VIDEO: Residents Flock To Annual Dudie Burger Festival

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An iconic Tupelo institution was celebrated Saturday.

There was a very long line outside the Oren Dunn City Museum, and every person in it was waiting to sample a vintage Dudie Burger, which for many years was sold at Dudie’s Diner.

“Dudie’s diner is just an example of one of the iconic pieces of history that we’re trying to preserve at the Oren Dunn City Museum. Anybody and everybody whose lived in Tupelo and is over 50 years old remembers going and eating at Dudie’s Diner, which was downtown. And it was actually fashioned after World War II rationing, where they would extend the meat with flour and water, which behind me is exactly what they’re doing. They’re cooking the Dudie Burgers exactly like Dudie Christian cooked them in his trolley car that was turned into the diner,” says Rae Guess, an employee of the Oren Dunn Museum.

Tim Gillespie is a long-time Tupelo resident who volunteered for this weekend’s event. He remembers eating at Dudie’s Diner as a kid.

“Of course here’s counter. They had soups in the window there. They had car hops. They served a great burger, served a great hamburger steak, and they also served breakfast in the mornings,” Gillespie reminisces.

For many years, Dudie’s Diner was the showplace of Tupelo, where young and old alike could gather to socialize and grab a bite to eat.

Unfortunately, something happened that relegated it to the annals of Tupelo history.

“McDonald’s and Wendy’s, you know, came in and put them out, you know, that’s what hurt them,” Gillespie adds.

But the owner of Dudie’s would be happy to see the long line of people, many of whom weren’t even alive when Dudie’s was open.

“I kind of like the hamburgers so I thought I’d come out and try one. I like the old style, dough burger style kind of hamburgers,” says Tupelo resident Mike White.

Organizers believe this year’s event could be the biggest one ever.