Williamson Tavern

Happy Halloween!
Without a call ahead 15 of us walked into the bar. The leader of our party raved about their Papa Burger.
Tables were taken and pushed together and we filled this little bar/​restaurant.
Two waitresses got to us right away. I think we overwhelmed them. We put In our orders right away. As we played pool and waited for about 45 min.
Food came out in waves.
I don’t think the grill could handle our group at once. Most everyone ordered the 1lbs Papa Burger. This burger took up an entire plate. They make special buns for the burger. They would have had to have a massive grill to handle all them.
So I can’t eat that much meat. So I got a normal burger. I was not super impressed.
My food was hot and fries nice and crispy.
The meat had no special flavor. The bun is apparently where all the flavor is at. Well I missed out then.
For bringing all of us in on them at once there food was alright.
Another had Cheese balls unfortunately came out cold.
If you are close it’s worth the visit. If you are not close it isn’t worth the gas. Everyone was really nice and they got really busy as we ate. Good on them. They are local and the locals support them.

The best burger I have had. The «Papa» burger.

This restaurant at least gets an «A» for originality. Williamson Tavern was featuring its iconic «papa burger» decades before mega-​eats became all the rage and were featured on shows like ‘Man v. Food’ on The Travel Channel. But gimmick aside, this restaurant is not something to write home about. Indeed, it is not the type of place most people would ever return to unless they are a local.
When I decided to pay this tavern a visit, I had already been schooled by locals on the papa burger years previously. At one pound of ground beef, the specialty-​made sandwich requires a steak knife, along with a custom-​made bun to properly eat the thing. Several slices of cheese and tomatoes go into the fixings as well. The thought of it all made my mouth quite excited. Nevertheless, when I finally bit into the burger, I was vastly underwhelmed. With little to no seasoning, shredded lettuce, and a bun that was the flakiest, blandest piece of bread I’d ever laid my taste buds on, the burger unfortunately tasted like any ol’ burger cooked on any typical home grill — just much larger in scale! Even the novelty of it all couldn’t quite save this sandwich.
Papa Burger aside, the tavern’s interior is rustic and locked into a time that disappeared several decades ago. Old arcade games, jukeboxes, and beer marketing paraphernalia compliment the inside. The seating arrangement resembles a town hall, which is both quite unique and endearing. But these small town charms are still not enough to attract folks beyond a ten mile radius to the restaurant that has built its reputation on a flagship dish that really isn’t worth much hoopla.
Sometimes size matters. Sometimes it doesn’t. In an era where multiple restaurants are currently featuring mega-​sized sandwiches that actually taste above-​average, the Williamson Tavern probably isn’t worth the gas and time for somebody from, say, Des Moines, to travel to. On the other hand, for folks who live in the immediate area, the Williamson Tavern provides a much-​needed restaurant service to an area of the state that doesn’t have too many dining options. For that reason alone, this restaurant deserves at least three stars.

Some places are worth visiting just to say you’ve been there. The Williamson Tavern is such a place.
Located just off Hwy 14 between Knoxville and Chariton, the Williamson Tavern is a hidden gem of Americana.
There’s not much else in Williamson. A paved road or a couple of gravel ones will lead you there. If you’re not sure which building it is, it’s the one that isn’t vacant. Once you step inside, you’ll feel the rush.
A couple of arcade games and a retro jukebox, a full bar and a smattering of tables fill this little place. Throw on some Eagles or Conway Twitty and have yourself a seat.
The menu is fairly extensive, but look no further than the Papa Burger at the top of the page. It’s the 1lb hamburger that originally put this joint on the map.
If you find yourself driving through rural South-​Central Iowa, consider a stop. It’s the type of place you’ll only find off the beaten path.