Just a cracker? Chicago restaurant tops burger with unconsecrated Communion wafer

A good burger can be a very spiritual experience -- a bite that brings you closer to whatever higher power you may believe in. But when a Chicago restaurant decided to top one of its burgers with an unconsecrated Communion wafer, some thought it was anything but religious.

Kuma’s Corner, a burger restaurant with heavy metal-themed decor and menu, recently introduced “The Ghost� burger to its menu as the burger of the month, reported Chicago Tribune. The 10-ounce burger is topped with goat shoulder, aged white cheddar and ghost chile aioli, and comes with a nod to the body and blood of Christ with a red wine reduction sauce and an unconsecrated Communion wafer.

“People have been kind of upset,� Kuma’s Corner director of operations Luke Tobias told the Chicago Tribune. “The thing with this is, the Communion wafer is unconsecrated, so until that happens, it’s really just a cracker.�

The restaurant names all of its burgers of the month after bands. “The Ghost� burger was named after the Swedish heavy metal band Ghost. Its lead singer often dresses up as a Roman Catholic cardinal in robes with his face painted.

“It’s not the Eucharist, but it’s still symbolic,� Jeff Young from the Catholic Foodie blog told the Chicago Tribune. “It is a mockery of something that is holy.�

Kuma’s Corner isn’t the first to bring the decor and symbols of a religion into its restaurant. Congregation Ale House, a bar and restaurant with locations in Pasadena, Long Beach and Azusa, calls its happy hour “mass� and decorates its interior with aspects of church architecture.

Reactions to “the Ghost� burger on Twitter have been mixed.

@Teresa Tomeo tweeted, “A Chicago restaurant tops a burger with a red wine sauce and an unconsecrated host. Tasteless.� @mblumkin tweeted, “If you have a problem with this, just don’t eat there.�

Do you think the burger is offensive? Let us know in the comments below.

Want more quirky food news? Follow me on Twitter: @Jenn_Harris

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