Hamburger Hamlet
There are still a few Hamburger Hamlets around: One in Pasadena, one in Sherman Oaks, a new one over on Larchmont and ones in Virginia and Maryland. Still, I think of the ones that were in Beverly Hills and Westwood Village as “my” restaurants and since they’re gone, I can put them in this section. Also in 2011, they closed the one on Sunset near Doheny that was a favorite of many. For the last few years of his life, Dean Martin (who lived not far away) would be in there almost every night and it was said that he welcomed fans to just sit down with him and chat. I kept thinking I oughta go up and see if that was really so but I never got around to it.
When that one on Sunset closed, a number of articles claimed it was the original location. Not true. The first Hamburger Hamlet which opened in 1950 was indeed on the Sunset Strip but farther east. It was at 8931 Sunset, not far from where the Whisky a Go Go nightclub w0uld later flourish for a time.
The original location
The Hamlet was the invention of a Hollywood costumer named Marilyn Lewis and her husband, Harry. Harry was an actor, perhaps best remembered for his role in the Humphrey Bogart film, Key Largo. The way the story goes, they opened the first one with all their savings — about $3,000 or $3,500 depending on which account you read. That opening was just before Halloween of 1950 and when they were about to open the doors, they discovered they couldn’t cook. The gas hadn’t been turned on and they were so tapped out that they couldn’t afford to pay the deposit and couldn’t afford to not open on schedule. Marilyn got in touch with a gas man and struck an under-the-table bargain: If he’d come over and turn them on anyway, he could eat there for free as long as they were in business. He did both these things.
The original idea was to open an actors’ hangout but the place quickly caught on with folks of all different vocations and other outlets quickly followed. They made a great flame-broiled burger and while you could order it with any of about a dozen configurations (toppings, add-ons, etc.), I thought the plain, unadorned version was a work of art. It came in a little plastic basket with a handful of potato chips and it was just the perfect lunch. If I was there at dinner, I’d usually order the same thing but with a cup of soup…usually their rich lobster bisque.
- Wall signs at the original location
There were other great things on the menu that came along later. As they expanded, they expanded well beyond burgers. The rotisserie chicken was particularly exquisite. But it was difficult to go to Hamburger Hamlet and not order a hamburger.
Our family went once or twice a month to one of the two Hamlets then in Beverly Hills…and later, when one closed down, we gave all our patronage to the other. It was said that the Hamlet was the first restaurant in that city that actively hired blacks as food servers. My father told me that, I think. He once said he wouldn’t want to give his business to an establishment that didn’t, and I admired him for that view.
I also have two vivid memories of the Hamburger Hamlet that was in Westwood — on Weyburn, more or less where a Jerry’s Famous Deli is now situated. One is of lunching there just before my mother took me to see Bambi at the Village Theater, right around the corner, in 1957. Over my Hamlet burger, I received cautionary words about not getting too upset if and when Bambi’s mother was killed in the movie we were about to see. I believe I said something like, “I won’t. Could I have some more ketchup?”
The other memory is of taking my first date there. Her name was Karen and we ate burgers at the Hamlet in advance of heading down the street to a revival house that was showing the W.C. Fields movie, The Bank Dick. As we were sitting there in the restaurant, Karen told me she was having a very good time being out with me but said something about how I shouldn’t expect anything more than a good-night kiss. I believe I said something like, “I won’t. Could I have some more ketchup?”
30 Responses to Hamburger Hamlet
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When we used to live in Riverside, I think we ate at a Hamburger Hamlet in Palm Spring. I remember we saw Buddy Rich eating at one of the tables.
In the mid 80′s, I worked in downtown L.A., fresh out of USC, there was a Hamburger Hamlet in the lobby of our building at 615 S. Flower Street/at Wilshire Blvd. They served the most wonderful breakfast also!
In addition to the wonderful burgers and fries, for dessert you could get a huge slice of chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce and whipped cream, intended to be shared by two or more people. The Hamlet in Sherman Oaks may still be there (and “Hamburger” may not be part of the name any more), but it’s barely a shadow of what it used to be.
