By Sara Beth Williams–
Along the historic corridor once known as the Lincoln Highway in Citrus Heights, a small burger joint with nostalgic vibes sits among the string of small businesses both old and new. Its retro design hasn’t changed much over the last fifty years, harkening back to the days of walk-up burger shacks.
Sam’s Classic Burgers, located at 7442 Auburn Blvd. has operated on the main thoroughfare for decades and serves classic burgers, fries, onion rings, and milkshakes in a walk-up burger stand-style format. Despite, or perhaps because of, its tiny footprint and retro feel, the restaurant has strong online ratings of 4.5 or higher out of 5 stars on Google, Yelp and multiple restaurant review sites.
The small building was originally constructed in 1962 according to Sacramento County property records and has operated as a burger joint in some fashion for the last 5o to 60 years, according to the NorCal Explorer blog.
The building is said to originally have been a Sno-White Drive-In, which was once a widespread California burger-chain franchise which hit its peak in the 1960s, According to the restaurant’s website, Sam’s Classic Burgers has been around since 1993.
What people are saying
Customer reviews regularly describe the burgers as large and inexpensive or affordable, cooked to order, with an old-fashioned vibe, and that the fries are crinkle-cut. Customers also praised the restaurant’s onion rings. The double and triple cheeseburgers are frequently mentioned and recommended.
Sam’s Classic Burgers also sells milkshakes, which have garnered consistently strong reviews. Customers love the banana, strawberry, peach, peanut butter and chocolate milkshakes.
One long-time customer described the banana shakes as one of the reasons they kept returning. Another said they use fresh bananas. Sacramento Magazine also singled out the shakes in its 2022 dining guide, describing them as great and the burgers as straightforward.
A 2026 reviewer described Sam’s Classic Burgers as having an old-school nostalgic feel, while another said it reminded them of the burger stands they grew up with.
Sam’s Classic Burgers isn’t the only walk-up roadside restaurant on the boulevard. Currently, Los Nogales, located several blocks south on the boulevard, operates in much the same format, with primarily outdoor seating, and a small interior section where customers can order.
Prior to operating as Los Nogales, the small restaurant historically operated as a Jolly Burger for decades, The restaurant was then taken over in 2013 by the Ward family, who struggled to keep the memories of the old restaurant alive. Eventually, Gilberto’s Tacos moved in and operated there for eight years before transitioning to a food truck.
Related: Popular Mexican restaurant in Citrus Heights to close – Citrus Heights Sentinel
Traveling north along Auburn Boulevard, Dutch Bros, an outdoor drive-thru coffee shop with a walk-up ordering window and some outdoor seating also sits at the corner of Grand Oaks Boulevard. Previously, the drive-thru space was occupied by a newly constructed Rally’s Burgers, which only remained open for a handful of years before shuttering abruptly.
Sam’s Classic Burgers owners declined a request for comment. The restaurant is located at 7442 Auburn Blvd. and is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m
Want to share your thoughts on this? Send us a news tip or Letter to the Editor here.
