Root beer used to mean something different. It came from a frosty mug or a batch made right there in the shop, not a bottle off a shelf.
A handful of Idaho drive-ins still do it that way, pouring homemade root beer and stacking it into floats the same way they have for decades. Here are four spots across the state where you can still taste root beer done the classic way, and grab a burger while you are at it.
1. Frostop Drive In, Ashton, ID
Ashton sits under 1,500 people and acts as a gateway along Highway 20, which makes Frostop an easy stop before a day of fishing or driving through eastern Idaho.
The root beer here is made on-site, and the float built from it has earned real loyalty. If you want the full old-school treatment, the carhop-style setup calls back to the classic A&W restaurants of years past.
Beyond the floats, the menu covers cheese hamburgers, mushroom Swiss burgers, deep fried mushrooms, and jalapeno poppers. Huckleberry shakes lean into the local flavor, and there is even a kids root beer float for smaller hands.
Picnic tables and outdoor seating make it a relaxed lunch or dinner stop, and dogs are welcome outside. It is open every day from 10 AM to 7 PM, with plenty of free parking and a jukebox spinning through the meal.
2. A&W Restaurant, Moscow, ID
Most people know A&W as a fast-food name, but the Moscow location on South Main Street leans hard into the tradition that made the brand famous in the first place.
Root beer is made in-house and poured into frosty mugs, and the floats built from it stay true to the classic style. Order it blended and it becomes a root beer freeze, which is a favorite way to drink it here.
The rest of the menu keeps things simple and familiar, with bacon cheeseburgers, chicken, and fries. Daily deals give the place a value edge, and breakfast service means you can swing by early.
Open every day from 8 AM to 9 PM, this spot has a drive-through, outdoor seating, and a kids’ menu. It is a straightforward, family-friendly stop in a college town, and the homemade root beer is the reason it belongs on this list.
3. Roe-Ann Drive-In, Emmett, ID
Serving burgers since the 1950s, Roe-Ann in Emmett has held onto its old-stool, cook-to-order character for generations of regulars.
A large homemade root beer is the natural thing to pair with the food here, and the root beer floats have a strong following. There is even a vanilla root beer for anyone who wants to change things up.
Freshly cooked burgers anchor the menu, from the taco burger to the chicken club, and batter-dipped onion rings and So’s Fries round out the plate. Fish and chips and chicken burgers give you more to work with, and prices stay low for a place that cooks everything to order.
Set in a small valley town with an agricultural, historic main-street feel, Roe-Ann runs Monday through Saturday from 9:30 AM to 10 PM and closes Sunday. Dogs are welcome, and the drive-through keeps things moving during a busy Friday or Saturday rush.
4. Westside Drive In, Boise, ID
Boise’s Westside Drive In is the kind of place that turns a novelty into a signature, most famously with its Idaho Ice Cream Potato, a dessert shaped to look like a baked potato.
The root beer float fits right into that playful, retro spirit, and it holds its own on a menu that runs long and a little wild.
Gigantic burgers, thick shakes, and comfort food fill out the offerings, from the Maui Burger and Patty Melt to Boise’s Best Finger Steaks and a Reuben. Sweet potato fries and house fry sauce give you plenty of sides to argue over.
The setting is a cool, retro drive-in with outdoor eating tables, and dogs are welcome inside and out. It runs Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday until 10 PM, and closes Sunday, with a drive-through and free parking making it an easy stop in the capital city.
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