Do You Remember Oscar's Drive-In?
Ranked #1,424 in Culture & Society, #33,565 overall
Oscar's Drive-In San Diego
Oscar's Drive-In isn't just about the food, it's about the nostalgia. If you were a teen in San Diego in the 50's or 60's you might remember Oscar's Drive-In.
In 1941 Foodmaker Co. opened a drive-in restaurant called Topsy's in San Diego. The drive-in restaurant concept with car hop service really caught on over the next several years. The San Diego climate with its many days of sunshine was the perfect place for restaurants of this sort. Topsy's was eventually expanded into four locations and renamed Oscar's. Oscar's Drive-In was very popular as a cruising place and a meeting place for the teens of San Diego County. They went there to cruise the parking lot, to socialize and of course, to eat.
Oscar's became a Southern California icon. Many people who were teens in San Diego in the 50's and 60's have fond memories of Oscar's Drive-In. Oscar's later evolved into Jack in the Box which featured drive though service instead of drive in.
Do you remember this Oscar's Drive-In menu from 1963? What else do you remember about Oscar's? Share your Oscar's memories in the guestbook below!
In 1941 Foodmaker Co. opened a drive-in restaurant called Topsy's in San Diego. The drive-in restaurant concept with car hop service really caught on over the next several years. The San Diego climate with its many days of sunshine was the perfect place for restaurants of this sort. Topsy's was eventually expanded into four locations and renamed Oscar's. Oscar's Drive-In was very popular as a cruising place and a meeting place for the teens of San Diego County. They went there to cruise the parking lot, to socialize and of course, to eat.
Oscar's became a Southern California icon. Many people who were teens in San Diego in the 50's and 60's have fond memories of Oscar's Drive-In. Oscar's later evolved into Jack in the Box which featured drive though service instead of drive in.
Do you remember this Oscar's Drive-In menu from 1963? What else do you remember about Oscar's? Share your Oscar's memories in the guestbook below!
Car Hops and Curb Service: A History of American Drive-In Restaurants 1920-1960
Car Hops and Curb Service: A History of American Drive-In Restaurants 1920-1960
Amazon Price: $36.89 (as of 02/13/2012)
Once upon a time in the United States, before the ubiquitous yellow arches of a certain hamburger chain spread like chicken pox, eating on the go was an occasion. Those long-gone days when customer service was number one--and meals were dished up by enthusiastic young women costumed to resemble drum majorettes--are captured in this compilation of vintage photographs and memorabilia, crammed to overflowing with nostalgia.
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes!
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! (Food Network)
Amazon Price: $6.08 (as of 02/13/2012)
"Rounded out with plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and local color, this tour of off-the-beaten-path establishments has enough regional entries to keep culinary road-trippers busy (and full) for many, many miles. " (Publishers Weekly )
Peace Love French Fries
Peace Love Oscars!
Peace Love and Fries by magarmor
Many more t-shirt designs available on zazzle
Oscar's Drive-In in Art
El Cajon Boulevard Business Improvement District
The Boulevard Business Improvement Association has established a "Utility Box Gallery" in order to revitalize the district where Oscar's used to stand. The paintings focus on the past history of El Cajon Boulevard. This particular one is a painting of Oscar's Drive-In by Rudy Gonzales.
Cheeseburger T-Shirt
Do you love cheeseburgers enough to wear one on your shirt?
The Cheeseburger Shirt by markus92
Browse other Cheeseburger T-Shirts
Oscar's Drive-In Links
There's not too much information on Oscar's out there but I did find some menus and some personal memories of Oscar's.
- Memories of Oscar's
- Personal memories of Oscar's Drive-In in San Diego.
- Oscar's Menu 1952
- An Oscar's menu circa 1952.
- Oscar's Menu 1963
- An Oscar's Menu circa 1963.
- A tribute to the fifties and Oscar's
- A web page with memories of the fifties.
- Nickelodeon Records
- A record store in San Diego where they opened selling only vinyl and still sell only vinyl. Oh, and they sell Oscar's Drive-In T-Shirts!
Oscar's Drive-In Menu from 1963
Check out those 1963 prices!
I Love Onion Rings
Do you love onion rings too?
I Love ONION RINGS ( food ) by foodshirts
Many more t-shirt designs available on zazzle
Other Baby Boomer Lenses
Corvette Ornament
Glass Corvette
Click HERE to become a Squidoo Lensmaster and create your own lenses.
Don't race off without signing the guestbook!!
Do You Remember Oscar's?
My husband grew up in San Diego and he loved to hang out at Oscar's. He used to get a double cheeseburger, onion rings and a cup of coffee for $1.05. He says their deep dish pies were to die for!
