History Lost Drive-In Restaurants

Bttt.

 

In the 60's the hot car drive in in Seattle was Kenough's's in Rainier Valley. Friday and Saturday evenings, lots of drags down Rainier ave.

In Ballard Zesto's across from Ballard High School. Always a hot spot after a football game.

Then on Greenwood Ave there was the Doodle Sack, plaid kilt swearing roller skating car hops.

just sayin'

brasscarguy

 

One that still survives is on the north end of Pontiac Michigan on Baldwin Rd.
Owned by a fella named Mark now, it was always "Home of the Monster Burger".
Today, Mark still offers the original 1/2 pd burger AND a full one pounder!

If you do the Woodward Dream Cruise, or otherwise get into our neck of the woods, check them out!
I'll try to find a vintage pic - this one is from Google Earth as of today.

 

Go to Tupelo on East Main street out in "Presley Heights"- go to Johnny's Drive in. This place has been around since the 50's and even has proof that Elvis ate there. Make sure you take cash cause they only take cash. Also about 1/4 mile from there towards town is the Dairy Kreme. I think that this is the oldest place in town and looks rough, but has some killer ice cream (can't vouch for the food because I never ate anything but ice cream there). Also a cash only place.

 

BTTT

 

To me the quintessential hot rod Drive In restaurant was the Big Bow Wow on Crossbay Blvd NY.

Gary

 

West side of Detroit, Grand River and Greenfield, Big Boy,Daly's Joy and Greenfield,
West of Detroit, Lakeway, Grand River and Lakeway Street, Farmington. Becker's Drive In, Novi. Also in Novi was a roadside Buttermilk stand that had indoor seating and a walk-up/drive up window alongside Grand River, Gaffney's and later called Jansen's. Bel-Nor Drive-In and A&W, Northville. Brighton had a A&W, later changed to Skipper's, at Island Lake. Also Big Boy had drive in service at the Plymouth and Farmington Road location in Livonia.

 

This photo was taken on one of our road trips. The old Comet Dinner. They tore it down and built a popeyes fast food.{ Sad} Glad my grandson got to see it, and here about cool stories of eating there. Ron...

 

Paso Robles, Ca. My folks moved down there for one summer, in 1946. Dad was through with his Navy hitch, worked for the Meadow Gold Ice Cream plant there driving local delivery in a 'gas job' Semi. Mom operated the 'Eat More' Drive in restaurant, a block west on Spring St. from where the A&W was later...we lived in a new home next door to the drive in, used to watch the Daylight train weave its way around the hills en route to San Diego...

 

Lots of good memories here.

 

I couldn't believe this was still open after all these years! I grew up in Rochester Hills and my Dad worked at Pontiac Motors at plant 8 and when we went into Pontiac we would stop by there sometimes. I might be wrong but I think tha Monster Burger was like $3 back in the early 70's! I am so glad there is another generation that can enjoy it (hopefully as it was in a bit of a sad area).

Thanks for posting!

Thomas Ross

 

Way back to the OP.... I got to see the end of the porkys era. What a way to grow up! My friend matt's dad died of cancer, but just before that he built that green 68' charger with a hemi crate motor and gave it to matt! we went down there every single weekend. Some fond memories of the place, too bad that end of town was ruined by the lightrail/thug people. the twin cities will never be the same. I live up near taylor's falls MN and they still have their drive in going strong. The local fire dept. has a few car shows down there every year (they have a flat lot next to it) but they are running out of space ( i guess that's a good thing) . The drive-in restaurant bought a tiny one in milltown wi. that was going to be shut down if not sold. Its a tiny place but i drive by it every day. I'm buying my first 50s car this spring and i plan on going to any and everything that is cool and car related with my daughter this year. I heard that hastings is a good show to go to every other saturday (unless its mayfly season) and someone down there owns the porkys sign? something like that. anyways, nice reads from the OP a few years back.

 

In West Los Angeles our spot was Ketchies Stand, this place had the best burgers and tacos, it was one of those places everyone went and never thought it would end, its end was a drunk driver "see note" This was at my friends Grandfathers Gas Station , they were located at Sawtelle Blvd and La Grange.

 

Former HAMBer, K88 Ghost, asked me to post this image:



I remember hanging out at the Slauson/Overhill site, back in the 1970s, which was well after the Wich Stands' heyday. Tiny Naylor's, Harvey's/Jonnie's and Delores' were the places my family used to go back in the 1950s.

In the 1960's and into early 1970s, my crowd's hangout was the original Pink's, back when Paul Pink owned it, and the chile was actually spicy hot. It's the place we'd usually go to after a night of cruising/street racing.

As an aside, my then-girlfriend and I attended a wedding of one of my old school buddies back in 1979 and shared a table at the reception with Mr Pink (an old friend of the bride's father). I told him that I was disappointed that he wasn't asked to cater the wedding...

 

Haven’t gone thru the whole thread but Jerry’s Curb Service is still with Us.



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Not a lost Drive-in, but a very sharp 50’ shoebox sittin in front of a Quaker Steak&Lube. Yeah the hot wings aren’t bad either!


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Spotted this oldie in Wheeling, IL:

Now a gyro place; couldn't find much history beyond Yelp reviews - anyone know more about what it used to be like? It's on Elmhurst Avenue near the high school.

 

I decided to go through the whole thread again; sadly there's a lot of busted/corrupted photo files after seven years (including mine - so I fixed 'em).
This got me thinking:

jimi'shemi291 hasn't posted in four years, but in his honor I dug these up from several 1960s Logan High School yearbooks:




(lots of other good stuff from the Logan High yearbooks coming to the Vintage Shots thread soon!)

 

Old post, I know......In Pomona, CA, MEL'S DRIVE-IN BURGERS. Used to be on the southeast corner of Holt Ave. and Palomar St. Not the type of Mel's Drive-In on American Graffiti.

The best burgers ever! A cool burger stand where the local rodders would hand out. My parents took us there as kids once a week for burgers, cars and to meet with their friends.

 

83 and Dundee, yup.
Seen a tiny car show pop up rarely, as I used to frequent the Mediterranean spot next door.
Pretty sure that not too long ago(2 years?) It was a hot dog and burger joint.
That's about it, sorry.

 

Old thread,but cool places.
Each part of town had it's hangouts,Miami was an is big!
There is only a few left ,an none have there carhop's any more.
These were 1950s n early 60s. Big Wheel was my place to hang,but we'd make runs around too others!
Like a run down to Homestead A&W, too hunt Bear*=Farmgirls/who didn't shave there legs*
Or out to South Beach hunting Turtles*= Bikini Girls* that layed around the beach.

 

Rumor is The Varsity in Athens GA is going to be torn down in the next year. At least the North Avenue location in midtown Atlanta is still going strong.

 

If so that’s incredibly sad.

 

Seattle has Dick’s drive ins in several locations. Located in five different locations. Been around forever. Sorry no pictures, just google the name.

 

You’re quite right about that. They’ve expanded to at least 3 more locations in and around the area.


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Dick's Deluxe, fries and a Coke. A Seattle staple! This one is not lost, still around in several locations.

 

The A&W and Sandy's (North Main turnaround) in my home town.

 

And let us not forget, there were some incredibly HOT carhops.

 

Speaking from experience are we?


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Use to go to the Oasis on Dyer in El Paso. Many memories.