Complementary goods — an economic term for goods whose association with one another often results in their joint demand. A common example of such goods is peanut butter and jelly. Personally, I don’t immediately associate peanut butter with jelly. In fact, I believe peanut butter to be complementary to a variety of other commodities — apples, bananas, crackers and hamburgers.
Hold up. Did I just say hamburgers? Yes — indeed I did. And if you don’t believe me when I say this combo is one to die for, head on down to Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint on the Downtown Mall to try it for yourself.
Ever since I tried the $7.49 Elvis Burger at Jack Brown’s three years ago, I have attempted to sell the brilliance of this culinary masterpiece to others. It’s a burger topped with mayo, applewood smoked bacon, American cheddar and — of course — peanut butter. The combination sounds both interesting and questionable when encountering it for the first time. Only daring eaters will be lucky enough to experience the taste of this burger melting in your mouth.
What turns many people away is the thought of mayo and peanut butter together. What most people don’t know, though, is that mayo and peanut butter actually used to be a fairly common combo. During the Great Depression, people ate mayo and peanut butter sandwiches as a cheap, good source of fat and protein — my own grandmother was one of those individuals.
About a year ago, the internet was split over a debate about whether mayo and peanut butter taste good together. Most people had never had the combination, though many were inspired by the food discussion and decided to try it for themselves. One taster Gwen Ihnat, writer and deputy managing editor for The Takeout, fixed peanut butter-mayo sandwiches for her and seven of her co-workers.
“I think all of us were expecting to be disgusted and instead were delightfully surprised,” Ihnat wrote in an article for The Takeout. “If you didn’t think about it too much, the mayo enhanced the peanut butter, making it rather tangy with a pleasing sort of savoriness.”
And there it is, folks. If plain mayo and peanut butter go well together, then surely it tastes even better with bacon and cheese on a juicy burger. But if I haven’t eliminated your hesitations about the Elvis Burger yet, then stay with me.
How many times have you craved something savory and sweet at the same time? The peanut butter on this burger adds just enough sweetness to it that you hardly know it’s there — you don’t know why the burger tastes better, but you just know it does.
The atmosphere of Jack Brown's only enhances the overall experience of eating a peanut butter burger. This one-room joint is a fun, laid-back bar and restaurant that includes outdoor seating and is wheelchair accessible. The wooden barn-like walls are covered in a variety of funky things – license plate signs, animal heads, dollar bills, signatures and more. It’s one of those places that you can walk in wearing a t-shirt and shorts, but you may as well have been wearing a cocktail dress. No one cares what you’re wearing — they’re just happy you’re there! Furthermore, Jack Brown’s is open Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., giving you a wide range of hours — and opportunity to cross a weird food combo off your bucket list.
Jack Brown’s fun atmosphere and delicious menu continue to exceed my expectations. The Elvis Burger is a delicious and affordable twist on a regular burger. Hop on the peanut butter burger band-wagon — I have a feeling you won’t regret it.
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