Olive Burger

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Quick Bite

A Michigan olive burger is a juicy burger topped with chopped green olives and creamy olive sauce. It is salty, tangy, a little retro, and a Lansing-area obsession that makes more sense with every bite.

History

The olive burger is especially associated with Lansing and mid-Michigan, though it has fans across the state. Its roots are often traced to Kewpee-style diners and early 20th-century burger counters, where simple burgers gained personality through distinctive toppings.

The idea is straightforward: take a burger and top it with chopped green olives, often mixed into a mayonnaise-based sauce. The olives add salt, tang, and briny crunch, turning a familiar burger into something unmistakably Michigan.

Lansing has leaned into the identity so strongly that it now celebrates itself as an olive burger capital. Local restaurants serve classic versions, creative versions, and fiercely defended personal favorites.

A great olive burger should not taste like a gimmick. The beef should be hot, the bun soft, and the olive sauce bright enough to cut through the richness without taking over the entire sandwich.

Fun Facts

• Lansing has embraced the title “Olive Burger Capital.”
• The olive topping is often a chopped green olive and mayo-style sauce.
• Olive burgers tend to convert skeptics faster than expected.

Where to Try

Weston’s Kewpee Sandwich Shop Lansing, Michigan
A classic Lansing diner and one of the essential olive burger stops in mid-Michigan.

Halo Burger Flint and Michigan locations
A Michigan burger chain that proudly calls itself “home of the olive burger.”

Olympic Broil Lansing, Michigan
A local favorite frequently mentioned in Lansing olive burger conversations.

About the Game

This recipe is part of Van Life Challenge, a travel-themed board game from Gray Dog Games where players explore the United States, discover regional foods, and collect memorable experiences along the way.

Each featured food celebrates a real place, a local flavor, and the kind of delicious roadside discovery that makes every trip feel like an adventure.

Recipe

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Home-Cook-Friendly Michigan Olive Burger Serves: 4 Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 8–10 minutes Difficulty: Easy Style: Michigan / Lansing-Style Burger

Ingredients

For the burgers

• 1 ½ pounds ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns
• 4 slices American or Swiss cheese, optional
• Lettuce, optional

For the olive sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup chopped green olives with pimentos
• 1 tablespoon olive brine
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Make the olive sauce: Mix mayonnaise, chopped olives, olive brine, mustard, and black pepper. Chill until ready to use.
2. Shape the patties: Shape the beef into 4 patties.
3. Season: Season with salt and pepper.
4. Cook: Cook the patties on a griddle or skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked to your liking.
5. Add cheese: Add cheese during the last minute if using.
6. Toast the buns: Toast the buns lightly.
7. Build: Build each burger with the patty, a generous spoonful of olive sauce, and lettuce if desired.
8. Serve: Serve hot.

Traditional note: To make it more traditional, use chopped green olives with pimentos mixed into a creamy mayo-style topping. Keep the burger simple so the olive sauce stays the star.

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