By JACQUELINE FERNANDEZ
Eagle Rock — The burger joint known as The Bucket shut down in 2013 after serving Oxy College students and other fans for decades. But five years later, The Bucket is back in business in the same spot under new owners.
The Eagle Rock Boulevard burger stand, which is said to have first opened in 1935, reopened late last month. The Bucket is now part of the same ownership group that runs another long-time burger stand — The Great White Hut, which has operated in neighboring Glendale since 1947.
“The feedback from the locals and old customers has been tremendously positive,” said Alex Ghazarian, manager of The Bucket
Former owner George Eckley closed The Bucket when he lost his leaseafter failing to come to an agreement with the property owners. The small, mostly outdoor stand remained vacant for a year before a more upscale restaurant called The Patio opened and started serving up burgers and chicken sandwiches on Homeboy Bakery Hawaiian buns along with California craft beers. But, for reasons unknown, The Patio closed over the summer, paving the way for the return of The Bucket.
The building hasn’t changed much except for a new paint job, and a red neon “The Bucket” sign. The outdoor patio with the wooden fence is still standing.
“This time around, the product offering is different” said added Ghazarian. “Not only do we offer burgers and beer, we have specialty fritas (fries with topping). “We just want to provide great food, be consistent and keep The Bucket history going for a long time.”
The Bucket, 4541 Eagle Rock Blvd, is open Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and closed on the weekends for now.