Triple XXX Root Beer
West Lafayette, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Here's the Triple XXX Root Beer in West Lafayette, one of Indiana's true roadside classics. Sitting just a short walk from the Purdue University campus, this place has been serving hungry customers since 1929. The bold black-and-orange sign is hard to miss and lets you know you've arrived somewhere with a little history behind it.
Triple XXX holds the distinction of being Indiana's first drive-in restaurant. In its early years, motorists could pull in and have their food brought right to the car by carhops, making it one of the state's earliest examples of the drive-in experience. Those days are gone now, but the restaurant still has the same welcoming feel that has kept people coming back for generations.
The sign at the Triple XXX Root Beer West Lafayette, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The menu has become just as famous as the sign out front. The restaurant still serves its original Triple XXX root beer along with fresh ground sirloin burgers, hand-dipped shakes, and the legendary Duane Purvis burger, topped with peanut butter. It may sound unusual, but plenty of first-time visitors have become believers after just one bite.
In 2008, the owners did something few restaurants ever have the opportunity to do—they purchased the entire Triple XXX brand along with the original root beer formula. That makes this the only remaining restaurant still serving the authentic Triple XXX root beer as it was originally intended.
According to the Triple XXX Root Beer website, the business has been around since 1929. Recently, the Triple XXX was proclaimed best burger at Purdue University by Sports Illustrated so the food must be good.
Triple XXX Root Beer
West Lafayette, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
This West Lafayette location is one of just two remaining Triple XXX Root Beer drive-ins operating today. The other location is the Triple XXX in Issaquah, WA. 04-09
The restaurant has also earned national attention, appearing on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and being recognized as one of Indiana's great diners. Even with all the publicity, it still feels like the kind of neighborhood spot where regulars know exactly what they're going to order before they walk through the door.
UPDATE: Triple XXX Family Restaurant is still going strong and remains one of Indiana's best-known roadside restaurants. While the carhops are long gone, the historic building, classic sign, and original root beer continue attracting Purdue students, locals, and Route 66-style road trippers alike. 07-26
The sign at the Triple XXX Root Beer
Triple XXX Root Beer
