Order the Brian Burger at Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville

“Why is it called the Brian Burger?” I asked my waitress, Shawna, while looking at my menu.

The young woman merely shrugged. “Because Brian thinks it’s all about him.”

I nodded; I do that when I don’t fully understand the situation - I think it's a nice thing to do.

The Brian in question was Shawna’s husband, co-owner of Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe on Route 66 across the street from the CEMEX Victorville Cement Plant.

Having driven by both places numerous times, I admit I had not stopped.

Not needing cement, the cement plant had no draw for me, but the restaurant was another case altogether. Why I had not stopped in the past will always remain a mystery, but I doubt anyone will spend a second trying to figure it out.

How the Egyptians built the pyramids so perfectly that’s worth an investigation or two. Why I hadn’t stopped at the cafe, not so much.

I’m not a foodie but like tasty dishes - from the fancy to the plain.

Nothing better than having a lobster frittata with a glass of 1811 Chateau d'Yquem on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Then again, a delicious flame-broiled cheeseburger with bacon and a cold brew on a similar Sunday afternoon is hard to beat.

Two worlds are offering tasty treats.

“Is this your first time here?” Shawna asked me.

I pointed to my darling wife, Laureen, who was seated next to me at the Formica counter. “She’s been here before.”

“But not you?”

“Not him,” Laureen emphasized.

I just nodded.

In 2007, expert chef and television personality Guy Fieri visited the small restaurant during "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" food show.

For some pre-research for this column, I watched the episode, thought it was rather clever with Brian in the back teaching Guy how to make biscuits for their signature biscuits and gravy dish, and knew I had to visit the cafe.

That and Laureen asked if I wanted to take a short drive for a Holland Burger on a recent Saturday.

“The Dutch —even stealing our hamburgers,” I muttered. “Can’t they be happy with windmills and wooden shoes?”

Laureen rolled her eyes, a common practice when I speak at home, and we went to this historical site along Route 66 in Victorville.

It is the oldest continually run restaurant in all the Victor Valley and probably places not in Victor Valley.

It was opened in 1947 by Bob and Kate Holland —that is a long time to run anything continually, especially a restaurant.

According to the National Restaurant Association, only 20% of restaurants succeed. Sixty percent fail in the first year, and another 20% fail during the following four years.

To have a cafe lasting 75 years in the same spot is fantastic and must take a lot of tenacity.

“How long have you worked here?” I asked Shawna as she hustled by our counter space, delivering something mighty tasty smelling to a customer on my right.

“I’ve only worked here twenty-nine years,” she replied. “Still wet behind the ears.”

Humor is a byproduct of the cafe —something all the customers seem to relish —yes, a pun there.

Laureen told me that she had eaten at Emma Jean’s with a co-worker a few years back, and when she asked for some catsup, Shawna squeezed a bottle, and red streamers flew out at her.

“Scared me to death, and I yelled,” she had told me.

In all transparency, it is Laureen’s same reaction if she misses a sale at Macy’s.

Brian Gentry and his wife Shawna have been in the business since 1979. Brian has been around in the industry a bit longer.

Brian’s father, Richard, was a truck driver who drove by and often ate at the small cafe since it opened in 1947. And his wife, Emma Jean, worked as a waitress at Holland's restaurant for years.

In 1979, Richard Gentry purchased the restaurant from the Hollands for his wife. They renamed it Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe - but most refer to the establishment as Emma Jean’s. The Holland part of the name was done with respect to the original owners.

Nice touch.

Constructed of cinder blocks with large picture windows on the sides and front, the green and white building is not much to look at. And the view from the restaurant is of the railway across Route 66 and the cement plant - not the most inspiring vistas in which to dine.

But it is not the structure or views that folks from around the world come to Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe for. Nope, it's the delicious items on the menu, the family atmosphere, the attentive and humorous banter with the staff, and a true bit of authentic Americana.

As I sat there in one of the eleven counter seats. There were tables and chairs, but the place was hopping, and Laureen and I chose the available spots at the counter. Then again, this is the best view of the open kitchen where Brian was flipping this burger, sliding that pastrami, and handling almost everything on the grill.

An entire place is a well-oiled machine.

Jasmine, one of the staff, explained what was in the Brian Burger, one of the house's specialties. I won’t state what it is, but it was very yummy.

The cafe was crowded, every seat taken with folks waiting in line.

“How many people can you hold?” I asked Jasmine.

“Thirty or 32, depending.”

Not sure what it depended on, but I knew that if someone wanted to eat at the cafe, it relied on the time of day since the establishment has limited hours each day. Well, there are no hours on Sunday, so it is really limited to getting your appetite taken care of at Emma Jean’s.

In 1996, Brian’s mother passed away, and then in 2008, his father also passed away.

Then, Brian and Shawna took over the business independently and have been hard at work, ensuring the family legacy stays intact.

The legacy is golden with the constant ringing of the front door's small bell.

With such a classic and iconic beacon along Route 66, Hollywood took notice, and sections of films were shot at the cafe.

In 2004, "Kill Bill: Vol 2," directed by Quentin Tarantino, and in 2015, "Sky," directed by Fabienne Berthaud, was shot using the cafe as a background.

The interior block walls are covered with old automobile license plates, metal placards advertising this or that, humorous posters, and the like.

It is a comfortable setting with a down-home atmosphere.

I liked it, and while looking at the other customers, I knew they did too.

After taking a bite of my burger, I looked across the counter at Brian, who was looking my way.

“I see why you named the burger after yourself,” I said.

Brian simply gave a thumbs-up and went back to work on the grill.

In 2011, Emma Jean’s Holland Burger Cafe was designated a historical point of interest by the Billy Holcomb Chapter number 1069 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E. Clampus Vitus.

As our meal ended, Laureen and I ventured outdoors and meandered about the site.

There is a bench made to look like the rear end of a vintage car on the southeast section of the building with the sizeable iconic painting of the signage indicating ‘California Route 66’ above it.

The perfect place for a picture. Laureen posed, and I shot the photograph.

A great meal, a great day, and a great cafe to visit. It won’t be my last.

John can be contacted at - beyersbyways@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Order the Brian Burger at Holland Burger Cafe in Victorville