Sometimes what counts is n't being the inventor , it 's being the innovator . Take the fried Twinkie , for example . The Twinkie -- in all its indestructible glory -- has been around for ages , but when ChipShop owner Christopher Sell had the brilliant idea to freeze the snack , dip it in batter , and deep-fry it , the Twinkie took gluttony to new heights . Even The New York Times raved about how `` something magical '' happens when you taste the deep-fried Twinkie 's `` luscious vanilla flavor . '' Sell , who was trained in classical French cuisine , did n't start with the Twinkie , though . In his native England , he fried up everything from M&M 's to Mars bars . 3 . Root Beer Float -- Myers Avenue Red Soda Co. , Cripple Creek , Colorado If you thought what happened up on Cripple Creek only happened in song , you 're sorely mistaken . In August of 1893 , a failed gold-miner-turned-soda-company-owner named Frank J. Wisner was drinking a bottle of his Myers Avenue Red root beer while looking up at Cow Mountain . Just then , a
-LRB- Mental Floss -RRB- -- 1 . The Hamburger -- Louis ' Lunch , New Haven , Connecticut This burger did not come from Louis ' so ketchup is OK . There are competing claims for the coveted `` Inventor of the Hamburger '' title , but according to Louis ' Lunch -LRB- and the Library of Congress , for that matter -RRB- , this small New Haven restaurant takes the prize . The story goes something like this : One day in 1900 , a rushed businessman asked owner Louis Lassen for something quick that he could eat on the run . Lassen cooked up a beef patty , put it between some bread , and sent the man on his way . Pretty modest beginnings for arguably the most popular sandwich of all-time , huh ? If you visit Louis ' today , you 'll find that not much has changed . The Lassen family still owns and operates the restaurant , the burgers are still cooked in ancient gas stoves , and , just like then , there is absolutely no ketchup allowed . 2 . The Fried Twinkie -- The ChipShop , Brooklyn , New York