Restaurant Review: Famous Kewpee Hamburgers in Lima, Ohio

Since the 1920s Kewpee Hamburgers in Lima, Ohio has been an institution, something that people from Lima, Ohio who go away for a while want to have shipped direct to whatever address they're living at. Kewpee Hamburgers has three locations throughout Lima, Ohio, one near Elida on Allentown Road, one out by Eastgate shopping center, and of course, the famous one in downtown Lima with the famous kitschy ceramic kewpee doll smiling beatifically down on the fair denizens of Lima. Kewpee Hamburgers is more something you "have" to eat in Lima than something you really crave. If you've never had Kewpee, just go to Wendy's and try the square burgers and fries. It's the exact same thing. You know why? Because Wendy's ripped off the Kewpee menu back in the day. Between White Castle (which started around the same time as Kewpee) and Lima's own hamburger joint, Wendy's had all they needed, their marketing approach was a little different. Actually, it is worth noting that Lima is not the only place where Kewpees are (or were) served; the company started in Michigan and only after the WWII began to call Lima home.

Aside from the iconic ceramic Kewpee dolls that can be found glowering over the sign at all three locations, the mascot of both the restaurant itself and Lima in general, it seems, another expected element of any visit to Kewpee Hamburgers in Lima, Ohio is the décor. Okay, wait, it's not really décor. It's more of an environment. One that screams high-school cafeteria of the 1950s. Everything is gleaming white and the workers wear little white paper hats and aprons. Everything is cooked right before your eyes and the pies are displayed in shiny cases. You can get milk there without feeling weird about it. You know? The frostee machines at Kewpee are always humming and on Friday nights (barring around Lent-time) the place is hopping. All of the Kewpee Hamburger locations in Lima, Ohio offer very fast service and plenty of room to sit and eat. It really is a great place to run into people you know. Or old people you thought died a long time ago as it is the spot to find folks over 70. They have great coffee at Kewpee, great Frostees, and wonderful pies. The burgers and fries I could live without but I get anyway just because it's expected since I've been gone for so long. Again, if you want an idea of what they taste like, just stop by your local Wendy's. The only thing that makes them taste different are the buns; Kewpee uses buns that are made locally, which adds some freshness.

If you're from Lima, Ohio, chances are you're familiar with not only their food, but their many marketing ploys that have been around so long they're part of everyday speech in Lima. Let's try... Are you from Lima? If so, finish this sentence: Kewpee Hamburgers, pickle on top, make your heart go------- . If you said "flipity flop" you were correct. You probably didn't even have to think twice, did you? All Lima-ites know that February is not really February...it's Februcherry. And of course, March is actually March-ocolate. Chances are, if you're from Lima your mom has an entire kitchen shelf dedicated to the local sports cups they've been handing out since the first sports teams existed in the area (or so it seems). The thing is, Kewpee is just something you grow up with. I know only a handful of people who eat there regularly because, well, it's a lot like eating at Wendy's everyday. However, if you're gone long enough, it becomes the icon of your childhood and eating a Kewpee Frostee or famous hamburger is an act of nostalgia rather than genuine craving. It's like coming home again.