prexys

does anyone other than me remember the chain of Prexy hamburgers? They were called the "hamburger with a college education" and showed a cartoon hamberger wearing a morterboard, They had a really unusual taste that I have never figured out, but so I ever crave one.  

That was much before my time but here's a few more discussions about it:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/271634
http://www.roadfood.com/F...354&mpage=1#504962

Apparently the name Prexy's is slang for a (college) president.. and the owner also required franchisees to train at his hamburger college...and he put so much time perfecting his recipe that some one told him "by the time your done with this hamburger its going to have a college education". One of these led to the slogan "the hamburger with a college education."

The special ingredient is discussed a lot but no one knows what it was.

Prexy is slang for any president.

Jane Stern


does anyone other than me remember the chain of Prexy hamburgers? They were called the "hamburger with a college education" and showed a cartoon hamberger wearing a morterboard, They had a really unusual taste that I have never figured out, but so I ever crave one.  

I started the original topic about Prexy's back in 2007 and this is what I said

"I'm not from NYC but rather here in West Michigan. Intrestingly enough I first heard about this burger chain by listening to old Jean Shepherd radio shows broadcast on WOR from the late 50s thru the late 70's. I purchased a couple of CD's that contain hundreds of his old WOR shows in MP3 format and play them on my car audio system. His stories of his youth and growing up in the 30's in Hammond, Indiana are very funny to listen to while driving.

These old hour-long radio shows are complete with the original commercials and thats where I first heard about Prexy's and their slogan "The Only Hamburger With A College Education". Prexy's was one of his advertisers on his show in the early 60's

He once told his radio listeners durring a show to go into the new Prexy's that just opened in "The Village" on Saturday and say quietly "Excelsior" and you will get a free strawberry shortcake with soft ice cream.

In case any of you don't know who Jean Shepherd is, he was a skilled storyteller, entertainer, writer and broadcaster who sadly died in 1999.  You may not know who he is by the name but everyone surely has seen the movie "A Christmas Story" broadcast every year for 24 hours on WTBS.  Who hasn't heard about "Ralphie" and the story of how he got his very own "Red Rider BB Gun"  The voice you hear narating that movie is that of Jean Shepherd or "Shep" as he was often called.  He worked in broadcasting his entire life from when he was a teenager in the late 30's "Shep" also wrote several books along with hundreds of short stories that were published in The Village Voice, Playboy Car & Driver and many other publications.

For more info on Jean go to: http://www.flicklives.com

I have a jpg of the Prexy Place mat Menu but have never been able to post an image here so if anyone wants it and/or would like to post it here themselves please message me through the roadfood.com message center and I will be happy to send you a copy of the Prexy menu.

Here's the Prexy's placemat menu via ShenB:


Prexy’s
Alumni – Soup with cracker basket or Garden Fresh Salad Bowl, Alumni Steak Sandwich (Filet), Idaho French Fries…………………$1.35
 
Postgraduate – Soup with cracker basket or Garden Fresh Salad Bowl, Post Graduate Hamburger (1/4 lb.), Idaho French Fries…………………$1.05 (Melted Cheese 10¢ extra)
 
Graduate – Soup with cracker basket or Garden Fresh Salad Bowl, The Hamburger with a college education, Idaho French Fries…………………85¢ (Melted Cheese 10¢ extra)
 
Undergraduate – Yankee Pancakes with “Jones” Sausage Patty …………………70¢
 
Soup with cracker basket …………………25¢
Garden Fresh Salad Bowl …………………25¢
*Post Graduate Hamburger (1/4 lb.) …………………65¢
*The Hamburger with a college education …………………45¢
Alumni Steak Sandwich (Filet) …………………95¢
Idaho French Fries …………………25¢
Yankee Pancakes …………………45¢ with “Jones” Sausage Patty …………………70¢
2 Eggs & Toast …………………50¢ with Hickory Bacon …………………70¢
Cum Laude Melted Cheese Sandwich …………………35¢
*(with Melted Cheese …………………10¢ extra)
 
Desserts
Strawberry Shortcake (Soft Ice Cream) …………………30¢    |     *Layer Cake …………………25¢
Own Soft Ice Cream …………………25¢                                 |    Cheesecake …………………30¢
*Home Baked Pie …………………25¢                                     |    Doughnut Bowl or Danish …………………20¢
*(with Own Soft Ice Cream 10¢ extra)
 
Beverages
Double Rich Chocolate Shake …………………25¢
Milk, Orange Juice …………………15¢
Tomato Juice …………………15¢
Own Blend Coffee …………………10¢
Prexy’s Tea …………………15¢
 
Class Break – King Size English Muffin with butter and Jam Tray or Oven Fresh Danish or Doughnut Bowl and Prexy’s Own Blend Coffee 30¢
 

“The Hamburger with a college education”

I have scanned some old Prexy's menus but don't know how to upload them to the forum.  Can anyone help?

I am late to this post but can add a bit.
 
I grew up in NYC two blocks from the Prexy's on the east side of Lexington Avenue between 61st and 62nd Streets. I ate there all the time as a kid in the 1960's. There was a long, solid wood counter in front and on the aisle were large framed black and white photos of ivy league college campuses with lights built into the frames.
 
In the back were regular restuarant tables. The chairs were were low spindle back wood ones appropriate to the college feel.
 
The burgers, fries and shakes were great and everyone was freindly. They served a red hamburger relish that was terrific and could be bought by the jar. My father was the recipient of this relish for more than one Christmas.
 
There was another branch on 59th Street -between 5th and 6th Avenues (Central Park South) - right above the western entrance to the subway. This one had the same "Hamburger with A College Education" design motif.
 
There was a marvelous waiter at Lexington Avenue branch named Casey. When Prexys closed, he opened his own place on the north east corner of 3rd Avenue and 67th Street right up the block from the old WNEW TV studio. This was a great place too but, save for the onion rings, not really a substitute for Prexy's.
 
Around the same time Prexy's closed, another smaller place opened on the northwest corner of Lexington and 61st Street. It was called The Hickory Pit. I thought burgeres here were actually better than Prexy's. They had a real chracoal broiled flavor and were served on English Muffins. Decent baked beans too but no red relish that I can recall.