Yep, I grew up near Taylorville, Illinois and I'm pretty sure that is where we had an A&W Drive Inn! My mom still has a "baby" A&W glass mug like the picture to the right! (I think my parents "snitched" it!) :0

I drink the soda. It's good.

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I love the A&W Root Beer Flots and still get to enjoy them. There is still one old A&W Root Beer stand on 23rd Street in Independence, MO. You can tell it's been around a while, but the root beer is delicious and the flots are fantastic.

You can still get them in many parts of Canada, although A&W was much better in the 70's. They had cool restaurants, not only with the drive-ins, but some had nice comfy decor inside and even fish&chips.

We used to have an A&W drive-in in Staten Island,NY and those root beer floats were to die for and there was no other way to drink A&W root beer than from one of those frosty mugs

A trip to the A&W was a big event for me back in the 70's. There wasn't a Dairy Queen around and who even heard of McDonalds yet. Loved it when we pulled up to place and they had that menu out there. You decided what you wanted then mom or dad would talk into the box on what we ordered. Back then I was limited to the Baby Burger and fries but sometimes was allowed the Mama Burger. The rootbeer was the best part though. Always thought the girls that brought the food out to us were the prettiest in the world in their outfits and the coin changers on their waists. Oh for those days.

OMG YOMAMA911 how much candy did you have? You sound hype.

Glad they still make these, but they dont taste the same... we collected the cups we still have them!

We had an A&W south of here, and when they closed in the mid-1990s, they sold off the mugs. I got a brand new one for a buck. That place was notorious for the birds who hung around waiting for handouts. If you left your burger on the table and went inside for a napkin or whatever, and you came back outside, your food was gone!

We Still have an A&W Rootbeer drive in!!!!

There is still an original A&W not one of the new ones a drive in, not a drive through in Modesto California. They have the best corndogs and will still fill up a jug of rootbeer (looks like a gallon milk jug) for you to take home.

There was an A&W restaurant in Long Beach Island NJ across the street from my aunt & uncles family restaurant.This one wasn't a drive in though,You went in and sat down.It featured a "family of burgers ( Papa Burger, Mama Burger, Teen Burger with bacon,and Baby Burger.They also served Fish & Chips, Coney Island Dogs,and OF COURSE,Frosty Mug Root Beer Floats.They couldn't beat my uncle's Veal Parmagiana or his famous $5.79 Steak dinner(not bad price for 1978)But I always stopped in A&W for a float or an excellent Walnut sundae on the way back from the beach.

Umm..that comment was supposed to be about A&W Frank 'N Stein..not Sundown Suppers website. Think this site is failing..

theyre now owned by the company that owns long john silvers and are expanding to more markets as a long john silver/A&W combo place probably not as good as the stand alones though but i will only drink canned A&W when i crave a rootbeer

Locally, we had an A&W drive-in on 12th Street, Racine, WI. It opened in 1949, stopped being A&W in 1979, changing to generic J&W. That closed in 1997, demolished in 2005. Another drive-in was in business on Kenosha's north side (Sheridan Rd.) from 1950, stopped being A&W in 1976, became Bob's for 30 years. In 1970, A&W changed focus from root beer to hamburgers, namely the Burger Family (Papa, Mama, Teen and Baby).

It's autumn...remember the Frank-N-Stein anyone? Mr.Lambert? I saw you had an A&W back in the day!

Once again, you bring up good points, La Sponge. Regarding Frank N Stein, there's no national chain that I know of. There are dozens of independent bar/restaurant places around the country, using varied spelling of the name. The only Frank N Stein I indulged in was in Mall of America in its early years (1992-95). It was small, serving Chicago-style hot dogs, brats and Leinenkugel beer on tap. The place closed during 1995, replaced with an Arby's in the north food court. A month ago, I learned through our local paper that the former A&W on 12th street may become a foodshare (charity) distribution/giveaway store. We had a second A&W off US 41/I-94 in Caledonia, opened in 1962. Freeway expansion caused its closing and demolition in 2004. For history buffs, A&W was formed in the early 1920s, central California. Initials stood for founding partners, Allen and Williams.

In the 1970's we had an A&W drive in. My folks always ordered me a Baby burger but I secretly longed for the Teen Burger! Haven't had a hamburger since 1990..quit eating red meat..but would if was as good as back in the day!

Always in Autumn our A&W would promote the Frank N Stein...a hot dog and frosty mug of root beer! You also got a sticker/decal of Frankenstein that glowed in the dark. For Halloween i guess. Bye!

Found a photo in the 1975 Park High School yearbook (Racine, WI) showing the walk-up window at the A&W drive-in on 12th St. You parked, walked to the service window to order. No car hops. The open-window policy made employees vulnerable to armed robbery, though it rarely happened. Burger Family prices: Baby Burger 35 cents, Teen Burger 44c, Mama Burger 56c, Papa Burger 68c. cheese a nickel extra. Root beer and Coke 25c, 32c and 45c. No self serve, no free refill. Fries 25c, 35c and 44c. In 1979, the owner lost his franchise, and the place became independent J&W for about 20 years, despite steady decay of the neighborhood surrounding.

