Drive-in's/'ol bars?pre-war diners...Tell me that..

The bar at Seneca Lodge in Watkin's Glen NY is one of my favourites. It's an old racing bar and it's like stepping back in time. Every inch of the place is covered in road racing memorabilia, bow hunting trophies and arrows, and just about anything else you can think of. My father hung out there in the 50's and 60's when he raced, and he still gets greeted like a long lost family member when he goes back. That's pretty cool too.

 

RED RABBIT DRIVE-IN
north of harrisburg, PA

Drive north of Harrisburg on 22/322 towards State College past Dauphin, and then just after you cross the Clark's Ferry Bridge and the truck stops on teh right you see it, THE RED RABBIT, on the right hand side of the road. Becareful pulling in and out as this is a super busy highway, but they have some great burgers (the bunny burger on poppy seed bun and special sauce) and excellent Barb-q. It has been open since the 60's the original owner's son now runs it. The barb-q recipe is from another now gone Harrisburg Drive-in and the Rabbit's sister stand, the Barb-q cottage, (my grandmother worked there). They are only open fri, sat, sun, 9 months outa the year, and if you get there around dinner time, good luck finding a place to park! I cruise there a couple times a summer in my '54 chevy.

 

The Green Parrot Cafe in Coweta, Oklahoma is my favorite old timey hangout. It's not officially a car hangout, but it's not unusual to pull up there and find between 1 and 4 old cars. There's a retired guy about 70 that comes in almost every day and restoring old cars all day, every day is what he does. He's an absolute wealth of information and I love listening to him. All of the car folks that go in there are fun to talk to. I believe the place has been there over 50 years and the current owner has been there for over 30 years. She never met a stranger and everyone just adores her. She's just about the nicest person you will ever meet. The food tastes like your mom cooked it and the prices are reasonable. Just in case some of you ever want to try it--they're closed on Mondays and open from really early until 3 every day but Sunday when they close at 2. The owner is on vacation through May 23rd so don't try and go next week. I probably shouldn't carry on about it too much, because it's pretty small and I wouldn't be too thrilled if I dropped in and the place was too packed for me to find a seat. Here's a pic out front on a typical Saturday afternoon. The gaudy Chevy is mine, so try not to be too mean about the paint job. Cathy H.

 

Here is my old 37 at a gas station a guy I know has in his backyard!

 

Easy enough to do. If you like I could put together something simple in MS Word. List the state, cities, bars & diners, etc in alphabetical order. Just using what people list here. If you guys have addresses you could send them to me and I'll add those to the listings as well.

Just a thought on Mike's idea.

 

THE A&W IN FLUSHING MICHIGAN IT HAS BEEN THE CLUB HOUSE FOR THE MICHIGAN CRUISERS FOR 20 YEARS NOW WE HAVE A MONTHLY CRUISE AVERAGE TURNOUT OF 400 CARS EVERY TIME (THE RED COATS RULE)

 

I've heard about that A&W. They have the "red sauce" for the dogs.

 

Place here called Fast Freddies who has a cruse in ever fri or sat night.. something like that.. I think it's friday nights, cause I never get a chance to go.. all your other diner needs? Wafflehouse.

 

President McKinley is a hell of a speaker. It's that young poppinjay of a Vice President Theodore Roosevelt that you have to watch out for. If anything were to happen to McKinley I would fear for this great land of ours.

Your's Truly,

John D. Rockefeller

 

The original Mel's was torn down shortly after the Movie was shot. The value of real estate around here dictated the need for a vacant lot. It served in this capacity and also as overflow parking for a nearby builders supply for years until about 5 years ago when a large condo/apartment project went up on the site.

Mel went back into business on Lombard St about 1985-6 with a sit down restaurant with a drive-in American Graffiti theme. It was a hit and he and his son opened more locations. There was a falling out between father and son with some Mel's owned by Mel and some by the son. Lawsuits later but I don't remember how it came out. I think the son bought out the father.
It isn't a bad place at all but does varie by location.

 

Rainbow Bar in Owosso Mi. Old as hell place with great burgers. Watch out for flying breasts and Tim the owner...just don't know about that guy.. This place was Rainbow before rainbow had some new subliminal message! Gotta check out the saddle bar stool. Don't go till after mid-night tho, it's known as the lastcall bar, their clock is always 20 minutes slow. Still has 50 cent drafts!!

.......tell Tim, Rick sent ya..

 

Drive In? In San Francisco go to Whizz Burgers 700 South Van Ness at 18th ST. right on the corner. It is an original drive in that has unbeleivably survived intact with the original neon sign the hear of the Mission district.
This place had car-hops onn skates which were were brough back for a time in the 80's when the name was briefly changed to Carozzi Burgers.

