The Tennessee Topping That Gives Burgers A Flavorful Finish

You can't go wrong with a good, old-fashioned burger — that's why it's hard to resist playing around with toppings. Whether you opt for beef burgers, veggie burgers, or turkey burgers; brioche buns, potato buns, or gluten-free buns; American cheese, Swiss cheese, or vegan cheese; you're starting with a perfect base, both classic and customizable. The sky's the limit on the burgers you can create, all to your exact preferences. You can go for any of the most popular burger toppings, from bacon, chili, or eggs to jalapeños, avocados, or pickles. Or, you can get a little creative — there are so many fun, unique topping ideas for burgers. For inspiration, you can look to some under-the-radar, regional favorites — like "pool hall coleslaw," or "pool room slaw," from Tennessee.

Pool hall slaw was dreamed up in Fayetteville, Tennessee. It's likely the creation of Weston James Stubblefield, who founded a pool hall in the city in 1923 that later became Honey's Restaurant, per Honey's Facebook page. Stubblefield served up just a few dishes at his pool hall and took time to perfect his original slaw. His "slawburgers" became a local hit — and the clamor for them really never died down. That's probably because of how fresh, potentially spicy, and crunchy it is; it's a dream balance to the rich savoriness of a patty. This isn't creamy, mayo-laden coleslaw, but cabbage, carrots, onions, and bell peppers tossed in vinegar, mustard, and red pepper flakes.

To make pool room slaw, you'll also need celery seeds, mustard seeds, sugar, and salt. All of the non-veggie ingredients are combined over heat until the sugar dissolves; then the cabbage, carrots, onions, and peppers are added. It's recommended to keep the slaw refrigerated for several hours up to a couple of days so all those flavors, aromas, and textures really marry into each other. The result is tangy with acid, fiery with pepper spice and mustard sharpness, and sweet with the onions and carrots. 

Also unlike coleslaw, pool hall slaw is considered more exclusively a topping than a side. That's presumably because of just how well that bright, spicy, sweet, crunchy combo cuts the richness of meat and cheese — it's just as good on hot dogs as it is on burgers, and it would also work on chicken or pulled pork sandwiches. You could still turn this into more of a side dish, though. When it's a topping, the vegetables tend to be grated; if you shred them more roughly into bigger pieces, you've got more of a salad-like coleslaw. You can also play around with making your pool room slaw sweeter, tangier, or spicier — just add hotter peppers like jalapeños. There are plenty of different ways to riff on a classic coleslaw-type dish, but this one is the brightest, most fiery, and best on a burger.