Bob's Big Boy

08/31/2008 Posted by leevining

Bobs gave up fresh cooking their food, and also gave up their unique seasonings and salad dressings decades ago. Now the food is below average, nothing like when the old man Bob Wian ran the chain and quality set them apart. The food is no longer tasty and unique like in the early days. The chain is trying to resurect itself, but still the very stale cooked menu that eventually ruined the chain once before. No freshness, no taste no unique character to the food anymore. Though the names of the dishes remain the same. But, this location is cool if you are a car nut. We take our 427 Corvette their Sunday nites for the car hop service, and always drive away wondering why they let the quality food go for a bland, pre-cooked line of tasteless fare.

Pros: Car service on weekends, good service

Cons: Food is horrible, and the prices continue to rise.

06/28/2008 Posted by Hawaiidan

I have been eating at Bobs for over 50 years... and still fly 5000 miles once a year to eat at the Toluca Lake Bobs.... I have eaten at the best in the world and from Haut cuisine of Paris to all the" best Burger places in the world. The result is plain and simple.... Bobs beat them all. Why? Well the problem is all the other burger places using everything from Kobe to Black Angus, homemade buns or sourdough, all came into being in the last few decades... all truing to outdo the other with gimmicks and and addons like bacon, caviar, exotic cheese and every form of salad bar stock from sprouts to eggplant... What they miss is that the original Bobs has been producing the same burger...consistently since 1936.. thats over 72 years..... I mean, Bobs was making the double-deck Big Boy for 23 years when Tommys opened... .. More meat, or cheese or anything would overpower the way in which this little Rolex of a burger plays out on your tastebuds Its not a salad bar on a bun......each flavor in the Big Boy retains its flavor and can be tasted in layers... not a melange of stuff........ Its relish is like none other in the world... and makes this Burger what it is...unique in the world.. And dont get the extra size burger with more meat.... it is totaly out of harmony with the rest of the burger... which is Zen on a bun Stick to the mainstays as as time went on the menu expanded to include a lot of items better eaten elsewhere....Mexican or Italina... The Big Boy..... is not gourmet meat, nor served in a trendy bistro, with beautiful people and organic, home made anything. Its where you go to impress yourself ... There is a reason that Bon Hope used to come by regulary, and Jay Leno still does. There was a reason the Beatles used to fill their burger hunger here,, Apple inventor Steve "Woz"calls the Big Boy the ultimate in burgers. By the way I like them a lot, now where are those plane tickets W

Pros: the Big boy

Cons: other addons to the basic menu

11/22/2007 Posted by famousblueraincoat

this place used to be sort of a seedy hole in the wall but once it got historical status (oldest remaining bob's), that really turned it around. now it's all about families, with classic car shows saturday, car hop service on sunday. plus there's a pretty patio in front. food is pretty average, but it's more about the experience. it's open 24 hours too, which is nice.

Pros: open 24 hrs, weekend car hop

Cons: food only average, waits at peak times

06/11/2007 Posted by mrshontas

Family is very welcome here. Lot's of great memorabilia to look at. The food is greasy but good. If you want a classic greasy burger with fries or a yummy shake, this is your place. Honestly though, I can't believe they haven't updated that creepy statue yet. lol

Pros: Great atmosphere.

Cons: Greasy

02/20/2007 Posted by lizwombocker

Their vegetarian burger is utterly disgusting. I have never had anything that tasted so bad. I would rate Burger King and McDonald's veggie burgers as a higher quality than theirs. It was nasty, soggy, still somewhat frozen, and the fries were burned. I was so excited to come here, and they let me down. They took forever to serve me and I was just a takeout order. The employees just stood around without helping me or taking my order.

Pros: The location?

Cons: Bad food/Bad service

11/13/2006 Posted by greymouse26

Bob's reminds me of when I was a kid and was taken here for brunch. Now a days, I go here for a midnight snack or a late dinner. The club sandwich is pretty good and also the tortilla soup. I don't recommend the philly cheese steak though. Normally, it's not that busy when I go, but I've heard that it can get pretty busy around dinner time. The food isn't the healthiest, but the service is good and the food normally comes out fast. And they have crushed ice in their drinks!!

Pros: lots of parking

Cons: not too healthy

11/03/2006 Posted by dmenkes

I was first introduced to Bob's about 8 years ago for the Friday evening car show. I used to drive out from Pasadena to grab a burger and check out the hot rods. Little did I know that years later I'd be living down the street from it! I've frequented Bob's more often than would probably be considered healthy. I've been there for breakfast and dinner, at all hours of the night and early morning. The service has varied greatly depending on how crowded it is and who the server is. Overall they're decent. There's not much in the way of healthy eating but it's good enough. The real attraction for me is the people-watching. Where else at 3am on a weekday can you see cops and punks eating side by side? (and with the most interesting results!) I've had just about everything on the menu. The Chicken Parmegena is decent, the milkshakes are thick and tasty, and their sandwiches are good. The other thing is that Denny's isn't open 24hrs. I've seen this place packed on a weeknight even as late as 10pm--so be ready to wait. If you're flying solo; sit at the counter--there's no wait for that.

Pros: strange and interesting people late at night

Cons: can get extremely crowded at peak times

10/28/2006 Posted by gavinbarclay

I don't think I have ever ordered something that tastes good here. I suppose there is some nostalgia asscociated with this restaurant but I have no idea how it got a 9.3. The food quality is so poor, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

Pros: The Bob's Big Boy out front.

Cons: The food, service, and pretty much everything.

10/11/2006 Posted by tenkuken

Tucked away in the Toluca Lake area is a piece of American pop culture. As you enter the parking lot the ever vigilant Big Boy greets you with a smile and a beautiful burger. This is the home of such classic dishes as the Big Boy Combo, Pappy Parkers fried chicken, chili spaghetti, and the ever popular hot fudge cake sundae. The food is top notch and the wait staff is always eager to please.

04/08/2006 Posted by kjc33

No one greeted us at the door...we had to find the kid taking names. Waited too long. DeeDee was a very nice waitress---only good thing I have to say about Bob's. Other wait staff acted too cool to be of service. Food wasn't good. The place is a little on the dirty side too.

Pros: DeeDee

Cons: the wait, the food, the dirt