The Spot Drive In

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Wisconsin

I hate to say it but summertime is winding down but not out of the picture just yet. You still got plenty of heat and the fall season too for a road trip or two. You know we here S'C&C aka chibbqking love to travel Wisconsin and explore and consume the states glorious eats. It's also been a while since I've posted about my favorite Chicago suburb Kenosha. Hey, it's closer than other places they call suburbs of my city. Even if you only have the day Kenosha is a great spot (only 64 miles away) to spend it. Its got beaches, bars, outlet mall shopping and a handful of other things including some great Drive In's. A food friend of mine from up that way had been telling me I needed to check out The Spot Drive In and get myself one of the burgers at this local and state favorite that would be a given for a Diners, Drive Ins and Dives episode.


a locals favorite in Kenosha, WI

The Spot is a great place indeed. On my day visited spring was just starting and people were coming out and they were at The Spot by the dozens on the afternoon we were there. You can easily understand why when you realize that The Spot has been around since the middle of the 40's and has been in the same location since then too. The real hits at The Spot are everything I got but the menu is extensive and it wraps around the outside of the building letting drivers see what they offer. The Drive Up service is still available if you want to eat in your whip. Personally I love the fact its open late nite on weekends. I might have to take a late night ride up there one day soon this summer.


Part of the menu along the building outside


Since 1945 for a reason

The car hops were very friendly and well worked on my visit. The recipe for The Spots famous greasy cheeseburgers along with their housemade root beer hasn't changed since day one. On a hot summer day (or any day for that matter) the combo of these three items is another example of why the people of Kenosha and Wisconsin are lucky to have many great roadfood type spots. The onion rings are breaded in house and fried to perfection so make sure to go with them over fries as a side with your burger and root beer.


Root Beer Floats having just arrived for the car next to us


Excellent Onion Rings

The burgers have remained the same at The Spot and the grill they've been cooked on all these years has gained some mighty fine flavor. While remaining the same the burgers are still made like they were in the 30's thru the 50's and are smashed onto the grill giving them crisp edges and to top that off a nicely melted slice of cheese. Go with the classic toppings of mustard, pickles and onions and you got one of Wisconsin's many great burgers and also one of its best. They are open seven days a week from 11am to the wee hours of the am. If you don't order and eat in your car, make the short drive east down 75th and dine on Lake Michigan in your vehicle or take your food out on the rocks and listen to the waves while grubbing on some goodness.


Cheeseburger from The Spot

The Spot Drive In
2117 75th Street
Kenosha, WI 53143
(262) 654-9294

Romano's Pizza Drive In

-Exploring NW Indiana

On we go, this time across the border back to Northwest Indiana. I've been to a few places around Highland, IN and they're all old school spots where not much has changed and the visitors keep coming back. I had been meaning to get to Romano's Pizza drive-In in Highland since I drove by it a few summers ago. Its got the classic Drive In look and pizza is one of the big hits. I've never been to a pizza Drive In. But since it opens at 4:30 I never had the chance to try it since I was never in the area after they open. But my time finally came last Fall when I remembered about it while in the area and so we took a cruise on over.


Since the 50's in Highland, IN


The building in the Drive In lot


always gotta try whatever a place is the home of...


a little history lesson for ya (click pic to enlarge)


The Drive In Menu (click pic to enlarge)

The Drive In is no longer in operation and you go inside to place orders and so we did just that. I talked to the 20 something kid working and asked about the pizza and he said its a 30-40 minute wait and I didn't feel like waiting. I asked him whats popular and he told me they sell more of the ham hoagies then anything on the menu including pizza. I also saw the sign about it being the "Home of the Hoagie" and you can tell from the menu that they are the signature items b/c they are on top of the list listing the rest of the offerings. Luckily I was with my friends and we decided to go with a Ham hoagie and also a Romano burger. This burger consisted of two hand made patty's served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sauce. I was pleasantly surprised with both the quality and taste. The red sauce gave t a Italian meatball like hamburger. It could of been even better if they didn't use American cheese and had provolone on there instead.


