Hall’s Original Drive-In was not part of my original *itinerary. Before I left Miami on my 3-week book signing road trip, there were about twenty planned lunch stops with no layovers in Indiana. Marcela and I had never been to Indiana before or even driven through it on a previous drive.
I changed our stay in Louisville, Kentucky, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, after realizing it was Kentucky Derby weekend. That is the kind of weekend that can severely impact your vacation with lots of traffic.
I contacted Visit Indiana on Instagram, which connected me with Jessa from Visit Fort Wayne. Jessa told me about Don Hall’s Family Restaurants and contacted Tim Hall, whom I spoke with, about possibly doing a book signing there.
We both decided against it because of the short setup time.
Drive-in Life
Tim and I met at Hall’s Original Drive-In, where we had lunch with his dad, Bud, and cousin Max. I was lucky enough to sit down and hear stories of Hall’s founding in 1946.
Bud is a national burger treasure, and Hall’s Original Drive-In and their story should be put in writing for posterity’s sake. Tim and Max would interject comments and add tales throughout his narrative. It was nice to see that generational family dynamic. It’s the type of thing that makes Hall’s restaurants unique.
Even though Hall’s Original didn’t end up hosting an All About The Burger book signing there, we had a great time, but I did leave them a copy of my book to enjoy.
Tasty Comfort Food Talk
The onion rings are hand-breaded and perfect with that zesty sauce. The chicken tenders with their flaky, seasoned breading were excellent, and the Tots Poutine is an ingenious, tasty idea.
The Big Buster has skyrocketed to one of my all-time favorite burgers. Damn, it was good. And that patty melt…wow…just wow!
One last food shout-out goes to their marvelous Frosty Malt. It’s just plain incredible. I hope you can find your way to Hall’s Original and have the excellent food experience we enjoyed.
P.S.: There is an actual drive-in service with carhops, so if you’re old school, you can go that route instead of eating inside.
Hall’s Restaurant History and Decor
Thank you to our new friends. Tim, Bud and Max Hall, for the Hall family hospitality.
* Hall’s Original Drive-In’s last day was December 23rd, 2021. Luckily, we still have Don Hall’s Hollywood Drive-in
Don Hall’s Hollywood Drive-In
4416 Lima Road
Fort Wayne, IN
(260) 482-1113
Website – https://www.donhalls.com/halls-hollywood
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/donhalls
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HallsHollywood
Monday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 9:00 pm