Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I grew up in Memphis and was introduced to Dyer's while in college back in the late 70's. Since serious academia was hand in hand with prolific dopesmoking, a Dyer's visit could take the edge off the munchies like nothing else (except maybe a throbbing Broadway Pizza). It was in the tiny shack on Cleveland, and the skillet of grease sat there at the front, bubbling like a tar pit, supposedly unchanged since 1912. The big deal was the double double, which was always nearly dunked in the grease, bun and all, unless you stopped them from doing it.

On many afternoons, the place was patronized by some of the local Memphis wrestlers like Professor Tanaka and Tojo Yamamoto, who would put away a couple of triple triples and a six pack of Schlitz, then they'd get in the Professor's bigass Lincoln and go to their match up the road.

I remember their onion was the hottest onion I've ever had, but it was perfect for these burgers. they were remarkably non-greasy, very flavorful. The new places may have co-opted the history, but they can't stand up to the original.