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Burger Chef and Jeff and... Suzi?

I'm probably showing my age a bit here, but I remember a time when fast food meant a little place called Burger Chef. It was great if you were a kid. In fact, it's one of the first fast food places I remember eating at as a kid. They had special meals just for kids called Funmeals — they came in their own little box with games on them, and sometimes if you were lucky, there was a plastic flexible record you could play on a turntable. You'd have to put a coin near the center of it to weigh it down, though — otherwise the pressure from the turntable's needle would just hold it in place. Good times indeed. McDonald's Happy Meals, introduced later, sucked by comparison — as did the McDonaldland characters.

After a strong heyday in the 1960s and 1970s, Burger Chef essentially collapsed under its own weight and was sold off to Hardee's in 1982. The Burger Chef chain slowly disappeared and completely died around 1996, though every once in awhile Hardee's will have limited time only promos of the Big Shef sandwich — mainly just to exercise their trademark rights. There's no real effort underway to bring back any of the Burger Chef menu.

And then there's Suzi's.

Suzi's Hamburgers has two locations — one is in South Charleston near the mound, the other across the river on 7th Avenue. Both have cool 1970s vintage signs and feature a "Works Bar" where you can dress your burger as you see fit. This was one of the hallmarks of Burger Chef, and I've always felt like visiting Suzi's was probably the closest thing you could get to visiting a Burger Chef in the modern era (minus the Funmeals). Today, though, it got even more interesting.

Martha and I met for lunch today at the Suzi's on 7th Avenue — her first experience with the place. I'd already mentioned to her how it reminded me of Burger Chef, and as we waited for our food, I pointed out several things which made me feel that way. One of the employees behind the counter heard me and told me the 7th Avenue location used to be a real Burger Chef, and after comparing the building with some pictures of other old Burger Chefs courtesy of the good old Internet, I can definitely see the resemblance. In the picture shown here, you can see an original Burger Chef from 1982 in Louisville, KY, and below it, Suzi's Hamburgers as it looked today.

The employee then revealed another juicy secret: both Suzi's locations are using original recipes from Burger Chef. Which means if you want a pretty genuine Burger Chef experience, you can still find it in Charleston, WV. Incrediburgible!

Posted January 22, 2010 @ 23:25:46 EST. 2 comments.

Comments on "Burger Chef and Jeff and... Suzi?":

Great post! I remember Burger Chef, and I was a similar devotee. My main memory consists of the fact that the burgers came plain and you could dress them as you liked. I miss the place. As I recall, there were two in Beckley, right? One at the plaza, and the other out by Woodrow, which then became a, ahem, gentleman's club, and then the Beckley Discount Pharmacy. A nice trip down memory lane. I remember Funmeals, and also that I think Burger Chef was one of the first places to offer themed glasses with purchases, usually four to a theme....

Another fond memory...where that used car place is now....Earhart's, I think....wasn't it an Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips...when I was a kid, that was the height of cosmopolitan...

As often as I travel through Charleston, I will be seeking out Suzi's! Thanks for the tip...

# Posted by JP Fanshawe on January 24, 2010 @ 01:11:30 EST.

Seems there was a Burger Chef on Harper Road too, if I'm remembering correctly.

Beckley Discount Pharmacy rings a bell for me. I remember seeing that building on the way to WWHS in the morning, and it looked very much like Suzi's - drive-thru and everything. Come to think of it, a drive-thru pharmacy isn't a bad idea at all... especially for the Rite-Aids which double as liquor stores.

# Posted by Brad Mills on January 24, 2010 @ 20:35:16 EST.

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