Location: 79th and Central
Okay, so I'll need some help on this one. My memory of the order of things goes like this: Before Kojak's, there was Henry's Hamburgers (on the northwest corner of 79th and Cicero). I loved Henry's. Was their sign that of a giant, smiling hamburger? Was the hamburger personified to look like someone? Am I making this up? I'm not sure. But this was where my mother would take me, sometimes over the short school lunch for a treat. Then Kojak's opened. I want to say it opened around 1975 or '76. In one of the comments, someone wrote that Kojak's used to be a Church's Chicken. Does anyone else remember this? Kojak did a swift lunch business, but then around 1978 or '79, McDonald's opened just a little ways down the road. (Are these years correct? I could be way off here.) So, that's my short -- very short -- history of hamburgers between 79th and Central and 79th and Cicero, though I'm thinking that there was another place, a little hamburger stand near McDonald's, that I'm forgetting. But maybe it was an ice cream stand. Help me out! Also, does anyone know why Kojak's is named Kojak's? I mean, it opened about the time that the Telly Savalas show Kojak was well-known, if not still on TV...but that doesn't explain it, does it? I'm guessing that's a coincidence.
I ate at Kojak's fairly regularly because my good friend, Joe, lived behind Speedway, which used to be the much smaller (but a whole hell of a lot scarier) Purple Martin; what I ate, in great quantity, were the cheeseburgers and the beefs, and, of course, the fries at Kojak's. Last year, I was teaching at Columbia College, and on a whim (and after a few too many drinks downtown), I took the train to Midway and then a cab to, well, The Castle. It was a slow night, and after a few too many drinks at The Castle, I decided to go to Kojak's and call a cab. Two observations: 1) I don't think Kojak's has put one penny in remodeling in thirty years; and 2) the double cheeseburger I ordered was one of the best double cheeseburgers I'd ever had in my life! Seriously. I ate the fries in the cab all the way back downtown. It was a ludicrously expensive night, but the Kojak's double cheeseburger almost made it worthwhile. Almost.
(photo courtesy of Renee Greco)
33 comments:
Yes Kojaks was a Churches Chicken. I don't know what year, but my mom got a job there and got locked in the freezer her first day. Unfortunatley she quit, so we never got any discounted chicken ;o)
Ya I no Im young but ever since I was able to walk across the street I would go to Kojaks! They actually started to remodel it a couple of years ago and then just stopped! But either way they have the greatest food! I heard they were going to shut down but then found out that wasw false! If Kojaks ever did close it would be a whole lot of childhood memories taken from me!
I remember Churches Chicken before it became Kojak's. Once a week my Dad would take me out to eat for school lunch break. Growing up on the north side (as if Burbank is so large that it has a North and South side) I had 4 choices. Churches Chicken, Taco Bell, (across from Churches, now the bank parking lot) Henry's, or Jack in the box. Henry’s as I remember was on the south side of Cicero on 85th st. It had a large multi colored crystal at the top of the sign. It kind of looked like the pod that sent Super Man from planet Krypton to Earth. Jack in the box was on the North side of Cicero around 82nd st across from Topps (now Jewel). When Kojak's opened I would always order the 2 hot dog special. You got 2 Chicago style hotdogs and a lunch bag overflowing with fries for $1.99. Yes, my Dad liked that too. As a youth I had no idea what I was missing by passing up the Italian beef and sausage combo and the world famous Big Baby. I can’t make a trip back to Burbank without stopping at either Kojak's or Dukes drive in.
OMG. I love these stories. I remember Kojaks in 1978-79. A bunch of us would walk there during lunch break from Kennedy. We smoked cigarettes and the like walking down the middle of the steet, and would enjoy cheeseburgers and the world's best french fries! Then we would return to Mr. Bulkowski's (spelling?) Biology class completely wasted.
Henry's was closer to my house. I lived at 78th and Lawler so I could walk to 79th and Cicero for Henry's French Fries!
Great food, great memories.
oh jeez, ratjacks? you must have hung out on the wrong side of our lil town. dugout is where it's at!!
