The now-famous burgerdog is a long, rectangular beef patty made from a blend of ground chuck, which is then topped with fresh condiments and served on a toasted hot dog bun. It was created in 1950 by Bill and Billie Parrish, a husband-and-wife team that owned Hot Dog Bills, a mobile hamburger trailer in San Francisco.
Our company hand-crafts each burger out of a premium grind of ground chuck and sirloin. The Burgerdog is cooked to order and topped with condiments of your choice. The buns are freshly baked and toasted until crunchy on the outside, but chewy in the middle. The key to our success has always been specification, attention to detail, and the use of quality ingredients.
“Hot Dog” Bill Parrish was a hamburger entrepreneur, member of the prestigious Bohemian Club, and Big Band trumpeter for the likes of Duke Ellington, Jimmy Dorsey, and Lionel Hampton. In addition, he was a pioneer in the mobile food industry. In the early 1950’s, Bill moved his mobile food trailer to the grass surrounding Lake Merced in order to serve the local golfers, fisherman, and joggers.
In preparation for the 1987 U.S. Open, The Olympic Club built permanent stands on both the driving range and the Lake Course. The Ocean Course concession stand followed in 1999. Second generation owner, Candy Parrish, describes the allure simply, “It’s just a great, quality burger. We serve mostly ground chuck with a little sirloin, and we cook them very fast to order.” In fact, Candy fell in love and married her local butcher, Jack, and their two sons now manage the family business.
Like many great ideas, the Burgerdog™ was borne as a matter of function and necessity. The limited grill space made a hot dog shaped burger easier to fit on the grill, simplified the stocking of inventory, and decreased cooking times. The thinly shaped burger had the added benefit of being easier to handle and consume for the active people of the Lake Merced area.
“Hot Dog” Bill Parrish’s burgers were so unique and delicious that the Olympic Club golf members frequently hiked across the flume to Lake Merced so they could grab something to eat. Due to the absence of concessions on the course, the burger-obsessed golfers became the cause of numerous complaints of slow play. In 1950, The Olympic Club invited Hot Dog Bills to occupy a permanent location near the 10th green of the storied Lake Course. The business became an instant success with the members, whom now had the added benefit of being serenaded by Bill’s trumpet each time they played down the fairway. Hot Dog Bills new home at the Olympic Club coincided with one of the greatest upsets in golf history, the 1955 US Open, in which the unknown Jack Fleck beat the nine time major champion Ben Hogan.
All Access With Hally Leadbetter: Making the Classic Olympic Burger Dog
FAQ
What is a burgerdog?
What is a hamburger on a hot dog bun in San Francisco?
How do you make hot dog bills burger dogs?
Where can I buy a Burger Dog?
Hand-molded daily & ground to perfection, you can find the Burger Dog exclusively at the Olympic Club in San Francisco, California and the Silverado Golf Course in Napa, California. Although often imitated around the country, the original Burgerdog™ was created by Hot Dog Bills.
What is a Burger Dog?
Served on a hot dog bun with the standard condiments (ketchup, mustard, pickles, diced onions, etc.), the griddled burger is made from freshly ground beef – and shaped like a flat hot dog. Actually, the Burger Dog began outside the club in the 1950s, when a musician named Bill Parrish set up a mobile hot dog stand near Lake Merced.
Who invented the burgerdog?
Jerry Rice lovingly coined the hybrid delicacy the “Burgerdog”. When Fred Couples plays Harding Park, the public TPC course next to Lake Merced, he sends his people over to the Olympic Club for burgers and makes sure to grab enough for everyone.
What is a burgerdog TM?
Whether you have heard beef fanatics describe it as a Ham Dog, Olympic Burger, or O-Dog; the Burgerdog ™ is one of the golf world’s most delicious secrets. Even Pulitzer-Prize winning columnist, Herb Caen, lovingly nicknamed these delicious sandwiches a “him-burger.”