I didn’t get to LA until late 1994, but I did eat at the Westwood location a few times. And Jerry’s Famous is in the exact location of the Westwood location.
The Hollywood Boulevard location has a bit role in the mythology of STAR WARS. The day STAR WARS opened at the Chinese, a few friends managed to drag George Lucas out of his home and take him to dinner at the Hamlet on Hollywood Blvd, which was right across the street from the Chinese… where there were huge crowds for STAR WARS. And while, Lucas was still stressed for a while, his mood was improved substantially.
Back when I was attending USC, in the late 50′s/early 60′s, you could get a steak sandwich & potato chips at the original Sunset Hamlet for less than $2.00. Even then, that was quite a bargain.
I have so many memories of ‘The Hamlet’, but in particular of the location in Sherman Oaks/Studio City. In the -mid-late ’60′s, as a high school and college student, this was the perfect place to go to with a large crowd of friends, with a date or with my family. We loved the food, the large portions, the reasonable prices and I always felt good about asking for our favorite waitress whose name, more than 40 years later, I still remember – Merry Mack. I ate in most of the other locations, but this one was my favorite.
I’ve been to most of the Hamlets many times – I think the one at Beverly and Robertson became a nail salon. I’ll still hit the one on Van Nuys Blvd. My signature meal – “apricot” chicken wings and fries – doesn’t quite taste the same anymore …
Re: the Westwood Hamburger Hamlet. I loved the motif–which featured little insets in the walls with little models or pictures of scenes from the play Hamlet, with altered quotations (which Shakespeare may not have minded if he had dined there). Back in the mid-’60s, as a high school student, I took a girl there for dinner on one of my first dates. When it came time to pay, I realized I had left my wallet at home! No problem … I left the girl there as collateral, and ran the four blocks home (yes, I lived in Westwood), grabbed my wallet, and paid the ransom, setting my one-time date free. While perhaps sadder, I was at least wiser … and full!
And don’t forget the fabulous Lobster Bisque. It was pricey in the 70′s (maybe 3.50), but was worth every penny!.
I became good friends with Johnny Madden who started as a bust boy in Sherman Oaks. He then was in Brentwood and ended up as a manager in downtown. He was murdered by his girlfriend. What a tragic lost for a beautiful human being.
Never ate there much, but my friend, Pee Wee Crayton, the blues guitarist’s wife was the head dietician or something for the chain back in the 70′s and 80′s.
I remember this used to be a nationwide chain and my family ate at the location around Vernon Hills, IL when I was an adolescent in the early 90s. Then we ate at the location on Sunset Blvd in August 1992 on a family vacation, my parents somewhat aghast by the GLBT clientele. Being very nostalgic, I ate twice at the Pasadena location during an LA getaway in May 2012. Thought the food was good and would love to have this chain nationwide again, amidst the dreadfully dull Applebe’s and Olive Gardens of today.
I was a regular at the Costa Mesa store mainly the bar I will say the food was ok but I didn’t eat their much I think by the time I had become a bar fly in that store they had slid downhill. Later I wanted to Manage for them it was sad they were trying to go back in time and reclaim the past never a good idea in the restaurant business I was at the big manager possible training get together and they talked about reclaiming the past and trying to hype us up but it fell flat for me I didn’t stay they asked me why and I said they were doing the wrong thing and he didn’t like that… they closed a few years later… I told you not a good idea.
I never liked their food maybe because I worked in fine dining for 15 years and was used to fantastic quality freshly prepared food I was a Chef for many years
We ate at the BH locations from the 50s to the 70s. All the locations seemed to hire mostly African American wait staff, and that was a welcome novelty in those days. I loved the mushroom burgers and the French onion soup, but “those potatoes” were the family faves, two layers of hash browns with sour cream in the middle. I still make them occasionally for the hub…
I didn’t see the Hamburger Hamlet on Sepulveda Blvd mentioned, I believe in West Los Angeles. I used to take my kids there in the 70′s, but it is long gone now.
