That Food Guy
Monday, July 08, 2019
Burger Master - Townsend, Tennessee
Burger Master – Townsend, Tennessee
Townsend, TN 37882
865-448-8408 Burger Master Website
Summer – Memorial Day thru Labor Day week
Mon – Sun 11am – 9pm grill, 10pm for ice cream
It was July, certainly a hot time of the year. I had been away from home for an extended period. We took advantage of some nice weather to take a drive through Smoky Mountain National Park. The deep shadows of the forest provided welcome shade and offered a pleasant drive with lots of scenic views. Exiting the Park we passed through Townsend and decided to stop for a late lunch at the Burger Master Drive In. The Burger Master, under various names, has been a roadside diner and place of interest for many years. It has a lot of history as does much of Tennessee. I have included a short passage from their website at the end.
There are a lot of touristy attractions in and around the park and Townsend. The Burger master is located adjacent to one of the river rafting concerns. You can’t miss the bright red and white façade. It does resemble what you would expect to find alongside the byways of years ago, before the Interstates. It is a drive-in, not a drive-thru. You order at one window and pick up your order at the next window. There isn’t any inside seating but there are some picnic tables under the awning and some others scattered about the grassy areas under the trees.
You can’t just go to an old fashioned drive-in and not try
the burgers and we did. The full menu is available on their website. We ordered
combos. Combos include sandwich, drink
and regular fries. I ordered the Cheeseburger Combo with a quarter pound burger
for $8.25. Janis ordered the regular Hamburger Combo quarter pound burger for
$7.90. Our faithful companion, Chena, was along for the ride. An avid
passenger, it seems that we can’t leave home without her. There was something
on the menu for her too. We ordered he the Dog Treat – Small dab of ice cream
& Milkbone® dog treat $0.50 which she thoroughly enjoyed. She does
like ice cream and her dog biscuits.
We found an empty table. IT was a bit weather worn but
sturdy. It was in the shade of a tree. IT was a very pleasant day but the sun
can still be quite hot. The burgers are not like the cookie cutter clone
burgers from the fast food chains. Don’t get me wrong. I do like those burgers
too but you have to admit they are all alike, made just so, exact amounts of
this and that. They are all exactly the same and only vary in their stages of squish
and squash. The Burger Master burgers are more akin to the hamburgers you would
make on your patio barbecue, with the lettuce, onions, tomato, etc., just the
way you like it. Sometimes they come out a bit lopsided but that is okay
because they taste just the way you want.
We ordered our burgers just how we liked them at one window.
When they were ready we picked them up at the other window, grabbed some
condiments and headed for our table. Personally I like squeeze bottles for
catsup, mustard, mayo and the like. But I can understand the ease and cost for
the provider so I do tolerate the little foil packets. We had more than enough of the condiments for
the sandwich and the fries. It took just a few seconds to be ready to eat.
The lettuce was crisp. There was a thick slice of beefsteak
tomato, some sliced onion and dill pickle chips. The patty was full sized, not
much shrinkage during cooking. The inside was cooked just about right, pink
just gone (At home I cook to medium rare but when I don’t know the source of the ground meat –
and that includes all burger places – I prefer it cooked just until the pink is
gone.) cooked but not overcooked and dry. All in all it was a very tasty and
enjoyable cheeseburger. The fries come in a thick paper cone, of ample contents
and just a bit of seasoned salt. A very pleasant weather day, a scenic drive
through the countryside, a tasty burger and fries ; what more could you ask
for?
“Known to the old-timers as simply “The Chalet,” Burger
Master Drive-In was built by the famous fisherman J.C. Morgan, in 1967. Morgan
and his family had recently relocated to Townsend from Knoxville. The ice cream
chalet was a good fit for the family’s growing horse riding business and
C-store, which was next door. J.C. Morgan had an entrepreneurial spirit that
never stopped. From horses and ice cream, to live fish wells and a buffalo
petting zoo, the Great Smoky Mountains offered something for everyone.
Fifty years later, the original lighted ice cream chalet
sign, attached to the signature sloped red roof is still shining bright to let
the faithful customers know it is finally summertime in Townsend, Tennessee.
The River Rat Tubing outpost sits next door on the old concrete pad of the Davy
Crockett C-store and where one can still see the backend of what was once part
of the horse stables. Come be a part of history, visiting the Peaceful Side of
the Smokies with a stop at the Burger Master Drive-In. Family owned and
operated!” Quoted from the Burger Master
Website.
Burger Master – Townsend, TennesseeTownsend, TN 37882
865-448-8408 Burger Master Website
July 28, 2019
Hours
(varies by season – check their website)Summer – Memorial Day thru Labor Day week
Mon – Sun 11am – 9pm grill, 10pm for ice cream
It was July, certainly a hot time of the year. I had been away from home for an extended period. We took advantage of some nice weather to take a drive through Smoky Mountain National Park. The deep shadows of the forest provided welcome shade and offered a pleasant drive with lots of scenic views. Exiting the Park we passed through Townsend and decided to stop for a late lunch at the Burger Master Drive In. The Burger Master, under various names, has been a roadside diner and place of interest for many years. It has a lot of history as does much of Tennessee. I have included a short passage from their website at the end.
