Old-Fashioned Drive-In Restaurants

Our family has an affinity for these places. I think it's because it reminds my husband and me of our childhoods and great trips with family members to them. Of course it's also partly because our first date was at the old A&W in West Bend.

So we know about some in the area and will go to them occasionally. They're starting to open up for the season. Yay! Must mean it's finally spring. :)

Here's some we like:

A&W in Fond du Lac
It IS open for the season. We went a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, it was cold, but my husband was craving a black cow. ;) That's our main reason for going there. It's also cool that it's so close to the lakefront, so it's a nice destination in the summer.

Gille's, also in Fond du Lac
I've heard this is also open for the season, but I haven't been there yet. They have really good ice cream.

Chester's in Plymouth
Their set-up is very similar to Gille's. Their hamburgers are a bit on the greasy side, but oh-so-good. I'm sure not good for you, though. Eh, everything in moderation, right? Root beer is also good here. I don't believe they're open yet, though, and don't know when they will be.

Hamburger Haus in Dundee
Much smaller than the other places, and not necessarily a "drive-in." You have to walk up to the window to order. Good ice cream and we've never had bad food. I don't believe they're open yet either.

Toucan Custard in West Bend
Again, not really a drive-in, but still has that feel to it. There's a window to order to eat outside, or they have indoor dining. Their indoor dining is open year-round. Good food and ice cream, but a bit pricier than similar restaurants.

Those are mainly the places we go to, but there are others. There's also Sonic. They just opened up this past year in Oshkosh and Appleton. They're not necessarily old-fashioned, but they have a similar set-up to A&W's. And their drinks are SO good.

If you know of any other places or have reviews, feel free to post them. I've always jokingly said I wanted to take a trip across the state, stopping at places like this to take a pic of the kids eating ice cream outside of the places. Maybe I should do that sometime. ;)