Burger Chef Locations

Alton, IL

Broadway

I remember begging my mom to take me to Burger Chef on Broadway in Alton, IL. I LOVED the funmeal with its neat little compartments for all your food and the cool box to read while you ate. Oh, and the food was YUMMY!! I miss it terribly and was happy to see your site. The building was turned into a Chinese place for a long time. Now it is torn down and a huge McDonalds sits there! Oh, I miss the old days!!

Posted by: Christine Heathcott Villalobos | 06/30/2006 at 12:07 AM

Main Street

I miss Burger Chef too. There was also one uptown on Main Street in Alton ,Ill. It turned into a Sonic then a counseling place and I think now its a Red Cross. I loved to be able to top my own hamburger I used to put french dressing on them.

Posted by: David Hicks | June 26, 2007 at 07:36 PM

Belleville, IL

Carlyle Avenue

A later, newer store than the one on 16th & Main, since razed (a Rally's now occupies the space).

Posted by: Philip Atkins | May 02, 2006 at 02:46 PM

West Main & 16th Street

This Burger Chef opened in 1960 by Don Kaffer.  When his franchise agreement expired in 1975, he changed the store's name to Kaffer's Family Restaurant.  Kaffer's closed shop in 1995, the location has been through several incarnations since then.  It's soon to become a Taco Loco.  (from the Belleville News-Democrat, March 31, 2006.)

--R.T.

I am originally from Belleville, IL and live there now after having retired from the Air Force after 20 years. I well remember the West Main St. Burger Chef where I had a Funburger when it first came out! I also remember when it became plain ol' 'Don Kaffers'. The most recent incarnation was a Chinese Buffet before now becoming a mexican restaurant. When Kaffer's BC franchise expired, he added a long cinder-block extension to the front of the building to accomodate more patrons. That meant the end of the big glass windows, though you can still recognize the roof & eaves of the classic 60's design.

Posted by: Philip Atkins | May 02, 2006 at 02:46 PM

Bloomington, IL

North Main

There was a Burger Chef on the west side of North Main in Bloomington, IL. I don't remember the address, but it was across the street from Illinois Wesleyan University, and so was probably in the 1300 block.

When I was there in the late 60's and early 70's, the university food service was closed on Sunday nights, and a burger with a pass through the Works Bar was a frequent Sunday meal. Good times!

Posted by: Greg Hamblin | July 26, 2007 at 01:08 PM

Carbondale, IL

E. Main Street

We frequently went to a Burger Chef on the 300 block of E. Main St. in Carbondale, IL when I was a kid in the 60's, oh how I loved that place. It closed in the early 70's and the site is now that of an insurance agency.

Posted by: Al | February 20, 2007 at 12:47 AM

Chicago, IL

5601 S. Harlem Avenue

There was a Burger Chef in Chicago, Illinois at 5601 S. Harlem Ave. which opened around 1960. By that decade's end it had morphed into "Little Eddie's Hot Dogs." The building was later demolished to provide added parking for the famous Candlelight Dinner Theatre--which itself was demolished in 1998 to make room for a Krispy Kreme.

That's progress.

Posted by:  markguitre| April 2, 2006 at 7:16 PM

8715 S. Kedzie Avenue

Located in Evergreen Park

--R.T.

Crest Hill, IL

My first job was at a Burger Chef in Crest Hill, Il. in 1966 (near Joliet.) I remember going there with my Mom after Christmas shopping for a Hot Cocoa and I saw this really good looking guy making hamburgers and told my mother that I was going to marry him. I was 15 and it turns out my mom grew up with the owner and got me a job there. I still crave the food. We sliced our own onions and peeled our own potatoes for fries. By the way, I did marry the young man, for a few years anyway.

Posted by: Loretta DaCorte | March 01, 2008 at 10:20 PM

Crystal Lake, IL

177 West Virginia Street

There was a Burger Chef in Crystal Lake until at least 1977.  Its address was 177 West Virginia Street, Crystal Lake, IL 60014. 

Thanks for putting up your site, I still have my King Kong collector glasses... 

Posted by: Mark | April 25, 2006 at 12:08 AM

Danville, IL

432 N. Gilbert St.
Burger Chef #57

This site is now Schroeder's Drive-In, for more history and pictures check out Pilgrimages.

See post of a coupon for this store here.

--R.T.

I am the owner and operator of Schroeder`s Drive-In in Danville, been doing it for 46 yrs. We were a Burger Chef until Sept. 1993 store no.57 We still serve the same B.C.food so if you are hungry come and see us. We were one the highest volume stores in the system. We still keep busy at 1,400.00@ yr. 217 446-1034

Posted by: Butch Schroeder | April 13, 2006 at 09:20 PM

I have eaten LOTS of times at this restaurant when it was Burger Chef and then once it became Schroders. There is no difference in the taste from then to now. I live about an hour away from there now but whenever I go visit my parents who live about 20 minutes away from the restaurant I run in there for my fix.

Posted by: Nicole | July 20, 2007 at 11:25 AM

Decatur, IL

2701 South 6th

I noticed that you do not have Decatur, Illinois Burger Chef... I am attaching a picture of that location (from the local yearbook) as well.  It reads 2701 South 6th if I remember correctly.

Posted by: Rich B | July 2, 2006 at 7:48 PM

Des Plaines, IL

945 Elmhurst Road

Located on Rt. 83 between Dempster St. & Algonquin Rd. It's now a Taco Bell.

--R.T.