My 5 Favorite Burger Joints from Film & Television

I’m a big fan of food history and pop culture. Some people discuss the Avengers or Spider-Man in absolute terms, but me? I discuss fictional eating establishments. With that being said, here are my favorite burger joints from film and television.

Barth’s Burgery from You Can’t Do That On Television

As a kid in the 80s, I would watch Nickelodeon religiously and loved Barth’s Burgery skits. “Who/What do you think is in the burgers?” punchline, which was used quite often, should give you a good idea of what direction these segments were taking.

Yet, I was dying to be seated at that booth for some reason.

Which is the Real Barth’s Burgery?

The Barth’s Burgery skit was filmed on a set at CJOH-TV studios in Ottawa, Canada. 

BusterBurger from Hamburger the Motion Picture

Here’s another gem from the ’80s, Hamburger The Motion Picture, which shows the trials and tribulations of many folks who want to be BusterBurger managers. All I wanted to be was a BusterBurger customer. Do you know why? Cause it’s full of bull!

Which is the Real Buster Burger?

Hamburger The Motion Picture was filmed all over Los Angeles, California. The actual building used for the BusterBurger restaurant is unknown. Considering it gets blown up, I will assume it wasn’t a restaurant.

College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, doubled as BusterBurger University.

Dante’s Inferno from Dumb and Dumber

Dumb & Dumber ranks up there with my favorite comedies, like Animal House & the Blues Brothers. Lloyd Christmas (Jim Carrey) and Harry Dunne (Jeff Daniels) are ridiculous, and when they stop at Dante’s Inferno, the hottest food east of the Mississippi, things get deadly.

Which is the Real Dante’s Inferno?

I’ve scoured the internet, but no one knows the restaurant’s name at the time of the filming. The Dante’s Inferno building is now the American Legion Post (845 West 24th Street) in Ogden, Utah.

Jack Rabbit Slim’s from Pulp Fiction

The obvious choice from the Quentin Tarantino masterpiece is the Big Kahuna Burger because everyone knows it’s a Hawaiian Burger Joint with a tasty burger. Something about the whole Jack Rabbit Slim decor intrigued me. I love a well-thought-out themed restaurant. Plus, the Durward Kirby Burger cooked bloody as hell with a $5 shake would hit the spot.

Which is the Real Jack Rabbit Slims

The exterior of Jack Rabbit Slims was shot at the recently shuttered (at the time of filming) Grand Central Bowl (1435 Flower Street) in Glendale, California. The actual Jack Rabbit Slim restaurant set was the most expensive part of the budget, $150,000.

WhammyBurger from Falling Down

Double Whaymmyburger w/Cheese, Whammy Fries, and a Choco Wham Shake are what Michael Douglas’ character in Falling Down ends up ordering after causing a scene when they’ve stopped serving breakfast.

WhammyBurger reminded me of the burger joints I frequented when visiting my grandmother in Glendale, California. Unfortunately, the burger did not look appetizing at all.

Which is the Real Whammy Burger?

The famous WhammyBurger scene was filmed at Angelo’s Burgers (10990 Atlantic Avenue) in Lynwood, California, so I can still eat there.