It isn’t your typical hamburger joint when the kitchen serves burgers made of Mojave rattlesnake meat with antitoxin serum gravy, or another made of ground ostrich that’s covered with lemon-chive cream sauce. As a major fan of the classic all-beef patty topped with sliced cheese and slapped into a basic white bun, I felt my eyes cross and appetite flip when I opened the menu at Tioli’s Crazy Burger.

“Where’s the beef?” I asked my dining companions as they too fell speechless when reading down the long list of hamburgers of every stripe and hue.

“Numbers 11 through 19,” pointed out one friend, who had already skipped over the menu’s small cow herd and rejected the outrageously exotic assortment before landing comfortably upon the Tonka burger, made of lean Buffalo meat and embellished with creamed horseradish.

The origin of the classic hamburger as we know it today remains tangled in a territorial dispute – and Crazy Burger seems to override them all with more than 20 different varieties. Culinary records show that states such Texas, Louisiana and Connecticut have each staked discovery claims dating back to the late 1800s. The town of Seymour, Wis., is so certain of their claim, it built a Hamburger Hall of Fame in tribute to a man who supposedly invented and sold burgers from an ox-drawn food cart in 1885. Rewind the clock to pre-Colonial America and you’ll learn of butchers in Hamburg, Germany, who were already grounding beefsteaks and shaping them into loose clumps resembling modern-day hamburgers.

Perhaps history is in the make again at Crazy Burger, where myriad species have found their way into Kaiser rolls shared by equally unusual condiments. The Florida-raised Gator Burger, for example, is slathered in curry fruit tapenade. There’s also a Charlie Burger, constructed from chopped tuna and pointed up with creamy wasabi. The rattlesnake burger, (the meat distributed by Sierra Meat in Reno, Nev.) is no doubt reserved for the most adventurous stomachs and doesn’t sell too often, according to one employee.

We three couldn’t bring ourselves to order one either. Our lame excuse: no benchmark to rate rattlesnake meat against. So we zeroed in on what seemed more like gourmet selections, rather than those of wild delicacy.

The Santorini Burger is made with half beef, half lamb. The gaminess of the lamb was prominent and was quelled nicely by a cool burst of mint and a smudge of tsatsiki sauce on the bun. My friend, however, felt that the beef ruled in flavor and rated it as “nothing special.”

Of the Hamburger ala Hamburg, made with equal parts pork and ground chuck, I expected to taste something along the lines of European meatloaf laced with that smooth pith of pig fat. But the swine was undetectable – my fault probably for ordering it medium well – and the hefty pile of sautéed onions on top became overwhelming.

Far tastier was the Hamburger Croatia, representing a country of which I’ve never visited, let alone pondered their hamburgers. A roasted red pepper and garlic spread inside added a savory zip to both the beef patty and the fresh, chewy bun. And the friend who ordered the buffalo-meat Tonka burger welcomed its expected lean quality and absence of fat. But we all agreed that the creamed horseradish condiment wasn’t zesty enough to make our eyes water as hoped.

Where there are burgers, there are fries. And the bowl of them we shared were addicting – the skinny, McDonald’s-esque type with the added goodness of sprinkled Parmesan cheese. There are also a few salad choices, such as a standard Caprese with fresh tomatoes, basil and Buffalo mozzarella, plus arugula-fennel, Caesar, Greek and a basic house salad. Dressings are made in-house, although the basic vinaigrette I tried tasted like nothing more than straight red wine vinegar.

In nearly three years, Crazy Burger marks the third incarnation at this address, as well as the name “Tioli’s” in the title, after operating under two previous ownerships as Italian kitchens. Now, the culinary theme gallops across the map with burgers stylized to also represent Mexico (topped with cilantro salsa), France (oozing with melted Brie cheese), Texas (with hickory barbecue sauce) and Italy (crowned with pesto).

A more casual atmosphere and lower price points, starting at only $3.95 for a plain old-fashioned beef burger, signal strong potential for sustained success, given North Park’s diverse demographic and its proclivity for embracing original and quirky eateries. The restaurant also features a daily happy hour from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., along with a small international wine list and imported beers.

If burgers are your thing, prepare yourself here for a unique stretch of the imagination!