Our Rich History: Herb and Thelma’s and Its award-winning burger — truly an iconic fixture in Lewisburg

Editor’s note:Part 17 of an occasional series about Casual & Fine Dining

By Raymond G. Hebert, PhD
Special to NKyTribune

Over the years, whenever discussions or newspaper articles speculate about Greater Cincinnati’s “Best Burger,” supporters of the often-forgotten Herb and Thelma’s remind us that this scenario has been happening for many years and that there is always a Covington favorite on the list. In 2023, Herb and Thelma’s burger was officially named “Cincinnati’s Favorite Burger.” Rasputin Todd opened his congratulatory article in the Cincinnati Enquirer by stating: “Well, well—well-done. Cincinnati’s Favorite Burger winner is . . . actually found in Covington!” (Rasputin Todd, “Cincinnati’s Favorite Burger Winner Is . . . ., ”Cincinnati Enquirer, September 7, 2023).

The reporter was also fascinated by the restaurant’s policy of not accepting credit cards. Soon afterward, proving that it was appreciated even closer to home, the City of Covington chose this iconic restaurant as one of the “winners of the 2024 Authenti-CITY Awards, as a part of its National Economic Development Week Celebration” (Keepin’ It Real in the
Cov: “ATM Confessional in Herb and Thelma’s Tavern,” May 17, 2024, ).

In the late fall of 1939, Henry “Heine” Boehmker and his wife Marie opened Heine’s Café at 718 Pike St. in Covington. Then, in 1966, their son and daughter-in-law, Herb and Thelma Boehmker, purchased the café and renamed it “Herb and Thelma’s.” In turn, Herb and Thelma’s son Herb, known as “Chip” so as to be distinct from his father, began working at his parents’ café. Chip assumed control in 1982. In 2012, Richard Ritchie purchased the neighborhood café, followed by Joe and Suzanne Fessler in 2015.

In 1986 Chip demonstrated his intentions of remaining a neighborhood restaurant catering primarily to locals. The occasion was a Cincinnati Post article that reported about Super Bowl activities in the region. Chip Boehmker responded that Herb and Thelma’s “was the place to go if you’re tired of the big-screen TV and you want to get away from the trendy crowd . . . we’re not having any big party or anything – just great burgers and a 19-inch above the bar” (Larry Nager, “Here’s Your Ticket to Super Bowl Fun, Cincinnati Style,” Cincinnati Post, January 23, 1986).

Some years later, Herb and Thelma’s was in the news when its patriarch, Herb Boehmker, diedof cancer in September 1991. The obituary emphasized the hard work to keep the tavern afloat. He had personally worked the bar from 1963 until he retired in 1990. There was great pride in his 16-hour days and all he did for the community. “He sponsored softball teams and was always thoughtful to his patrons . . . when other bars were raising their prices to $1 a beer, he stayed at 70₵ . . . knowing it was a working man’s bar” (Brenda J. Breaux, “Herbert Boehmker Obituary,” Cincinnati Enquirer, September 16, 1991, p. 9).

It is sometimes said that it is difficult for spouses to work together, but Thelma was quoted as saying of her husband, “He was the best. He was wonderful. He was so considerate . . . He just seemed to think of everybody else before himself.” Many a patron would agree with that assessment, and Herb provided a great model for his son “Chip” who from 1982 and over the next thirty years continued with the same focus on local regulars and anyone else who wanted to wander in for good food, good company, and good conversation.

Then, in 2012, after 30 years as the mainstay in the café, Chip retired and sold the tavern to Richard Ritchie, a well-known beer historian who expanded the beer offerings before selling the cafe three years later in 2015 to Joe and Suzanne Fessler. One source reminded us, though, that Chip can still be frequently found behind the counter “serving up a mighty fine burger, just like the days of yore” (Keepin’ It Real in the Cov).

The Fesslers continued the rich tradition. Enquirer writer Scott Wartman stated, for instance, that “one of the most important traits for a good neighborhood is a place to get a good burger,” adding that for decades the Lewisburg neighborhood in Covington “had turned to Herb and Thelma’s for its burger needs” (Scott Wartman, “New Mural Celebrates Covington Burger Joint, Cincinnati Enquirer, July 28, 2017, p. 24A).

The Lewisburg neighborhood thanked them by commissioning a mural to be painted on the side of the landmark restaurant. In announcing the mural’s August 1, 2017, dedication, the Covington Center for Great Neighborhoods (CGN) proudly stated that: “Herb and Thelma’s has been a community anchor in Lewisburg and Covington for almost 80 years and we are excited to celebrate that history as we look forward to more great years to come.”

Several years later, the new Enquirer Food Editor, Keith Pandolfi, wrote a fascinating article about improved options to “dine in the suburbs,” mentioning Herb and Thelma’s and other restaurants as places to be visited (Keith Pandolfi, “Is Dining in the Suburbs Getting Better than Ever?” Cincinnati Enquirer, February 19, 2023, p. AA4). In his inimitable way, Pandolfi ‘s analysis quoted a book he had been reading by Adam Chandler entitled Drive Thru Dreams, about food and the American Dream. Dining at favorite restaurants creates deeply personal feelings (rituals), he related, and “a ritual creates a freedom from anxiety that isn’t rote. It’s standardization but, within that standardization, there’s still an experience (each time) that is a little bit unique.”

Herb and Thelma’s is replete with nostalgia, from its pinball machines, to the big black telephone with a rotary dial on the wall, to conversations about the Reds and Bengals, and regulars with stories to tell. Perhaps a NKy Tribune article expressed it best in 2019 when on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the original founding of Heine’s Café, it stated that “ When you think of the generations of people who have enjoyed themselves here over the last 80 years, it’s overwhelming” (“Herb and Thelma’s Tavern, a Fixture on Pike Street will Celebrate its 80th Anniversary on May 18,” Northern Kentucky Tribune, May 9, 2019).

As was highlighted in this same article, Fessler himself said it best when he concluded: “Herb and Thelma’s has built a great reputation as a place to eat and drink and enjoy yourself.” That was what he wanted to celebrate on May 19, 2019, and now, five years later, with the 2023 recognition of the “Best Burger in Greater Cincinnati” and the 2024 recognition by the City of Covington with one of its Authenti-CITY Awards, it is more true than ever.

Dr. Raymond G. Hebert is Professor of History and Executive Director of the William T. Robinson III Institute for Religious Liberty at Thomas More University. He is the leading author of Thomas More University at 100: Purpose, People, and Pathways to Student Success (2023). The book can bepurchased by contacting the Thomas More University Bookstore at 859-344-3335. Dr. Hebert can be contacted at hebertr@thomasmore.edu.

Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Editor of the “Our Rich History” weekly series and Professor of History at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). He can be contacted at tenkottep@nku.edu. Tenkotte also serves as Director of the ORVILLE Project (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Engagement). For more information see https://orvillelearning.org/