Do you have fond memories of Oscar's Drive-In? Please share them here in my Guest Book.
submit
-
Reply
-
jonart
Feb 10, 2012 @ 1:39 am | delete
- I think I went there once, many years ago......nice lens.
-
-
Reply
-
john k
Sep 26, 2011 @ 3:10 pm | delete
- i was at oscars ib most of the time but lot of time at oscars chula vista too, the dip dish pies were the highlite of friday night with a coffee and sometime a sdsu football game and lots of friends.
-
-
Reply
-
J. Murphy
May 9, 2011 @ 10:27 pm | delete
- I worked at the Coronado Oscar's during my H. S. years,(54 to 57) as a soda jerk, setting up the trays for the Car Hop girls. It was a great Vacation job(Xmas, Summer,etc..)job, and Art was a great boss.
-
-
Reply
-
Bill Lowrie
Apr 14, 2011 @ 10:24 pm | delete
- YES!! It was our hangout in Clairemont in highschool. Graduated in 1965.
-
-
Reply
-
Stan
Nov 1, 2010 @ 4:40 am | delete
- In 1962, when I was 10 years old, my family stayed in National City for 2 months. One of the fond memories I have of that time was going to Oscar's for hamburgers. I don't remember much about the restaurant, but I do remember that their hamburgers were by far the best I had ever tasted. Whenever my sister and I could collect enough change to pay for a couple of hamburgers, we would run down there and feast on them. Although my memories of the restaurant are rather vague, I'm fairly sure that it was a storefront-type restaurant, not a drive-in. The place was about 2 or 3 blocks from the house where we were staying - for some reason I still remember the address: 1710 B avenue. Can anyone tell me if that Oscar's is still there? I imagine it's pretty unlikely, but you never know.
-
-
Reply
-
Wolfgang
Oct 6, 2010 @ 6:19 pm | delete
- I remember all the Oscars in San Diego Ca. I lived in La Mesa and Oscars in El Cajon
was my favorite. Would cruse it sometimes on friday and saturday nights with my girlfriend in my 1958 Corvett, this was back in 1960, 1961. On weekends it was a car show. What a blast
I remember some of the older guys would Go out to the Wagon Wheel and get loaded
and then come back to Oscars and look for a fight. Some times it was rough but we
all lived through it.
-
-
Reply
-
dagsmith
Jun 20, 2010 @ 7:46 pm | delete
- I don't remember Oscars - but I do remember my town's version and your lens brought back great memories. Great Lens!
-
-
Reply
-
jazzygal
Dec 19, 2009 @ 10:20 pm | delete
- Well.....it seems my previous post didn't work. I will try again. I was a car hop in the early 60's in Spring Valley Calif. Rita, Ruby, Deena and Irene...oh and Gail too. Our managers daughter at the time. All fun great gals to work with. Fond memories. Like the night the guy came on the lot and I went to wait on him....not a stitch on. Gads! Or the fight at 2 AM in which the guy was banging the other guys head up against the big glass windows. I told them to knock it off they would break them. Crazy but fun memories.lol Oscar's was a good outfit to work for really. Anyone else remember Oscar's in Spring Valley? Jan
-
-
Reply
-
Bill Hammack
Jan 6, 2010 @ 1:40 am | delete
- Hi jazzygal
I as well had A problem with my previous post. I heard once that if you remember the 60's, you wren't there...not true some of my greatest memories of that period were the time I spent at Oscars Spring Valley. We were regulars ( Mark Menges Smitty, jim Taylor nd me Bill hammack) We were close friends with the cooks ( Vernon Lawson and Elmer Gambala) I don't remember the managers names, but I do remember being "86" by at least 3-4 during that period (63-67) I dated several car hops/waitresses and "snuck" in to several Oscars xmas parties.Do you remember a 1960 Emerald Green Impala? Some of the gals that worked during that time were , Carla Malicoat becky lopez,Dori Lopez, Brenda and Georgia. bill
-
-
Reply
-
jazzygal
Dec 5, 2010 @ 10:41 pm | delete
- Sorry bill....don't recall the car. So many. We are talking early 60's right? I went on to cocktail waitressing for a while up the road at the Valley Crossroads a little later.later. Other than the names I listed about was about it. Gads...that was long ago huh? Be well....Jan
-
-
Reply
-
Belinda Murray
Sep 17, 2010 @ 4:02 pm | delete
- I remember the Oscars in Spring Valley. My mom and dad would take us kids there for a Sundae. My sister would always play "Strangers in the Night" on the juke box.