Kojak's is a great place, but nobody beat Harry's Hotdog's on 21st and Damen in Chicago! My father owned it from '63-'93. The funny thig is that he was planing on buying the spot where Kojak's is before it opened up. (Too bad he didn't) Also, John, the burger joint you are remembering, but forgetting, is Jr's Hot Dogs on 79th, just 2 blocks west of McDonald's.
good ol RATjacks i remember going there all the time when we had Half days of school at kennedy...and the other place next to mcdonalds is Jr's hotdogs.every time they "remodled" the place all they did was slap a coat of paint on the walls... good times there keep up the storys..as much as i hated burbank, there was still good times there.
I do remember going to Kojak's many times growing up in Burbank, but I lived far closer to Duke's so I ate there a lot more often.
There was also the JR's hotdogs over by Kojak's and McDonalds.
Kojaks had the best fries! Loved going there on lunch break! Jr's hot dogs, omg, I remember my dad would come home from work with a sack of them! What a treat that would be! Man I miss those dogs!
I remember Kojak's! We had 5 kids in our family. If Mom wanted a quick lunch for us while my Dad was out golfing, she would send me on my bike with $10, and I would get lunch for 5 kids and Mom. I remember everything came with fries for only 10 cents more. They had the best polish sausage ( that they cooked in the deep fryer), and I remember a fish sandwich WITH fries was ONE dollar!
It was either that or Taco Bell which was across the street from Martin. You could get a taco, tostada, or a taco on a bun called a BELLburger! ha!
What a blast from the past! :)
We moved from Clearing to Burbank right before the blizzard of 77 hit. My dad would send me to Kojaks to grab a greasy burger. My favorite though was the gyro, but I didn't eat fast food often since I worked out. Kojak's has different owners now and it's not as busy as it used to be. My funny moment was hearign the cooks 'cheeeeesburger, cheeesburger' like the belushi skit.
JR's is still around and I'll snap a pic next time I'm around there. The Dugout is still around. My friends & I would sometimes stop by after a Reavis football game. John, did you go to any football games? I still remember the marijuana mushroom clouds in the stands...
The best part of Kojak's for lunch was ...being Mr. Kawa's errand child...he would pay for my lunch as long as I would pick up lunch for him and Mr. Bukovsky (absolutely spelt correctly)..as always on one of Mr. Kawas spelling tests at the end of the week.
Well, the hamburger joint that he can't remember is not Juniors Hot Dogs. The hamburger place was called "Andy's", which was located at 79th & State road in a small brick building which has been leveled. This building was last used for a Title and Loan . Located next to Durbins Pizza. Ice cream was also served there. My memory of the owner (Mary Ann) was cheap and mean to us kids in the area.
I remember the place over by Durbins that later was a title and loan being some kind of conveinent store back before they put in the Walgreens and everything over there. Am I remembering right? I think I am too young to remember it being a burger joint though, because that I do not recall.
The convenience store Theresa refers to was Milk 'n Things and was directly next to Durbins. Judy owned the store for years before closing. Everyone went there for milk and lottery tickets. Andy's was a free standing building which, in more recent years became a Mexican fast food place for a very short time.
Gotta have the "Big Baby" and Fries. The best and greasiest fries on the south side. Personally, I had a penchant for Carmine's on Cicero when it came to Beef Sandwiches. Anyone remember the A&A corner store across 79th from the Churches Chicken??
I like many have had to many libations at the Castle on 79th...great people are always there.
Ahhh, yes, Milk n Things, that's the place. I can remember my mother stopping their on our way home all the time for those exact things, milk, cigerettes, and lottery tickets.
Milk & Things was referred to as the "blue store" in our family since it was painted an obnoxious royal blue color. My mom would send us there to buy a carton of Coke or Pepsi..glass bottles and all. We would walk home carrying those heavy bottles. I remember the owner would sit in a chair behind the counter and you could not see her when you walked in.
