You can’t order a Whopper® at this Burger King. In fact, you won’t find a Whopper within 25 miles of the Mattoon, Illinois, restaurant. You see, the original Burger King is not related to the chain of the same name. So, while you won’t get that fake charcoal flavor the chain is known for, you can enjoy a tasty, diner-type burger with all the toppings.

Why the Burger King chain can’t operate near Mattoon

Originally an ice cream stand that Gene Hoots bought from his uncle, Gene renamed Frigid Queen to Burger King in 1954 when he added burgers and fries to the menu. Fortunately for him, he trademarked the name with the State of Illinois.

Around the same time, a restaurant with the same name opened in Florida. When the Florida restaurant grew into the Burger King chain, Gene sued the chain for using the trademarked name. The court sided with him, giving Gene exclusive rights to the name within a 25-mile radius around the Central Illinois restaurant.

New owner—but not new to Burger King

Over the years, building additions grew Burger King from the original small Valentine Diner ice cream trailer to an expanded kitchen and plenty of seating.

In 2017, Ernie Drummond, who was no newbie to Burger King, bought the business. Ernie had worked there for over 25 years. He started as a grill cook at age 16 and eventually became the general manager.

Our experience and food review

Like most fast-food restaurants, we ordered at the counter and picked up our food when they called our number. We had gotten to the original Burger King just before the lunch rush, and service was quick. I noticed, though, that even during the rush, orders were coming up quickly.

We both ordered a burger and fries. The burger—touted as “the same great burgers … [served in] 1952”—is the pressed diner-type, the kind with a raggedy, somewhat crispy edge. The juicy, tasty burger hung out of the bun, and there was no scrimping on the toppings. (I ordered mine with lettuce, tomato, grilled onion, mustard, ketchup, and pickle.)

The order of fries (the coated kind) was plentiful.

We didn’t try the ice cream, but in checking the menu, they offer a few flavors of ice cream and plenty of sundae toppings, shake flavors, candy mixers, and more.

Ready to go?

The original Burger King is located at 1508 Charleston Avenue, Mattoon, Illinois.

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