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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area RESTAURANTS, Drive-Ins, Bars, Lounges, Liquor Stores, Clubs, Strip Joints, etc. Gallery - All Years - click to view >> Burger Castle Images Gallery - click on image to view the gallery > 1972 - Burger Castle on NW 7th Street, Miami
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1972 Courtesy of Joe Wasik

1972 - Burger Castle on NW 7th Street, Miami

NW 7th Street, Miami, Florida


Thank you to Joe Wasik, former Miamian now living in California, for contributing this great old image.


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Anita Dee 29-Aug-2014 09:31
Fond memories from my childhood. Don, I remember this as it was yesterday. Thank you Joe Wasik and Don Boyd for posting this.
Gregg Fitzpatrick 21-Aug-2014 18:04
Thank you for this website and the picture. I had searched for the name of this restaurant for a long time as I could not remember it. But when I saw the picture of the Giant outside the building, I knew it instantly. We had one just like this at S. 109th Street and W. National Avenue in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. Thank You again.
Don Boyd25-Jun-2014 15:49
To the son of Charles Krebs, your comment showed up as "private", which means that only I can see it as the site owner. Can you please re-post your comments, or allow me to, so that viewers of this page can see your vital comments? Thank you.

Don
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Johanna K. 24-Apr-2014 12:12
I always remember sitting on those stools by the window of the store on Bird and 107th Ave, sipping a shake and dipping my fries into it. :-) I loved this place more than any other burger joint in old Miami!! It's a shame the franchise closed and the signs were mostly lost due to "progress." I live in northern Alberta, Canada, now, but am a Miami girl at heart.
Luis D. 25-Feb-2014 02:27
There was on on NW 7th Ave. in Liberty City and one on U.S. 1 SW 176 Street. If you go in the parking lot of the present business there, one can see a sign announcing the business there of what is left of the Giant's legs.
This bring back good memories growing up in Miami in the early 60s. My parents are Puerto Ricans and came about the mid 1950's.
jmore 19-Jul-2013 08:09
the one pictured above is a Peruvian restaurant
but the sign post still remains as part of the property
I allways was curious but dint remember the name
jmpalmcity@gmail.com
Don Boyd05-Mar-2013 16:02
This comment was left under a photo of a Burger King on South Dixie and it really belongs here since it pertains to Burger Castle:

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Guest 05-Mar-2013 05:06
Charlie Krebs wound up selling the Burger Castle company to my father very early on (not sure how many stores there were at the time, since I was only 9 years old). My father grew it and then rode it in to bankruptcy a few years later. Charlie was a really nice man as is his wife (very classy). I believe Charlie passed away this past year.
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Don
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Don Boyd25-Feb-2013 06:06
Thank you, Neil, for writing in and providing the additional detailed information on the restaurant chain. Memories fade and people like you help the rest of us by sharing the information with us.

Don
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Neil Mirman 25-Feb-2013 01:54
I worked for Burger Castle after leaving the Air Force in 1969. I was hired in Miami and worked with David Shea who has since passed but was their director of franchising. I managed stores on Red Road (SW 57th. Ave) in Coral Gables (across from the Holsum Bakery), the store on Miracle Mile (across from the Sears store) in Coral Gables, the store in Miramar, and the store on North Dale Mabry in Tampa. My direct supervisor was named Rueben but I don't remember his last name. Both the Red Road store and the Miracle Mile store in Coral Gables had the "new" mansard-roof designs while the Miramar and the Tampa stores had the "fortress" designs pictured in the photo on this site. When franchising started, the "Giant" sign was changed to the shield and the colors of the interior were changed from the pastel colors of the original restaurants.
Don Boyd16-Feb-2013 20:44
Phil: thank you for writing in. It's funny how memories degrade with time to varying degrees for people and what they can remember or not remember. I suppose some mighty good drugs had something to do with it. I have read some really bizarre memories posted by people on Facebook in the old Hialeah and old South Florida groups that are factually inaccurate but I've stopped correcting them because they get offended.

Don
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Don Boyd16-Feb-2013 20:33
John: thank you for writing in and telling us of your employment experience at Burger Castle. I would love to post the photos that you mentioned but I'll have to add them for you. If these accounts allowed anyone to post stuff everyone's account would be full of spam and porno photos. I will send you an e-mail and perhaps we can work something out. Thanks.

Don
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Don Boyd16-Feb-2013 20:31
Stephen: thank you for writing in and giving us a description of the location across from Hialeah High. I remember it being there but can't remember if I ever ate there or not. Weird. From what you described I'm sorry that I didn't try it out.

Don
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Don Boyd16-Feb-2013 20:27
Guest of 14-SEP: I apologize for the delay in responding but I had some serious medical problems back when you wrote in. Thank you for providing the information about your dad being the founder and owner of the Burger Castle restaurant chain. I'm sorry that events went downhill for the chain and that your dad financially suffered as a result. Hopefully someone with more information will write in and provide the information that you mentioned.

