Stewart's Root Beer
NJ Photo courtesy Steve Felder
Yes, it's the famous Stewart's Root Beer... the same beverage
found in all of the store bottles of the same name. There are still Stewart's
stands around, with this one being from the New Jersey area. Rumor has
it that this was another "two-wheeled" turn.
The story goes back to 1924, when schoolteacher Frank Stewart started selling root beer in Mansfield, Ohio, for a little extra income. The idea caught on, and the little root beer stands eventually spread across the country. New Jersey got its first Stewart's Drive-In along Route 130 in Burlington in 1947, followed by plenty more during the drive-in days of the 1950s and '60s.
These were classic pull-off-the-road places. Burgers, hot dogs, fries and a cold mug of Stewart's Root Beer were the order of the day, often served right to the car. Spot that orange Stewart's sign from the road and there was still enough time to make one of those famous two-wheeled turns into the parking lot.
UPDATE: A number of the old Stewart's stands have disappeared over the years, but you can still find that familiar orange sign at several locations around New Jersey. Grab a burger and a frosty mug of root beer while you still can. 08-26
White Turkey Drive-In
Conneaut, OH Photo courtesy Steve Felder
Cruising along Route 20 through Conneaut, check out the White Turkey Drive-In, a little roadside stop that's been serving travelers since 1952. The old Richardson Root Beer signs make this place pretty hard to pass without pulling over.
White Turkey was started by Eddie and Marge Tuttle, who raised White Holland turkeys, hence the name and those famous shredded turkey sandwiches. Even better, Richardson Root Beer is still mixed fresh and drawn from old wooden barrels behind the counter.
Grab a turkey sandwich and a frosty mug and enjoy this little piece of Route 20.
UPDATE: White Turkey remains open seasonally, with the Richardson signs and old wooden root beer barrels still going strong. 08-26
Allen's Drive-in (Closed)
Coldwater, MI Photo courtesy Steve Felder
Pull under the canopy and you might wonder if somebody turned the clock back a few decades. Allen's Drive-In in Coldwater is one of those old root beer stands where the cars pull in, the carhops come out and a frosty mug of root beer arrives right at your window. . Many thanks to Jim Emory for
correction on Allen's location.
The little drive-in started life as a B&K Root Beer stand before the Allen family took over around 1980. They kept it going for more than 25 years, and the place became a familiar summertime stop along old U.S. 12. The pink and black tiled interior, long roadside canopy and carhop setup gave Allen's just about everything you'd want from an old-fashioned root beer joint.
Monday nights were especially fun when the parking lot filled up with classic cars for the regular cruise-ins. Allen's even made an appearance in Hot Rod Magazine during the 2009 Hot Rod Power Tour, when a couple of vintage Oldsmobiles were photographed at the drive-in. That's a pretty good match for a place where burgers, root beer and old cars have always gone together.
Allen's Drive-in
Coldwater, MI Photo courtesy Steve Felder
And don't forget the root beer. Carhops still bring it out in heavy frozen mugs, with room beneath the canopy for 18 cars. Add a burger, hot dog or shake and there's really not much reason to hurry back onto the road.
UPDATE: The Allen's Drive-In was formerly a B&K Root beer, it has been in
the Allen family for over 25 years now. My grandparents owned and ran
it for 17 seasons and my parents have now owned and ran it for 8 seasons.
It is seasonal as we open in early February and close in late October.
We do have
cruise-nights on Monday nights. We can fit 18 cars under our canopy and
we provide full carhop service, complete with frozen mugs of root beer. Many thanks to Chris Allen of Allen's Drive-in for info.
UPDATE: Teddy and Amy Short purchased Allen's in 2013 and renamed it Short's Old Fashioned Root Beer Drive-In. The old stand reflects as being permanently close and appear to no longer be serving customers beneath the canopy with carhop service, frozen mugs of root beer and Monday night cruise-ins. 08-26
Stewart's Root Beer
Howell, NJ Photo courtesy Bob Jagendorf
Stewart's is one of the earliest drive-in restaurants.Stewart's Root Beer is famous for their root beer and their waitresses that bring
the food to the car, like in American Graffiti. There are still several
of these Orange Drive Ins in NJ. This one is on Route 9 in Howell. Many thanks to Bob Jagendorf for info.
The Howell stand still serves the classics, burgers, hot dogs, fries and Stewart's Root Beer in a frosty mug. Carhop service has also kept some of the old roadside experience alive. Just pull in, order up and enjoy.
UPDATE: Stewart's of Howell remains open along Route 9, with its familiar orange roadside sign still marking the spot. 08-26
Stewart's Root Beer
White Turkey Drive-In
Stewart's Root Beer
