Burbank’s Bob’s Big Boy: 75 Years of Burgers
Too often I hear that Los Angeles and the surrounding area is a place that doesn’t care about its history, we demolish buildings left and right, and little heritage remains. I think that’s far from true. Many restaurants have lasted 100 years in the area, and one location in Burbank is well on its way to hitting that 100 year mark, Bob’s Big Boy. This year the iconic Bob’s Big Boy in the Toluca Lake area of Burbank turns 75.
After learning the tricks of the trade at other restaurants, Robert C. Wain sold his car for $300 and bought a small stand in Glendale in 1936, calling it Bob’s Pantry. When someone at the stand said they wanted something other than a burger, Bob jokingly gave him a double patty burger with a portion of the bun in the middle, and called it the “Big Boy,” inspired by a regular at Bob’s, Rick Woodruff. The name came when Bob forgot Woodruff’s name one day and said “Hey, Big Boy!”
After the success of the Big Boy, Bob’s Pantry became Bob’s Big Boy in 1938, and soon got its icon of the hungry boy in his checkered overalls and iconic coiffed hair, which was also inspired by Woodruff. Bob’s locations started to spring up across California. Today the oldest location, located in the Toluca Lake neighborhood of Burbank is still a destination for hot rodders, celebrities, tourists and locals.
Designed by famed architect Wayne McAllister, the Burbank location opened in 1949 and features a 70 foot tall sign with glowing neon. McAllister understood how impactful neon could be, saying “With neon we could outline the sign. We could give it a third dimension by making the letters deeper and outlining, or even double or triple outlining it.” Growing in popularity, the restaurant grew in size, with the expansion also designed by McAllister.
With its swooping counter, walls of glass, and Jetson-esque drive-in canopy, this Bob’s perfectly blends the end of the Streamline Moderne era with the up and coming Googie movement. McAllister would go on to design several hotel casinos in Las Vegas, including the legendary Sands.
Located down the street from Warner Bros. Studio, it’s no surprise that Bob’s can be a celebrity hot spot, which it has been for decades. One of the most notable groups to dine here were the Beatles, who stopped in to get a bite of classic American fare after arriving in Hollywood in 1965, and fans from around the world ask to sit in their booth. If you’re a fan of classic cars, then Saturday night is a must, as it is jam packed with vintage cars and and looks like a shot out of American Graffiti.
Grab a bite at Bob’s Big Boy at 4211 W. Riverside Drive in Burbank. Want more Bob’s? Check out our visit to the Downey location here!
What’s Near By?
Sources
Geary, George. Made In California: The California-Born Burger Joints, Diners, Fast Food & Restaurants that Changed America. Prospect Park Books, 2021. Print.
Hess, Alan. Googie Redux. Chronicle Books, 2004. Print.
“The Big Boy Story” Bob’s Big Boy.
Nichols, Chris. The Leisure Architecture of Wayne McAllister. Gibbs Smith, 2007. Print.
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In 1961 I was a waitress at Bob’s Big Boy restaurant at both San Fernando Road in Burbank and sometimes at the original iconic Riverside Drive location. The classic car/carhop scene on weekends was always the coolest place to be. Then I became a stewardess at Western Airlines in Los Angeles