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!
Since that day, Burgermaster has expanded to 5 locations across the Puget Sound region: the original University District location, Bellevue, Aurora Avenue in Seattle, Mill Creek, and Mount Vernon. 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! The original University District location was converted into our only sit-down restaurant, but all other 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! We’re also celebrating our 70th anniversary this year (keep an eye out for our limited edition anniversary t-shirts available for purchase), and we hope to still be around for a long time to come!