Romano Burger

As I sat waiting for my order I was wondering if maybe the hoagie and this burger are maybe West Virginia regional eats b/c I know that they have alot of old school Italian places like Romano's in West Virginia. The menu also had pizza bread and sauceless spicy pizza which may or may not be a WV connection as well. It was off to a good start when he put two fresh beef patties on the griddle and then it continued with a nice burger and ended with a bang.


Romano's #1 seller-the Ham Hoagie

I thought this was a damn fine sandwich and can see why its the best seller. I don't know what type of cheese they use but they basically take a brick of it and wrap a piece of ham around it and cook it up on the flattop until the ham is crisp and cheese melts a little. They then add lettuce, tomato and mayo and press the bun down to toast it. While it would of been nice if they used a little more ham it was a great hoagie. If it was near me Id get here at least once a month for one. Romano's is a spot I'll be back to soon one day to try theur pizza and some other offerings. It fit the description of an old school roadfood joint loved by locals and the food was pretty darn good. just another spot lost in time in Northwest Indiana.


so much cheese that this sandwich would be a #1 seller in WI too

Romano's Pizza Drive In
3808 Ridge Rd
Highland, IN 46322
219-838-1731
opens @ 430p

A couple of NW Indiana Burger Gems

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Indiana

Even though I grew up in the late 80's & 90's I've always had a fascination with Drive-In's like that of someone who came from the 50's or 60's. Not only are the structure and layout along with the great signs they boast reasons they attract me but obviously its the food too. I also happen to be captivated by Northwest Indiana as a whole. Its a place I love to ride around and explore and imagine what this once bustling metropolis used to be like in its prime.

If this site interests you along with going to the places (mainly food) that survived time then your like me. The kid Seth Thomas aka "dev null" really had a passion for it and I enjoyed his pictures and stories.


Old Post Card from an old Drive-In-Highland, IN (Pic from: rootsweb.ancestry.com)

When Highland was once in its prime it was a place that boasted many Drive-In's. So much so that I count at least eight from a post on this topic over at LTHforum. Many of the buildings that survived boast the Mid-Century modern style of architecture. The days of what I described above are long gone but a few of these old school burger joints including, Johnsen's Blue Top Drive-In, have survived and remain a must stop if in the area or cruising on Highway 80/94. It rests on a busy stretch of Indianapolis Blvd, about two miles south of the interstate. Its almost impossible to miss the real deal Drive-In sign.


What a Sign! I cant help but stop when I see one like this

This amazing Picture above is by Peter Engler (ReneG) posted at LTHforum


I pulled in on a quiet Monday afternoon

Its pretty obvious to see that Highland, IN was once a burger destination back in the day. I cant imagine how many drive-In and burger joints there were but you get the idea from the ones which have survived in this town of around 25,000 located in NW Indiana that the number is quite a few. If your heading into Indiana for any Fall roadtrip with your family and friends or partner then I would suggest stopping at Blue Top or if your even in the mood for a quick day trip Highland is about 30 minutes from downtown Chicago. On my first and so far only visit I had a very pleasant experience. I went there thinking that they would serve a 30's style thin patty burger but instead they offer big burgers and they let you know it on the menu. More on who "their burgers" are later in this post. On top of a Drive-in they also have an indoor area with plenty of memorabilia from the old Rt30 Speedway.


Hey, who hasn't been on youtube? that list is more impressive


Johnsen's Blue Top Drive-In Burger Choices

There was an interesting selection of burgers when I looked at the menu, obviously a burger is what I was going with. What really caught my eye though were the prices. It seems to me like a deluxe meal price of over ten bucks is a little high for a burger drive In in NW Indiana. They do include fries, soft drink and a scoop of sherbet or ice cream, which seems to be a old school trend of the areas burger shacks, but still its a steep price for lunch in that area. They also offer smaller sizes of each of their burgers. I had to pass on the signature Big Ben double cheese and instead went with a "Highlander" while my buddy ordered a ranch burger. The Ranch came on a sesame seed bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon and ranch dressing. It was quite enjoyed by my buddy and as you can see below its a big burger and they do a good job in prepping them.


