During our recent whirlwind trip back to California Terri and I had the pleasure of dining at the oldest remaining Bob's Big Boy in Burbank. It is a perfectly preserved example of what the restaurants used to be like in the decades following World War II. Wrapped in neon the Bob's in Burbank is as much a museum as it is a restaurant.
I highly recommend seeking out this hidden gem if you are visiting Southern California. Having breakfast there took me back to my youth when restaurants like this where literally everywhere.
This Bob's® restaurant was built in 1949 by local residents Scott MacDonald and Ward Albert, and is the oldest remaining Bob’s Big Boy® in America.
Bob's Big Boy® in Burbank is a magnificent example of the emerging California coffee shop style that exploded in Los Angeles in the 1950's.
Certainly the building's most striking aspect is the monumental freestanding Bob's® sign which soars vertically in contrast with the horizontal lines of the restaurant. Placed at a strategic angle, the sign, with its attractive pink and white neon lettering, is breathtakingly dramatic and visible from far down Riverside Drive. The sign itself is transitional in that it is free standing and retains elements of the 1930's streamlining. The sign is a billboard raised to an art form. At 70 feet tall, the Bob's® sign is a true landmark in the surrounding community. At night, with its dramatically lit sign and the wide band of windows highlighting the diners inside, the entire restaurant was a powerful lure to the passing motorist.
Many regulars and tourists alike request "The Beatles Booth."
Don’t be surprised if it’s not available. Customers from around the world have waited hours to sit in the booth.
The current owner, the MacDonald Family, acquired control of the restaurant in 1993 and began to restore it to its past glory.
An exterior patio was added; the tower sign was rehabilitated; the dining room was remodeled; "Car Hop" service was re-introduced on Saturday and Sunday nights; and on Friday nights a “Classic Car Show” is held in the parking lot. - Source
Here are some photos that I took during our visit:
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