That only lasted a few years, the car-hops got to looking kind of rough. They changed the name back to Whizz-Burgers and sent the girls packing.

For a drive in the food is okay, Burgers Fries Shakes. etc. Neighborhood will frighten some.

Another is Beep's Burgers on Ocean at Lee near City College of San Francisco. Another survivor it went up in late 50's. The owner wanted something modern so the Metal; and neaon sign out front is of a Sputnik type satellite and named Beep afer the beeping telemetry sounds they make. I lived around the corner for about 20 years and I can say that while not fancy the quality never changed. Parking lot can handle about 12 cars.

Don't drive very far out of your way but if you are in the neighborhood check them out

 

MILWAUKEE

Nite Owl Drive-In -- official Cheaters burger joint
the "Spy Bar" -- can't remember the name of it, 007 theme "THE SAFE HOUSE"

Don't forget "Koz's Mini Bowl" and the Third Ward...!

SAN FRAN

Buena Vista -- SF landmark restaurant/bar, invented morning drinking with the Irish Coffee and sloe gin fizz
Bigfoot Lodge -- Northwoods Yogi Bear style bar, owned by HAMBer (also in LA)
Bottom Of The Hill -- venerable live rock club
"Lane Splitters" for awesome food and murder-sickle memmorabilia...!

Hope this helps!

 

From Rockford IL, take IL 2 to Oregon and eat at Jays Drive Inn, on the way home we stop at Sams Drive Inn for ice cream, its in Byron.

Docs Diner in Loves Park (right next to Rockford) is a great 50s diner for breakfast.

 

In Monroe WI there is a still opperating drive in movie place. I think its called Sky View Drive in. Its been updated several times, but they still show movies on the "big" screen through the summer. It's located on Rt 69 South of Monroe.


In Lena Il there is a drive in food place. Used to have the car hops on skates, the skates are gone, but the car hops still bring your order. Think its called Lena Drive In.

If your in Freeeport on Wed nights, a local Wendy's has a cruise night. Its a "new" building, the DJ plays 50s-60s crap, but some times there are some nice cars amoung the billit stuff. If the weather is nice they will pack the place. Every other Wed, starting May 18 ending in Aug.

Something else might be of interest in Freeport. In Aug they have a real cruise night in the down town area. They block off the streets to 2 -3 enterances and cruise the circut. Its a one night deal each year, runs from 7PM - 10PM, the down town parking lots are lit, the streets are full od people riding around, they have a stage with a local band playing 60s-70s classic rock music. Only cost is if you want to park on the main lot, $ 2 get you a parking space for the night, come and go from the lot as much as you want. Cops are pretty tollerant, but you can't get carried away. I don't think they have a date set yet, buy it usually been the first saturday night in August. Gene

 

Well let me throw a couple at ya. Maybe not any history (at least not 50+ years worth), but they are still fun to swing into when you're out cruizin'.

Cheri Top Drive-In:
Get your Hot Rod out of the garage, clean it up and cruise into the parking lot. The girls will come right out to your car and take your order from you. When they come back with your food - it is sittiing on a tray (just like the 50's BRO...). This place may not have been born in the 50's (the origional burnt to the ground and the locals begged for it to be rebuilt - so new managment brought it back to life).

Location:
Grandview Ave
Muscatine, IA 52761


Hwy 61 Drive-In Theater:

The movies are new, the technology is new, but the fun is as old fashioned as the car you will show up in....
Just tune your radio to the posted frequency and the sound is played through your own car radio. You get two (new) movies for the cost of one indoor film. Go to this website and join the e-mail list and they will send you an e-mail every week listing the featured movies of the week. http://www.drive-ins.com/detail/iat61dr

The whereabouts are on the link...



There is also a Theater in the Quad Cities called the Brew-N-View. They serve beer and food (good food - but kinda pricey) and you get two movies for the price of one as well. I saw "Sideways" (there's two hours of my life I'll never get back) and Bruce Lee's "Fists Of Fury" in one drunken sitting.....Wish I could have fast forwarded through that snobby, pointless sap-saga and went straight to the B. Lee film, but that's neither here nor there.....Cool place - and you can get lit while watching a new flick.

As for bars, my old favorite just closed this month. A place called "Bootleggers". I knew the owners and I could drop in any time I wanted and bump into a friend.....
...All is not lost though. I can still go to my back-up. It's a place called "Missippi Brewing Company". It's tiny and it's packed all of the time but their food is killer and they have a porch/stage where bands can play outdoors and really crank it up. Park your Rod/custom right out front and hang out.....

Location:
downtown Muscatine on Iowa Avenue - just off of River Drive.

 

what about the kilti in oconom.....could never figure it out.
also the carocel in sussex...
wisconsin places, small ice cream/soda joints

 

Nick the Dairy bar is closed for a couple of years, it was that old diner in downtown thorp. We used to stay in Stanley for deer hunting, and always went to thorp to eat.