-
-
Reply
-
Jan
Dec 19, 2009 @ 10:03 pm | delete
- I was one of those car hops in the early 60's in Spring Valley , Calif. Fond memories of Rita who has since passed on and Gail one of our managers daughter.Her dad's name was Walt. Ruby , Deanna, Irene. Ed our cook. And lots of nice people who came in quite regular. Oscars was a good outfit to work for really. I filled in a couple times down on the Pacific Highway one as well. They really had a pretty good menu for the times. Lots more to share but I will leave it at that for now.
-
-
Reply
-
GREG EVANS
Jun 21, 2010 @ 6:26 pm | delete
- 1950'S LONG BEACH CA NOSTALGIA - OSCAR'S DRIVE IN - AT XIMENO & PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
HEY JAN - IS THIS THE ONE YOU FILLED I AT A COUPLE OF TIMES?
I HAD A SHORT STINT AS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN THE SUMMER AND DISHWASHER AND GENERAL DOG'S BODY?
WHAT YEARS WERE YOU THERE?
hgevans@pacbell.net
-
-
Reply
-
violinman
Nov 2, 2009 @ 2:51 pm | delete
- It was at Oscar's in Sepulveda or was it van Nuys that too 'car clubs' met and 'discussed' who got to have Oscars as their home base. My club was the Eulons and their's the Caretakers. All day long we polished the cars to go and drive thru Oscars with our dates.
-
-
Reply
-
Frank Welch
Oct 21, 2009 @ 12:58 am | in reply to John D. Koger | delete
- John,
I worked with manager back in 1960 my first job. His name was Jim Guy. My brothers name is Paul Boisseree and he was the cook their in 1960. Then the next manager I remember was Ed Dube. I worked with him in 1961 to 1965. Clyde Hammet worked their as well as a cook. This was the El Cajon Oscar's.
Do your remember any of those names.
Sincerely,
Frank
-
-
Reply
-
John D. Koger
May 5, 2010 @ 10:56 pm | delete
- Frank: I remember Jim Guy, Ed Dube and Clyde Hammet. Clyde lived in Spring Valley and we cruised some of the Oscar's together.
I also remember Manual "Manny" Vitug. I worked also with Hub Brissette at Pacific & Elm.
Those were great days
-
-
Reply
-
Cookie
Mar 16, 2011 @ 3:33 am | delete
- Do you remember a red corvett, double barrell and and a first date at Oscars
-
-
Reply
-
Grant Olson
Jul 4, 2010 @ 8:21 am | delete
- I did some of my "manager training" at Oscar's in El Cajon with Jim Guy. I also went to Horace Mann Jr. High with Ed Dube. I ended my restaurant career a short time after i leased the Oscar's on University Ave near 38th Street. My career path moved on to Real Estate, where you can still find me. I did run into Ed Dube in the 1980's when he and his family appeared at the real estate office I was managing. Do you remember John Large, the District Manager (and Inspector General) who later left Oscar's and had his own restaurant for a short time at the intersection of University Avenue and Massachusettes in La Mesa?
-
-
Reply
-
Jan Fritchoff
Oct 5, 2009 @ 2:19 pm | delete
- "Cruising" Oscar's on Saturday night was the cool thing to do. Does anyone remember Louie's Space Station in Chula Vista ? How about the Tunies plant in Southeast C.V. ? They made fish hot dogs ! Great idea.
-
-
Reply
-
john k
Sep 26, 2011 @ 3:02 pm | delete
- well i remember the space station lot of chula vista locals hung out there for a while i was from ib
-
- Load More
Do you have fond memories of Oscar's Drive-In?
Thanks to all who have shared their memories of Oscar's Drive-In.
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
by stargazer00
stargazer00
Hello and Welcome! I am a wife and a mother of three grown sons. I love the whimsical and the quirky. I love to read, cook, design T-shirts, make squidoo... more »
- 275 featured lenses
- Winner of 29 trophies!
- Top lens » Homemade Stuffed Grape Leaves, a Greek Recipe
Feeling creative?
Create a Lens!
Explore related pages
- Clothes For Hippies Clothes For Hippies
- Jerry Lee Lewis - The Legend of Rock and Roll Jerry Lee Lewis - The Legend of Rock and Roll
- Vintage, Classic, and Retro Style Cars Vintage, Classic, and Retro Style Cars
- Baby Boomer Memories - Nostalgic Gifts for Boomers Baby Boomer Memories - Nostalgic Gifts for Boomers
- The Retro Lounge: Shopping For Nostalgic Designs On Modern Clothes & Gifts The Retro Lounge: Shopping For Nostalgic Designs On Modern Clothes & Gifts
- The Eurovision Song Contest: The Winning Songs The Eurovision Song Contest: The Winning Songs
