Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 33

RM | EATS
by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop
photos by Paul Newton and Zach Smith
he sizzle and smell of fresh, hand-pattied ground
beef cooking takes Jason Cusick back to fl ipping
burgers on a 24-inch grill at The White Barn in St.
Louis. " That was my fi rst job, " Jason says. " I just
fell in love with cooking burgers and serving people. "
Today, Jason and his team serve up unique, juicy hamT
burgers,
mouthwatering appetizers, signature sandwiches
and homemade desserts at Rich's Famous Burgers in St.
James, Sullivan and Steelville.
Jason eventually bought The White Barn from owner
Rich Robson, who'd operated the burger business as a
food truck or restaurant since 1955. He eventually sold the
restaurant in St. Louis and moved to rural Missouri. While
he loved the rural area, he missed fl ipping burgers for loyal
customers. Jason returned to the kitchen in 2016 and
named his Steelville restaurant after his mentor.
A cartoon character depicting Rich still graces the
restaurant's logo. Rich was able to visit his mentee's
restaurants in Steelville and Sullivan when the second
location opened a few years later. The 87-year-old passed
just before Jason opened the third Rich's Famous Burgers
earlier this year in St. James.
" There wasn't a more compassionate man that I knew.
I was 15 years old and he used to tell me to treat every
burger we cooked like it was being made for the president, "
Jason says reverently. " We decided to name it after Rich
and tell his legacy. "
Burgers take top billing at Rich's. Fresh Angus beef is
hand-formed into quarter- or half-pound patties every day.
Jason takes pride in the menu he's slowly built that is full
of unique burgers worth a drive.
Over-the-top burgers in the Ozarks
The most popular and signature burger might make you
do a double take. The Jam Burger starts with Angus beef
cooked to your liking which is topped with two slices of
thick-cut sugar-cured bacon, a scoop of peanut butter and
Rich's hot homemade strawberry pepper jam and served
between slices of Texas toast.
" Some people are skeptical, but once you take a bite it
all makes sense, " says Jason, a Crawford Electric Cooperative
member. " You get the burger and the sweet peanut
butter, salty bacon and then strawberry fl avor with the pop
of the hot strawberry and peppers at the end. It just starts
dancing in your mouth. "
There's a handful of other burger options with toppings
such as eggs, onion rings and blue cheese crumbles.
However, if you're feeling the cheesiest, you can't go wrong
ordering the Big Cheesey.
The Big Cheesey features an Angus beef patty topped with bacon, deep-fried jalapeno mac 'n cheese bites and a sweet barbecue sauce.
DECEMBER 2022 | RURALMISSOURI.COOP 33

http://www.RURALMISSOURI.COOP

Rural Missouri - December 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Rural Missouri - December 2022

Contents
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - Cover1
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - Cover2
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - Contents
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 4
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 5
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 6
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 7
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 8
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 9
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 10
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 11
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 12
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 13
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 14
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 15
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Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 17
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 18
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 19
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 20
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 21
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Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 24
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 25
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 26
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 27
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 28
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 29
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 30
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 31
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 32
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 33
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 34
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 35
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 36
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 37
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 38
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 39
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 40
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 41
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 42
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 43
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Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 45
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 46
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 47
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 48
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 49
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - 50
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - Cover3
Rural Missouri - December 2022 - Cover4
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