Oxford Restaurant History: Burger Chef

Fast food chain set up shop on West Jackson in the 1970s.

Before Oxford even had its first McDonald’s, it had Burger Chef. It was located just east of Pizza Hut, where now stands a credit union in front of the Oxford Mall. I was a child at the time, and the combination of delicious fast food with constant extras for kids was an exciting and formidable addition to the local restaurant landscape. There was a time when right there, all in a row, were Danver’s, Baskin-Robbins, Pizza Hut and Burger Chef. Behind it was just a field.

Those too young to remember or those older with fuzzy recollections may wonder what exactly Burger Chef was all about. Thankfully, YouTube is here to help.

Here’s one their commercials from 1976:

Oh, you could even take a nice sea cruise at the Chef. It had to be good—the narrator sounds vaguely like he could be from Maine, and I think they have fish up there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J_bd3G6LcU

I was five when Star Wars came out. I saw it at the Cinema Twin, where Dollar General is now, on University. I probably got one of these at the time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM58dJ5l9B8

Same year, my buddy Captain Midnight picked up a King Kong glass there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEEn9vMgBuo

Those with discerning palates would likely order the Top Chef:

Oh, you’re still reading/viewing? Here’s a cavalcade of Burger Chef commercials:

Ciao!

— Tad Wilkes, tad.wilkes@hottytoddy.com