Sampling dishes and diners in and around Miami County

Whenever I crave a juicy cheeseburger, it’s usually my last meal of the day. However, during my lunch break, I found myself hankering for a classic patty with cheese. There’s one place that everyone claims has the best burger around, but since they close at four, I’ve never been early enough to grab one. This lunch break, though, I found myself in Troy at the famous “K’s Hamburger Shop” for a bite to eat. Upon entering the diner, you can tell (even on the outside) that it’s an old-fashioned joint. The floor is lined with bright red booths, a window for ordering, and a counter right in front of where the burger magic happens. The menu isn’t limited to ham and cheeseburgers but features chicken strips, potato salad, grilled cheese, pies, and other diner classics. After ordering my classic cheeseburger with fries and a vanilla shake, I sat at the counter.

As I was sipping my shake from my front row counter seat, feeling like Uma Thurman, I was really able to take in the nostalgic fifties scenery that makes K’s feel straight out of a film set or a comic book. The glass case of pies, midwestern salads, and pickled eggs transported me into the deli from When Harry Met Sally. When I received my meal, I was half expecting Archie, Veronica, and the rest of the Riverdale crew to walk through the door and order shakes to share. My vanilla milkshake was sweet and creamy and brought to me in a frosty metal cup. When I received my meal and unwrapped the parchment from the burger, I took my first bite. The patty alone was juicy and full of flavor, but when paired with American cheese and all of the cheeseburger fixings, it was more than perfect for curing my cravings. All of the toppings tasted incredibly fresh. There’s nothing worse than a tasty burger with cheese ruined by tomatoes that taste like they were 3D printed. Thankfully, at K’s, the tomatoes were crunchy and dripping with juice, mixed deliciously with crisp lettuce, fresh onions, as well as sweet and savory ketchup and mustard; making for the perfect messy burger. The fries were also fried to golden brown perfection and served up in a crinkle-cut fashion with two little cups of ketchup on the side.

While enjoying my meal, I recognized what makes the little diner so wholesome and unique to our neighboring small town. The kind, paper hat-wearing waiters and cooks, the waves of customers from one another across the counter, and the pictures upon pictures drawn on placemats by kid customers, displayed for everyone to adore. I also noticed the book display of the staff's favorite reads, including a book about Elvis, the Bible, and more mixtures of tastes and literature. Everyone who entered as I was eating already knew what they were ordering and where they were sitting, and some were even meeting with friends from out of town to show them their favorite mom-and-pop place. The magic of K’s Hamburger Shop lies in its vintage heart, and the small breakfast and lunch diner is—and has been—the pulse of downtown Troy since its founding in 1935.