If you’re from the deep South, you may be familiar with the beloved slugburger. If not, then, no, they’re not made with slugs. 

The slug burger hails from Northeast Mississippi, and can also be found in parts of Tennessee and Alabama. The burger features a patty created from beef, pork or a mixture of the two meats blended with an extender like soybeans of flour. The patty is then deep fried and served between two buns with mustard, dill pickles and onions. 

While it may seem like a simple concept, the slugburger has a rich history rooted in the Deep South. John Weeks invented the slugburger in 1917 in Corinth, Mississippi. The burgers were originally called Weeksburgers. Weeks specifically designed the recipe featuring a meat extender, to stretch ingredients during times of limited beef availability making it popular in the Great Depression. 

What’s in a name? 

There are a few theories about how the Weeksburger became the slugburger. The most popular and widespread is that the burgers cost a nickel, formerly known as a ‘slug’. Others say that the slug burger must be eaten quickly after frying. If not, it takes on the appearance of the garden pest for which it got is name. Finally, some say that eating too much of the Southern delicacy will cause you to feel like you got slugged in the stomach. 

Have you ever tried a slugburger?