 

Here ya go, Davies Chuck Wagon in Lakewood Colorado.

Still looks like this today.

http://www.agilitynut.com/p/davieschuck.jpg

 

Orlando sucks, nothing's left, all the Steak and Shakes are modernized, every nearby drive in's are gone, every old hang out's either been modernized or converted into VD clinics.

This place sucks.

 

Jerry's Curb Service, Bridgewater, (Beaver) Pennsylvania

Been in the same location since 1947. Their food is good, tons of cars there on cruise nights, especially kids anymore. The old timers still show them who's boss, though.

Unfortunately, they're turning into a franchise like the Steak n' Shake so the originallity is slowly dissapearing.

Also, the Pit Stop, Bridgewater (Beaver) Pennsylvania, originally it was a curb service, now it is an eat in resturant, 2 min away from Jerry's. They have a pretty good breakfast... All the local hot rodders hang there.

 

....>>>>>>

Chris it has re-0pened.

Mike Zenor, I have similar thoughts......Damn!!!Jus hit me....Instead of doin a COOKBOOK this year....WE Could make the:

HAMBer's Cruisin' guide to Diners & eveything Vintage

Anybody with resources are you listening??

 

Old one resued by a friend. It is on private property now. Some HAMBers have been fortunate to get the invite from him.

 

AHHH forgot!!!!

LEON's

Milwaukee, s. 27th st & oklahoma
-Very historic. Been around as long as Nite Owl (late 40's/early50's)
It has the metal roof, glass sides, old custard machine
(Yea, here in da mid west we gut da Custard not ice cream)
And has super kool vintage neon. Definiteley worth seein

 

Nick Leon was my grandpa's cookie salesman when he owned his butcher shop in the 30s and 40's, he wanted my grandpa to open a drive in with him. They decided to both go out alone. Both still going and both under the same family name...

 

Here ya go Sean [errrMCgrath ]

 

Or if you ever get near Elmer Missouri-Drop in- I have this ShopErrrrr ,landmark..... and a nice cafe -"the Chuckwagon" across the street!

 

Watch out for those Damn trains....!!!

They don't bother even slowing down through Elmer..., they're afraid choprods will strip'em down if they stop...!

 

Here are some cool retro spots in Pennsylvania:

**The Roxy Theater in Northampton, PA (about 30 minutes north of Allentown, PA)
Restored 30's Art Deco Movie Theater...KICKS ASS!!!!! Shows modern movies, second run movies, sometimes forst run movies,..and at Christmas shows old movies like "White Christmas", "Its a Wonderful Life", and others. Guy plays the original organ before the movie too! Its awsome inside,..all restored! Here's the link to their website:

http://www.roxytheaternorthampton.com/

**The Hamburg Diner in Hamburg, PA. Been there since about 1946 I believe. Small little hole in the wall diner with that old 40's / 50's feel. repro jukebox in the back, and the menues are actually real 40's and 50's high school yearbooks with the first few pages being the actual menu and the rest for you to enjoy looking at days gone by! Here's a webiste to get you some info:

http://www.hamburgpa.org/dining--hamburgdiner.html

**The Garden Drive-In, West Nanticoke, PA. Very old drive in movie spot. Still going strong. Weekend shows only. About 30 minutes south of Wilkes-Barre, PA. here's their website:

http://www.gardendrivein.com/

**Becky's Drive-In, Walnutport, PA. Not very far from Allentown, PA. Never been there but I hear its a nice little spot. Here's a link:

http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/patbeck

**Haar's Drive In, Dillsburg, PA,....west of Allentown, PA. here's the website:

http://www.haars.com/drive-in.htm

**Shankweiler's Drive-In, Orfield,PA about 30 minutes from Allentown, PA. Billed as America's oldest drive in, I've driven past it but still haven't gone to a movie YET!! Friend of mine wanted to put on a car show/movie night there and they didn't fly with it,..not cool really, pretty stupid if ya ask me!! Well, cool place though!! here's their website:

http://www.shankweilers.com/

Well that's it for now. Diners,..well that's another post!

 

I heard about Winstead's about 25 years ago. There was a band known as the Hoo-Doo Rhythym Devils that had a song called "Eatin' In Kansas City".

"Goin' down to Winsteads, order up a burger and shake.

Chorus: Shake, shake! Shake, shake!

"Yeah, I be drivin' down to Winsteads order up a burger and shake!

Ch: Shake shake! Shake shake!

Yeah Old Man Winstead knows what a burger takes!

Ch: Takes takes! Takes takes!

I've been eatin' in Kansas City!
I can hardly wait to take a bite!
Got to get a bottle of Ripple
So I can boogie all night!

Etc.