Opps! Here’s a PS. Just discovered the original Hamburger Hamlet location on Sunset. Went there when they had picnic tables and sawdust on the floor. I was still in High School; 1952. LOVE THIS SITE. T. Smith
Often went to the one at the entrance to Beverly Hills on Sunset and never failed to see a celebrity. Last time I had breakfast there, Diahann Carroll was sitting next to us and Esther Williams and Joanne Worley were across the room. The heavenly lobster bisque is what I recall most from the menu, although everything I had was good.
I have frequented the Pasadena location a number of times, once sitting directly behind TV writer Stephen Cannell as he sat there reading something. I loved the Topanga Canyon and Ventura Blvd location, long gone now. The Pasadena back room is great and has retained its charm and central round fireplace. I was just there last week, thank God it has survived.
My aunt and uncle moved into an apartment across the street from the Whisky, just above the Shell gas station on the corner of Sunset and Clark in 1964. Whenever my parents and I visited, I got the chore of walking down the block to Hamburger Hamlet with the same order. Four steak sandwiches and one #11; bacon, cheese and Russian dressing. And I got to keep the change from the $10 bill too!
Worked at Crocker Bank in Century City and ate at Hamburger Hamlet just about every day. Saw Chuck Connors once. Very nice man. Because I ate there so much the wait staff knew me so I would get extra food. I would always leave a very nice tip. I miss the place and the people
Get
I have dined at all the Hamlets in the past 30 years. Had lunch at the Brentwood location everyday for 10 years being served by Vince Palmer and his great staff. Sad that so many of the locations in So Cal have closed — now living in Malibu, I still dine at the Sherman Oaks and Pasadena locations monthly. I really believe the Hamlet does casual dinning in a tasteful way we miss today far too often compared to what else is out there.
- Randy Reyes
I used to love Hamburger Hamlet, and I ate at the one on Sepulveda and the one on Beverly Drive. Pee Wee Crayton’s lovely widow Esther is a long time neighbor of mine. Mrs. Crayton is alive and well and makes one of the best lemon cakes I have ever had in my life. She once shared with me lovely memories of working for the Lewis family. The Hamlet was a place you could go and be assured of the quality of the food, but since there were none close to me anymore I stopped eating there in the mid 80′s.
My experiences with H H started around the mid 80′s and the food was terrible and not worth eating the only reason I visited was to get a libation at the bar even the bar food sucked either H H crashed and burned or it was never a good place to eat. This was at the Costa Mesa CA. location man was the food bad. Managers and employees were Idiots with Big heads and small brains.
When I was a kid we went to the one in Westwood probably once a week. My Mom would take me there or to the one in B H. For lunch all the time. When I was finally old enough to go to Westwood with a friend, H.H. was like home base. We’d go there to call our Mom’s to come pick us up, etc. My all time fave was a # 11, which I remember as having barbecue sauce. Whenever I went with my cousin, he would ask ” what kind of a # 11 are you going to have? I miss it so much!
Our family dined at the HH in Westwood a few times but the one we frequented the most was the San Vicente Blvd. location in West LA. If memory serves, the location was previously an Exxon service station, notable because my first job was at that Exxon. The HH was THE family location for us. We lived outside of the LA area, but when we visited my mother in LA, the Hamlet was our spot. The kids loved it, my wife and I loved it and Mom loved it. You never knew who you might recognize at another table, but the big attraction for us was that everyone in the family could find something on the menu that we liked and the service was always very good.
I ran across Hamburger Hamlet sometime in the early 2000′s (late to the party I guess) on Hollywood Blvd. It was a good catch a bite before seeing a movie.
Loved the hamburgers, and the Lobster Bisque was my favorite. Glad to hear a few are still hanging on.
Is there any way to get the Lobster bisque and Onion soup recipes?
Yes, Maxine. Just buy Marilyn Lewis’s book, “Marilyn, are you sure you can cook? he asked”
Great book for all HH fans with some recipes. Loved their restaurants and loved Marilyn’s clothes line “Cardinali”, in fact her designs still hold up very nicely!
I remember going to the BH Hamburger Hamlet in 1981 and seeing Beau Bridges. He smiled, but I was very shy then, so I didn’t bother him or anything. That HH was a great place, with wonderful service. It was always a treat to go there. Glad to hear there’s still one in Pasadena. Ah, South California……