What is Olive Burger?

Olive Burger

Olive burger is an American burger variety originating from Michigan. It’s made with a combination of ground beef, oil, white buns, mayonnaise, and pitted green olives. In order to prepare it, the meat patties are fried, topped with a mixture of olives and mayonnaise, then placed in a burger bun with no other condiments.

Some like to add a bit olive brine to the olive-mayo mix, while others put the mayonnaise on a bun, and the patties are topped with olives before they’re placed into the buns. There are many theories about the origins of this burger, and some people claim that Olympic Broil in Lansing made the first olive burger in the 1960s, while others say it was made much earlier at Kewpee Hotel Hamburgs in Grand Rapids.

Michigan, United States of America

WHERE TO EAT The best Olive Burger in the world (according to food experts)

Grand Rapids Girl and 4 other food critics.

"Known for its casual charm and down to earth atmosphere, they are also famous for having the city’s best burgers. We’ve been going here as long as I can remember and I’m still a sucker for a cold beer and cottage burger."

DTE Energy and 2 other food critics.

"Make sure you try their famous Olive Burger, featuring their homemade olive sauce created in 1925!"

Amy Sherman and 2 other food critics.

"They are serving up some excellent, locally made fast food, all with a Michigan twist. Fresh ground beef comes from Wolverine Meat in Detroit and is a juicy 80/20 blend. Always fresh, and never frozen. Halo is famous for their "Olive Burger" which comes loaded with sliced green olives, but not a goopy mayo-based sauce. Just the right amount of briny saltiness to play off the meat and cheese."

George Motz and 1 other food critic.

"I've had several great olive burgers all over the west side of the state, where this delicacy reigns. One of my personal favorites is the classic version at Peanut Barrel in East Lansing. Theirs a simple blend of chopped salad olives and mayo placed on the burger with no other condiments, and none are needed."

Michigan Chews & Brews and 1 other food critic.

"For a classic, no-frills burger joint in West Michigan, look no further than the legendary Mr. Burger. For the maximum beef-to-bun ratio, go big with the Mr. Triple burger. The Olive Burger, a West Michigan classic, is a must."

Gabriel Aikins and 1 other food critic.

"The Best Burgers in Michigan: Dagwood’s Tavern and Grill, Lansing - This is another fantastic no-frills burger. You can go for the Olive burger, sometimes all you need is meat and a bun and you’re good to go. The Dag Burger is a testament to this truth."

Amy Sherman

"The burger meat comes in fresh, is an 80/20 blend, and gets hand patted into nicely sized portions daily. Buns are nice and soft, and come from Ed’s Breads. Order your burger deluxe for lettuce, tomato and onion, or order it with everything and it will come topped with ketchup, mustard, pickle and onion. The Olive Burger is one of the most popular options, and comes with so many olives that they overflow, sprinkling your tray with little green rounds."

Amy Sherman

"The burgers here feature fresh ground beef from the Thunder Ridge Meat Company. It’s an 80/20 blend that gets hand-formed every morning into 6 ounce balls. Buns are buttery brioche here, and toppings are plentiful. Burgers come with house-made potato chips. The “Get’ em N Go” burger, is a classic olive burger, with the seared and smashed patties getting sauced on both sides with a pungent salty olive mayo. It’s a classic Michigan burger, and very well done here."

Paul Vachon

"The olive burger is exquisite."

Gregor MacGregor

First of all, this is the place where the olive burger was invented some time around 1960. It became known as the 'Clydeburger.' Anywhere you went in Northern or Upper Michigan you could order a 'clyde' and this is what you would get. Second, they were, and still are most delicious at Clyde's, which is still going strong on US-2 right off the Mackinac Bridge.