# What chain restaurant had a 'British burger' in the '70s/'80s? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [April 23, 2022, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314 "2022-04-23T13:44:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/1 "2022-04-23T13:44:00Z")
In the late-'70s and into the '80s, dad and I would go to a chain restaurant and he would order the ‘British burger’. It was just a cheeseburger, but it had two pieces of bacon arranged in a cross like the British flag. Was it Denny’s? Bob’s Big Boy? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/2 "2022-04-23T14:04:33Z")
Maybe Hardees? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/3 "2022-04-23T14:29:26Z")
We didn’t have Hardee’s in California. It’s called Carl’s Jr there. But no, this was a sit-down restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/4 "2022-04-23T14:52:28Z")
The closest I can find is that a restaurant in Saint Petersburg, Florida has a food item called a British burger: > **[Menu - Munch's Restaurant - American Restaurant](https://foursquare.com/v/munchs-restaurant/4bd2faf5a8b3a5938cc7685f/menu)** > > Check out the menu for Munch's Restaurant.The menu includes and main menu. Also see photos and tips from visitors. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/5 "2022-04-23T14:58:12Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > We didn’t have Hardee’s in California. It’s called Carl’s Jr there. And, in the '70s and '80s, the two were completely unrelated chains. They didn’t merge until 1997. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/6 "2022-04-23T15:22:40Z")
There’s also one at HB Jones in Elmhurst, IL. [HB Jones | The Best in Hamburgers & Family Dining (hamburgerjones.com)](https://www.hamburgerjones.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/7 "2022-04-23T15:27:47Z")
I’m still trying to figure out how you can arrange two pieces of bacon into something resembling the Union Jack. Wouldn’t you need four? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/8 "2022-04-23T15:31:38Z")
In the 70s, the epitome of “British burgers” was [Wimpy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimpy_(restaurant)), which isn’t something I would recommend to anybody. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/9 "2022-04-23T15:54:00Z")
I forget: What was the sit-down “family restaurant” Elizabeth Moss was flogging in _ **Mad Men** _? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/10 "2022-04-23T16:02:31Z")
Did they have something on the menu _called_ “The British Burger”? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/11 "2022-04-23T16:21:08Z")
Quite possibly, back then. Memory is fleeting and the old menus aren’t online. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/12 "2022-04-23T16:46:05Z")
> [@Uncle\_Jocko](#): > > I’m still trying to figure out how you can arrange two pieces of bacon into something resembling the Union Jack. Wouldn’t you need four? I presume they wanted to make a bacon-cheeseburger and someone thought the crossed bacon resembled the flag. > [@terentii](#): > > I forget: What was the sit-down “family restaurant” Elizabeth Moss was flogging in _ **Mad Men** _ ? I’ve never seen Mad Men. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/13 "2022-04-23T16:48:46Z")
All I remember is that they were at one time very popular. _ **Country Kitchen** _, maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/14 "2022-04-23T17:57:33Z")
**Found it!** It was (is?) Denny’s. [This menu](https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images2/1/0917/02/1967-vintage-full-size-breakfast_1_05f588449d22e306c4f804c272b77d33.jpg) is from before I remember, but it’s definitely on there. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/15 "2022-04-23T18:00:34Z")
Linky no worky. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/16 "2022-04-23T18:11:32Z")
Was it Howard Johnsons? They figured into a few episodes. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/17 "2022-04-23T18:17:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Linky no worky. ☹ Huh. Works for me. Here’s the page it’s on. (Note: They also have a [chili size](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-size/532207).) [https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1967-vintage-full-size-breakfast-1884904310](https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1967-vintage-full-size-breakfast-1884904310) ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/18 "2022-04-23T18:54:18Z")
Link didn’t work for me, either. The coffee shop in the Petroleum Building near DTLA had a Canadian burger which was essentially a cheeseburger with a slice of Canadian bacon, and it was _so_ good. It was also appropriate because the owners were French Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/19 "2022-04-23T18:55:42Z")
Most excellent Google Fu, dude! ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314/20 "2022-04-23T19:30:47Z")
Nope, not HoJo’s. I’d remember that because I ate there a lot when I was with my dad. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-had-a-british-burger-in-the-70s-80s/963314.md?page=2)