Crabill's - Urbana, OH

Posted By Michael Stern on February 25, 2010 2:12 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.

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Posted By Steve on May 1, 2013 3:58 PM

What a fun place. This is the quintessential small diner. The burgers are small, but great. The service and welcoming atmosphere are even better. We sat at the eight-stool counter, watched them cook our burgers, and chatted with the staff. We live about an hour away, but it was a great drive and this place was well worth the trip.

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Posted By Arch Grieve Jr on May 14, 2012 12:03 PM

I am not normally a fan of sliders, but I love Crabill's! I recommend trying the pickle relish. Again, I don't normally enjoy pickle relish, but there is something about the combination.

Also, make sure you ask for Mumford potato chips. They are another Urbana institution.

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Posted By Vince McNary on January 30, 2004 4:45 AM

These are the best greasy burgers you'll ever find. The burgers are small, but they pack a lot of taste. That's because they scoop them out of the grease, put the top of the bun on, give it one big shake (to get rid of "excess" grease), and slide it onto the bottom half of the bun. What makes the restaraunt truly unique though, is the atmosphere and the little nods to tradition. If you order your burger with "everything," you get what used to be everything. Brown mustard, relish and strong onions (now they keep ketchup under the counter for the rebels). Six of the stools are from the original location (the only 6 seats in the old store), and there's a picture of Mrs. Crabill on the wall. I grew up eating Crabill burgers (with chocolate milk), and I never miss the chance to stop in when I'm in town. You can get a Quarter Pounder with cheese anywhere in the world, but you will never match the ecstasy found here.

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