Are there any A&W's left that still have the drive in feature where they bring the order to your car? There isn't any around here that I know of and there is not very many A&W's left. I get hungry for an authentic root beer float and I miss the times when you could wheel into A&W and have a carhop bring the order to your car and hang the tray on the window. I gave my sister some chairs yesterday and when we left my sister's house on the East side of Des Moines yesterday we drove past A&W on East University in Des Moines. I whipped in as I was craving an authentic A&W root beer float. It was a trip down memory lane for me as memories of when Dad and I used to go to A&W in Creston and have a root beer float when we were hauling grain to the Coop in Creston, IA. Dad loved root beer floats, sometimes we would have two. Smile Since A&W is also a Long John Silver's it also turned out to be a nostalgic stop for my wife also since she and her Mom used to eat at Long John Silver's in Fort Dodge years ago. When we left there we stopped for a good visit at my daughter's apartment. We then made the long trip home that seemed much longer since I was exhausted and we left too late. I liked the mural on the wall.
Yes there is one about an hour and half from me in Cortland NY a must stop every time I go thru there no matter what I'm driving , but it tastes better in the Hot Rod! Hobo Jim
Absolutely, I just didn't know it until I visited my hometown last year, I hadn't been back in years and was pleasantly surprised how good it was. The service was even great but I expect that was because it's a very small non tourist town.
None left around here now but they were the hottest place in town in the late 50's, early 60's. Great food, cars , chicks and races later in the evening.
The one here closed down several years ago; it's now a used car lot. I didn't know that some are still around. I'll have to keep an eye out for one when I'm traveling.
I don't know if you have Sonic in Iowa but they bring the food out to your car like A&W but they don't hang a tray on your window. I don't know if they have root beer floats there but I know for a fact that they have excellent banana splits. Unfortunately the Sonic where I live just closed last summer....
Jefferson Iowa had an old authentic one until last year when they moved into the center of town to be more centrally located. I don't think they have car hops anymore. Sad. We stopped there after the big August car show every year.
None left around here in NH. I remember my parents taking us when we were kids and having the tray hanging off the drivers side window. Different size glass root beer mugs for all of us. That was always a special night out.
we still have a couple in indiana. the good old days, like charlie said, a cold rootbeer on a hot summer nite and dam!!! a race would break out about 1000 pm at nite!!! i miss those days big time!
You might check out this site: http://www.awrestaurants.com/locations?zipcode= I fear that most of them have gone from the drive-ins that we remember to restaurants but you might try calling a few. Charlie Stepehns
A&W took a hit when government decided sassafrass is carcinogenic and root beer never tasted the same.
Our old A&W in Merced (6 miles up Santa Fe from here) simply changed initials when the A&W franchise was pulled. Now, it's the 'H&W', they still have car service, Philly Cheese Steaks, Onion Rings, and a menu that's longer than a story! They feature '50s nite every last Thursday of the month. Lots of older Merced rodders come with cars, it's a good meeting with others of the same interests... There's a hot rod contingent, some mild customs, and lots of 'beaters' under construction. Wife Joey mentioned our showing up in the 'support vehicle', (my raked F100 used to be religious in attending our entries at the Old Time Drags at Baylands (Fremont) every weekend, as my shop was in San Jose...) It's always well received, but she said "What if we roll up in the tub this summer? Will they believe it?" H&W Drive In, best chow in Merced. Really. Mom and Pop operation, serious business. There's an In-and-out 3 blocks up, too. Some unemployed carhops are apparently working the 16th St. extension, I see them leaning in cars and taking orders up there in the evening...
I miss those places. Dirty, weathered, and a bit nasty. Yet great. The modern ones don't hold a candle. I still have an original menu board with the Papa, Mama, teen, and baby burger. I got it when they were tearing ours down... Bastards. A friends sister worked at one here in town. They used to stir up the root beer in a vat with their hands. She said she pulled her hand out of it one day and it had eaten all of her fingernail polish off. And yes, they served it...
There's still one in Aztec, NM. They also have inside dining where you have to place your order through a phone receiver at each table.
There's a ton of them in Wisconsin. But back home in The New England area they're long gone Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
There was one in Tennessee last time I was there that still had the old phones at each outdoor stall. I sure miss those frosty mugs. Sent from my Borg implant using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The same thing happened to the one in Ontario, CA and I've haven't seen other one with car hop service, since the Ontario location closed.
My grandfather owned one in Barron, WS from the 50's thru the 70's. I worked there every summer from '57 to '69. Can you imagine a seven year old flipping burgers and making change today? Gramp's had an eye for the women and hired the hottest high school and college girls to car hop. I'd be head over heels in love with every one of them and had a blast working there flirting with them. The car hops nicknamed the A&W Archie and Wife after him. It was the place to hang or cruise by to be seen. There's one up the road from me in San Rafael, CA off Hwy 101 but no car hops, drive through instead, great food.
Around here - they have combined A&W with a dine in restaurant - not the same.....but we have Keller's - the Dairy Ette that make's their own root beer and the Sonic's....there's Theo's in Grand Prairie
A&W has three locations in Lexington, Kentucky. The last one in Louisville was in Pee Wee Valley but now closed. Gary
When the wife and I were on vacation last summer we were told by the people in the camp ground we camped at to go to Taylor Falls (Minnesota) just a few miles from where we camped that there was an old style drive in restaurant, just like the old A & W that I visited in Atlantic Iowa 50 years ago. There weren't any 60's cars there that night
We have't had any A & W's in the greater Seattle area for many years. There is a former A & W in Everett, Wa (my city) that is now called "Mikey's"; the menu is identical to what A & W had been. No car hops however, only a small drive through and inside dining. Old time decor throughout. We do have what are called Burgermaster's, they have car hop style service, and indoor dining at some locations. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
Still got one in Modesto Ca corner of 14th and G streets. Still has car service with window trays and gals on roller skates. Big crowds in the spring summer months with Grafitti Week being a real busy time. Still make their Rootbeer fresh everyday.
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