This Forgotten Michigan Burger Chain Was Once Famous For Its Olive Burger

As far as regional burger styles go, Michigan's olive burger may be among the tastiest. Loaded with chopped olives, olive brine, and mayonnaise for good measure, the handheld dates back to the 1920s. Today, folks still flock to Halo Burger — formerly known as Kewpee, the institution credited with the sandwich's invention — to enjoy them. But some Midwesterners may have preferred the olive burger sold at Mr. Fables, a forgotten burger chain of Western Michigan lore.

Two of Mr. Fables' signature recipes — onion ring batter and burger sauce — were created by Gerald Boyles of Kewpee Burgers. His son and cousin eventually took over the chain and recipes. Many diners still miss the olive-laden burger sauce. While it's mostly mayo and olives, it also contained lemon and egg, likely both in the mayo, though the specific recipe is still a secret.

That said, there are a few key things to note about Michigan-style olive burgers, which remain popular even post-Mr. Fables. The meat is fried and comes on a white burger bun. Some folks keep the mayo and olives separate, while others mix them together to create a creamy olive salad. Adding brine to the mayo comes down to personal preference as well. Chains like Mr. Burger, which are arguably the closest you can get to Mr. Fables nowadays, smash the patties very thin. The O.G. Fables burgers also featured iceberg lettuce and tomato.

Michiganders likely remember Mr. Fables as a mall food court restaurant that disappeared. It was a cornerstone of shopping centers like Woodland Mall in Grand Rapids. Founded all the way back in 1929, it operated until 2000 and had 17 stores at its peak. The rise of big-name fast food chains was allegedly a factor in Mr. Fables' closing for good.

Fans still remember the brand's olive burger (and onion rings) well. "Best darn burger I ever had!" one Reddit user declared under a post explaining how to make the sandwich. "You could come close at a place they opened in Walker, but they switched it to a Mr. Burger and it isn't the same ... Nothing locally compares, they can't match the onion rings either," another wrote of other olive burger outposts. "I used to go there all the time as a kid! I love olive burgers," added a third.

There are many homemade burger recipes that aim to harness the magic of the Mr. Fables olive burger. The Reddit recipe, which calls for ground chuck patties, chopped green olives with pimento, and Hellmann's mayonnaise, allegedly tastes authentic. It also advises that home chefs mix the olive juice into the mayo, then crown the burger with the olives. "I'm in West Michigan and it's been a thing around here for years ... the olive burger is the bomb! ... I made this for my father tonight and he said it was exactly what he grew up on," the recipe poster shared.