Remember Mr. Fables in Grand Rapids and Their Mr. Fabulous Burger?

Hamburgers are everyone's favorite, right? You love it with cheese, without cheese, all sorts of toppings, ketchup, mustard, onions, lettuce, tomato, what ever. What about Olives?

Oh yes, Olive Burgers! If you were a Mr. Fabulous fan at Mr. Fables then you were an olive burger fan. And if you go back farther than Mr. Fables, the Kewpee burgers were the best and they were olive burgers.

Did you know that the olive burger is pretty much a Michigan thing? It certainly is. History says it was created in Michigan and is now supposedly 100-years old this year.

So, how did it happen? Best guess is that it originated in Flint back around 1923 at the Kewpee Hotel Hamburg. It was just a humble burger shack but developed such a following that it spread across the state and came to Grand Rapids eventually in 1929 on North Division.

Gerald Boyles, who had the Kewpee franchise here, developed two secret recipes for a burger dressing and onion ring batter. In 1963, Gerald's son, John Boyles and his cousin, Dick Faber, purchased Gerald's Kewpee business and renamed it Mr. Fables (Fab+les), get it. And the rest is history.

We all miss Mr. Fables and their delicious burgers. However, this summer we all can rejoice because there is actually going to be an Olive Burger Festival in Michigan!

It's going to be at Jackson Field in Lansing on Saturday, June 24, 2023. This is Michigan's first-ever olive burger festival, and it will feature more than a dozen of the best olive burgers in the region, live music, and plenty of fun activities for the whole family. I can't wait!

There will be live music, games, and activities for all. There will be a kids' area with bounce houses and face painting. You can also get a cold beer or a glass of wine.

This is a serious mark down on the calendar. It will be from Noon to 7:00 p.m.

Jackson Field is located at 505 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, MI 48912.

Grand Rapids certainly is Beer City, USA, and now Lansing just may become Olive Burger City, USA!