Rochester once had several diners and drive-ins that are now part of the city’s local restaurant history. Some operated from Pullman railroad cars, while others followed the drive-in model that became popular in the 1950s.
One of the best known was Melody Park Drive-In, also known as Drake’s Drive-In, located on Old Highway 52 in Marion Township. Owned by Marciel and Mildred Drake, it became famous for its root beer, which was made fresh every day. Its distinctive sign featured a lanky cowboy that made the restaurant easy to spot from the highway. The property was later sold to Richard Amdahl, owner of the neighboring Amdahl’s Olmsted County Nursery, who eventually sold both properties after retiring from IBM in 1990. Today the site, at 3237 Marion Road SE, is occupied by Dillon Radiator. During construction of the new building in 1999, workers uncovered numerous heavy glass root beer mugs buried beneath the property—a tangible reminder of the drive-in’s popularity.
The Drakes also opened Drake’s Purity Diner in 1954 at the corner of First Avenue and First Street SW, next to the Chateau Theatre and Dodge Lumber Company. Unlike most restaurants, it operated from a genuine Pullman railroad car. In 1957 the diner was sold to Robert Lynn, who renamed it Lynn’s Purity Diner, later shortened to Lynn’s Diner. Eventually the railroad car was replaced by a conventional permanent building.
Another member of the Drake family operated Drake’s Lunch Box, located one block south of the Rochester Dairy Queen on North Broadway. Bob Drake, Marciel’s brother, and his wife Marge served customers from another Pullman railroad car. The restaurant offered walk-up service and became known for its friendly service and excellent french fries.
Rochester was also home to the Driv-ett Diner, established in 1951 by Vernon Wendland and Russell Hoven. Two identical Valentine prefabricated diners were used—one located across from St. Mary’s Hospital at 1223 Second Street SW and the other behind the Avalon Hotel at 301 North Broadway. The Second Street location changed names several times over the decades, reflecting the changing restaurant scene in Rochester. It became Lynn’s Driv-ett in 1957 after Robert Lynn purchased it, Lynn’s Restaurant in 1966, Darrell’s Restaurant in 1976, Taso’s in 1986, and finally Presto in 2005.
These places are remembered through old photos, menus, signs, buried mugs, and the recollections of people who ate there. They were small businesses, but they left a clear trace in Rochester’s everyday history.