25. Hudson's Burgers

On Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho just across the street from a pretentious little mall called “The Shops” is a rather humble little burger joint that has been there for the past century. The place is simply called “Hudson’s Burgers” and that’s just what it is. There are no frilly fries or other side attractions, just burgers. And it’s always fresh ground beef. Yes, you can order them with cheese if you’d like and there is ketchup (even spicy ketchup) and pickles as well and maybe a soft drink. But that’s it. There is a bar where maybe 12-15 people can sit and eat, but since the place is always packed you’d best order it to go and find a table at one of the nearby parks to eat it. And don’t stand there trying to decide if you want Pepsi or Root Beer because there are plenty of people standing outside the door on the street waiting to place their orders. This is the kind of place to fill a logger’s belly, not some frilly tourist joint where you have five Italian names for a small, medium and large. “Hudson’s Burgers” is a slice of the good old days right in the middle of a tourist haze and it’s a breath of fresh mountain air for me.