Don
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Phil 16-Feb-2013 19:35
John; Funny, I remember back in the early 1960`s there was a Burger Castle located in Springfield, MA on Boston Rd. RT#20. It was just a half mile away (East) of Burger Chef where I worked part-time in High School. I appears that no one remembers Burger Castle and confuse it with its rival that still exists, "Burger King".
John 04-Feb-2013 01:04
Hello, I was a Manager for Burger Castle in 1969. I opened two new units and managed 4 others for a few years. I left and went onto another employment but sadly watched Burger Castle go out of business. I was on the location when they tore down the last unit in Rocky Hill Connecticut, and I was able to obtain the Burger Castle Shield sign off of the building roof. I have a photo album somewhere that has photos of about a dozen units in Massachusetts and Connecticut. I would be willing to post them here if I was able to. If the site owner would contact me, we can arrange something. John
Stephen P Stacy20-Jan-2013 23:13
They had one across the street from Hialeah High School on 49th and I thought they had the best "whopper" type burger and milk shakes than anyone else. The cheese they used was unique and awesome. We ate there for lunch, after classes (I had the morning shift and was out by lunchtime, then went to work at Screen Art Posters) I tried looking for info on these and couldn't find anything.
Guest 14-Sep-2012 03:25
What a great site to stumble onto. My father, Jerry Fowler, started the chain in the 60's and then he rode it all the way down into bankruptcy. I was just 10 yrs. old in 1969 and would work on Saturday's (at least he let me think I was working) at the 7th ave. location. He never did recover financially and died in 1985 at age 62. I would appreciate it if anyone has any info on the company, how many stores, what happened, we're they franchises (because I know he tried to avoid franchising). He never would discuss the subject with me (sore subject at best). My email is bfowler2000@gmail.com. Thanks!
Don Boyd14-Feb-2012 15:19
Daniel, welcome to the site and thank you for commenting. And thank you to the other folks who have commented also.

Don
Daniel Reytan 14-Feb-2012 13:08
I was saying at work yesterday (02/13/12) "You guys don't remember Burger Castle? Not Royal Castle but Burger Castle!" No one remembered but I remembered being around 6 years old and sitting on the round stool that was cemented to the floor that swirled and the light blue formica. I also remembered the king outside as if I were seeing it now. I went to the internet thinking - "Who's going to have an image that old?" Not only was there this one but it is the exact same location as a little kid that my parents used to take me. The shakes were GREAT! I still remember the big straws with the blue lines on them.
Guest 29-Oct-2011 18:13
I worked at the Burger Castle on Hialeah Drive during the late 60's. Remember making those "Giants". Minimum wage, but free food.
Guest 29-Jun-2010 21:57
In the previous post I mistakenly said use Google Earth. I meant "Google Maps" to see the remains of the sign that is still in place. The Perrine store, Evergreen & US1. It is incredible that it has survived all these years.
My folks owned the store in Westchester on 87 ave in the mid sixties. The students from Coral Park High used to go there for lunch. A Burger King now sits in it's place.
Bruce 28-Jun-2010 19:33
Believe it or not the legs from the original "Giant" sign for the Perrine store is still there being used as a sign for a new buisness. Go on Google Earth and focus in on the intersection and you can see it clearly!!
Guest 15-Jun-2010 16:55
I remember the Perrine Burger Castle - Used to stop there in the early 1970s for their blueberry shakes! Kim
Guest 22-Mar-2010 07:32
There was also a Burger Castle in Perrine. It was on East Evergreen St. and U.S.1 (northbound U.S.1), right there where Franjo Road (97th Ave.) merges into U.S.1. On the other corner of East Evergreen (southbound U.S.1) is Golden Rule Seafood, which started out as Golden Rule Grocery. Golden Rule has been there since the mid-1940's. Burger Castle lasted for only a few years. I don't remember much about Burger Castle, but I remember going into Golden Rule Grocery with my Dad in the early 1960's when I was a kid. When he wanted to grill or barbecue, that's where he bought the meat. That was the ONLY place he bought meat. In those days the area in the back where the butchers worked always had sawdust on the floor. My Dad used to let me get Tootsie Roll Pops when we'd pay, they were 2 for a nickel.

That you SO MUCH for putting up and maintaining this site Don. I grew up in Cutler Ridge and then moved to Rockdale in '65. Lived off Coral Reef Drive, near Old Cutler. Ate at Flynn's Dixie Ribs ALL THE TIME. Miami Palmetto class of '78. GO PANTHERS!!! Now I live in North Carolina, and when I get homesick or I'm feeling nostalgic, I come here to look at the pictures and read what all the old Miamians have to say. It's good medicine. Worked at MIA for almost 20 years on Concourse H (OPS & ramp) for Piedmont, then USAir. Mike Blythe was the stn mgr then. Started back when Dick Judy was running MIA. Used to go to gate control at E satellite quite often and drop off our next day's schedule to confirm gate assignments. Sorry I never ran into you over there...it would have been nice to meet you. Keep up the good work, and thanks again for this site. MEH