Triple XXX Root Beer
Issaquah, WA
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

Here is a Triple XXX Root Beer stand located in Issaquah, Washington (honorary Roadside Peek "East" member). This is a mandatory stop for all of you in the Washington area, if only to marvel at the stand built around a huge root beer barrel exterior. This Triple XXX is one of the last two locations still in existence. The other Triple XXX Root Beer drive-in is located in West Lafayette, IN.

Check out this special section on the Triple XXX Root Beer of Issaquah, WA, courtesy of Dan Brown.

Dog n' Suds (Closed)
Whitehall MI
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

There's something about seeing that friendly dog carrying a tray that makes it pretty hard to keep driving. Dog n' Suds was once a familiar sight along America's highways, and this old stand near Whitehall, Michigan had all the right ingredients, a classic drive-in, a colorful roadside sign and plenty of cold root beer waiting inside.

Dog n' Suds got its start in Illinois during the 1950s and eventually grew into a large chain of drive-ins scattered across the Midwest and beyond. This Michigan location opened in 1965 and was operated for decades by the Hosticka family. Pull beneath the canopy and you could order up Coney dogs, burgers and fries without ever leaving the car.

Then there's that sign. The Dog n' Suds pooch carrying a tray of food became one of the great drive-in characters of the era, right up there with all those giant chefs, chickens and smiling hamburgers that once waved motorists off the highway. This fellow always looks especially happy to see you.

Dog n' Suds
Whitehall MI
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

Dog n' Suds locations once dotted the country, but most disappeared as the old drive-in chains faded away. A few survivors could still be found in places like Illinois, Indiana and Arkansas, making the Michigan stand an increasingly rare sight.For years, this was the last Dog n' Suds operating in Michigan. Cars still pulled in, Coney sauce was still ladled onto hot dogs and the root beer kept flowing. Sometimes an old roadside place doesn't need to change much to stay interesting.

Back in the day there was another classic Dog n' Suds sign from Charleston, IL. This dog looks as friendly as ever. Dog n' Suds stands still exist in Illinois and Indiana. Also found is this location in Paragould, AR.

UPDATE: The original Montague drive-in has closed, but Michigan hasn't completely lost its Dog n' Suds. The Hosticka family continues the tradition at a nearby seasonal walk-up location, still serving the familiar Coney dogs and draft root beer. 08-26

B&K Root Beer (Demolished)
Wadsworth, OH
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

Here's a root beer stand that looked a little different from the usual drive-in. B&K Root Beer in Wadsworth featured this unusual parking canopy with big V-shaped supports that made the whole thing look something like an upside-down picnic table. Strange perhaps, but definitely worth pulling over for another look.

The stand along Broad Street actually started out as an A&W during the days when root beer drive-ins were popping up all over the country. It later became a B&K Root Beer stand, another familiar name from the old drive-in era.

Pull beneath that unusual canopy and you had the classic setup. Burgers, hot dogs, fries and cold root beer were served while you stayed in the car. The angled steel supports held the canopy over the parking spaces, giving this little stand a look all its own.

B&K Root Beer
Wadsworth, OH
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

B&K stands could once be found throughout the Midwest, usually with plenty of orange signage and root beer flowing during the warmer months. A number of them are still around, but plenty of others have disappeared as their roadside properties were redeveloped.

This Wadsworth location wasn't fancy, and that's part of what made it fun. A small building, a strange canopy and a parking lot full of cars were about all you needed for a summer evening at the root beer stand.

UPDATE: The Wadsworth root beer stand closed around 2022 and was later demolished. The unusual canopy and roadside signs seen here have also been removed. 08-26

Hannon's Root Beer (Gone)
Valparaiso, IN
Photo courtesy Steve Felder

What's this? It's a... a... giant MUG! No, it's Hannon's Root Beer, a local favorite in Valparaiso, Indiana. Sporting an enormous root beer mug, this is a roadside attraction at its best. Need some cool suds on a hot summer day? Grab a cold one at Hannon's.

Hannon's opened in 1956 near old U.S. 30, serving homemade root beer, burgers, corn dogs and fries right to the car. Kids even got their root beer in miniature glass mugs. But that giant mug was the real roadside attraction. Need some cool suds on a hot Indiana day? Just follow the mug.

UPDATE: Hannon's Root Beer Stand in Valparaiso, IN is no longer in existence. It has been replaced by a Mercantile Bank. The old root beer mug sign was purchased and erected at a new location by a new "Frost-Top" drive-in on the other side of town. It too is now closed, and sadly, was very short-lived. The mug remains at that location, which has since been turned into a First Source Bank. At least Valparaiso still has the trademark mug to remember the old Hannon's by. Many thanks to Lee Nevills for update. 11-09

UPDATE: Hannon's closed in the late 1990s and the old drive-in was demolished. The giant mug has also been removed from its familiar Valparaiso spot. 08-26