I have driven past this place a million times. Even stopped there in the late 70s. It was pretty nondescript in those days. After absorbing the recent hype I figured I'd try it again. It's 50s/60s decor is interesting, if not overdone. In fact, my wife and I found it overbearing. Every nook and cranny, every horizontal and vertical surface is inundated with pop kitsch from the 50s and 60s (most of it the typical metal replica signs found in every souvenir shop and flea market from coast to coast. Even the ceilings are crammed with car ads, album covers, and autographed pictures of washed up rock stars. It's a nice try, but no drive-in I ever saw in the 50s and 60s looked anything like this place. It's as if the owners tried a little bit of everything in a small place. It felt claustrophobic inside. It's colorful, to say the least. We were there in the late afternoon so we had the place to ourselves. Oddly, the service was slow and the cooking time even slower. It seemed like we were an inconvenience to the staff. We had a mundane meal of chicken strips, fries, and large shakes with the metal mixing cups left at our table. That's always a nice touch, but the shakes cost $6.50 each. A bit steep, but I guess they have to pay for all the signs. As for the slow service I'd chalk it up to being there in the lull between the lunch and dinner rushes. The crew was probably getting things ready for the evening assault. To my way of thinking the fries were great, but my wife found them too greasy. What does she know? The chicken strips were only so-so, but how good can they be? If we come back we'll try something more exotic. Those have even higher price tags. What was really lacking though was people. An empty drive-in or diner lacks sound and movement and laughter and life. It's a good idea, but they tried too hard.
Pros: Different, bright, large portions
Cons: expensive for burgers, slow service, steep prices, overdone decor
XXX Rootbeer
3 reviews –
