Saying goodbye to the Burger Pit, another classic San Jose joint

As the last restaurant of the once-large chain closes its doors after 71 years, future generations will have to forge new family traditions.

Kevin Ashford showed up with his camp chair at 9 a.m. Tuesday, first in line for the last day of business at the Burger Pit on Blossom Hill Road.

”I’d like to get the last Steerburger,” said Ashford, who was proudly wearing a Burger Pit T-shirt that he said he got 15 years ago when he turned 50. “I was here Saturday and ordered two full mushroom burgers, so we had those Sunday and Monday. I guess I’ve been eating Burger Pit all week.”

He was told Monday there were only about 20 Steerburgers left, along with six ribeye steaks. That was the same day the restaurant — the last remaining location of the iconic South Bay chain — ran out of takeout containers. The milkshakes were done, and the phone was already disconnected, too.

By 11 a.m., more than 30 people had joined Ashford in line a full hour before the Burger Pit would open for business for the last time. A note posted on the door said the restaurant would stay open until all the supplies were gone — which would be much earlier than the regular 8 p.m. closing time.

Scott Tashiro was another early arrival Tuesday. A customer for decades, he was there Friday, too, and both times, he walked the two-mile distance from his home near Hillsdale and Cherry avenues with the assistance of a cane.

Going to such lengths may seem a bit extreme, but that’s what people will do for a favorite restaurant. And it’s doubly true for one like the Burger Pit, a 71-year-old tradition for many families. The Blossom Hill location had been open since 1964, meaning it hosted several generations of birthday dinners, post-Little League lunches and first dates for students from nearby Pioneer High School.

The main course at family restaurants like these isn’t found on the menu next to the steaks, salads and burgers. It’s the memories.

And those memories will continue to be made at other favorites that are still around and new ones that have recently opened or have yet to come. But none of them will have a Steerburger.

SIGN OF THE TIMES: So what’s going to happen to the Burger Pit sign and its neon “B” shaped like a steer’s head? The plan is for it to make its way to History San Jose’s collection. But Ken Middlebrook, Collections Curator at History San Jose, tells me there’s been a hiccup since the property owner wants to keep the sign’s pole and cabinet where it is in case a new one can’t be installed.

So, the lettering and neon tubing are going to be removed and the search will begin for a new sign cabinet to put everything back together the right way. And don’t forget that the rest of the stuff at Burger Pit is going on sale starting Wednesday morning at 9 a.m., with the sale running every day through April 30 at 1349 Blossom Hill Road.

COURT OF HONOR: After retiring and moving to the Villages community, Wendy Ferguson was looking for a way to give back to the community. She found one in 2004 when she was the driving force behind the Villages Tennis Club Scholarship, a financial aid award given to Silver Creek High School tennis team members who were continuing their education at college.

Ferguson calls the work to raise money for the scholarship a “labor of love,” with contributions ranging from as little as $15 to as much as $4,000 that came from beyond just the residents from the Villages but as far away as Portland, Ore. She once wrote letters to several famous tennis stars, but never heard back.

“We are lucky to receive donations from individuals and kind merchants in our area,” she said. The high school teams play exhibition matches at the Villages after their seasons end, with the girls team playing a Villages women’s team in the fall and the boys team taking on the Villages’ men in the spring.

Saturday morning, a 20th anniversary celebration is planned at the Villages tennis court complex, and Ferguson tried to invite all 50 previous scholarship recipients. “The problem is that many of the phone numbers we have from 2004 on are no longer in service and even the school has lost contact with the recipients,” she said. “We have phone numbers and emails, but those change.”

About 20 recipients have RSVP’d, but if you know someone who received the scholarship, have them contact Ferguson at Lgpgat@icloud.com.