Lemon Drop Drive-in
Anderson, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
The Lemon Drop Drive-In is one of those places that takes you back to an earlier time. This little Anderson drive-in has been serving customers since 1954, and it's still a great place to stop for a burger. What really caught my attention, though, were the signs. The tall green and yellow marquee has that classic mid-century look, and the giant lemon drop sitting on the roof is the perfect finishing touch. 07-08
The Lemon Drop began as a drive-in with carhop service before switching to indoor dining in the mid-1960s. While the restaurant is small, it still has plenty of personality. Inside you'll find a vintage jukebox, an old Coca-Cola dispenser, and even a model train circling overhead.
The menu has earned a loyal following over the years, especially for the famous Onionburger, where thinly sliced onions are grilled right into the beef, along with breaded pork tenderloins and homemade root beer. Before you leave, don't be surprised if you're handed a lemon drop candy. It's a tradition that's been around for years.
Lemon Drop Drive-in
Anderson, IN Photo courtesy Alan Culley
Places like this don't survive for more than 70 years by accident. The food is good, the atmosphere is fun, and those classic signs are reason enough to pull off the road.
UPDATE: The Lemon Drop Drive-In remains open and continues serving customers as Anderson's oldest restaurant. Both the vintage roadside marquee and the rooftop lemon drop sign still survive. 06-26
Clyde's Drive-in Restaurant
Sault Ste Marie, MI Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley
Clyde's Drive-In has been serving customers in Sault Ste. Marie since 1949, and it's one of the most unique drive-ins you'll ever visit. It still offers carhop service, but what really makes this place different is the parking. Instead of pulling in nose-first, customers back into their spaces so they can enjoy a front-row view of the St. Marys River while they eat. If you're lucky, a massive Great Lakes freighter will glide past on its way to or from the Soo Locks. 12-08
Founded by 19-year-old Clyde VanDusen, the restaurant began as a small stand near the Sugar Island Ferry and has remained in the family ever since. While it's grown over the years, it has never lost the old-fashioned drive-in experience that keeps people coming back every summer.
The menu is full of drive-in favorites, but the signature item is the Big C burger, a hefty cheeseburger made with beef from a local butcher. Of course, burgers, fries, shakes, and carhop service are all part of the experience, but the setting is what makes Clyde's stand out. There aren't many places where you can enjoy lunch while watching oceangoing freighters pass just a few yards away.
The vintage roadside sign still welcomes visitors, and between the classic atmosphere and one-of-a-kind location, it's easy to see why Clyde's has remained a favorite for generations.
UPDATE: Clyde's Drive-In continues to operate seasonally along the St. Marys River. The classic carhop service, vintage roadside sign, and ship-watching experience are all still part of what makes this Upper Peninsula drive-in so memorable. 06-26
Clyde's Drive-in
St Ignace, MI Photo and info courtesy Alan Culley
Clyde's Drive-In in St. Ignace is the perfect place to stop after crossing the Mackinac Bridge. This classic drive-in still offers carhop service, and the menu is loaded with burgers, fries, onion rings, shakes, and malts. If you're really hungry, order the famous Big C, a 3/4-pound burger that's been a customer favorite for years. 12-08
This location opened in 1971 as the third Clyde's Drive-In in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, following the success of the original restaurant in Sault Ste. Marie. While times have changed, Clyde's has held onto the old-fashioned drive-in experience that makes places like this so much fun to visit. Pull into one of the covered parking spaces, place your order, and before long your meal arrives on a window tray just like it did decades ago.
The vintage roadside sign and blue carhop canopy are hard to miss from U.S. 2, making Clyde's a favorite stop for travelers heading to or from the Upper Peninsula. It's the kind of place that's been welcoming road trippers for generations, and it's easy to see why so many people make it part of their trip north.
One thing to remember before you stop—Clyde's is cash only, so come prepared.
UPDATE: Clyde's Drive-In remains open seasonally in St. Ignace. The vintage roadside sign, classic carhop service, and famous Big C burger continue to make it a favorite stop for travelers crossing the Mackinac Bridge. 06-26
Glass Bowl Restaurant (Demolished)
Bexley, OH Postcard and info courtesy Michael Sekeres
The Glass Bowl Drive-in was one of the most unusual roadside restaurants ever built in central Ohio. Located on East Main Street in Bexley, this eye-catching drive-in opened in 1939 inside a building made almost entirely of glass block. Designed to resemble an upside-down champagne glass, it was impossible for motorists traveling along the National Highway (Route 40) to miss. 02-09
The restaurant was the idea of entrepreneur Maurice Sher, who wanted a building that would stand out from everything else on the road. It certainly worked. The futuristic design quickly became a local landmark, attracting both hungry travelers and curious visitors who came just to see the building for themselves.
In 1948, the restaurant was sold to brothers Christ and Gus Tsitouris, who continued operating the Glass Bowl for another two decades. Even as roadside architecture evolved, the Glass Bowl remained one of the area's most recognizable restaurants thanks to its one-of-a-kind design. It's hard to imagine how striking all of those illuminated glass blocks must have looked after dark.
Unfortunately, the Glass Bowl closed in 1968, and the building was demolished to make way for a small retail center. Today, only old postcards and photographs preserve the memory of what was easily one of Ohio's most distinctive drive-ins.
UPDATE: The Glass Bowl Restaurant was demolished in 1968. The site is now occupied by a Penn Station East Coast Subs restaurant, and nothing remains of the unique glass block building. 06-26
Lemon Drop Drive-in
Lemon Drop Drive-in
The menu is full of drive-in favorites, but the signature item is the Big C burger, a hefty cheeseburger made with beef from a local butcher. Of course, burgers, fries, shakes, and carhop service are all part of the experience, but the setting is what makes Clyde's stand out. There aren't many places where you can enjoy lunch while watching oceangoing freighters pass just a few yards away.
Clyde's Drive-in
One thing to remember before you stop—Clyde's is cash only, so come prepared.
