The Historic Diner That Started Wisconsin’s ButterBurger Tradition

If you’ve ever bitten into a juicy ButterBurger and wondered where that beautiful, messy idea started… the answer goes back nearly 90 years to a small diner in the Milwaukee area.

And honestly… I had no idea.

The Milwaukee-Area Diner Behind the ButterBurger

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Solly's Grille opened in 1936 when Kenneth “Solly” Salmon started the restaurant near Green Bay Avenue and Burleigh Street in Milwaukee. The diner eventually moved to Glendale in 1971, where it still operates today.

The place is a throwback… think U-shaped counters, swivel stools, and the kind of regulars who’ve probably been ordering the same meal for decades.

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But the real reason people make the trip is one thing.

The Birthplace of the ButterBurger

Solly’s is widely credited as the original home of the ButterBurger… a burger served with a generous slab of butter melting over the top.

Yes… actual butter.

The result is rich, messy, and unforgettable. Over the years the concept became famous across Wisconsin and beyond.

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Even Craig Culver, founder of Culver's, has acknowledged that Solly’s was the first to create the butter-brushed burger his chain helped popularize nationwide.

National Recognition for a Local Legend

Solly’s isn’t just a local favorite either.

The diner has been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel, and in 2022 the James Beard Foundation honored it with the prestigious “America’s Classic” award for restaurants with timeless appeal and deep community roots.

A Perfect Wisconsin Road Trip Stop

For anyone from Rockford or Northern Illinois, this is a pretty easy food pilgrimage… about 90 minutes north.

And I’ll admit something slightly embarrassing… I’m in the Milwaukee area often and I’ve never stopped at Solly’s.

That seems like a mistake that needs correcting soon.

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A tip of the cap to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, whose recent story on Milwaukee’s most iconic restaurants reminded me that Solly’s Grille is the place where the ButterBurger story really began.