Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-In Site, Gilman Blvd, Issaquah

For decades, an orange root beer barrel marked the Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-In on Gilman Boulevard in Issaquah. It was a burger joint loved by root beer fans and classic car owners. Its lights went off for what may be the last time at the end of November 2023. [1]

The chain started in Renton. A. H. Rutherford opened the first Triple XXX there in 1930, and he quickly spread his giant burgers and sodas across the country. Issaquah's Triple XXX opened in the 1930s. It moved to its spot on Gilman Boulevard in 1968. [1]

Jose Enciso bought the restaurant in March 1999 from Norm Lipkin, who was by then the third owner. Enciso hung the first hubcap on the wall. That started something. Over the years, hundreds of car owners donated license plates and other pieces to the place. When the drive-in closed, Enciso kept ownership of the memorabilia he had collected. [1]

Enciso announced the closing on a Wednesday, and the drive-in shut for good on November 29, 2023. A sign posted by management read, 'We thank you for the many happy years of serving you.' It added, 'We have retired!' Until that day, Issaquah and a Triple XXX in Lafayette, Indiana, were the only two locations left. [1]

The sale was handled by Glenn Combs of J. Douglas Commercial Real Estate, and the price was not disclosed. The building went to a group with long ties to Issaquah. In March 2024 Burgermaster, a Washington chain of 1950s-style drive-in diners, announced it was coming to the site. 'We're thrilled to officially announce our newest Burgermaster location is coming soon to the site of the former Triple X in Issaquah!' the company posted. [1][2]

Burgermaster's own history goes back to 1952, when Phil Jensen opened the first one in Seattle. From fall 2024 it served Issaquah diners out of a trailer on the lot while the building was extensively remodeled, including bringing back the drive-in stalls. Drive-in dining opened on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. The day also debuted the chain's own root beer, Grandpa Phil's, made with real cane sugar. So the old Triple XXX lot still serves root beer to people sitting in their cars. It is at 98 NE Gilman Blvd, just off Interstate 90. [3][4]