TJ's Hamburgers celebrating 45 years as a South Side San Antonio staple

Forty-five years of greasy burgers, low prices and memories spanning generations will be celebrated this week at TJ's Hamburgers. Forty-five years of greasy burgers, low prices and memories spanning generations will be celebrated this week at TJ's Hamburgers. Photo: TOM REEL, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Photo: TOM REEL, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close TJ's Hamburgers celebrating 45 years as a South Side San Antonio staple 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

This week TJ's Hamburgers will celebrate 45 years of greasy burgers, low prices and memories spanning generations.

The small burger joint at 2323 W. Southcross Blvd. will mark the milestone beginning at 10:30 a.m. Friday with free cake, ice cream, t-shirts and hats, while supplies last. The longtime South Side gem is also cutting the price of its beloved quarter-pounder to match that of the jr. burger, at $2.44. The quarter-pounder combo, which comes with fries, will be $3.88, according to a Facebook event page.

Catholic customers quickly pointed out the anniversary coincides with Good Friday, a day when meaty burgers must take the back seat in observance of Lent. TJ's responded on the Facebook page, assuring its clientele fish options would be available.

RELATED: Floyd's Dairy Bar reveals plans for renovations, 2018 opening date

The restaurant may be low on frills, but it's packed with nostalgia and personality.

Regulars have stuck with TJ's from the days customers ate in a tiny dining room with a water-cooled air-conditioning system and through the relocation to the modern restaurant, built just feet away from the original in 2011. A few customers used the Facebook event page to dish out anecdotes of the 45-year-old burger joint.

"Wow! TJ's gave me my first job when I was South San student! In 1978," user Genevieve Trinidad wrote.

Madalyn Mendoza is a digital reporter for MySA.com. Read more of her stories here.| mmendoza@mysa.com | Twitter: @MaddySkye