This Alabama Burger Chain's Sauce And Sweet Tea Has Kept Fans Hooked Since WWII

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Sweet tea and foods brimming with spice and flavor are certified staples of Southern culture, so it only makes sense that the chain responsible for the #1 refrigerated tea in America began in the great state of Alabama. Unless you live in the South, you may be unaware that those gallon-sized jugs of sweet tea with the red labels that you grab from the grocery store originated at a restaurant chain named Milo's Hamburgers. It was not only the chain's sweet tea that helped put it on the map, but its juicy hamburgers and top-secret hamburger sauce that have kept customers clamoring for more since WWII.

Milo's Hamburgers opened in April 1946 in North Birmingham with a singular location that would often sell out of food before mid-morning, but the chain eventually expanded into franchises in the '80s, opening new locations in downtown Birmingham, Vestavia Hills, and more. Even today, Milo's is one of those restaurant chains you'll only find in the South. Founder Milo Carlton came from a background as a mess cook for the U.S. Army and decided to open a hamburger joint with his wife, Bea, where he could perfect a unique burger. Back in the day, the chain only served hamburgers, fries, and sweet tea, but the menu has since expanded to include chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, various burgers, sandwiches, shakes, pies, and sodas. Of course, the chain still supplies its signature hamburger sauce and sweet tea, too.

Although Carlton never revealed what went into the hamburger sauce, his son summed it up on the restaurant's blog by admitting that it's a "very unique, savory sauce that just enhances the whole experience of eating a burger." Years of experimentation with real-life feedback from customers eventually led to success, making the sauce a Milo's legend and one of those unique foods that originated in Alabama. In 2020, the chain said it was making the sauce "in batches of 250 gallons at a time," powering through "3,000 gallons a month, or about 40,000 gallons a year." During the pandemic, Milo's decided to bottle its signature sauce for the very first time, later making them available at certain Piggly Wiggly Birmingham locations in 2025.

Milo's sweet tea, just like the hamburger sauce, has been a part of the menu since the start. As any Southerner would tell you, a good sweet tea doesn't require any hoopla, just high-quality, basic ingredients — which is exactly how Carlton made his sweet tea in the beginning, and how it's still made today. The batches of sweet tea are only made with pure cane sugar, filtered water, and fresh-brewed tea with no preservatives, no GMOs, and no added colors. It even made the top spot in our ranking of store-bought sweet tea brands for its fresh and smooth taste. Unlike Milo's hamburger sauce, its sweet tea is more widely available for purchase at supermarkets such as Walmart, Target, Publix, Kroger, Amazon, and more.