Sonny's Hamburgers
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Mike Engle
Sonny's Hamburgers is one of those classic roadside burger joints that immediately catches your eye. Between the large glass front, white enameled exterior, and vintage neon pole sign, it still looks very much like the kind of place you'd have pulled into during the late 1950s.
The restaurant opened in 1957 and has been serving Detroit-style sliders ever since. Inside, much of the original character remains, including the open grill and a row of vintage swivel counter stools. One of the neatest parts of Sonny's history is that current owner Mike Williams started working here when he was just 14 years old before eventually taking over the business himself.
It's always great to find places like this that haven't changed much over the years. Sonny's isn't just serving great burgers—it's preserving a little piece of Detroit's roadside history that's becoming harder and harder to find.
UPDATE: Sonny's Hamburgers remains open in Detroit. The historic building and its vintage neon sign both survive and continue welcoming hungry customers. 06-26
Lakes Hamburgers (Demolished)
Novi, MI Photo courtesy Mike Engle
Lakes Hamburgers was another one of those classic white-tiled burger stands that seemed to pop up all around the Detroit area during the 1950s. Like several independent hamburger joints of the era, its design borrowed inspiration from chains like White Castle and White Tower, giving it a clean, modern look that caught the attention of passing motorists.
Inside was a simple setup with a small counter and swivel stools, while the grill turned out inexpensive Detroit-style sliders cooked over a bed of grilled onions. It wasn't fancy, but places like this became neighborhood favorites because they served good food quickly and didn't need much more than that.
It's always great to find photos of places like this, especially after the buildings are gone. Lakes Hamburgers may have disappeared years ago, but it remains another reminder of the unique roadside burger architecture that once dotted the Detroit area.
UPDATE: Lakes Hamburgers is gone. The building was demolished, and nothing remains of the original roadside stand. 06-26
White Tower (Closed)
E. 5th Street, Dayton OH Photo courtesy Steve Felder
White Tower is one of those classic hamburger chains that's become increasingly difficult to find. At one time, these little white buildings could be spotted throughout much of the Midwest and East Coast, but today only a handful remain.
This Dayton location is one of just two surviving White Towers in the city, making it a real roadside survivor. Like its better-known competitor White Castle, White Tower became famous for its small hamburgers served from compact, eye-catching buildings designed to attract passing motorists. While the chain has largely faded away, this location continues serving customers decades after most of its sister restaurants disappeared.
It's always great to find places like this that have outlasted changing tastes and redevelopment. If you enjoy tracking down the last survivors of once-common roadside chains, this White Tower is well worth a stop.
White Tower, 5th St.
Dayton, OH Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans
White Tower on East 5th Street is one of the last reminders of a chain that was once a familiar sight across much of the Midwest and East Coast. While most White Tower restaurants disappeared decades ago, this classic porcelain-clad building still survives in downtown Dayton.
Built in the chain's signature Art Deco style, the compact restaurant featured gleaming white porcelain enamel panels that projected a clean, modern image to passing motorists. After White Tower left Dayton, the building found a second life as Smokin' Bar-B-Que, proving that these little roadside burger stands could adapt to changing times while still retaining their unique character.
It's always great to find buildings like this that have managed to survive, even after their original purpose has faded into history. The hamburgers and neon may be long gone, but the architecture still tells the story.
UPDATE: The former White Tower building still stands, but the longtime Smokin' Bar-B-Que restaurant has closed, leaving the historic building vacant. 06-26
White Tower (Closed)
E. 3rd Street, Dayton OH Photo courtesy Dirk Burhans
White Tower on East 3rd Street is another rare survivor from a once-popular hamburger chain. Although the White Tower name disappeared from this location decades ago, the little porcelain-clad building has continued serving food under different owners ever since.
The restaurant opened in 1948 as a White Tower and later became Yummy Burger before finding new life in 2006 as White Lotus Restaurant. It's quite a change from burgers to Thai food, but that's part of what makes this place so interesting. The compact building, large front windows, and classic white porcelain exterior remain, preserving much of its mid-century character despite the different menu inside.
It's always great to find buildings like this that have been given a second life instead of being torn down. They may no longer serve their original purpose, but they continue to add a little roadside history to the streets they occupy.
UPDATE: The White Tower on 3rd Street is now closed. Signs
on the window direct hungry patrons to the 5th St. address. Some may just
make the trek over to Wympees across the street. Many thanks to Paul Witek for update. 11-00
UPDATE: The White Lotus is clearly the former White Tower on 3rd Street. The awnings say "yummy burger" but it was closed so I could not give it a try. This burger joint is located across the street from Wympee. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for update. 09-13
White Lotus
Dayton, OH Photo courtesy Richard Weiss
UPDATE: The former White Tower building remains standing and is currently home to White Lotus Restaurant, although the future of the business is uncertain following the owner's retirement announcement. 06-26
The Giant Hamburgers (Closed)
Detroit, MI Photo courtesy Mike Engle
The Giant Hamburgers was one of those classic little burger joints that looked like it belonged in the 1950s, and that's because it did. Built with gleaming white porcelain enamel panels and bold red "GIANT HAMBURGERS" lettering across the front, it was hard to miss if you happened to be driving through the Detroit area.
The restaurant was part of Les' Giant Hamburger System, founded by Les Sampson, whose brother Lex started Detroit's well-known Telway Hamburger chain. Like its cousin, Giant specialized in inexpensive sliders cooked on a bed of chopped onions and served on steamed buns. The tiny building had just enough room for a counter and a handful of stools, making it the kind of place where the food was every bit as memorable as the architecture.
It's always great to find places like this that have survived, even after the business itself is gone. Although the familiar rooftop lettering has disappeared, the distinctive white-tiled building still stands as a reminder of the days when small, independent burger stands dotted the Detroit landscape.
UPDATE: The Giant Hamburgers closed around 2015–2016. The building still survives, but the original signage has been removed or covered over. 06-26
Sonny's Hamburgers
Lakes Hamburgers (Demolished)
White Tower (Closed)
White Tower, 5th St.
UPDATE
The Giant Hamburgers (Closed)
