History Lost Drive-In Restaurants

Tad, you might PM McVictim directly. Or, try searching "Tad's Drive-In" on the 'net. Seomtimes just a general search can provide surprising finds!

 

Anyone remember the A&W in Chelsea, MI, and the drive theater half way between Chelsea and Ann Arbor on the old road...I think they are both gone now....

 

This is the Bob's Big Boy on Riverside Drive in Burbank CA near the Warner Bros Studios and the Walt Disney Co. It was said to be a popular breakfast spot for Mr. Disney.

It is the oldest surviving Bob's, more importantly, every Friday night 5PM - 10PM they do a classic 1950's car show. It is so much fun and you get see great cars, meet cool people and feel like you are all heading off to the soc hop after a quick burger.

Bob's Friday Night Car Show

 

A lost drive-in from Newport Beach CA was Merle's Drive-in at Pacific Coast Highway and MacArthur Blvd and later it was reborn as The Zoo. Any kid from Newport Beach in the early '70's remembers the gorilla standing on the corner waving for you to come into The Zoo.

 

I can still taste it!!!!!

 

I didn't read the entire thread so this may have been mentioned before. There are still plenty of Sonic Drive-Ins around. They don't quite have the same flavor as the old time drive-ins but many of them do host a classic car gathering on a periodic basis.

 

See link in my signature

 

Used to have an A&W and Dogs & Suds in my hometown when I was younger, both closed in the early 80s. I was in Indy in the mid 90s and saw a Dogs & Suds, so stopped in...It sucked. Tasted just like McDonalds

Us Car guys used to run into Toronto and got to the Harveys at Jane and 401 (Home of the Hot Ones). The place is gone now, but there are still "T" shirts, jackets, stickers and post cards being sold.

 

Hey watch your mouth. We drove all the way from Pekin to cruise the Peoria Steak-N-Shakes and a few other drive-ins from 1956 till they closed, or till we were busy raising kids. My maroon 49 Dodge with the hot six and fluid drive could out run yer crappy car anyday. At least that's what I thought while sittin in bumper to bumper traffic at the Main Street Steak-N-Shake. Actually there were three Steak-N-Shakes. One almost to Bartonville on the South end, one near the North end of town, and the newest and busiest on top the Main Street hill.
The drive-in diners and the drive-in theaters are only memories now. But we'll always have those.

 

Pardon my ignorance, but are tha A&W restaurants tied up with the soft drinks carrying the same name? I fell in love with the root beer last time is was over there. Also loved the choc shakes at the big boys in Downey after we got hopelessly lost trying to find it, just glad the guy in the cool old ford was going there. Bloody long way to go back for another from Australia though.

 

Yes, A&W Root Beer and A&W Drive-Ins are related.


I found this by accident just driving by, but if you google up 1815 West Palmetto Street, Florence SC you will find the sign for the Sky View Drive In Restaurant. The parking lot shows the layout of the building. Anyone know what this place actually looked like? It's just a vacant lot with a sign now, even the dirt piles in the Google satellite pix are gone. You can street view it to check out the sign.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=rite...9&sspn=0.000932,0.000771&t=h&hq=rite+aid&z=18

 

Carrolls still exists as a company, but they run franchise Burger Kings.

I know of one Carrolls that still stands more or less unaltered, in New Hartford NY on Oriskany Blvd. - but it's now an adult bookstore of some sort.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=43.1...5.279439&spn=0.001645,0.001542&num=1&t=h&z=19

It's okay, across the street and up a bit is Voss Bar-B-Que, which is a great little place that's been around forever, it's sort of the pre-drive-in drive-in, you walk up to order. Look for the big milk bottle on the roof.

 

All the photo's of the old drive ins sure bring back some wonderful memories when life just seemed so difference and innocent.

To me all car shows should be held at drive in type places with burgers, fries and shakes.

Jimbo

 

Great vintage pic, dripping with nostalgia. Obviously, McDonald's aren't gone, but the original style ones with the classic arches like this are pretty scarce. Thanks, SWI66, for finding and posting this Niagra Falls-area pic over on the "Vintage Shots From Days Gone By" thread!

 

This is one in Pensacola Fl. I went to in the mid 80s when I had my 64 Galaxie 2dr fastback. It finally closed around 1990. click on the link for a slideshow of pics from a cruisin in the mid 80s. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Et_DIqsb60g&feature=share&list=FLlhaDEgjx7oxSaXVoxlZ1Sg .

 

we had a place called " The Hungry Eye " in Cuyahoga Falls Ohio......i believe it was on Portage Trail......anyone else remember this hangout ?

 

Ossies BBQ was a popular drivein in the 60s here in Mobile Alabama. they reopened about 2 months ago under the same name.

 

I saw this place pop up on Reddit today. It was called the Jet Drive-In located here in Austin. Picture is from a postcard from what I am guessing is the early 60's based on the 60 Impala up front. The place is long since gone.

Some more Texas drive-ins can be found here for those interested: http://www.agilitynut.com/eateries/txdi.html

 

Here's a image of Nixon Restaurant on Whittier Blvd (yes, that Nixon family).

 

Still going strong after 75 years! The VARSITY in Atlanta GA. the worlds largst drive in restaurant.

 

hey tn couch tater-I remember Malcolms, but how about the Tic-Tok and Pizza palace on magnola ,& the freezo on central&hwy 33 in halls----the only one left is the Pizza Palace everybody should check out their onion rings

 

My Wife and I stopped in there on one of our road trips, was going strong.

 

Maybe an early franchisee -- selling hamburgers and Kentucky Fried? Wow.
New one on me! Austin, TX, KFC in 1960, thanks to the PhotoBucket of
HAMBer TexasHardcore who posted it first over on Dog's popular thread,
"Vintage Shots From Days Gone By." Thanks, Hardcore!





JunkyardJeff added that HE read somewhere that KFC also "dabbled" in roast beef
at one time. Actually, when I worked at a factory in my hometown in the early
'70s, a buddy with a 340 Scamp and I used to go to our nearby KFC at lunch time, where they offered barbeque pork ribs! That was some good eatin'! Never, ever saw them at another KFC.

 

I don't know where I found this picture, but it appears to be taken around the mid-70's.

 

Any body remember the big top & adventure rt 22 Union NJ & drag raceing on the hiway?????

 

I went to Morrisville Tech in the 60s for auto tech east of Syracuse, NY. FrankieC, I believe the Jersey guys that were in my auto tech class took me to these drive-ins? Were they in the median strip on a divided highway? I just remember, going back to '63, a root beer Willys being trailered into the drive-in, unloaded and challenging others to run. Pretty amazing adventure for a kid from upstate NY farming town!

 

This one is still around in Norfolk VA at 19th & 20 Streets on Monticello. I used to go there often back in the early 80's. They still have curb service, but are closed Sunday's.



This is Smitty's in Hampton on north King St. Been in business since 1956, curb service and take-out only. This our last drive-in, I don't count wanna be Sonic.

 

Something about these places makes me want a fish sandwich