Along Kungsholmsstrand, opposite Karlberg Castle, lied the original location of Flippin ‘Burgers. The smell of grilled hamburgers spread out from the little restaurant onto the street level. A long queue of anticipating guests line up outside – all of whom have come to eat Sweden’s best burgers.
The story of how Jon Widegren, a burger-lover, opened Flippin ‘Burgers has traveled quickly. Jon thought that Sweden was lacking a good burger with great taste, texture and quality (without any additives). In the summer of 2010 Jon headed over to the U.S. for six weeks to get inspiration, knowledge and dining experience from some of America’s best burger joints with the end goal in mind: to open his own burger restaurant in Stockholm.
On 13 February 2012, Jon opened Flippin ‘Burgers at its first location on Kungsholmsstrand 157. The venue was an old unadorned dairy business furnished with tables, booths and a bar in the middle. There was room for about 30 people inside. In the summer they added about 15-20 more seats outside. Photographs line the walls showing customers Jon’s long journey across the continental U.S. A variety of music is played through the speakers while everyone eats.
One of the keys to Flippin ‘Burgers success is that they have the right producers of meat, bread and potatoes. The Swedish ground meat is generally lean for finely ground beef, especially of low quality. The supplier at the time I ate there was Swedish Grass Meat – a business association with five member farms that raise their animals organically. The burgers are made on their own ground-minced chuck and blended until coarse. The bread comes from Magnus Johansson’s Bakery in Hammarby Sjöstad.
The menu consists of six different kinds of burgers, fries, ice cream, milkshakes, beer and wine. The beer selection includes both domestic and American varieties imported by Stockholm Brewing Co. My favorite hamburger is flippin’, consisting of two burgers, bread, cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato and dressing. After a long wait I finally get my Flippin’ burger. The meat is perfect in both texture and taste. The bread is among the best I’ve tasted; I don’t expect much less from Magnus Johansson. It feels natural to order a milkshake so I indulge. The vanilla is delicious and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream is the perfect ingredient.
Flippin ‘Burgers has now found themselves in a new location, Odenplan, but the crave for great American-style burgers hasn’t changed. The restaurant is usually crowded every day right from opening time at 17:00. They do not take reservations so everyone gets put on the list and must experience the wait. If you’re lucky you can enjoy the burgers outside in the summer. The food is well worth the wait. Jon has created a simple recipe to give us a great burger.
Hamburger History
Burgers have for years been strongly associated with the U.S. but its origin is German. German immigrants from Hamburg took away the secrets to the United States in the late 1800s. Burgers are chopped beef mince together with two halves of bread and accessories.
In the 1920s hamburger mass production began and in the 1930s the first hamburger chain was made. McDonald’s began its operation as late as 1948.
Sweden’s first hamburger was Burger Grill in Helsingborg, which was inaugurated in 1956. McDonalds first came to Sweden in 1973. Today we can find burgers in the snack bars, fast food chains, bistros and luxury restaurants.
Words by Paul Dahlgren
Flippin ‘Burgers
Find Flippin’ Burgers at their new location on Observatoriegatan 8.