Found in the 1979 Park High School (Racine, WI) yearbook a photo ad showing the outdoor service windows, the last before the place became J&W. Originally, the building had a small interior dining area through the 1950s, into early sixties. Apparently, the city's fire code, along with higher liability insurance premiums, led to A&W closing it and using it for storage and refrigerators/freezers. An ad from 1966 indicated outdoor-only service, and closed November to March.

The 1969 yearbook by Kenosha (WI) Tremper High School has a photo ad showing the A&W drive in at Roosevelt Rd., 30th Ave(opened c.1953, cl. 1978). A long vintage Caddy is parked. This, plus the A&W in Somers (Sheridan Rd., south of Racine Co. line) under the partnership of Perry and Dave. The Roosevelt location competed directly with Andy's Drive-In (opened 1951, still in business). There was little restaurant advertising in the Tremper books through the years.

Once again, the former A&W in Racine, Wis. (1701 12th St.) is vacant. Car port and building still intact, but sign post near street gone. In other drive-in news, several Dog N Suds locations in northern Illinois are open. About the only Coronavirus change made is that window trays not being used, and that all food is put in bags. Outdoor seating still allowed. A blog page for Dog N Suds should be in this site.

Once again, the former A&W in Racine, Wis. (1701 12th St.) is vacant. Car port and building still intact, but sign post near street gone. In other drive-in news, several Dog N Suds locations in northern Illinois are open. About the only Coronavirus change made is that window trays not being used, and that all food is put in bags. Outdoor seating still allowed. A blog page for Dog N Suds should be in this site.

I'll use this to update readers on the drive-in rival of A&W: Dog N Suds. The stores in Fox Lake and Richmond, Illinois have survived finely through pandemic. Business operation's about 95% normal. Car hops wear face masks. Window trays replaced by bags for food. Plastic (or glass in old days) mugs replaced by wax paper cups. While these DNS stores close in winter, it's still a pleasant summertime escape from the real world of (still) shuttered McDonald's, BK, DQ (stands not incl.), KFC, Wendy's, Hardees and others to indoor seating, leaving customers without cars to fend the elements, if outdoor seating is provided.

Here it is Halloween 2020 and still craving A&W frosty mug of root beer and a frankenfurter! Sigh!

I know what ya mean about A & W Frank-N-Steins. Think about them this time of year. Happy Halloween everyone! 🍁🎃🍁🎃🍁

The A&W in my area is a truck stop along I-94-41. The operator is following the governor's 25% capacity rule for indoor dining. Makes sense, since semi-trucks can't use drive thru. With pandemic, Frank N Stein has become Frank N Wax Paper cup. All food served in bags, and hours cut to allow for disinfecting. Happy Halloween, Pinky and LaSponge. I'm making the best of it by watching a raw kinescope of "Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," as aired on CBS (10/66), uncut with original (not PC) ads for Coca-Cola and Dolly Madison bakery products. We have that extra hour tonight.

Aww you are so lucky! I'd love to see the original Great Pumpkin with those ads! Kinda remember it being sponsored by Dolly Madison. Started watching in the 70's. Been watching every year til this year because Apple TV bought the rights and it's not on regular tv anymore! I have a set of Peanuts holiday shows on old VHS but my video player have out long ago. What a year...first Halloween I'm not watching the Great Pumpkin 😭🎃🍁💛🎃🍁

Dolly Madison began commercials with "Charlie Brown's All-Stars" in June of '66. McDonald's replaced Coke as a sponsor in 1971, until CBS gave up rights to air the specials. Today, ABC/Disney cut out some of each special to jam in more commercials. That sucked.

Pinky: YouTube has a short video: "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown 1966 Coke Sponsor Open." From the raw kinescope, as Snoopy (in ghost sheet) chases the kids around the pumpkin patch> The Coca-Cola and Dolly Madison tags hang from scarecrows. There may also be one for Coke only, from "Charlie Brown Christmas."

Thank you Mr. Lambert! I will be checking that out on YouTube right away! It's just not the holidays without the Peanuts specials!

Found one, Pinky. A Charlie Brown Christmas original end credits" on Tube. A black & white kinescope. The kids sing "Hark the Herald Angels." The Coca-Cola sponsor tag appears last. From 12/65. Also found an original CBS promo in another video. In the show's opening, the kids play Crack the Whip on ice. Snoopy breaks away and slides past the Coke sign. Also found "Charlie Brown's All-Stars 1966 Coke open." The Dolly Madison sign also appears, as Charlie Brown walks past them.

Here's something else you may like, Pinky. YouTube has the original commercial breaks, opening and closing of the 1964 broadcast of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" on "General Electric Fantasy Hour" aired 12/6.64 on NBC. The G-E ads were filmed in Black & White. The elf characters show off different, small household appliances like electric knives and blankets. G-E ended sponsorship in 1966. The special moved to CBS in 1967 wuth different sponsors.

Thanks! Just love those old commercials. Do you remember the Santa who sled on a Norelco shaver? That's gotta be one of the best Christmas ads ever!

Yeah. The Norelco Santa ad first aired in 1975, and kept repeating well into the 1980s. Another rarity I'm hoping will turn up on YouTube is raw, 1966 "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." CBS aired it for about 20 years. In 1966 and '67, the original sponsor was Foundation of Commercial Banks. The end credits had the Full Service Bank logo. In each commercial, the cartoon Grinch interacted with live action, including an attempt to safe crack a vault. At least the modern day telecasts still show the Cat In the Hat followed by the MGM lion at very end.