Some food memories are so strong, they feel like a part of your DNA. For many, LUMS restaurants and their unique beer-steamed hot dogs are a taste of pure nostalgia. But what if I told you that LUMS was also the launchpad for another cult favorite, the Ollie Burger, served from a distinctive trolley car? Get ready, because we’re diving deep into a delicious slice of American restaurant history, culminating in a personal quest to taste a legend.
LUMS: Where Beer-Steamed Dreams Began
It all started in 1956 in Miami Beach, Florida. Two brothers, Stuart and Clifford S. Perlman, opened a modest 16-seat diner that would soon become an empire. The star of the show? The LUMS hot dog is uniquely steamed in beer and nestled in a perfectly steamed bun. It was a simple concept, but it captured the taste buds of a nation.
LUMS wasn’t just about hot dogs; it was about a casual, fun dining atmosphere that resonated with families and folks looking for a good, affordable meal. The chain exploded in popularity. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, LUMS had grown to over 400 locations across the U.S. and internationally too! In 1969, the company even went public, a testament to its roaring success.
However, rapid expansion can be a double-edged sword. By the mid-1970s, LUMS started facing choppy waters. The company was stretched thin, profitability dwindled, and the ever-shifting sands of consumer taste and rising fast-food competition presented serious hurdles.
In 1978, LUMS filed for bankruptcy. A year later, a name synonymous with restaurant revitalization stepped in: John Y. Brown Jr. This was the man who had taken Colonel Sanders’ Kentucky Fried Chicken concept and helped build it into a global phenomenon. Brown rolled up his sleeves, updating menus and cutting costs, hoping to steer LUMS back to its glory days.
Sadly, despite these efforts, the financial struggles continued. Location after location closed its doors. By the early 1980s, the once-mighty LUMS chain had largely vanished, leaving behind a legacy of beer-steamed hot dogs and fond memories for those who’d dined there.
The Colonel of Burgers? The Ollie’s Trolley Connection
Now, here’s where the story takes an even more intriguing turn. Remember John Y. Brown? After acquiring LUMS in 1971 (even before its later bankruptcy, he had also purchased Caesars Palace Casino in Las Vegas in 1969 with the Perlmans, then sold his LUMS shares to them before they sold the whole company to Brown later), he wasn’t just looking to maintain the status quo. He was on the hunt for the next big thing, specifically, an unforgettable burger to add to the LUMS arsenal.
His quest led him to Ollie Gleichenhaus’s 20-seat sandwich shop in Miami. Ollie’s burgers were the stuff of local legend, seasoned with a secret 32-spice blend. Brown tasted it, loved it, and knew he had to have it.
But Ollie wasn’t easily swayed. Brown made multiple offers to buy the recipe, even promising to make Ollie “more famous than Colonel Sanders.” It took some persistent persuasion (and perhaps a bit of ego stroking!). Still, eventually, after 37 years of running his beloved shop, Ollie Gleichenhaus closed its doors and joined forces with the LUMS team to streamline his complex burger recipe.
All Aboard the Ollie’s Trolley!
While Ollie and the LUMS crew were perfecting the burger, Brown was cooking up another idea: a compact, take-out-only eatery housed in a distinctive trolley car. These trolleys were designed to be efficient and capable of fitting into just three parking spaces. A brilliant spark ignited at some point, why not combine the incredible Ollie Burger with the novel trolley concept?
And so, in early 1973, the first Ollie’s Trolley clanged its bell and opened its doors in Louisville, Kentucky. Nearly 100 of these eye-catching trolleys dotted the American landscape within three short years.
But, much like its parent, LUMS, the Ollie’s Trolley concept struggled to maintain long-term traction despite its unique appeal and delicious burger. By the early 1980s, these charming trolleys were rapidly disappearing.
(For those die-hard fans desperate to recreate the magic at home, the Ollie Burger recipes have surfaced online – a quick search should reward your culinary curiosity!)
