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Bill Elwell, 89, might be the oldest man still working in the restaurant industry, but even if he is not, he is definitely one of the most content. He has owned and worked at the stand he purchased in the 1960s, and it does not seem that he could be any happier. The beloved stand, located on Oxnard Street between Van Nuys Blvd and Kester, was filled with customers as I arrived just before 3p.m.
On this week's episode of The Burger Crawl, my friend (Wayne) and I take a trip up to Van Nuys, and try Bill & Hiroko's Burger for the first time. We enjoyed ourselves. and Bill's definitely lives up to the motto on their business card, "What In-N-Out Used To Be."
I found out about Bill's Burger after being referred by a friend, and directed to the article Matthew Kang of Eater L.A. wrote in 2013 when Bill was 86 years young. Matthew's article (http://la.eater.com/2013/4/17/6450255/bill-elwell-of-bill-hirokos-hamburgers-in-van-nuys) gave a decent history and interview of the small burger stand, which I will let you read for yourself.
What Matthew did not cover in the article is that Hiroko Wilcox's father allegedly shot Bill in the ass during World War II. Even if that is just an old wise-tale, Wayne and I still got a good laugh out of the irony.
This review was written and paid for like every other one on this site: with my own money, no sponsorships, no comped meals. If it helped you decide where to eat, a coffee helps keep it that way.
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