The Downey McDonald's was opened in 1953 by Roger Williams and Bud Landon. It was the third restaurant franchised by Richard and Maurice McDonald, who founded the chain in 1948.  It is the fourth oldest McDonald's but is the oldest still standing today. This McDonald's appears exactly as it did in 1953, complete with vintage decor when the fast-food chain first opened.

The look and feel of the modern McDonald's, as perfected by Ray Kroc, never reached this particular franchise. The fonts are different; the sign features one massive yellow parabola coming out of the ground instead of Stanley Clark Meston's iconic "Golden Arches." There's no mansard roof. And there's a fat little moon-faced chef mascot parading around on top of the sign (his name is Speedee, if you were wondering). This the pre-Kroc, O.G. McDonald's.

It was able to maintain its original look and feel because it wasn't licensed through Ray Kroc, who purchased the McDonald's franchise in 1961. It was franchised through an original agreement with the McDonald brothers, meaning that it didn't have to keep up with the corporation's modernization requirements.

When it comes to the menu, the restaurant serves tasty burgers, cheeseburgers, fries and milkshakes based on the original recipe. The location is also one of only a handful in the country that still offer a deep-fried apple pie as part of the menu.

When McDonald's adopted the golden arches; the Downey franchise did not have to.

There's a large sign in the window above the counter comparing the prices of things in 1955.  There's a little museum, filled with toys, artifacts, old advertisements, and a video about Ray Kroc running on a loop. "