There are a lot of touristy attractions in and around the park and Townsend. The Burger master is located adjacent to one of the river rafting concerns. You can’t miss the bright red and white façade. It does resemble what you would expect to find alongside the byways of years ago, before the Interstates. It is a drive-in, not a drive-thru. You order at one window and pick up your order at the next window. There isn’t any inside seating but there are some picnic tables under the awning and some others scattered about the grassy areas under the trees.
You can’t just go to an old fashioned drive-in and not try
the burgers and we did. The full menu is available on their website. We ordered
combos. Combos include sandwich, drink
and regular fries. I ordered the Cheeseburger Combo with a quarter pound burger
for $8.25. Janis ordered the regular Hamburger Combo quarter pound burger for
$7.90. Our faithful companion, Chena, was along for the ride. An avid
passenger, it seems that we can’t leave home without her. There was something
on the menu for her too. We ordered he the Dog Treat – Small dab of ice cream
& Milkbone® dog treat $0.50 which she thoroughly enjoyed. She does
like ice cream and her dog biscuits.
We found an empty table. IT was a bit weather worn but
sturdy. It was in the shade of a tree. IT was a very pleasant day but the sun
can still be quite hot. The burgers are not like the cookie cutter clone
burgers from the fast food chains. Don’t get me wrong. I do like those burgers
too but you have to admit they are all alike, made just so, exact amounts of
this and that. They are all exactly the same and only vary in their stages of squish
and squash. The Burger Master burgers are more akin to the hamburgers you would
make on your patio barbecue, with the lettuce, onions, tomato, etc., just the
way you like it. Sometimes they come out a bit lopsided but that is okay
because they taste just the way you want. 
We ordered our burgers just how we liked them at one window.
When they were ready we picked them up at the other window, grabbed some
condiments and headed for our table. Personally I like squeeze bottles for
catsup, mustard, mayo and the like. But I can understand the ease and cost for
the provider so I do tolerate the little foil packets. We had more than enough of the condiments for
the sandwich and the fries. It took just a few seconds to be ready to eat.
The lettuce was crisp. There was a thick slice of beefsteak
tomato, some sliced onion and dill pickle chips. The patty was full sized, not
much shrinkage during cooking. The inside was cooked just about right, pink
just gone (At home I cook to medium rare but when I don’t know the source of the ground meat –
and that includes all burger places – I prefer it cooked just until the pink is
gone.) cooked but not overcooked and dry. All in all it was a very tasty and
enjoyable cheeseburger. The fries come in a thick paper cone, of ample contents
and just a bit of seasoned salt. A very pleasant weather day, a scenic drive
through the countryside, a tasty burger and fries ; what more could you ask
for?
If you are lucky enough to be in the area one day, follow SR321,
the Lamar Alexander Parkway East until just before you would enter the Smoky
Mountain National Park. There you will find Burger Master and will have the
opportunity to have a very satisfying burger and fries. Don’t forget to bring
along the family dog. They will enjoy it too.
“Known to the old-timers as simply “The Chalet,” Burger
Master Drive-In was built by the famous fisherman J.C. Morgan, in 1967. Morgan
and his family had recently relocated to Townsend from Knoxville. The ice cream
chalet was a good fit for the family’s growing horse riding business and
C-store, which was next door. J.C. Morgan had an entrepreneurial spirit that
never stopped. From horses and ice cream, to live fish wells and a buffalo
petting zoo, the Great Smoky Mountains offered something for everyone.
The horse business grew to become the Morgan family’s focus.
The Chalet would pass through many more business owners creating memories for
the tourists who stopped for a classic drive-in dinner and ice cream cone. The
name “Burger Master” was added in the 1980’s and the covered awning in 90’s. In
2016, the Burger Master was purchased from Bob and Barb, who had added the
iconic extra-large serving on the ice cream cone along with lots of love and
care. The new owner happens to be the grandson of the late JC Morgan, bitten by
the same, apparently genetic, entrepreneurial bug as his grandfather!
Fifty years later, the original lighted ice cream chalet
sign, attached to the signature sloped red roof is still shining bright to let
the faithful customers know it is finally summertime in Townsend, Tennessee.
The River Rat Tubing outpost sits next door on the old concrete pad of the Davy
Crockett C-store and where one can still see the backend of what was once part
of the horse stables. Come be a part of history, visiting the Peaceful Side of
the Smokies with a stop at the Burger Master Drive-In. Family owned and
operated!” Quoted from the Burger Master
Website.Labels: Auitumn, burger, cheeseburger, color change, dog, fakk, French, fries, hamburger, leaf, Master, Miklkbone, Mountain, national, park, Smoky, Townsend
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