Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Lost Memphis Hi-Boy Drive-In
Posted by Vance Lauderdale on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 at 10:52 AM
Once again, a photo from an old White Station High School yearbook has offered a glimpse into the past. Here is a 1964 view of Mt. Moriah, looking north towards Poplar (though it's not visible in the distance). Memphians still shop at this same building on Mt. Moriah, though today it houses an Easy Way Market. But in the mid-1960s, it housed one of our city's two Hi-Boy Drive-Ins. Not a very fancy place, that's for sure, but quite a popular one, as I recall, with very tasty milkshakes.
A couple of things about this photo caught my eye. First of all, I admired the little Nash Metropolitan parked out front, since the Lauderdales own an identical vehicle (though, unfortunately, not running). Next, you'll notice what looks like a shack next door, part of the old McKinney-Truse neighborhood, a cluster of houses that was demolished to make way for businesses.
I wish I could see the Hi-Boy sign better in this photo, but it's just too small here.
And finally, if you squint really hard, you may be able to make out the gleaming-white 1960s-era Texaco gas station way in the distance, where Mt. Moriah and old Mt. Moriah split apart. It's an empty lot today.
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Are you serious? Interesting that they kept the name (with a variation in spelling), even though it made NO SENSE for either a hamburger joint or a car wash.
I remember this great hamburger joint as the place to go ... so much of my early life must have revolved around food ... my brother actually worked at the Hi Boy!
These were the best hamburgers EVER. I can still imagine them. Wish they were still around. In the same vicinity of the one on Jackson was a short-lived donut store that sold Spudnuts — donuts made of potatoes. They were pretty good, too, but can't compare with Krispy Kremes or Shipleys.
