the cause for its preservation. Plans for its relocation were finalized just hours before the deadline and in a thirty minute journey by truck, the pocket-size landmark was moved to its present spot on Crown Street.
To help in the reconstruction, friends and supporters sent thousands of bricks from every corner of the globe. Each one has its own unique story and Ken Lassen proudly points them out to special visitors as he takes them on a "tour of the walls".
It doesn't take long for a lunchtime crowd to fill Louis' as it has every working day for more than three quarters of a century. Since most of the handful of seats are quickly taken, most of the customers just hurry in the door, yell out an order "to go" and hurry out again, taking with them a little bite of history.
If you want to visit Louis' for the first time, yet not appear to be a novice, you may want to learn a little of Louis' Lingo. For example, a Louis' regular might walk up to the counter and say "gimme two cheese works, a californian, a salad, and a birch". This translates (roughly) to "May I please have two original hamburgers with cheese, tomato and onion, cooked medium rare and served on toast, a hot dog with cheese, relish and onion, an order of potato salad, and an icy-cold birch beer. Thank you."
There are many other examples of Louis' Lingo to be learned, but we suggest learning them first hand from the regulars, while sitting at the counter of Louis'. After all, we don't want to give away all our secrets.
Not very likely!
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| © 2002. Email Jeff Lassen with any questions regarding Louis' Lunch. | |||
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| Please contact the webmaster Peter Andrews with any website related inquiries. | |||
