On the road to recovery, Southern California’s car culture is back in the driver’s seat. After all, in your own vehicle, you never have to worry about who coughed on the steering wheel. Or about who occupied the seat next to you before you climbed in. So even in a post-COVID-19 world, most analysts expect driving to remain the preferred choice of transportation for some time to come. And with it has come the resurgence of drive-thru restaurants, currently booming as people venture outside to eat somewhere other than their own kitchens while also remaining socially distant from strangers.
Conejo Valley
Broad Street Oyster Company
23359 CA-1 #3874A, Malibu 424-644-0131
Drive into Broad Street Oyster in Malibu to snap up oysters, stone claw crabs, some shrimp cocktail or even their signature lobster rolls. Among their salads and sandwiches, try the lobster bisque or fish tacos. And just in case you were wondering, they do serve burgers and fries too. The drive thru is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. but call ahead to order.
Original Tommy’s World Famous Hamburgers
1290 Madera Road, Simi Valley 805-583-0514
Founded in 1946, the original Tommy’s was a stand at Beverly and Rampart Boulevards in Los Angeles. Now with locations throughout Southern California, the chain continues to serve burgers, hot dogs, chili fries and a breakfast menu that includes a breakfast burrito.
San Fernando Valley
Chuy’s Tacos Dorados
14557 Vanowen Street, Van Nuys 747-264-1662
A fairly new entry to the scene, Chuys Tacos Dorados first opened a location in the Arts District, then expanded to its Van Nuys drive-thru digs, specializing in slow-simmered shredded beef and potato fried tacos based on a family recipe from Culiacan, Sinaloa. One note: their tomato-based salsas are served warm, with the green offering decidedly more heat than the red.
Sam’s Charbroiled Burgers
10748 Vanowen Street, North Hollywood 818-505-9070
This North Hollywood eatery is offering drive-thru service for its menu of burgers, breakfast, sandwiches and Korean barbeque. In other words, if you’re not into their New Big Boss Burger (angus beef, bacon, smoked cheddar cheese, pastrami, smothered in barbeque sauce) or their Monster Pastrami Burger, you can opt for the buffalo lemon chicken fries or French toast.
Santa Clarita Valley
Route 66 Classic Grill
18730 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country 661-298-1494
Family-owned and operated since 1999, this 1950s-style diner named for the road that linked Middle America to California offers “carhop” service. (A carhop was a waiter who would bring food to your vehicle at a drive-in restaurant.) Choose from burgers, chili, platters, pastas, sandwiches and a variety of starters, including tri-tip or cheeseburger sliders.
In-N-Out Burger
26401 Bouquet Canyon Road, Santa Clarita 800-786-1000
First, some drive-thru history: in 1948, In-N-Out founder Harry Snyder introduced the first drive-thru burger stand in Baldwin Park and created a two-way speaker box that let customers order without leaving their cars. Now a local institution, the California-based chain continues to serve up fries, shakes and customized burgers like the Grilled Cheese and, of course, Animal Style.