Drive-in restaurants hold fond memories for locals

Readers have had a great time reminiscing about local drive-in restaurants. It all started when Don Castle asked f"Did You Ever Wonder?" readers the name of a longtime-gone drive-in restaurant on the “cruising” circuit on Nevada Avenue in the 1950s and ’60s. The first ones mentioned were Jay’s across from Colorado College, Garth’s in the 400 block of South Nevada Avenue and the Fabulous Scotchman at 1815 S. Nevada Ave. Then Arnie Blair wrote about W&W Food Ranch and Gas Ranch at Fountain Creek and South Nevada Avenue and recalled a Wimpy’s at Mill and Tejon streets in the late 1930’s and early ’40s. His cousin car-hopped at Wimpy’s and took Wimpy burgers home for the family.

We’ve run several columns with drive-in updates and questions and we’re still getting e-mails and blogs from people who fondly remember the local eateries. Our thanks to everyone.

Diane Sigler asked about “a place on the corner of Las Vegas and Nevada and one on the corner of Mill Street and Nevada called McHales.” Al Cordova responded: “The drive-in was called Michaelis and was known as the home of the original 10 cent hamburger.” He continued down memory lane, “other drive-ins which were popular during early and mid-60’s included Howdy Pard on South 8th Street just north of where the Wal-Mart is now, Ivy’s on South Tejon and Las Vegas, and Cy’s drive-in on West Colorado Avenue (now at 19th and Uintah). There was also an A&W on the south side of the city owned by the Gorman family of Harrison School District 2 fame, more or less where the Car Toys near I-25 and Circle Drive is now. Circle Drive did not even exist then and across the street from the A&W were mostly cornfields and farm country.”

J. Michael Riley said the Mill Street Michaelis (a baker’s dozen burgers, 13 for $1 on Fridays and Saturdays when families headed for the drive-in theaters) was the smallest of four in a local chain with others at Platte Avenue and Boulder, on West Colorado Avenue and on the west side of North Nevada Avenue up near the dog track.

Jerry Price knew all about the drive-in near Las Vegas Street and Nevada Avenue: “Growing up in Colorado Springs in the late ’50s and early ’60s, I delivered meat there. It was Jack’s drive-in.” Reader Mary loved Jack's Drive-In, "which was owned by an elder couple named Pop and Mom Levy." She worked there and met her future husband at Jack's.

A reader blogged: “Two blocks west of Nevada on Las Vegas you got to the old Ivy’s Drive In which was in the same parking lot as the old Bowl-Mor bowling alley lanes and the miniature golf park.

Margaret Jackson said in the late ’40s and early ’50s she and her husband liked the hamburgers on a long bun at “Tom Boy’s and Poor Boy’s,” one on the east side of South Nevada and the other at Ramona Street. Another burger fan was partial to White Spot on Eighth Street and remembered the A&W on Manitou Avenue. And others said to not forget “The Drive-In" on North Wahsatch Avenue and “B.J.’s" on Union.

Gloria Stovern Mitchell shared that in 1954 her father, Reuben Stovern, built the Gold Nugget drive-in at the corner of South Nevada Avenue and Mill Street and the family lived in the attached house. Gloria was a car-hop during her high school years. The property near the underpass was sold in 1957 and the building later leveled.

Paula Jenlink Heydman said, "I can't believe that no one has mentioned the Cherry Pit which was located on the north side of Colorado Avenue just west of Cascade Avenue in the early 1950's. I remember it to be the #1 hangout spot in town at that time. I have fond memories of meeting friends there. The local police walked the beat in pairs downtown and always stopped to chat. I believe the population was about 55,000 then, and what a wonderful little city this was."