Matthews Drive-In a/k/a "The Store" was one of Manchester's favorite diners in the 50's and 60's. Located in the small residential neighborhood on Elm St. near the railroad crossing behind the old Calloway Mill, it was truly an original of the day.
It was family owned and operated by
Mr. and Mrs. Matthews (Granny), Margaret and Boots Chapman and hopped by Bobbie Smith (grandaughter) and many other Manchester teenagers (I remember Danny (late 1960's)who could talk like Donald Duck) over the years.
It was known for its great steak sandwiches and fabulous barbecues on a toasted bun, served with real milkshakes, Coke Cola, Red Rock Cola, Royal Crown Cola, Sun Crest, Orange Crush or sweet tea. Don't forget the fries!!!
Behind the store was the Matthews' and the Chapman's home. Often seen was Mr. Matthews in his white meat-cutters jacket down at the barbecue pit down behind the store slaving over his Q.
The drive-in evolved from a small local grocery store in the early 1940's to a drive-in restaurant in the 1950s & 60s. Catering to local teenagers, railroad men and other Manchester and Warm Spring patrons of the area. Many of whom own their own successful restaurants today.
Matthews had an outdoor dance pavilion (called the "patio") complete with an outdoor juke-box kept in an elevated white wooden box at one end. Often Elvis, the Beatles, the Everly Brothers and most memorable, "Rocky Top" by the Osborne Brothers were the records of choice.
A patron's visit generally found Margaret and Boots taking orders behind the counter while Boots made burgers and kept the things running in the back (when not working on the RR). You would usually find Mr. Matthews sitting on his on his stool slicing that unforgettable smoked pork, mixing it in his secret barbecue sauce, always served with fresh dill pickles on a toasted bun. Granny (Mrs. Matthews) usually sat at the front door, in her black leather rocking chair, drinking her Dr. Pepper over crushed ice and visiting with the local teenagers, getting after them and giving them advice. Just inside off to the right was the diner where two pinball machines and a juke box were kept flashing, ringing and singing on Friday and Saturday nights. In the summer Granny would have a Dr. Pepper in one hand and a fly-swatter in the other!
There was nothing like the ice cream in the freezer just inside the front. My favorite was those little "Push-Ups" in the red tube with the stick in the bottom.
On Friday and Saturday nights the kids in the area drove up and parked all around the restaurant and the patio while hops and teenagers ran from car to car.
In the mid to late 50's and on into the 1960s and early 1970s, Matthews Drive-was the place to be and be seen for many of the locals in the area.
Often when I visit Manchester or Warm Springs, I'll mention Matthews Drive-In to someone old enough to remember the old store. Always, I get a smile, a quick stare into the memory pond followed by a great story about how it used to be.
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