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Brace For Impact: Memorial Day Cookout Costs Set To Soar This Year

Author Lauren Beckham Falcone

Our Memorial Day cookout might cost a bit more than last year.

Consumer Affairs did a deep dive into barbecue prices, comparing this year’s costs with 2023. Spoiler alert: it’s a 10% hike. Last year, a basic cookout was $27.39. Now, it’s $30.18.

Why the jump? Mostly hamburger meat. But guess what? Not a single item is cheaper this year. Not one!!

CA checked out prices from over 150,000 stores nationwide. The list includes seven essentials for a classic cookout: burgers, buns, hot dogs, and condiments. Let’s break it down:

  1. Eight burgers: $8.07, up 15%.
  2. Burger buns: $3.06, up 1%.
  3. Eight all-beef hot dogs: $3.15, no change.
  4. Eight hot dog buns: $3.09, up 1%.
  5. A 32-ounce bottle of ketchup: $5.53, up 2%.
  6. A 20-ounce bottle of mustard: $2.61, up 3%.
  7. A 26-ounce bottle of relish: $4.67, up a whopping 49% (thanks to a pickle shortage caused by wild weather in Mexico).

Memorial Day Cookout: More Than A BBQ

Now, let’s talk about Memorial Day itself. This holiday began after the Civil War and was originally known as Decoration Day. People would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers.

By 1868, it was a national day of remembrance. General John A. Logan proclaimed it should be on May 30th.

Why?

Flowers would be in bloom across the country.

Over the years, Memorial Day evolved

After World War I, it expanded to honor all American military members who died in any war. In 1971, Congress made it an official federal holiday, set for the last Monday in May.

This change gave us a three-day weekend, which unofficially marks the start of summer.

And what says summer better than a Memorial Day cookout? Families gather, grills fire up, and we enjoy the outdoors. Sure, it’s a time to honor our heroes, but it’s also a chance to celebrate life and freedom. So even if our burgers cost a bit more, the joy of the day remains priceless.

So, grab your grill tongs and mustard bottles. Let’s make this Memorial Day memorable, honoring our past and embracing the summer ahead, price hike and all.

Lauren Beckham Falcone is the co-host of Bob & LBF in the Morning. Formerly an award-winning reporter and columnist for the Boston Herald, she credits her current success as a pop culture commentator to watching too much TV as a kid and scouring the internet too much as an adult. LBF is a regular contributor to NECN and is an honorary board member at the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress. Lauren lives in Canton with her husband Dave and her daughter Lucy. Lauren writes about trending topics, New England destinations, and seasonal DIY.

The 5 Best Hamburgers in Massachusetts

When you want a good burger, you want a good burger. And depending on the 5 people you ask, you’ll probably get 5 different answers telling you where to go for the best one. So Taste of Massachusetts decided to ask 5,000 people to get a better gauge on the burger best of the best in Massachusetts.

Who has your favorite burger? I feel like that’s a tough question. It’s like picking a favorite child! Some days I want that really good char-grilled flavor. Sometimes I want a thick steak burger and sometimes I want a burger which has been flattened on the flat top like a crepe. And sometimes your favorite fast food burger just hits right and does the job like no other can do.

Taste of Massachusetts surveyed 5,000 Massachusetts residents and asked them where there favorite burger is. During the nomination stages, over 1,000 restaurants were nominated for having the best burger in the state. Throughout 16 grueling rounds of voting, the field was whittled down to the 16 best burgers in the state. We’ll run through the Top 5 below and end with a link to the entire list and survey results.

A lot of this just comes down to personal preference. Toppings play a role. Desired cooking level does too – a medium rare burger and a well-done burger almost taste like two totally different categories of food, it’s tough to compare. Seasonings, buns, burger meat make up and freshness – it all plays a part in the end product and, in turn, your enjoyment of that burger hugged between your hands.

After 5,000 burger-loving Bay State residents cast their meaty votes, these are the 5 Best Hamburgers in Massachusetts. I have bookmarked this article so I can knock them down one-by-one like a culinary hitman.

If you’re more of a fast food burger lover, this list will interest you: Which fast food restaurants have the most locations in Massachusetts?

  • #5. KKatie’s Burger Bar - Plymouth/Hyannis/Marshfield/Plympton/West Bridgewater

    KKatie’s has been a staple on the South Shore for years. People love their quality, freshness, and speed. I’ve personally had their horseradish peppercorn burger – delish.

  • #4. Fix Burger Bar - Worcester/Leominster/Marlboro

    Fix Burger Bar has the largest add-on section for your burger that I’ve ever seen! You can top your burger with any combination of their THIRTY-SIX burger toppings. It would take me 4 hours just decide what combo to get! (I’m very bad with decisions.)

  • #3. Boston Burger Company - Multiple Locations

    Boston Burger Bar has been around since 2009. Back then, 3 friends came together and said, “Boston needs better burgers.” So they made them. 15 years later, they’re still one of the best around.

  • #2. Tessie’s Bar & Kitchen - Waltham/Walpole

    Not only does Tessie’s serve up one of the very best burgers in Mass, they also want to preserve history as they build new. Tessie’s is committed to the revitalization of business districts of small towns often using old materials repurposed in the building of their restaurants. They’re gorgeous, just like their mouth-watering burgers!

  • #1. Lewis’ Bar and Grill - Norwood

    Lewis’ has HISTORY. They’ve been operating since way back in 1939. They’re goal is to serve good food to good neighbors and those neighbors (and extended neighbors who have been traveling here for years) have been loving their burgers for generations. I’ve never tasted one of their burgers but you can bet you’ll see me there this weekend!

  • Get the complete list and survey results...

    See everything thanks to Taste of Massachusetts OVER HERE! Also, R. F. O’Sullivan’s in Lynn was listed as the #3 best burger by Taste of Mass but the restaurant has since closed. So I just bumped it and moved everyone below it up one to adjust.

    Burger in hand

     

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Author Lauren Beckham Falcone
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