T-L Photos/GAGE VOTA ABOVE: Chew Chew Train Mobile Kitchen owner Sharee Capers, from left, works with cashier Lynn Brooks and chef Scott Brooks at the St. Clairsville Recreation Center parking lot Wednesday celebrating National Cheeseburger Day.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Chew Chew Train Mobile Kitchen planned to make some serious cheddar while celebrating National Cheeseburger Day on Wednesday.

Dating back to the early 1920s, the cheeseburger is one of America’s most iconic and beloved dishes.

The national day of recognition is a way to honor and celebrate the invention of putting cheese on a hamburger.

Although countless restaurants and sandwich shops claim to be the inventor of the cheeseburger, according to published reports and visitpasedena.com, “The Rite Spot” in Pasadena, California, is credited as being the originator. Legend has it that Lionel Sternberger experimentally dropped a slice of American cheese on a patty while grilling it, and the cheeseburger was born.

The Chew Chew Train mobile kitchen was at the St. Clairsville Recreation Center from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Wednesday selling its staple Smash Burgers to celebrate the day. Opened in 2023, owner Sharee Capers said she created the business because she loves to feed people. “Feeding people is my love language, and everybody should be able to have a full belly because then you have a happy heart,” she said.

Although the business is fairly new, Capers has over a decade of experience in the food service industry. She worked as a baker before deciding to go into business for herself.

“Sometimes we have sides with our burgers and hotdogs, but we were just trying to do the whole cheeseburger day because we’re really known for our smash burgers. We did the plain singles and doubles, and we’ve got bacon today,” Capers said, “We usually sell out of our smash burgers when we set up at different places.”

Cashier Lynn Brooks added that another hot ticket item is lemon shakeup drinks.

The mobile kitchen is based in Cadiz, but Capers said it is licensed and insured to operate throughout the entire state of Ohio. The company does events big and small, birthday parties, catering weddings and anything else somebody would want to book the truck for. On Saturday the mobile kitchen will be back in St. Clairsville for the Rhythm and Brews Fest Craft and Vendor Fair at the recreation center from 2-9 p.m.

The Chew Chew Train wasn’t the only business in the Ohio Valley celebrating Cheeseburger Day. McDonald’s, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Applebee’s and Denny’s are all national chains with locations in the Ohio Valley that offered various deals in celebration. Local businesses Izzy’s Food Truck and Catering LLC and Bubba’s Burgers also joined in on the celebration with various promotions and deals.