Two months ago I wrote about Scotty’s Drive-In, which was on Keeaumoku Street from 1956 to 1974 and in Pearl City. It brought me more reader comments than any other article this year, so I thought I’d write about a few other Oahu drive-ins today.
White Top Drive-Inn
Retired ophthalmologist John Corboy recalls “cars parked in concentric circles around the drive-in, served meals by carhops on trays that hooked onto an opened car window. It was a great hangout for teens, especially on weekends. We’d nurse a Coke for hours in the back row and flirt with all those other kids in cars.
“Most popular during my high school days was White Top Drive-Inn (which was open from 1950-1959 in the front of Ala Moana Farmers Market) in Kakaako. It was famous for ‘Five for a Buck’ hamburgers.” They also had hot dogs, sandwiches, chili, freezes and milkshakes.
Calvin Calistro said it was common for drivers to place a card with their preferred carhop’s name in the windshield and blink the lights to signal her over.
Fran’s Drive-Inn
Corboy also was fond of Fran’s Drive-Inn, which opened on the mauka side of Ena Road and Ala Moana Boulevard in 1952. “It had KIKI radio disc jockey Don Chamberlain in a broadcast booth centered in the parking lot. It was slightly larger than a phone booth,” Corboy says.
“Don’s Fishbowl broadcast nightly from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. from the drive-in, words and music blasting over the booth’s PA system.”
Bob Hampton remembers he opened his show with, “This is where the cool cats come to congregate, chew, chomp and check the chicks.”
The live radio remote broadcast was a terrific draw for the drive-in, Corboy says. Carloads of teens would pack the lot and scribble notes for requests and dedications — “Please play ‘Earth Angel’ for the girls in the blue Ford from the guys in the green Jeep” — and pass them through a small window.
“Don, with a stack of the ‘Top 40’ records, would oblige. As a budding broadcaster at KIKI (1953-56), whenever Don was unavailable, I had the joy of filling in for him: heaven at age 15!”
KC Drive-Inn
Hawaii’s first drive-in was founded by George Knapp and Elwood Christensen in 1927 and given their initials: KC Drive-Inn. It began as a soda water stand. They sold it to their cook, Jiro Asato, and his wife, Agnes, in 1934 for $100.
KC Drive-Inn was at Kalakaua Avenue and Ala Wai Boulevard and moved to Kapahulu in 1982. Members of their extended family later opened the Wisteria, KC Drive-Inn in Manoa, KC Coffee Shop on King Street, KC Snack Shop at Holiday Mart, Likelike Drive Inn and Sei’s Family restaurant.
World War II soldiers asked Jiro what KC stood for. “Kissing Corner,” he liked to reply, referring to the dark corners of the parking lot occupied by couples who thought the carhops couldn’t see them.
Agnes said they didn’t use trays initially, but rather 6-inch-wide boards that stretched between two open windows. The carhop and customer had to be careful not to spill their food, served with glass and porcelain plates back then.
KC Drive-Inn was famous for its waffle hot dogs, created by Knapp and Christensen, and its peanut butter “ono ono” shakes, created by Jiro Asato.
Alex Drive In
Steve Okamoto told me that in the 1960s KC Drive-Inn and Alex Drive In had the best Hot Fudge Banana Royal. “We used to go to Alex Drive In during lunch from Kaimuki High School.”
Dave and Karen Leatherman wrote that “Alex Drive In was a favorite place of ours to go when we were dating and after we were married. Yes, the carhops wore roller skates as I (Dave) remember. Karen’s favorite dessert was peach melba.”
The last owner, Wilford Nonaka, said his secret was using only the best ice cream. Banana splits, hot fudge sundaes, root beer floats, freezes and double- dip sodas were popular.
Nonaka said another secret was to only hire pretty carhops. “It made the food taste better,” he said, “but it was even more important to serve tasty food.” Pork guisantes, hamburger steak and chicken adobo were best-selling entrees.
Gov. Jack Burns frequented Alex Drive In, as did Sen. Dan Inouye. Nonaka retired in 1988, making it the last place in Honolulu to use carhops.
Alex Drive In was opened in 1940 by W.H. Tom at Kapahulu and Kaimuki avenues and, I believe named for his son, Alex. They’re related to the Frances and Mary Tom who own Wailana Coffee House.
Bluebird Drive Inn
One of my University of Hawaii friends took me to Bluebird Drive Inn around 1974 in Pearl City (where Cafe Flamingo was on Kamehameha Highway).
Bluebird Drive Inn was started by Calvin Nakashima in 1968. It was famous for its tripe stew and Hawaiian plate. Rick Serafine said it was one of his favorite places, too. “OMG, the fried noodles, and the BBQ burgers were yummy! I sure miss them.”
Serafine asked if my readers remember other leeward drive-ins such as Goodie Goodie, Nakatani’s and Clock Drive Inn.
I was surprised to discover there had been another Bluebird Drive-In 50 years earlier at Olohana Street and Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki. It was founded by Knapp and Christensen of KC Drive-Inn fame in 1928. It served “home cooking” to customers in their cars or in their cafe.
Its novelty “outside kitchen” allowed customers to see their food being prepared behind glass walls.
Jiro Asato, who bought KC Drive-Inn, also managed Bluebird Drive Inn Cafe.
Kapiolani Drive-Inn
Many of my readers remember Kapiolani Drive-Inn, or KDI for short. It turned into Wailana Coffee House in 1969. It was on the corner of Ena Road and Ala Moana Boulevard.
Kapiolani Drive-Inn got its name from its first location in 1945, Kapiolani Park. Its address, 2702 Monsarrat Ave., would seem to place it around the current entrance to the zoo. Richard Leong remembers its hot dogs and hamburgers came with an olive and pickle. The Toms also ran the soda fountain at the Waikiki Bowling Lanes nearby.
Co-founder Mary Tom told me it had to move when the zoo erected a fence and cut them off from their customers. It moved to Ena Road and Ala Moana Boulevard, dirt roads at the time, in 1949. Back then, Mary said, that was far from Waikiki. She counted how many cars drove by them one night: three!
Eventually the public found Kapiolani Drive-Inn, and its 125-car parking lot often had a line waiting to get in.
KDI was famous for a huge neon sign with an animated hula girl and an ukulele- strumming man. “KDI had a huge menu,” Mary told me. “Our orange freeze was very popular, as were floats, malts, banana splits, peach melba and sundaes.”
Capitol Drive Inn
Michael Mochizuki had his own orange freeze story. Freezes were sherbet and soda water blended refreshingly together.
“When I was very young, my mom and dad would take us to Capitol Drive Inn on the corner of 6th and Waialae avenues (where Kaimuki Toyota is today).” Capitol Drive Inn was founded by Seichi and Henry Uyehara in 1946. It closed in 1967.
“We would park, and the carhop would come to our window. We’d give her a large pot, which the cook would fill with a large, family-sized ‘takeout’ order of their great saimin.
“While we were waiting for our order to be made, my dad would order an orange freeze for me, served in one of those large, thick fountain glasses. I had to drink it all before our order was ready.
“On one occasion I took so long to finish the drink that my dad drove off with me in the back seat, still drinking my orange freeze! From that time on I had my very own orange freeze glass!
“Great memories from very simple days!”
Do you have a favorite drive-in meal, story or question? If so, please send it to me.
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Bob Sigall’s “The Companies We Keep 5” book contains stories from the last three years of Rearview Mirror. “The Companies We Keep 1 and 2” are also back in print. Email Sigall at Sigall@yahoo.com.
