The Town of Odyssey

I need to know if anyone else has tried this bizarre combination.

A few months ago I overheard someone talking about trying a peanut butter cheeseburger. They were like 'I know what you're thinking but I promise it's awesome!' I'm probably the biggest peanut butter lover there is, but even I was like oh my gosh they're crazy; is this actually a thing? So I looked it up online and sure enough this is somehow at the same time really common yet an entirely foreign concept. It's people who haven't tried it saying you can't be serious and people who have saying that's what I thought too, but believe me it's actually good. Not just good, actually they say it's amazing. I was still like there's NO way that works, but I was now very, very curious.

Time went by and this sat in the back of my mind causing an actual mental battle between the part of me that said this is clearly ridiculous don't be absurd and the part that said if so many people promise it's good if you actually try it there has to be something to it. I finally decided I had to see for myself, just so I would finally know for sure. I hadn't come around on the idea, I was still sure it would be awful, but I just needed definitive closure. So the next time I made burgers I resolved to gather the courage and/or foolishness to finally try one.

I only did a half, so I wouldn't completely waste a burger if it turned out to be inedible. Bottom bun, burger, slice of cheddar cheese, spread peanut butter on the top bun. Now that it was actually physically observable it wasn't any more convincing. As I was making it I was looking at it thinking 'Why am I doing this? This is a huge mistake.' But then I took a bite.

It was amazing!!

I was caught completely off guard. It was not at all what I would have expected it to be like from how it looked. I can't even really describe it, because it wasn't just 'wow, this actually isn't terrible' or 'hey this is actually pretty good' but I had to actually stop and really process what I was experiencing because it was completely not what I had been prepared for. I had an idea in my head what this was surely going to taste like, but it didn't at all. You don't recognize it, like 'Yes, this is peanut butter on a burger I am having' it all just blends into a nondescript but very pleasant flavor.

I had expected to try this and then come post about it just to give my impression so if anyone cared they could get the reaction of someone they 'knew' if they were curious about it (like the bacon shake way back when), but I'm actually posting to recommend this, to my great surprise. Everyone may not love it like I did, but I don't think anyone would find it awful so I think it's definitely worth at least trying once so you too know for sure what it's like and if you care for it or not. It's such an off the wall concept that I think it's good to know where you stand on it. And if you do end up liking it now you have a new meal option to keep in mind.

The people I saw online said to just add peanut butter to a regular burger you would make normally, ketchup and mustard and all, but that's still too bizarre for me. But simple peanut butter on a bun with a slice of cheddar cheese; I join the group of people that have dared to try this, had their minds blown, and have to now try convincing other people that it's not crazy, you just can't understand until you give in and see for yourself.

10/10 will try

I've always liked peanut butter on weird things, though. Like grilled peanut butter and mozzarella sandwich or peanut butter and pickle sandwich. This is the natural evolution.

I'm thinking peanut butter BACON cheeseburger, though.

I love peanut butter, so I will have to try this the next time I have a burger! It sounds crazy, but in an interesting way. I usually prefer crunchy peanut butter, but smooth might be better in something like this. I will definitely only try it on half (or maybe a quarter) of a burger in case I don't like it, but based on bookworm's recommendation, I have to give it a try! My mom likes to try odd combinations, so I will easily talk her into trying this too.

My takeaway from that burger was that peanut butter actually pairs pretty well with cheddar cheese. So the next time I was making a grilled cheese sandwich I had the thought what if I put some on this. I checked online to see if that was something people did, and it is, so I tried it. Not outstanding, but not bad at all. I'd make it again sometime.

Okay, now you've made me curious again. Even after tasting how good the peanut butter was on the burger, I never thought about using it with different things. The next time I make grilled cheese sandwiches I'll have to give that a try!

You did try the burger?

Oops, I didn't realize that I never posted about it! For some reason I thought that I did. Yes, a couple of weeks after you originally posted, I was at my parents' house for dinner and my dad had barbecued hamburgers, so I gave it a try and really liked it!

