It isn’t everyday that a chef flies from one part of the world to another just to make you one of their currently off the menu specialties. Yet, on May 2nd 2014, that’s exactly what happened.
Mike Johnson of Sugarfire Smoke House is no stranger to the restaurant business. His insanely popular barbecue restaurants in Missouri are by no means his first restaurant endeavor and we’re guessing, not his last either.
While the masses flock to Sugarfire for the barbecue, it was a burger, albeit a very special one, that had caught our attention.
Enter…the Sweet Baby Cheesus.
This Frankenstein combination that is part sandwich and part burger hit our radar a few months back. And when the Sweet Baby Cheesus demands your attention, you give it. But we clearly hadn’t been paying close enough attention because by the time we got in touch with Mike, the burger was already off the menu. One thing you will quickly learn about Mike, however, is that he goes the extra mile (literally) for his customers.
“That was a special- we need to run it again- let me know when you’re coming and we’ll do it!”
And then seconds later when Mike realised we were based on another continent…
“lol – Just read your bio may be a while or I’ll have to come to Amsterdam and make some.”
We will be totally honest and admit that while we thought it would be amazing to have a chef fly halfway across the world to cook for us, we were guessing it was pretty unlikely to happen. This is why a month and a half later we were still in a bit of shock when we were posting this:
“Who flies from the USA to the Netherlands just to make a sandwich for @travelgluttons? @SugarFireSmoke that’s who. It’s Sweet Baby Cheesus Day!”
We picked up the ingredients, held our Deputy Editor Tanya’s kitchen hostage, and Mike (complete in his Sugarfire Smoke House uniform) went to work.
The Sweet Baby Cheesus is a double cheeseburger, bacon, egg, lettuce, and tomato balanced between two grilled cheese sandwiches. It’s big and messy – not quite the right food for a first date, unless you want to show off that you know a cool burger, and it is food-coma inducing delicious. Crispy, salty, fresh, warm, and gooey all rolled into one – truly a burger that lives up to its holy name.
Having travelled from Missouri all the way to the Netherlands, the Sweet Baby Cheesus has a taste for the travel lifestyle and we are confident it will visit further destinations around the world. Now all it needs is its own passport.
Heather is a writer, photographer and explorer of the world with bylines in Archaeology Magazine, Porthole Cruise Magazine, Taste & Travel, amongst others. She is addicted to pen, paper, hotels, organisation and hippos. In addition to Travel Gluttons, you can find her over at Cloggie Central. 
