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Factoid #5

by Scott Muoio

Where there are young people, there is alcohol. And where there is alcohol, there is late night revelry. And where there is late night revelry, inevitably, there are those establishments willing to put up with drunken insults, puke in their bathroom stalls, and all manner of boozy litter strewn on their premises in order to keep their doors open and serve the hungry creatures of the night. Those rarified caterers to the inebriated are a saintly bunch though hardly appreciated or immortalized in song or epic poetry, as they most certainly should be. But if ever there were an establishment worthy of the honor it would be Seattle’s very own Dick’s Drive-In.

As most can surely agree, any discussion of the world of late night dining must begin with Denny’s, surely the most recognizable symbol of late night chow across our great United States of America. While certainly the most famous, Denny’s generally plays second fiddle in this niche market anyplace it has competition. And each region, by virtue of holding onto local small business camaraderie seems to have its own favorite establishment, which trumps that shiny hexagon of post-midnight sustenance.

In New Jersey, the champions of this very special market are the independent diners. In Boston and its environs, independent Chinese restaurants are king of the brazenly boozy and hungry late night crowd. Across the Atlantic in London, England, kebabs rule all as fourth meal supremacists. And in Seattle we have our own favorite whose name, when uttered anywhere in The Emerald City is synonymous with wee hours gorging done right: Dick’s Drive-In.

Dick’s mantra is simple: serve fresh, no frills burgers, shakes, and fries all day and all night. We’re talking real ice cream in the shakes, quality beef in the burgers, fresh baked, never frozen buns, and daily sliced potatoes fried in 100% vegetable oil. Combine that with Dick’s cheap pricing (double burgers are under $2.50 with extra ketchup, mayo, or relish running you $.05 a cup), efficient service, and party-all-the-time atmosphere even into the wee hours and you’ve got yourself hands down the best late night food joint in Seattle, bar none.

Beyond these obvious superstar essentials of late night dining my favorite aspect of Dick’s is the restaurant’s set-up: an order window, a glowing Dick’s sign, and a parking lot where you can sit in or next to your car and enjoy the spoils of late night dining at its most unmistakably 1950s style. Even if you have never experienced that time period, as I most certainly never did, one walk around a Dick’s parking lot makes it easy to imagine drag races, muscle cars, and poodle skirts dominating this glorious late night venue decades previous. And you never know: you just might see a gear head today opening up the hood of his classic mustang for all to see. I’ve been there. I’ve seen it.

Now in it’s 54th year, Dick’s has remained king of late night Seattle since serving its first $.19 burger in 1954. Drive past any of their five area locations (my favorite is the original on 45th in Wallingford) and I guarantee you will continue to see all manner of people waiting their turn or already smacking their lips with glee feasting on this veritable Seattle institution’s goodies just like they did in '54. If history is any indicator, this scene will carry on for years to come ushering in yet another generation of Dick’s lovers and perhaps even an epic poem or immortalizing song. And once again, if ever a late night institution deserved the utmost praise of immortalization it is unquestionably the mighty Dick’s Drive-In, one of the quintessential 20th century Seattle landmarks and institutions.

The sign that launched a thousand drunks to Dick's walk-up window.

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Noted something strange or interesting in or about Seattle? Tell us about it. Email scottmuoio@undependentmedia.com

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