Mission Valley Food Fling: Burgers

A hamburger has become something of an American tradition. Like the Mets, Kevin Costner or country music, hamburgers are a part of the very fabric of this nation, and the Mission Valley has a few businesses that have been serving pretty darn good burgers for generations.

Lynn's Drive-In, Ronan: Lynn’s is sort of a remnant of a bygone era. Over the years as the valley has changed quite a bit around it, Lynn's has remained steady from the war in Vietnam all the way through COVID.

Val Bartel and her husband, Tom, run the place and for them it’s a family business dating back to Val’s dad, whom the business is named for, to her mom who ran the place before her and now to their daughters who are a part of day to day operations, and even the regulars who keep coming back.

“We’ll see their pickup pull up and somebody will yell out, ‘the hamburger deluxe minus onions are here,’” said Tom about the rhythm of Lynn's and getting to know regulars.

Open five days a week from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and with orders on the phone, it can get busy in the drive-up and walk-in. Lynn’s prides itself on speed and quality.

It’s a business that loves new customers but has thrived on the people who keep coming back day after day, month after month and year after year. With Val and Tom both remarking on the orders they remember, even from those who have since passed.

“What’s cool is you’ve seen them go from graduating high school to being grandpas and grandmas,” said Tom.

The difference between Lynn’s burger from others, say the owners, is their fresh, never-frozen patties purchased every day from White’s Meats.

Val recommends The Hazel, their signature sandwich with ham, bacon and cheese or simply anything with a burger on it.

Old Timer Cafe, St. Ignatius: Julie. Even though the Old Timer Cafe is now a father-and-son run business, the two men couldn't help talking about their late wife and mom and the impact she had on the place from the menu to the decor. Her name brought a smile to their faces.

Jim and Dusty Burckhard own the place that has been a staple in St. Ignatius, recently celebrating its 41st birthday.

The father and son are a bit of an old couple, often making good-natured jokes at the other’s expense. However, their goals for the business are clearly aligned.

“Even people we don’t know once in a while, we’ll surprise the hell out of them and they’re just like, ‘wow you guys are just like family.’” said Jim.

For the duo, it’s all about treating everyone who comes in, to the best experience they can provide, whether that’s free brownies on Mother's Day for moms, a free dessert for someone having a bad day, or the sheer size of the plate.

What separates the cafe from others is their half-pound northwest, grass-fed black Angus patty, which means if you get a double you’re dining on a whole pound. The business also serves locally grown and smoked ham and bacon on their burgers.

As far as a recommendation, Dusty says check out Boats & Mate, a burger named after his father who served in the Navy. The burger has grilled onion, bacon, two different types of cheeses, and an over-medium egg on top of their famous half-pound patty.

Richwine's Burgerville, Polson: If someone grabs a bite to eat at Richwine's and takes a seat in the backyard, they’ll find the names of Enoch and Lucy attached to different patches of flowers.

For owner Marcia Richwine Moen, who talks to the flowers from time to time as she waters them, they mean something special that's at the core of what has kept people coming to Richwine's for more than 50 years.

Richwine's is a family business for Marcia, but her family isn’t just the blood she shares, it's the whole Polson community, from her fellow businesses to her staff and the people who keep coming back to the burger place by the lake.

“That name that’s out there is my family name and it’s my job to make sure everything that I do here is a reflection of what my parents started back in 1962,” said Marcia.

This pursuit of reflecting her family’s values and reputation is in everything she does and teaches her staff to do, from counting back change to making sure that every customer is treated with kindness and care.

According to Marcia, what separates a burger from Richwine’s is that they grind their hamburgers in-house and train their employees to serve the community like they are one of their own.

For a recommendation, she gave two options: the Royal Burger, which is a cheeseburger deluxe with ketchup, mustard, relish, onion and pickle, or the Bernie Burger named after her late brother who passed in 2009, and is a cheese deluxe with ham. With each purchase of the Bernie Burger a portion of every sale going to the American Cancer Society in honor of her late brother Shane.

The Boats & Mate is one of the signature burgers at The Old Timer Cafe. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    Karlissa Allen, Kari Burland and parents Val and Tom Bartel are ready to welcome customers at Lynn's in Ronan. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
  

 In the backyard of Richwine's Burgerville you can see and feel the family ties and tradition. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)

    Dusty and Jim are partners at the Old Timer Cafe. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)
  

 Richwine's Burgerville has been a staple in Polson for over 60 years. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)  

    The stalls at Lynn's drive-in sit empty before the incoming lunch rush. (Kaleb Unger/Leader)