BUCYRUS – A local diner has become a grilling sensation when it comes to hamburgers with another best burger award under its belt.
Lu Lu’s Kitchen, 1640 Marion Rd., has recently been named one of the top 11 burger restaurants in the state, according to the travel site “Only in Your State.” It was ranked No. 5 on the list of “Small Town Burger Joints in Ohio That Beat Fast Food Chains Any Day.”
Lu Lu’s, according to the online publication, earned recognition for cooking up some of the biggest and best burgers in the Buckeye State. The diner offers seven different burger options on its extensive menu and can throw on an extra patty for just $3.75, the publication noted.
“I really was kind of shocked,” said Lu Lu’s owner Kim Stamper, who actually found out the honor from a customer who tagged her in a Facebook post. “It’s definitely gotten a lot of attention of Facebook. A lot of the locals though already know we have really good burgers.”
The American restaurant, which opened almost two years ago, is known for its signature half-pound steak burgers topped with grilled onions and mushrooms. Last year it was also voted as the top burger joint in central Ohio in a poll of viewers taken by WCMH-TV in Columbus, Stamper said.
“Lu Lu’s Kitchen is the hands-down favorite burger joint among NBC-4 viewers,” the station posted in its online edition in April 2019 during the celebration of National Hamburger Month. “Customers say the portions are huge and the staff is friendly and accommodating.”
All of the sandwiches at Lu Lu’s – not just classic hamburgers – are served on brioche buns, Stamper said. The popular steak burgers – available in single, double or triple size – are also topped with American cheese, A-1 steak sauce, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
Stamper, a 2002 Wynford High School grad who has more than 20 years’ experience in this area’s restaurant industry, said the eatery has attracted a loyal contingent of customers, who have become like a family. Some, she said, even travel from Columbus for its homestyle cooking.
“If it wasn’t for the community we wouldn’t be here. That’s the bottom line,” said Stamper, whose husband, Ryan Stamper, helps operate the restaurant they bought and opened in January 2019. “Your community definitely has to support you.”
In its article, “Only in Your State” also noted that Ohioans are fortunate to have so many local, delicious and affordable burger joints for dining options. It recommended checking them out for a change when traveling across the Buckeye State.
Lu Lu’s is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.