Only in Hilo: The Gravy Burger

It makes sense that only in Hilo can you order something called a gravy burger. The sleepy town on Hawaiʻi Island has the distinction of being the birthplace of the loco moco, the classic local dish of hamburger patties, white rice, brown gravy and eggs being first served at the now-defunct Lincoln Grill in Hilo. Gravy burgers are really just loco mocos in burger form: an ordinary hamburger—or cheeseburger, your preference—topped with just enough brown gravy that it’s not dripping out, the way you would add ketchup to your burger.

“Many local food joints have their version of the gravy burger, and many folks who are not from [Hilo] have never heard of them,” says Hilo-based Hawaiʻi food historian and author Arnold Hiura. But, he admits, no one knows who invented the gravy burger or which establishment was first to serve it. You can find basic (but delicious) gravy burgers at old-school drive-ins like K’s Drive-In and Blane’s Drive Inn. Hilo Burger Joint serves a more updated version called The Fatty, which combines two 4-ounce patties with two kinds of cheese, bacon, bread-and-butter pickles, sautéed mushrooms and onions, tomato slices, lettuce and—of course—brown gravy.

This story was originally published in our HAWAI’I Magazine Winter 2023 Issue. Buy a copy here. Better yet, subscribe and get HAWAIʻI Magazine delivered to right to your mailbox.

Catherine Toth Fox is the former editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine and continues to contribute to the website and print publication.