That's great! Did either of them try one?

I want to try grilled cheese with peanut butter and dill pickle.

Greetings, you have spoken to my heart deeply.

Saint Paul, Minnesota. There is a tiny little pub called The Blue Door. You must go there. Hopefully the manager/bartender I like is working that night. I can't remember his name, but he is a wonderful fellow. You will have to wait for up to an hour if you go during peak meal hours, and even longer if there is a hockey game on TV. The good folks of Minnesota love their hockey. Once seated, you will ask for either a Coke or a Dr. Pepper. These will compliment the recommended meal better than any other beverage. When asked what delicacy you'd like to consume today, you will order a Jiffy Burger. Do not ask to modify this burger in any way. This thing has won awards, so it's best not to trifle with it. As a side, you will want the Cajun tater tots with buttermilk ranch. Their fries are not bad, and neither are any of the other sides. However, do not bother with them. Get the Cajun tots. Trust me. Once your food comes, prepare to be amazed. The Jiffy Burger is a 1/4 pound burger with thick-cut bacon, crunch peanut butter, mayonnaise, and pickles. Do not add ketchup, mustard or anything else to it. Simply pick it up as best as you can and take a bite. At this point, the burger will begin to fall apart. Set it down as quickly as possible, because there will be warm peanut butter dripping down your lip and onto your chin. Wipe it off. Were you raised in a barn? Repeat this process until either the burger is gone or you are full. If you are full, take your leftovers home. They keep well. Finish the tots. Like other fried-potato dishes, they don't refrigerate well. Tip your waitress well. Like 20% or more. Tell them I sent you. I'm trying to make sure they recognize me whenever I go there.

Anyway, this is my favorite restaurant and my favorite burger in the world. Thank you, bookworm, for creating this topic and allowing me to write this. It's been cathartic.

bookworm wrote:That's great! Did either of them try one?

No, I thought my mom would because she tries some odd food combinations sometimes, but apparently this was too far over the line.

Steve, that sounds like an amazing experience! If I'm ever in the area, that sounds like the place to go! Us Canadians love our hockey too, you know.

Catspaw wrote:Us Canadians love our hockey too, you know.

To be fair, Minnesota is basically just the state that wants to be Canada the most.

Steve wrote:

Catspaw wrote:Us Canadians love our hockey too, you know.

To be fair, Minnesota is basically just the state that wants to be Canada the most.

Haha, I've never heard that phrase before, but I like it!

Update on the sandwich concept. I was thinking about why that didn't turn out as great as I had imagined it would be, and I realized that what was so surprisingly pleasant about the burger was how well the peanut butter blended with the texture and tang of the cheddar cheese, not melted, just sliced off the block. So I had the idea what if I just didn't grill the sandwich? I made a regular peanut butter sandwich on toast and put a slice of cheese in between. It was excellent! Less messy and easier to make than the grilled one, this is definitely added to my goto list of simple snacks!

Hmm, I never would have thought of that. I associate the concept of a peanut butter sandwich very strongly with jam. Maybe one day when I want a quick snack or supper, I'll give this a try!

So I'm just lurking through the ToO as a number does, when i see this thread and do a double take. I had a split second of deja vu to my early ToO days and thought someone had bumped an old randoms thread from hillindale and then refiled it in finneman's for kicks, and now I'm thoroughly disappointed this is only about food.

I actually had this!

One of the my school's cafeterias has a variety of burgers and this was one of the options! I saw it and I knew I had to try it.

I thought it was pretty good. I didn't know if I should put ketchup on it or what. I should try it again. It adds something to a burger that I wasn't expecting.

I would definitely try it again!

Seeing all of you talk this up almost makes me want to try it. almost.

Do it! Just try it on a little section of burger. The worst thing that can happen is that you eat one bite of something you don't like.

what is this insanity