By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org
McDonald’s may have had its “secret sauce” for its Big Macs, but many locals can recall the special homemade relish recipe you could only get from Wyoming’s Kum-Bak Burgers.
“You have to go back to the late 1950s when 28th Street was becoming a booming community and in fact, 28th Street was being called the Miracle Mile,” said Wyoming Historical Commission Chairman Bill Branz.
With the then proposed Rogers Plaza set to be built along 28th Street and the 131 freeway also coming in, businesses were moving in along the 28th Street corridor.
McDonald’s was the first fast-food restaurant to open along 28th Street at 28th Street and DeHoop Avenue, where it still operates. About a year later, a local couple, the Ybemas, opened Kum-Bak Burgers, where the burgers were only 15 cents. The restaurant was kiddy corner to the Wyoming City Hall at 1105 28th St. SW, which is now where the Huntington Bank is located.
“It became very popular and in fact, it was a favorite for all the teenage kids to hangout,” Branz said.
The burgers, and fries, were delicious, according to Branz. The restaurant was open for about 18 years, closing in 1977. But before doing so, Kum-Bak had created quite a following for its homemade relish, which some years later was republished by Marian Stevens, the former recipe writer for “The Advance” newspapers. The recipe is still sought after today with people posting requests for it on recipe queries.
For those interested, here is the famous Kum-Bak relish recipe. Enjoy.
Kum-Bak Relish
1 small bunch celery, finely diced
1 large onion finely diced
1 jar (10 ounces) sweet pickle relish
1 small bottle ketchup
1/4 cup mustard
1/3 cup vinegar Tablespoons sugar
In large saucepan, combine celery, onion, relish, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Spoon into clean pint jars. Process into water bath for 5 minutes.
For more City of Wyoming historical facts, visit the Wyoming Historical Room in the KDL Wyoming branch, 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The room is open from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month or by appointment. Call 261-3508 or visit its Facebook page.
