Did You Know The World’s First Drive Thru Was In Missouri? It’s True!

I like to think of myself as being able to appreciate this that are new and old.  I enjoy listening to my mother tell stories about how things were when she was a kid.  I appreciate nostalgia.  If you do too, you may want to check out the first drive thru restaurant that ever existed.  It happens to be located in Missouri.  On Route 66 in Springfield.  Let's talk about Red's Giant Hamburg.

According to their website:

Sheldon “Red” Chaney opened a small hamburger diner soon after World War II. He couldn’t fit the whole word “Hamburger” on the vertical sign because of nearby utility wires. So he dropped the “E-R” and named his restaurant “Red’s Giant Hamburg.” The restaurant became a legend of Route 66 and the Springfield area until it closed in 1984.

Area restauranteur, David Campbell, dreamed of re-opening Red’s someday. And in pursuit of that dream, he purchased the brand rights from Red’s widow, Julia Chaney, more than twenty years ago.

David Campbell and Greg Lott partnered together and began re-creating Red’s menu and designing the new restaurant to reflect that historic Route 66 vibe. The new Red’s Giant Hamburg opened on August 5th, 2019.

This place was the first ever drive thru restaurant in the country.  Known for amazing burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and probably some of the best shakes and desserts you will ever taste.  You can check out their menu HERE.

This restaurant first opened in 1947, then it closed 4 decades later.  It was demolished in 1997 and then rebuilt and reopened in 2019.  When you enter the place today, you will feel like you will be transported back to the 50's and 60's.  Plenty of tables and booths.  You will feel like you traveled back in time.

Your food portions will be big, so bring an appetite.  Pork, chicken, and fish options will be available to you, as well as the burgers.

So this should be a place that will be worth the drive to.  Their address: Red’s Giant Hamburg, 2301 W Sunshine St, Springfield, MO 65807.  What do you think? Is the nostalgia vibe tugging at you?  It is for me.