Johnsen's Blue Top Ranch Burger


Ranch Burger comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, bacon and ranch dressing

My burger was much better than I expected it to be. I didn't think it would suck. I just wasn't sure it would be any good. In some mentions of the place it says the food is ok but the atmosphere on a busy night and the old school decor were the real reasons to go. I like it enough that I would easily go back just for it. The addition of a nice crisped burger patty to a well made BLT was perfect. The bacon was crispy and the bread was toasted to perfection. Unless your stopping for your burger at the local McDonald's or Burger King you wont find any pre made frozen patties at these spots. Fresh butchered ground beef cooked to order is what your going to get when you order a burger. Its because of this I found it to be more than acceptable.


Johnsen's Blue Top "Highlander" burger


The Highlander comes with bacon, lettuce, tomato and mayo on toasted bread

If I'm having a good old fashioned burger than this is about as far as I want to go as far as creativity and it worked real well. Its a club sandwich with a meat patty instead of turkey. In a time where everyone is in a rush to make some crazy burger by putting everything on it or some fancy burger where they put stuff you've never heard of on it, Highland is filled with a couple joints that haven't changed a thing in forever. I would highly recommend a stop at Blue Top if your in the area or passing thru. At least check it out and have one of their much talked about malt's. Now I'll show you why its worth a day trip from Chicago up to this stretch of Indianapolis blvd if your a burger guy like I am. There just so happens to be another old school burger joint just down the road from Blue Top.

Miner Dunn Hamburger's (Highland, IN)


Since 1932: Lit up at night (Pic from Roadsidepeek.com)

When you leave the parking lot at Johnsen's if you swing a left onto Indianapolis you'll end up at the once thriving burger chain called Miner Dunn Hamburgers. I think a poster from LTHforum put it best when talking about Miner Dunn and Johnsen's Blue-Top "Places like this, and Johnsen's Blue Top just up the road, are gems if only for their nostalgia factor. But, in the case of Miner-Dunn (I haven't been to Johnsen's yet), the burgers are good, too. Not the beefy, dripping rare steakhouse burgers we get in Chicago, but precious in their own right." If your from an older generation and come from the Chicagoland area you might even remember Miner Dunn and their hamburgers and signs that were once prevalent in the Chicagoland region. The MD burger and its logo have been around over 70 years since the first one opened on Calumet ave in Hammond, Indiana. I'm almost certain this location in Highland is the only one that still exists.


The menu boasts...Its not "Dunn Right" unless its a "Dunn Deal"

Miner Dunn is just another great example of a place that doesn't change anything (as long as the menu is good) is one that can last thru time. Nothing has changed here, its old and most of the people eating there are old too but there's also plenty of HS kids and families as well. The burgers served here are the same as always and also my go to style. The term "30's style" burger was coined by Mike Gebert and its the way burgers were made before they became big behemoth monsters thanks to the fast food joints and such. Its a thin patty with cheese if you want and mustard, onions, pickles and ketchup if you like it, I'm not five y/o so I don't. I like just the first three ingredients on mine. It should be served in a regular old bun and placed in butcher paper and wrapped up to get a little steam action. Nothing has changed about the way MD makes theirs and they are exactly as described by me. One thing that's a little different is they also include relish on theirs. Again, not my style, but I tried it since its their way and always has been. You get an order of really good fries and a small orange sherbet with a meal deal.


The fries at Miner Dunn are some of my favorite anywhere

Miner also happens to be the place that (I think so anyway) Johnsen's is calling out when they talk about the size of the burger. I enjoy this style very much and I must say that because of this I like MD better. In fact on what was still my only visit I was so impressed that MD could easily make the list of my favorites in the country. If anything just for the fact you can feel like your back in the times when the once thriving burger joint was a favorite of the area. However I wouldn't send someone to a food joint because the decor and atmosphere are great. The burger is the bomb and I've been thru a few in the last year. Check it out sometime soon. Before you know it treasures like these two will be extinct across the country.


