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First, the sad news: Hollywood Burger bar closed Sept. 27 after 61 years in business.
The Burger Bar's goofball architecture has made it a Portland icon—it began as a trolley stop and tollbooth in 1922, before becoming a burger bar in 1954, but has gone through an incredible turnover in owners, with perhaps a dozen different owners during its 60-year lifespan.
It is also widely thought to be the model for Whopperburger, the favorite burger joint of Beezus and Ramona Quimby.
But by the end, it was an often empty roadside monument, hurt in part by the popularity of nearby Killer Burger. The Burger Bar's final owner, DingDing Wang, sold the place after only two years in business.
Now the good news: The buyer is Snoop Dogg's uncle, Reo Varnado, and his partner Myra Girod. They own the oft-moved rib shack called Reo's Ribs.
Reo Varnado is a local fixture at blues shows, and his ribs are reportedly a Snoop Dogg favorite at parties and family barbecues, and even while on tour. Varnado has also recorded a track or two with his nephew.
Reo's had closed this January in its location on outer Southeast Powell Boulevard, its third location since it opened in Aloha. Most notably, Reo's left its Macadam location in 2012 after a neighbor sued Reo Varnado in 2011 because his smokehouse smelled like smoke. She said she had to leave her apartment because the smoke got in her eyes and necessitated the installation of "expensive air-cleaning devices."
Girod says their new neighbors have been a lot more welcoming. "Everyone's been really nice," she says, "really supportive. It's a great location."
The smokers will be out by the end of October, and Hollywood will have some old-schools ribs, chicken and brisket.
But there's still a lot of work to do in that old kitchen, says Girod.
"It's an old place, with a lot of character," she says. "We don't plan to take away the character."
Willamette Week