Bill's Burgers

Bill Elwell, the Oldest Burger Man in America, Dies at 98 | Eater LA

"Legendary San Fernando Valley roadside stand where lines stretch from the ordering window down Oxnard Street, this cash-only spot has remained essentially unchanged for nearly six decades. Even into his 90s, owner Bill Elwell worked the vintage 1920s or 1930s flattop, flipping chargrilled, well-seasoned patties sourced locally from Northridge and ground fresh every morning, then topping them with American cheese, iceberg lettuce, freshly sliced tomatoes, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. The dry humor of a menu line — “You can’t have it your way, this is not Burger King” — fit Elwell’s straightforward, sometimes gruff style; as he put it, “Whichever way I make the burger, that’s the best way,” and he liked when people ordered double cheeseburgers with everything, the item he considered his claim to fame. Through waves of burger trends in Los Angeles, virtually nothing here changed except the prices, which rose from $3.35 in 2011 to $4.20 in 2018 and to $7 by May 2025." - Rebecca Roland