It’s hard to believe that this is the last official weekend of summer! That’s why I want to quickly tell everyone about the sweet roadside stop Boehringer’s Drive in in Adamstown PA -it is only open for the spring and summer season and closes this year on Sunday September 13.
Boehringer’s started in 1936 and has been at this roadside location since the late 1940′s. Still owned and operated by the original family, the Schnader family is the fourth generation to delight roadside travelers with their hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches and home made ice cream.
The building itself is clean and simple with no indoor seating. Signs indicate to “Step Up To Order, Stand Back To Wait” and that process works well.
(These folks have stepped back to wait!)
The interior is covered in wonderful knotty pine paneling, harkening back to the 1950′s, as does the Coca-cola clock and the big barrel advertising Pennsylvania Dutch rootbeer. I love the menu boards and regional Zerbe’s chips!
(Doing some internet digging I find tell that Zerbe’s chips come from Denver PA and are made by hand by one guy! Read more about Zerbe’s chips here.)
Picnic tables line the edge of a stream that flows behind the drive in, parallel to the busy street, and half the fun of eating here is watching the ducks in the water, and the kids interact with them. As we sat eating our cheeseburgers and chicken cheese steaks, we heard many a loud “Quack! Quack!” from a blonde haired little girl and it reminded me of going to feed the ducks with my dad when I was small.
We did not get to try the ice cream, and I’m kicking myself now, because it’s home made! Do both of us a favor, get yourself out to Boehringer’s before it closes for the season, get yourself a cone or sundae, and report back!
Boehringer’s Drive-In
3160 N Reading Rd
Adamstown, PA 19501
(717) 484-4227?
If you go- Adamstown Pennsylvania is a gigantic antiques and collectibles mecca with thousands of dealers- I recommend the Mad Hatter shop as it’s got lots of mid century and vintage items and clothes. It’s across from Dave’s diner, a vintage diner to try out on the off season when Boehringer’s is closed! There’s also Stoudt’s Brewery and down the road is the site of the original Zinn’s diner (alas, renamed, restuccoed and the big stuatus of Amos the Amish is gone) but just so you know that it was there.
[googlemaps http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=205983026516839309869.00048746173181bd0dc2a&ll=40.528414,-75.984192&spn=0.73067,1.167297&z=9&iwloc=00048748763e01150be67&output=embed&w=425&h=350]
<a href=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/193/1022001/restaurant/Lancaster/Boehringers-Drive-In-Adamstown”><img alt=”Boehringer’s Drive-In on Urbanspoon” src=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1022001/biglogo.gif” style=”border:none;width:104px;height:34px” /></a>
Helium Design
So on Saturday, based on your Adamstown daytrip suggestion, we took a ride and did some browsing and eating. Thumbs up to the town for sure. We stopped at Boehringer’s for dessert on the way home, and I’m glad we did.
For a (beyond) reasonable sum, we got quite a tasty little peanut butter sundae. It was seriously delicious. Even the bee who kept hovering around the picnic table thought so. We had just eaten lunch at Stout’s (great beer but less than perfect food), so I was bummed that we didn’t just dine at Boehringer’s. It would’ve been tastier and considerably cheaper Live and learn. Next summer for sure. Thanks for the suggestion
Check out how cute and delish this looks!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/aubsie2/3904295376/
numma num, that does look delish! They close this Sunday Sundae? September 13, I might just make a road trip out there- thanks for the feedback and glad you’re using the Retro Roadmap as it is intended, hooray!!
I was doing a search for this restaurant and lo and behold, retro road map poped up. Thinking of heading to Adamstown next weekend for the Spring Antique Festival and was looking for a good place to eat…..this looks perfect!
Hooray Mary! Have a great time! I also ate at Dave’s Diner across from the Hat Factory on a cold day, and it hit the spot. But if it’s a lovely day I can’t resist sitting at the picnic tables at Boehringers! Hope you get some good finds!
I love the Hat Factory, I always come out with a good bag of loot. Shupps Grove also makes me spend my dollars…..but such reasonable prices!
The Hat Factory is one of my faves! I haven’t been to The Grove lately, hope you find some good stuff!