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Bun ‘n Burger
In continuous operation since 1941, the Moderne style Bun 'n Burger is a beloved local destination slinging affordable diner food from morning till night.
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Alhambra's Main Street has been the commercial and cultural center of town since its beginning and has seen a great deal of modern redevelopment. Remnants of its historic architecture remain, and luckily they include the sleek utilitarian lines of Bun 'n Burger at the corner of East Main Street and South Valencia Street.
In continuous operation since 1941, Bun 'n Burger is a beloved local destination slinging affordable diner food from morning till night. It occupies a small, Moderne one-story building with a flat roof accented by a gently scalloped parapet. Large windows reveal the interior, featuring red vinyl banquettes and walls jam-packed with memorabilia, some of which was provided by longtime customers.
The stucco-clad building's entry is on the corner, marked by a tall, curving entrance topped by the same scalloped parapet as the rest of the roofline and a small semi-circular canopy above the simple double aluminum and glass doors. Above the canopy is Bun 'n Burger's pièce de résistance: a neon sign bearing the name of the business below a harried waiter eternally rushing a burger somewhere. Vertical neon lines behind the figure add even more light, and additional neon signs on the building's side façades advertise the restaurant and point the way to parking.
Bun 'n Burger is an excellent example of the Moderne style, and a wonderful reminder of the commercial development of Alhambra's Main Street.