Some of the best root beer in Ohio still comes in a frosty glass mug, carried right to your car window. These old drive-ins sit along main streets in small towns, and many have been pouring their own root beer for generations.
They are worth knowing about because places like this keep a piece of summer history alive, one coney dog at a time. Here are eight stands to put on your next road trip, from New Carlisle to Ashland.
1. Wot A Dog, New Carlisle, OH
Plan your visit carefully, because this stand keeps short hours. Wot A Dog opens from 4 to 8 PM on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so a random Tuesday craving will have to wait.
The payoff is an old-style drive-up experience in a quiet Clark County town of about 5,500 people. Homemade root beer arrives in a frosty mug, and it can be brought straight to your car.
Chili dogs are the house signature, and the Foot Long Coney Dog lives up to its name. Charbroiled burgers, fries, and onion rings round out the menu, and a root beer float makes a sweet finish.
Families will find a kids’ menu and outdoor seating, and dogs are welcome outside. Most meals land in the $10 to $20 range per person, and parking is easy.
2. B&K Root Beer, Van Wert, OH
Few lunches in Ohio cost less than a coney and a mug of root beer here. Prices at B&K in Van Wert usually fall between $1 and $10 per person, which makes it an easy stop for the whole crew.
The stand sits on West Main Street in this northwest Ohio county seat. Picnic tables outside give it a backyard-cookout setup, and the frosty mugs of homemade root beer stay ice cold.
Coney dogs and corn dogs are the main draws, along with root beer floats made with ice cream. There is a kids’ menu, and dogs can join you outside.
Hours run Monday through Saturday, 11 AM to 8 PM, with Sundays off. Friday evenings get busy, while Saturday mornings tend to be calm.
3. B & K Rootbeer, Sidney, OH
Ballgame nights and root beer have gone together in Sidney for a long time. For many people who grew up here, the B & K stand on Riverside Drive is a summer homecoming stop.
Old-fashioned carhop service is the main event. Root beer comes in frosted glass mugs, and floats are a popular order.
The menu leans simple, with coney dogs, hot dogs, and shredded chicken sandwiches. It is a seasonal drive-in, so check before heading over in the cooler months.
Know before you go that there is no restroom and no indoor table service. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 8 PM and Sunday from noon to 7 PM, with evenings being the busiest stretch.
4. B-K Root Beer Drive In, Piqua, OH
Spanish hot dogs are the reason to point your car toward South Street in Piqua. B-K Root Beer Drive In makes them a signature, and they pair nicely with an ice cold mug of root beer.
Onion rings get plenty of attention too. The rest of the menu covers pork tenderloins, crispy chicken tenders, and crinkle-cut fries.
I like this one for a quick weeknight dinner, since service moves fast and pricing stays reasonable. It also has a restroom, outdoor seating, and a kids’ menu.
Dogs are allowed, which is handy on a road trip. The stand is open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 8 PM and closed on Sundays.
5. A&W Restaurant, Delphos, OH
A&W is a household name, but this Delphos location keeps an older drive-in style that many chain stops have lost. Even dine-in guests can get their root beer in a chilled mug, which is a nice surprise.
Delphos is a community of about 7,000 along the old Miami and Erie Canal route. The restaurant at 924 E 5th St has a classic, antique look that fits the town.
Root beer floats are the headline, and the Caramel Root Beer Cream Freeze is a fun twist. For food, think cheese curds, tenderloins, hot dogs, and double cheeseburgers.
It keeps the longest hours on this list, open daily from 10:30 AM, until 9 PM most nights and 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. A drive-through and high chairs make it easy for families.
6. Jolly’s Drive In, Tiffin, OH
Jolly’s has been part of Tiffin since 1947, which makes it the oldest stand on this list. Roy Jolly started it, and the house root beer is still the star.
Over the years the business moved from a drive-in lot to a storefront on East Market Street. The vintage hot dog and root beer shop feel came along with it.
Chili dogs and coneys lead the menu, and the barbecue mac and cheese is a fun side. Full meals have been offered for around $7, a friendly price in a college town.
Hours run Monday through Saturday from 9 AM to 7 PM. Saturdays get busy, so a weekday lunch is the calmer choice.
7. Miller’s Drive In, Bucyrus, OH
Lunch people, this one is for you. Miller’s Drive In in Bucyrus is open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 3 PM only, so it rewards an early plan.
Carhops still bring food out to the cars here. The house-made root beer is served ice cold.
Shredded chicken is a local favorite, and burgers and hot dogs come with an everything sauce. Add onion rings and save room for dessert, which is a strong point.
Prices mostly stay between $1 and $10 per person. Bucyrus is the Crawford County seat, so a stop fits easily into a drive across north-central Ohio.
8. Ashland-Wooster Drive In, Ashland, OH
Cheese fries and onion chips give this Ashland stop a slightly different menu than the rest. Ashland-Wooster Drive In also serves coney dogs, shredded chicken, coleslaw, and big chicken tenders.
The homemade root beer is the main reason to come. Floats are a favorite, and carhop service keeps the retro mood going.
The drive-in sits on East Main Street in a north-central Ohio town known for its historic downtown. Parking is free and usually easy to find.
There is no restroom, so plan ahead. Hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 8 PM and Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM, and dogs are welcome.
From Tiffin to Van Wert, these stands prove a frosty mug is still a great reason for a small-town drive.
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