What Is a Slugburger? The Depression-Era Burger of McNairy County, Tennessee

Born in the Depression, Still on the Griddle

When money was scarce in the 1930s, cooks in this corner of West Tennessee and North Mississippi learned to stretch ground meat with inexpensive fillers — originally potato flour, later soybean meal. Pressed into a thin patty and deep-fried until crisp, the result was cheap, filling, and unexpectedly delicious.

It sold for a nickel — and a nickel, in the slang of the day, was a "slug." The slugburger had its name, and no, there has never been anything slimy about it.

Served the traditional way, it comes on a bun with mustard, onion, and pickle. Simple, crunchy on the outside, and absolutely nothing like a fast-food hamburger.

Local diner counter in McNairy County, Tennessee

Why It Survived Here

Plenty of Depression foods disappeared the moment people could afford better. The slugburger didn't — because around here it stopped being a compromise and became a taste of home. The tradition runs along the Tennessee–Mississippi line, from McNairy County's diners down to Corinth, Mississippi, which throws an annual festival in the slugburger's honor just twenty minutes south of Selmer.

The name

"Slug" was Depression-era slang for a nickel — the original price of the burger. That's the whole story, and it's a better one than the rumors.

The recipe

Ground meat extended with soy or potato flour, pressed thin, and deep-fried. Dressed with mustard, onion, and pickle. Arguments about the "right" ratio are eternal and local.

The territory

West Tennessee and northeast Mississippi — and McNairy County sits in the heart of it. If a diner here has a griddle and a history, ask.

Where to Try One

The best slugburger is a fresh one from a local griddle, and McNairy County has the real thing. In Selmer, the Snack Shack on South 2nd Street proudly calls itself the Home of the Slug Burger. In Adamsville, Hope's Place on North Maple keeps the tradition going. Find them both in our Where to Eat guide, ask at any diner counter with a history, and time your visit to a county festival and you may catch slugburgers cooked outdoors, the old way.

Make it a food day: coffee downtown, a slugburger lunch, BBQ for dinner — the full Taste of McNairy run is laid out in our Travel Guide.

Find a Local Diner

More to explore: About McNairy County · Buford Pusser & Walking Tall · Visiting Shiloh · Events Calendar