Black and white photos from days gone by hang on a deep red wall. Old country music plays in the background while happy voices and sizzling burgers layer on top of each other. This is Burger Town, an institution in Bigfork for over 40 years.

Burger Town made its home in Bigfork in 1970, when something that was little more than a fireworks stand made its way here from Condon. Across the highway from Wayfarers State Park, it has become an annual summer meeting place for many in Bigfork. The burger joint has been through owners, but the customers have remained, waiting for their next favorite burger or milkshake. Andy Sweeney, the current owner, has continued to reinvest in what was once a shack and now Burger Town has become a staple of the community.

In 2005 Sweeney and his wife, Kim, took a chance on Burger Town and bought it from previous owners, Bruce and Margie Solberg. The Sweeneys had been saving for years and looking for an opportunity to become owners in the food service industry. Community members still let them know that Burger Town is a staple of the community. “It has a life of its own,” Sweeney said, “People in the community feel strongly about this place.”

Sweeney takes pride in offering original favorites like the Flathead Monster burger with two patties, cheese and “monster” sauce. But they have added more to the menu like the Notorious P.I.G., with thin sliced black forest ham and bacon. “We want the food to be simple and original, but we are always trying to elevate it,” he said, “We take pride in making it to order and not just slapping a frozen burger on a grill.”

Elevating the food requires dedication on the Sweeneys’ part. A few years ago their meat supplier went out of business and the Burger Town staff tried many different meats from various suppliers to make sure they were serving the best product. Sweeney knows everything about the meat, where it is raised, how it is processed and how it gets to Burger Town. The meat is important. The eatery goes through nearly 1,000 pounds of burger a week and just as much in fries.

Sweeney must have reliable help in the kitchen, most of them longtime Bigfork locals. “We’ve got great employees that have stuck around for years. We are a big crazy family,” he said. Some of his employees — like Andy Whiteman, Dan Solberg and Brian Sullivan — have spent more than five summers at Burger Town. But you will rarely walk in and not see Sweeney. He works every day for six months. Customers and employees enjoy the good attitude that Sweeney brings to the restaurant. “It is hard to complain when the boss is always here working too,” Whiteman, a cook, said. “He works harder than everybody.”

With food so good, it is not unusual for Burger Town to be busy. “We try to let people know if there is going to be a wait,” Sweeney said. “But 99 percent of the time they wait, that is the biggest compliment anyone can give us. We try to make it worth it to wait.”

— Mason  Shoultz is a summer intern at the Bigfork Eagle