One simple word describes this Salinas burger truck.

When asked to describe his popular food truck business in one word, Anthony Azevedo doesn’t hesitate.

“Classic,” he says. “Everything we do here at Whitey’s is classic. We serve simple, high-quality food on a consistent basis. To me, that’s what it’s all about.”

Classic is what it’s always been about for the man with the nickname Whitey – a name he now shares with his business. And his journey to become the owner of Whitey’s Classic Burgers & Sandwiches is also a classic example of being a product of one’s environment.

“Growing up here in Salinas, I just took a liking to things like burgers, cars, community,” Azevedo says. “I’m old-school. Classic old-school, and that’s kind of what my food represents.”

Azevedo started as a teenage cook at the gone-but-not-forgotten Campus Drive-In on South Main Street in Salinas. The location eventually became Red’s Burgers, and for a decade-plus it was “Whitey” who manned the flat-top grill with only one goal in mind.

“When Red’s was closing, I wanted to buy it,” Azevedo says. “But I didn’t have the financing at the time. That’s when I decided I had to do something.” That something was trading his spatula for a hammer, as Azevedo went to work as a carpenter and then later a heavy equipment operator in order to provide for his young son Anthony. But even after he had hung up his apron, he kept thinking about getting back into the kitchen.

“Even though I took a break from the restaurant business, my plan was always to get back into it,” Azevedo says. “My goal was to open my own spot serving good food to the people in this community.”

Finally, in 2022, after four years in construction and a decade prior in someone else’s kitchen, Azevedo opened his very own food trailer, adorned with a personalized logo that includes both his classic nickname along with his favorite classic car, a black-and-white 1968 Cadillac Coupe DeVille.

“That car symbolizes my old-school mentality. It’s a reminder of what Whitey’s is all about.”

Azevedo’s love for classic Americana is represented in Whitey’s simple, basic menu which features a selection of freshly grilled hamburgers, sandwiches and melts, all made-to-order and prepared fresh on his custom-built flat-top grill.

“Ketchup, mayo, mustard, lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions is our classic way of serving a hamburger,” says Azevedo. “But we will customize it any way you like it.”

For the toppings, customers can choose everything from bacon and mushrooms to peppers and chilis, all served on a freshly baked sesame seed bun.

“But don’t sleep on our fries,” says Azevedo of his fresh-cut, shoestring French fries, served in a cup and salted to perfection.

Judging by the heavy lunchtime traffic, nobody is sleeping on Whitey’s. Open from 11am to 2pm on weekdays only, it’s not uncommon to find a dozen people chowing down on burgers and fries on the grassy knoll nearby. After a short wait in a fast-moving line, don’t be surprised if you find an 11-year-old boy behind the window.

“My son has been a great help,” says Azevedo. “He’s learning the business and helping me out here and there. It’s not easy to find good help these days.”

Assuming he can navigate the labor challenges faced by restaurants (and other businesses) across the country, Azevedo is looking to expand. “Right now I’m in the process of getting a second food trailer,” he says. “I have a great location picked out, but I need to hire another cook or two.”

Beyond that, in the back of his mind, he still thinks about opening a brick-and-mortar burger joint. “I’m looking for my spot,” he says. “The goal is to have a place of my own with a whole bunch of [food] trucks in the parking lot.”

Now wouldn’t that be classic?

WHITEY’S CLASSIC BURGERS & SANDWICHES can be found 11am-2pm Monday-Friday, at the corner of Nissen Road and Padre Drive, Salinas. More at facebook.com/WhiteysClassicBurgersandSandwiches, instagram.com/whiteys_burgers.