My Ollie’s Trolley Pilgrimage: Tasting History in Louisville
Fast forward to a recent trip, and the excitement was almost unbearable. Knowing I would finally eat at one of the last remaining Ollie’s Trolleys – the one in Louisville, the birthplace – was a moment I’d anticipated for years.
As my friend John navigated our rental car, with my wife in the passenger seat, I was shaking with excitement in the back. Then, he turned the corner, and everything seemed to shift into slow motion. There it was. Standing proudly in the parking lot, Ollie’s Trolley looks just like the vintage pictures I’d pored over.
I had to take a moment. I walked up, stood before it, and just soaked it all in. You know that feeling – “Will I ever make it back here again?” It adds a certain weight, a certain magic to the experience.
Stepping Inside
A small line had formed, and John and I eagerly joined. Stepping inside is like stepping back in time. It’s snug, to say the least. The menu board hangs on the far right wall, the order window next to it, and the pickup window to the left. You could fit six or seven people comfortably, which might be a generous estimate!
With my sack of food in hand, we retreated to the car. The first bite of that Ollie Burger… wow. A lot is going on, flavor-wise. The patty was much larger than I’d envisioned. I have to say, I suspect this current sauce might be a different iteration from what Ollie Gleichenhaus originally slathered on his burgers in that little Miami shop, but it was undeniably unique.
The Verdict? The Ollie Burger is excellent, distinctly different, and I’ll be honest, it might not be for everyone due to its complex spice profile. But those seasoned fries? Utterly addictive. They were the perfect companion to the spiced-up, Thousand Island-esque Ollie’s Sauce.
Where to Find an Ollie (and a Taste of LUMS Past):
- Ollie’s Trolley – Louisville (The Original Experience!) 978 S 3rd Street Louisville, Kentucky (502) 583-5214 Hours: Monday – Friday 10:30 am – 4:00 pm (Closed Saturday & Sunday) Check their Facebook for the latest updates: https://www.facebook.com/OlliesTrolley
- Ollie’s Trolley – Cincinnati 1607 Central Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio (513) 381-6100 Note: This location is still in an original trolley car but has a different vibe, focusing more on BBQ/Southern comfort food with outdoor seating.
- Ollie’s Trolley – Washington, D.C. (UPDATE) 425 12th St NW, Washington, DC Sadly, this location is reported as PERMANENTLY CLOSED as of December 2023.
A South Florida Echo: The Flashback Diner Connection
For those of us in South Florida, there’s another layer to this story. While I never got to taste an Ollie Burger in its original Miami heyday, or even from a LUMS or an original Ollie’s Trolley down here, I did get to experience a version at the Flashback Diner.
What’s the connection? Several Flashback Diner locations are actually housed in former LUMS restaurant buildings! The Davie location, in particular, was the very last LUMS operating in South Florida, finally closing its doors in July 2009.
I tried the Ollie Burger at the Davie Flashback Diner. It was delicious, no doubt, but it was a different experience and taste profile from the one I had in Louisville. Still, it’s a cool nod to the past, eating in a spot steeped in so much local restaurant history.
- Flashback Diner (Former LUMS) 4125 Davie Road Davie, Florida (954) 321-3400
- Flashback Diner (Former LUMS) 1450 N Federal Highway Boca Raton, Florida (561) 750-2120
- Flashback Diner (Former LUMS) 220 S Federal Highway #5569 Hallandale Beach, Florida (954) 454-8300
(For more incredible history on Ollie’s Trolley, I highly recommend checking out Keith Pandolfi’s piece: “He Could’ve Been a Colonel: The Story of Ollie’s Trolley.“)
This journey, from the beer-steamed hot dogs of LUMS to the spiced allure of an Ollie Burger eaten right by the trolley, is a reminder of how dynamic and flavorful our shared food history is. It’s about more than just a meal; it’s about the stories, the entrepreneurs, and the delicious legacies they leave behind.
