The Vintage LA Diner Where The Beatles Sampled American Comfort Food

In 1964, The Beatles effectively launched "Beatlemania" in the United States when they appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show," igniting legions of screaming fans from coast to coast. In light of such success, it was only natural that the Fab Four do a summer tour of America the very next year. In August 1965, days ahead of performances in San Diego and at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, the band expressed a desire to eat at an all-American diner. They ended up at Bob's Big Boy in Burbank, California, which still stands today. In fact, it remains an official state location of historical interest thanks to The Beatles' visit.

If the band was looking for diner comfort food, they had plenty of choices at Bob's Big Boy, whose name was inspired by a real child. The eatery, famed for its double-decker hamburgers, also served sandwiches and melts, fried chicken, fish and chips, chili, milkshakes, pies, and ice cream sundaes (and still does today). It's unclear what John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison ordered to eat that night, but where they sat has been immortalized in the restaurant. The round booth, known as "The Beatles Booth," is still regularly requested by customers who sometimes wait hours for a chance to eat where The Beatles ate. There's even a plaque at the table noting the band's visit, though it has been stolen several times.

Bob's Big Boy in Burbank opened in 1949, but it wasn't the first location of the coffee shop chain, which ultimately expanded across the nation. The very first location opened in 1936 in Glendale, California, but the Burbank spot is now the oldest operating Big Boy in America. Before The Beatles' 1965 visit, the eatery was already noteworthy for its architecture. Architect Wayne McAllister designed the eye-catching, futuristic structure that included a 70-foot-tall neon sign. He went on to design The Sands and The Desert Inn casinos in Las Vegas.

The restaurant sits on bustling Riverside Drive in Burbank and is in close proximity to three major movie studios — Warner Bros., Universal, and Walt Disney Studios — so it's not unheard of for Hollywood execs and even stars to show up for a bite. Bob Hope was a regular customer before The Beatles dined in, and David Lynch showed up daily to practice his elaborate Bob's Big Boy diner ritual, consisting of copious amounts of coffee and milkshakes. As for the historic chain's appearances in films, there are several movies you probably didn't know were filmed at Big Boy locations, though not necessarily at the Burbank spot. The list includes "Can't Hardly Wait," "License to Drive," and "Jawbreaker." Michael Mann's 1995 hit "Heat," starring Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, and Al Pacino, includes two scenes filmed in Burbank at the dining counter and booth tables, but not The Beatles Booth.