Pete's Hamburgers

Pete's Hamburgers, 118 W. Blackhawk Ave. 6/27/25 dwm

We've been to Prairie du Chien several times over the years but we never stopped at Pete's Hamburger stand downtown on Blackhawk Avenue.

It was just in the past few years that I became familiar with the legendary Pete's Hamburger stand. 

We've seen stories on both Wisconsin Foodie and Wisconsin Life, both of them programs on PBS Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Life 

Wisconsin Foodie  

After touring Villa Louis we found a parking space near the stand early on a Friday afternoon. On busy weekends, lines can extend each direction on the sidewalk for a half-a-block or more.

1/4 pd burger w/ketchup & horseradish. 6/27/25 dwm

 It's a hamburger stand and you have two options: with onions or without.

 The Vidalia onions join hand-pressed burger patties on the grill-top which has at least a quarter inch of water on it.

 I ordered a burger without but with ketchup and horseradish, generously applied.

 It was delicious.

 The secret Pete came up with back in 1909 was water. When burgers weren't being sold hot off the grill, he bathed them in hot water until the next rush of business. The customers who came back said the second burgers were better.

There is no indoor seating, just benches along the sidewalk, although a nearby bar welcomes burger lovers to bring their sandwiches and eat them there. We sat on a bench, each with a burger and several napkins ready for action and a cold can of Mt. Dew.

It's worth a trip to Prairie du Chien to get a couple burgers. While I couldn't bring home a bag, I did the next best thing, I bought a t-shirt!

If this blog seems a bit familiar, in July 2015 I wrote about another burger stand, Wedl's in Jefferson, WI. 

The commemorative shirt. 6/27/2025 dwm