Ann Arbor’s oldest hamburger stand has been grinding its own chuck daily since Jim Shafer opened it in 1953 at 551 South Division Street, a short walk from the University of Michigan campus. Rich Magner started working there as a student in 1969, left, came back in 1993, and bought the business. The ordering system is famously rigid and deliberately interactive — you specify your burger size, then bread, then toppings, then cheese, in that order, directly to the cook who is making it in front of you. Don’t mess up the sequence. It appeared in Season 2, Episode 12 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives — “Burgers, Rings and Fries,” aired January 21, 2008 — and Guy Fieri called his burger piled with onions, peppers, bacon, salami, and mushroom “a festival of funk.” He returned in 2021 for a second appearance that aired in 2022.
Note: The original Division Street location closed in 2013 when the property was sold to the University of Michigan. The current location is at 304 S. Ashley St., downtown Ann Arbor, where Blimpy reopened in September 2014.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger
City: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Cuisine: Burgers
DDD Season: 2
DDD Episode: 12
Episode Title: Burgers, Rings and Fries
Original Air Date: January 21, 2008
Current Address: 304 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 734-663-4590
Website: https://www.blimpyburger.com/
Status: Open (new location since 2014)
About Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger
Blimpy has been serving six generations of Ann Arbor burger addicts since 1953. The beef is fresh-ground daily from choice Western chuck. The cook smashes the ball of meat flat on the grill with a spatula — the smash burger technique before it had a name — and cooks it to crumbly perfection. You can order a double, triple, quad, or quintuple. The onion rings, hand-battered and fried to order, are the side that most regulars don’t skip. The whole operation runs cafeteria-style with the cook directly in front of you, which means there are no order tickets and no margin for confusion — you get what you ordered in the sequence you ordered it, or you go to the back of the line.
Blimpy has been covered by Man v. Food, Travel Channel’s Hamburger Paradise, USA Today (named a top 10 regional fast-food treasure), GQ, Thrillist, Eater Detroit, and MLive. The original property was sold to the University of Michigan in late 2012 for $1.075 million — none of which went to Blimpy — and the Division Street location closed in 2013. The Ashley Street location opened in September 2014 and continues the operation today.
What to Eat at Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger
The Fresh Ground Chuck Burger in any size from double to quintuple is the entire point. Start with a double or triple, load it with the toppings in the correct sequence, and add cheese last. The Hand-Battered Onion Rings are the mandatory side. Guy’s own order — onions, peppers, bacon, salami, and mushrooms — is a reasonable blueprint for a first visit. Put your phone away while you’re ordering. The cook doesn’t write tickets.
Plan Your Visit
Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger is open Tuesday through Thursday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM, Friday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Saturday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Closed Mondays.
Current Address: 304 S. Ashley St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: 734-663-4590
Website: https://www.blimpyburger.com/
Status: Open
Flavortown Approved
The Blimpy smash burger is the kind of craftsmanship Guy Fieri celebrates in Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip with Recipes. And Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Dry Rub Variety Pack is the seasoning kit for anyone who wants to replicate that ground-fresh burger experience at home.
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Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger appeared in Season 2, Episode 12 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Burgers, Rings and Fries,” originally aired January 21, 2008. The original Division Street location closed in 2013. The current Ashley Street location opened September 2014. Guy Fieri returned for a second visit in 2021.