190. The Ice Berg Drive In

Back in the post war mid-twentieth century fast food was becoming a thing here in America. It was hardly ever dine in, just drive in, pick up your burger, fries and coke and take it home, on a picnic, or eat it in your car (remembering that cars were huge in those days). That’s the time period in which I was born and how I remember drive ins. Most of them weren’t chain restaurants, though that is when A&W and McDonalds were getting their starts. Some of those original, old fashioned drive ins are still around and they usually still have really great food and often their original menus.

One such drive in that I like to stop at whenever I’m in Walla Walla, Washington is the Ice Berg. This place has been a staple of Walla Walla since 1952, long before Walla Walla became trendy as the wine tasting hot spot of the Northwest. the food is good. It’s the typical old-fashioned burgers, fries, onion rings, and shake place. There is no dine in place there, it’s still the original drive in building and it can get really busy around lunch time any day of the week. I always enjoy onion rings and this place has the best. They use the native Walla Walla Sweet onions and the breading sticks right to the ring. You never end up taking a bite and getting all the onion pulled from the breading. But it’s not just that—they really taste great.

And Americans have loved ice cream in the summer since way back in the nineteenth century (if not earlier).  I don’t know when we perfected soft-serve and milk shakes but I’m assuming it came with the advent of the drive in. The Ice Berg certainly has great, thick shakes. They have quite the array of flavors as well. I’m pretty sure the majority of these have come about in the last few years of this century because I don’t remember most of the flavors they now offer as being a thing when I was a kid. If it’s a soft serve cone dipped in chocolate you are looking for, the Ice Berg has those as well. I really appreciate a good old-fashioned burger and shake with a touch of history. You can find that at the Ice Berg Drive In in Walla Walla, Washington.