The First Double Cheeseburger Allegedly Came From This Fast Food Chain

Double cheeseburgers are a staple, if not a downright iconic, menu item at several popular fast food chains. Most notably, there's In-N-Out with its famous Double-Double and McDonald's with the beloved Big Mac. But despite the widespread fame, neither of these two chains can be credited with inventing the concept of two-patty burgers. The first double cheeseburger was actually born at Big Boy.

In 1936, the first Big Boy location opened in Glendale, California. At the time, it was just a small burger stand named Bob's Pantry. The following year, a customer asked the owner, Bob Wian, to fix them up something special. Wian put on his creative hat and made a burger with three bun slices and two beef patties, not knowing that he was making history

The burger was promptly named Big Boy, which later became the name of the chain due to the new burger's massive popularity. But, when did the other popular double cheeseburgers come around? In-N-Out released the Double-Double 26 years later, in 1963, and skipped the extra bun slice in the middle. McDonald's Big Mac originated in 1967, and it opted to keep the middle bun

Big Boy's original double-decker burger is still available at the chain's locations, but it has since gotten a big brother — the Super Big Boy. In it, the double burger is doubled and made with four beef patties instead of two.

Although the original Bob's Pantry burger stand is long gone, one of the chain's most renowned locations remains open in Burbank, California. The place is dubbed Bob's Big Boy, and it's the oldest operating location, dating back to 1949. In the '60s, it became one of the restaurants visited by the Beatles, and guests still have the chance to sit at the booth the band dined at. The restaurant has kept its retro interior intact, and it remains a landmark of the old-school entertainment industry.

When David Lynch passed away, Bob's Big Boy spontaneously became a temporary shrine where fans gathered to pay their respects and commemorate the filmmaker, who was a frequent customer at the diner. The restaurant also honored James Dean by launching a limited-time Banana Salad Milkshake, inspired by the actor's favorite dessert. The location even became part of a movie in the mid-'90s, joining the club of iconic LA restaurants that appeared on screen.

Beyond the historical Burbank location, the chain and its cheeky mascot were the inspiration behind a massively popular comic book series, "The Adventures of Big Boy," which first released in 1956. It ran for 40 years, was widely praised for its lighthearted content, and was written by none other than Stan Lee.