Crabill's

727 Miami St., Urbana, OH - (937) 653-5133

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Posted By Michael Stern on 2/25/2010 2:12:00 PM

Hamburger connoisseurs will smile with joy upon walking in the door of this minuscule, 8-stool diner where itsy-bitsy burgers, known to some as sliders, are served at fifty cents apiece (fifty-five cents for a cheeseburger). The burgers are served on small buns, with small squares of cheese, if desired, and with mustard and/or relish for a few cents extra. Six or eight of them make a nice meal.

These are not hamburgers for nutritional prigs. From the counter, you can watch them cooked on a grill to the left. A golf ball-size glob of meat is placed upon the hot iron in what appears to be about a half inch of bubbling oil. It is flattened out with a spatula, becoming a sort of free-form tile of meat that is thoroughly immersed in the hot grease, then gradually moved to the left on the grill, where there is somewhat less oil, and where the cooked patties sizzle until dark. They have a nice crunch to their exterior, and because they are so thin, they have no interior. Like White Castles, but better, these little fellas, even in their buns, are two-bite sandwiches.

Above the counter hang signs announcing the current Crabill record holder: “THE KING, Dave Woods, ate 31 burgers 2/22/01”. There is another record posted for the person who ate the most doubles, which is two burgers in a single bun. Doubles seem like a good way to go if you believe these hamburgers are just too small; but in our experience, the single burger in its spongy little bun, with a single slice of orange cheese melted from the heat, garnished with Crabill’s dark mustard, is one of the perfect foods, not to be modified in any way.

Scorecard

Overall: Legendary - Worth driving from anyplace

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"Assembly line burger-making at its finest"
Michael Stern

"A pair of Crabill's cheeseburgers is a nice little snack."
Michael Stern

"At the counter, you can watch the cooked burgers assembled and dressed at lightning speed."
Michael Stern

"Dozens of burgers cook on the grill at the same time. In this small diner, the aroma is a huge appetizer."
Michael Stern

"Our favorite burger place staff."
Owen Medd

"Working the grill."
Owen Medd

"Beverages cost more than hamburgers; but you'll need a half-dozen burgers to sate a healthy appetite."
Michael Stern

"I drove up Crabill's Hamburgers (Urbana, OH) from Cincinnati after reading about it on Roadfood. They have a big new awaning/sign out front, attached is a is a photo of their new look. The inside and the pricing are still the same."
Michael Cunningham