Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-in closes after decades in Issaquah

The lights on the orange root beer barrel at Issaquah’s Triple XXX Rootbeer Drive-In turned off last night for perhaps the last time in the retro restaurant’s history. Owner Jose Enciso announced Wednesday that the burger joint, beloved by root beer enthusiasts and classic car lovers, would close permanently Nov. 29.

“We thank you for the many happy years of serving you,” reads a sign that was posted by management at the restaurant Wednesday, per KING 5. “We have retired!”

The restaurant was sold Nov. 20 for $1.4 million. Enciso could not immediately be reached for comment.

The first Triple XXX was opened by A.H. Rutherford in Renton in 1930, and Rutherford rapidly expanded his brand of giant burgers and sodas across the country. Until Wednesday, the Issaquah restaurant and a Triple XXX in Lafayette, Ind., were the only two remaining locations.

The Triple XXX in Issaquah opened in the 1930s and moved to its current location on Gilman Boulevard in 1968. Enciso purchased the restaurant in March 1999 from Norm Lipkin, who was by then the third owner. Enciso hung the first hubcap on the walls, which eventually led to hundreds of car owners donating license plates and more to the funky space.