There's a small walk-up window on National Avenue in Bremerton, Washington, where people have been lining up for burgers since 1961. No indoor seating. No app to order from. Cash only — and if you forgot, there's an ATM bolted right next to the order window, because Crazy Eric's has been solving that problem for a while now.
It's not slick. It's not instagrammable in the way chains try to manufacture. It's just really, really good — and it has been for more than 60 years.
A "Crazy Idea" That Actually Worked
The year was 1961. Brothers Darryl and Wayne Erickson had what they openly called a "crazy idea": sell burgers in Bremerton. Keep prices so low that nobody could say no.
At the time, milkshakes went for 13 cents. Burgers? Sometimes five for a dollar. It was an almost comically simple business plan — stay affordable, stay quality — and it worked better than anyone probably expected.
Darryl Erickson, who passed away on April 26, 2024, following a battle with cancer, had been drawn to the business world practically from birth. By age 10 he had a paper route. By 19, he'd become the youngest assistant manager in the history of Tradewell grocery stores. But it was the humble hamburger that would define his legacy.
Together with Wayne, Darryl built Crazy Eric's from a single burger stand into a regional institution. At its peak, the chain stretched to 22 locations across the Puget Sound area — and at one point, you could even find a Crazy Eric's in Oregon.
Kitsap's Drive-In Empire
During the boom decades, Crazy Eric's was everywhere. Bremerton had multiple locations — including one near 4th and Naval Avenue that opened around 1962, and another in East Bremerton near the Perry Ave. Mall. There were outposts in Belfair, Silverdale, Port Orchard, and Poulsbo. There was one in Shelton dating back to 1962. There was the Gorst location, announced to open January 30, 1970, though it was later renamed the Red Fox under the same ownership before eventually burning down due to infrastructure issues.
For a generation of Kitsap County residents, Crazy Eric's wasn't just a place to eat — it was a landmark. A first date spot. The post-game stop. The place you went after the fair. Residents remember the Silverdale location as a hangout in the '60s. Others remember the Belfair location as a fixture before it finally closed, prompting a wave of nostalgic Facebook posts lamenting its loss while noting the Bremerton stand would carry on.
Competition took its toll over the decades. When McDonald's opened across the street from a Crazy Eric's on Wheaton Way in 1970, that location couldn't hold on. Infrastructure problems closed others. The economics of running 22 restaurants eventually gave way to consolidation.
But the Ericksons never walked away entirely.
The Last Crazy Eric's
Today, one location remains: 701 National Ave S, Bremerton, WA.
It operates the same way it always has. You walk up, you order, you wait. The burgers are grilled. The fries are hand-cut. The milkshakes are made with scoops of real ice cream — not a powder mix, not a soft-serve machine, actual scoops of ice cream. The menu leans on the classics that built the brand, though the prices, inevitably, have moved past the five-for-a-dollar days.
Darryl's sons, Troy and Sean, have carried the business forward, continuing a family tradition that spans multiple generations. And then there's Rick — who, as the King5 Evening show once noted, has worked the grill for over 40 years and is "practically an Erickson" at this point.
Beyond the burgers, the Erickson family expanded into fairgrounds concession stands and Christmas tree sales over the years, donating thousands of meals to Veterans Day celebrations, first responders, and community organizations along the way. The business has always been about more than transactions.
Why Crazy Eric's Still Matters
In an era of ghost kitchens, delivery apps, and fast-casual everything, Crazy Eric's is a kind of time capsule. A reminder of what neighborhood food looked like before every meal needed a loyalty program and a branded bag.
The founding philosophy — keep it affordable, keep it good — is deceptively rare. Most places sacrifice one for the other. Chains chase scale and lose quality. Independent restaurants chase quality and lose accessibility. Crazy Eric's has held the line on both for over six decades, which is, frankly, a remarkable thing.
Darryl Erickson once said the whole thing started as a "crazy idea." More than 60 years later, with one stubborn, beloved location still serving Bremerton, it looks less crazy by the day.
Crazy Eric's Drive-In
701 National Ave S, Bremerton, WA 98312
Hours: Mon–Sat 10:30 AM – 7:30 PM | Sun 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Cash only (ATM on-site) | Walk-up window | No indoor seating
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