It all started with phil jensen, a man on a mission.
Our founder Phil Jensen had a vision. He wanted to serve burgers and high-quality fare to the people of Seattle. He envisioned food that was healthier and higher quality than most, at a price that was more affordable than gourmet restaurants. In 1952, he was approached by 2 brothers who wanted Phil to open a restaurant in the University District. Phil took them up on their offer, and so began the original Burgermaster!
For more than 70 years our flagship location fed students, families, the local community, and the UW rowing team who came in for breakfast every year for over four decades. Sadly, we said goodbye to the U-District location in 2025.
Today you can find us going strong on Aurora Avenue in Seattle, as well as in Bellevue, Mill Creek, Mount Vernon, Issaquah, and Marysville coming in 2027. The business is still owned and operated by the Jensen family. Phil’s grandson Alex is the third-generation owner; you’ll often see him helping out at the restaurants!
Burgermaster was started as a 50’s style drive-in restaurant, and we’ve stuck with that business model. We love being able to provide service to our customers in the comfort of their own car, while providing a nostalgic experience that is unlike any other! All of our locations still have the iconic drive-in stalls where customers order from Carhops. This proved to be super helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic as well, since it provided a contactless dining option!
Since 1952, Phil’s vision of top-tier food has stood strong. In 2004, Burgermaster was one of the first restaurants to begin serving grass-fed beef! We’ve continued to refine our ingredients since then to serve only the very best, including local produce, antibiotic-free meats, and wild-caught cod. We still make our famous tartar sauce from Phil’s original recipe, passed down through generations!
Phil passed away in 2009, but his guiding principle of “giving the customer a better deal” still runs strong in our business today. Phil’s son and grandson have continued to run Burgermaster with the same focus on core values and attention to detail. We also strongly believe in making the lives of our employees better, by providing some of the best pay rates and benefits available.
We love hearing that people have come to Burgermaster for “their whole lifetime!” It warms our hearts to hear that generation after generation, our Burgermaster family can welcome in families from all around Seattle. We’re very thankful for the prosperity that Burgermaster has had, and we can’t wait to keep growing and feeding the Seattle area their beloved burgers, fries and otherwise for a long time to come!