Img 8720 Food, Mobile — The chili is what makes a cheeseburger at the Dew Drop Inn so special. (Liv George / The Bama Buzz)

I am a celebrator of niche holidays. Maybe it’s because I live in Mobile, where we’re Born to Celebrate? Either way, there’s a chance I’m knee-deep in festivities for “National Ballpoint Pen Day” (June 10) or something like that on any given day. So when I heard that today was National Hamburger Day, I knew I had a story to tell.

Buckle up and get ready to hear how Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise” was inspired by a burger joint in Mobile—the Dew Drop Inn.

Paradise inn Mobile?

Img 8686 Food, Mobile — Celebrate National Burger Day with the Mobile patty that (partially) inspired Jimmy Buffett 1

Hailed as the “Oldest Restaurant in Mobile” serving up “World Famous Hot Dogs”—it’s the cheeseburger at midtown Mobile’s Dew Drop Inn that started Buffett’s love affair with the dish.

According to a passage in the Parrothead Handbook, Buffett once his “Cheeseburger in Paradise” was inspired by a time he and his crew were (temporarily) lost at sea in the Caribbean. He daydreamed of a cheeseburger until he made it to land, where his dreams came true.

Many restaurants get to stake a partial claim to this story—whether it’s the cheeseburger he dreamt of or the one he actually ate. The Dew Drop Inn is no exception.

While Buffett was born in Pascagoula, he grew up in Mobile and often said he was a fan of the Dew Drop Inn’s cheeseburger. While Buffett never confirmed this, fans, including myself, speculate that he dreamt of the Dew Drop Inn’s classic cheeseburger. The only thing it’s missing is the onion slice.