I LOVED Kojaks... Beef'n'Cheddar for me.. ok, now I'm drooling. Now when I stop by my parents, it's that or Chuck's kiddy corner from Kojaks. If you want GREAT Tex/Mex/BBQ, go there, it's the best!
i lived there at 7823 south parkside.pizza puffs,big babies were the best and it is cheap to eat there too.i love the gyro plate.come hungry cause you won't eat the rest of the day!! nicest guys you ever met
Why doesn't anyone mention Pup'n'Pop on Harlem? That was the best hotdog after a night of drinking.
What about Pup'n'Pop? That was one great hotdog after a night of drinking.
Sitting on top of the "cannon" in front of the VFW post@ 79th and St Rd.. We would throw pumpkins from atop this perch.. Then run to your good friends house JOE.. By the way Milk-n- things for those of us around 40 was the Farmstand.. Then became Milk-n-Things with Judy sitting in her recliner. How about baseball at Queen of Peace every summer day that was when kids were kids.. I loved the book Of Ralph
It's funny that we all called it "Kojak's" when the sign has always said "Kojak"... LOL
I was one of kids like Jerry who played baseball every summer day on the grass just East of the Queen of Peace parking lot.
I remember buying cigarettes at Milk n' Things for a dollar and getting 5 cents change back when I was in high school. I can't imagine what a pack of smokes cost these days...
Where else could you get a hotdog and fries for !.03! I moved from Burbank in 1989 but when my band was on tour decided to take the band there in 04.All five of us ate for like 15 bucks it was amazing! Never forget good reavis football teams and kojacks.......
Pup N Pop on harlem freakin RULED!!!!!!! my God i loved that place. if you get a big baby at kojaks, the reason i discovered they taste different from my childhood is this- they put the patties on the charcoal grill then finish them on the fry grill.
if you order one and tell them you do NOT want it on the charcoal grill but just completely fried you will be escorted back to 1978!
I was a picky eater, and went to St Albert the Great. Mom would give me $3.00 each day and I'd have a late lunch from Kojak's. They all knew me. Everyday, Larry would ask me how was my love life. I was 9. It was not so great. It was me that had the Pizza Puff put on the menu. I had it at another place and asked them when they would add it. I asked once a week. One day, when the food delivery guy was there, I asked, and they ordered some. It's been on the menu since!
loved milk n things, i can picture the owner now that i read these blogs, i remember barely being able to move in that store, it was tiny, i have some memmories of a store or ice cream shop called coneheads across from kojaks, and this building everyone is calling andys by durbins, i remember it being called jozos and had a mrs pac man video game i always played, loved bringing back the pop bottles to maze or garden gate and getting the 80 cents to buy baseball cards or candy
it was called MAYS i believe then Garden Gate. Coneheads was indeed next to 7-day convenience store.
in that strip mall at 79th and Central it went from left to right, 7-day, Alladin Cleaners (later Coneheads) Edgetts (later Adams) pharmacy then Carmens Barber Shop. Carmen is now at 79th and Lockwood and has been cutting my hair for 36 years now!
and Dannys Deli was across the street next to Paulius Hardware.
Dannys had the best Sub sandwich ever!
I lived in Burbank until 74'.Went to Henry's all the time.The closest McDonalds was on Cicero, down by the skating rink.I think.Only went there when my folks would splurge.Lived at 79th place and Lawler,so we could walk to Henry's.
I used to work at Henrys!!!! Yes Pup and Pop had the best hot dogs at 3:00am. Don't forget dine and dashin at Denny's before it became part of Haunted Trails...Remember we all grew up on Genio's Pizza!!!
Kojak is still there. The Big Baby is still my favorite.
I grew up on 77th and Long. I Loved the Jr. Gyro from Kojak's!!! The Big Baby's too!!! All these memories. My parents used to have me walk to Milk & Things with a note for cigarettes and milk. I also used to be one of those hooligans climbing all over the cannon at the VFW and play in the grass down the street at Queen of Peace. I used to walk down Central through the train yard and watch the planes land overhead on 63rd. I haven't been to Burbank in so long and these stories are funny. We all seem to have done the same things growing up there. Our nook of Burbank between State Road and 75th seemed to Cicero seemed like an area of it's own...Good times
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