1950s Bay Area burger joint to close its final restaurant

The last remaining outpost of a much-loved South Bay burger joint announced it would be closing in the coming months.

At 1349 Blossom Hill Road in San Jose, the Burger Pit’s lease ends in April 2024 and won’t be renewed due to an ongoing dispute over it, according to San Jose Spotlight. Co-owner Paul Berger, who spoke to San Jose Spotlight, said the restaurant building has been “out of compliance” with San Jose’s building code for years. He said he imagines a new development will take its place if the building is demolished.

SFGATE called the Burger Pit multiple times but was unable to reach Berger for comment.

Berger’s late father, Al, opened the first Burger Pit in Cupertino in 1956, after successfully opening a South Bay takeaway venture called Burger Bar in 1953. There is still one Burger Bar in San Jose, at 1101 S. First St. At one point, there were supposedly 24 Burger Pit locations around the Bay Area, including in Dublin, Santa Cruz and even Salinas. The Burger Pit on Blossom Hill Road was originally opened in 1964, according to CBS.

While a burger such as the famous steerburger, a half-pound oval patty on a roll instead of a bun, now costs almost $10, they used to be a lot cheaper, according to Berger.

“We were before McDonald’s, before Burger King, everybody,” Berger told San Jose Spotlight. “And (my father and his three partners) made quite a success out of it. Ten burgers for a dollar.”

There are still six months to go to get a steerburger or the housemade chili, the secret recipe for which Berger told the Spotlight he would take with him to his grave.