What I Didn’t Know About Olive Burgers & Olive Sauce

Before I start, much respect to Weston's Kewpee Burger. A Lansing institution. They have been here since 1923. Great service. Great people. Great atmosphere.

The other day was national cheeseburger day. Folks were talking about their favorite burger places and Kewpee came up. Especially the famous olive burger.

As I have stated before, I recently moved back home to Michigan about 2 years ago. I had been living in Alaska for 10 years prior. I have lived in Michigan since my teenage years with my dad when I moved here from Mississippi. I have lived in (and all over) Michigan. I went to college at CMU. I am familiar with all things Michigan. Vernors, coneys, superman ice cream, Mackinac Island fudge, Traverse City Cherries, U.P. pasties, Faygo, Tony's Giant Steak Sandwich on I-75...I'm down.

I thought I knew what an olive burger was. And to my recollection, it was a burger with diced or chopped olives on top and other fixins'. I had one or two, and I do believe it was from a fast food chain here in Michigan (if I remember correctly, I think I had it from Rally's or something several years back). Don't scoff at me or the place where I had it. And over the years, I have had it in various locations and forms. Chopped olives in meat and so on.

IT WAS YESTERDAY I found out about the Michigan/Midwest staple that is the Olive Burger with Olive Sauce. And a brotha has been on this planet a little while. I'm a child of the 70's and I've been in Michigan since I was 12 - 13 years old.

I'm Boblo Island old. I'm Giant Slide on Belle Isle Old. I'm Munger Potato Festival Old. I'm Mayfest at CMU old. I have been places and seen things and eaten things in Michigan.

HOW DID I MISS THIS?!? How did I not know about this?

And sorry, this is not a ringing endorsement.

Olive sauce is (and when I asked folks they looked at me like "how did you not know") at it's core, MAYO AND SLICED OLIVES. And mind you A LOT OF MAYO.

I like olives. And when I had an olive burger that was chopped olives on a burger, I was down.

This...was too much for me. Did I mention it was a lot of mayo?

And again, much love to the wonderful folks at Kewpee. I'll be back. And I'll be trying another sandwich. For sure.

I love the burger. I love olives. Just, the sauce. Nah. Gonna have to pass on this Michigan tradition.

Why is there so much mayo???