Wally's Burgers
Wally's Burgers was a memorable pop culture drive-in, dating back to the 1960's. The 3 storey high neon sign was a magnet for many Vancouverites looking for a burger, a cruise lot, or simply a geographic marker.
The original owner, Wally Stritzel, opened the restaurant in 1962, advertising fresh quality burgers. Signature items included the Chuckwagon Burger and it's Deluxe counterpart, fries, onion rings, milkshakes and floats. The original Deluxe Wagon burger had Canadian backbacon on top of the two hamburger patties, cheese and lettuce, while later you could add a hotdog or a fried egg to the mix. But the most talked about ingredient was Wally's Top Secret Relish.
Wally's Burgers was a popular cruise spot in the 60', when Kingsway was the main cruising strip, but Stritzel sold in the 70's when McDonald's pitched their Golden arches at Kingsway and Victoria. Wally's Burgers continued for the next 3 decades under two different owners until March 2008, when it's doors closed for good. Land prices, cost of business, and redevelopment in the area solidified the demise that Stritzel saw coming in the 70's.
The first time we went through those doors was the 40th anniversary of Wally's. One of the old cruiser dudes organized the anniversary celebration by talking the new Wally owners into allowing an antique car rally to take place on site. The place was packed with a crazy assortment of collector cars and about a zillion gawkers just hanging around. Entering that scene, we felt like we had stumbled into another time zone. The food line strung out through door and down the street, weaving through the parked cars. We soaked it all in, thinking about what the old days must've been like on Kingsway while we waited in the queue to place our first historic order. The food did not disappoint! They weren't just burgers after all, they were tangible, tasty relics of an era fast disappearing.
Fast forward to 2008: When we heard the old landmark was closing its doors for good this past March 2008, we made a split second decision about dinner, gathered our daughters, and cruised down Kingsway to join the long line of those who had fond memories of the old Chuckwagon.
Enjoy!
Update June 15, 2010: For those of you who enjoyed the Wally Burger, or who wish to have a "bite of the past", there are two relatively new locations:
4141 Dollarton Hwy, North Vancouver (Cates Park)
2611 East 49th Avenue, East Vancouver (Killarney Market)
Congrats to Christo9FP for being FTF! Sorry you didn't enjoy the grease...