Miner Dunn's cheeseburger meal is classic Americana

Johnsen's Blue Top Drive In
8801 Indianapolis Blvd
Highland, IN 46322-1553
(219) 838-1233



Miner-Dunn Hamburgers
8940 Indianapolis Blvd
Highland, IN 46322
(219) 923-3311

Big Star Drive In

-Got beef?
The Burgers of Wisconsin

Its back to Kenosha for more good eats as we check out my favorite Drive-In food stop of all time. So attention please to Mr. Guy Fieri-you haven't been to the best until you've been to Big Star Drive In of Kenosha Wisconsin. I cant really explain why but Kenosha has quite a culture of classic old school Drive-In's located throughout town. I have heard elsewhere that a few of them have shut down in the past few years but Big Star is still going strong and that's all that matters to me. I have a real crush on this place and the people of Kenosha are lucky to have so many choices as far as classic food stops go.


Classic Drive-In sign that lights up the night


Big Star shines brighter then most

The Big Star is a family owned business that's been going strong since the 60's and it plays a huge role in Kenosha summers. Since its only a summertime operation the locals like to get it in as much as possible before they close for the season and its easy to see why they like it so much. When I made my first stop of the summer to Big Star last month it was already in full swing. I stopped in for a double cheeseburger ($2.20) and a drink one Sunday afternoon and became an even bigger fan if that was at all possible. This has to be one of the best burgers your going to get anywhere for under $2.50. There wasn't a spot open on my second trip of the day (read on) and on both visits it was packed with families, groups of high school kids, bikers and everyone in between. It was really rocking with lines of people at the takeout and carloads of people eating with not one spot available for any other cars.


The menu extends much further along the building with many other options


Bikers cruising the lake love a food stop at Big Star

During my first few visits to Big Star I couldn't order anything but a signature burger. As you may notice on the menu above they have a few types of burgers from a single cheezeburger to a double to a 1/4 pound patty. While the beef is the same fresh meat used on all burgers the only way to go for me is the double cheezeburger. Its in a league of its own when it comes to Drive-In burgers and one of the best in Wisconsin. You might be wondering why I'm calling them cheezeburgers? well they use real cheeze whiz for the cheese.


My standard burger order double cheeze with mustard, onions and pickles


Real whiz in between makes for quite a treat

It was on this trip as I was waiting for my burger that I got a few whiffs of a biker crews freshly fried chicken-another Big Star Specialty-and it was making me go crazy. All I could think about was fried chicken and I remembered hearing from a few people just how good it was. After exploring other parts of Kenosha looking for old school Italian joints-I headed back for a chicken dinner.


You can also get baskets with various amounts of pieces at under a buck a piece.

Seeing as though it is fried fresh you need to give them at least 20 minutes for an order. The chicken is lightly coated and fried to perfection from leg to breast each piece is crisp on the outside and perfectly cooked to juicy in the middle. I would have to say that this is in the top five for fried chicken dinners I've ever eaten. The chicken dinner comes with a perfectly fried piece of breast, thigh, leg and wing, an an order of crinkle cut fries and a buttered roll and at $4.50 its got to be one of the best meals under $5 anywhere. No need to go too McDonald's down the road.


The breast was a great next day snack...tasted just as good cold.



The chicken is fresh fried so it takes 20 minutes but is worth every minute. Its even better when Chicago Cubs baseball is on the air. Even though they SUCK.


Big Star is on Washington Rd. which is just off Sheridan ave along the Lake Michigan circle tour.

The Big Star Drive In is a real treasure that I hope lasts another 40 years. Kenosha also has a Drive In movie theater just down Sheridan Rd. Its still open and they switch up the movies a couple times a week with current Hollywood blockbusters. I'm hoping that they will be showing Public Enemies which opens in theaters on July 1st and was filmed mostly in my neighborhood of Lincoln Park in Chicago and parts of Southern Wisconsin and Indiana. It seems like it would be a great movie to see at a Drive In theater with a box of chicken from Big Star. Click here for showtimes.

Big Star Drive In
1500 Washington Rd
Kenosha, WI 53140-2416
(262) 658-1572
Get Directions