I mentioned a few columns ago some memorable places for burgers. Well I got several interesting comments from some of you, even telling me things I did not remember.
There were comments about the burger spots that were mentioned, like Barthel's, Colt's, Cy's, and Jay's. Some of you well remember Garth's on South Nevada. There is a closed building on South Nevada near Cimarron with a big sign that says Schooners. This was Garth's in the 1950s and '60s. Jay's was on Cache La Poudre south of Colorado College. Next to Jay's was the Meadow Gold Creamery, which supplied the well-known ice cream shop. In downtown Colorado Springs, Barthel's was on Bijou at Tejon. It had been started years before as a candy store and sold ice cream as well. In the 1950s, the candy counter shrank and the ice cream and food took over. Colt's, at Nevada and Bijou, was popular with not only the high school crowd but local businessmen. In the 1950s, there was a Safeway between the YMCA and Colorado Springs High School, and it was reopened as a restaurant. On the south side of the high school in the '50s, on Platte, was a place called the Mayflower. On Nevada, there was a drive-in burger joint, the Matchless, which did a lot of business with the school kids at lunch, even those that did not have a car.
Over on our side of town, some reminded me of Howard's Barbeque when it was where Safeway is now, and later, when it was on either side of Colorado Avenue in the 3000 block. One of those spots had been Eddie's Drive-In in the 1950s. That place is where McDonald's is now located. Across the street were two little motels, made up of cottages, the Glendale and Sleepy Hollow. Their former locations are now a dance studio and everything over to Wendy's. Years ago, my family even lived in a cottage at the Glendale. On the corner of 31st and Colorado is a little house where for years Earl James lived. He had a gas station near where the Taco Bell sits.
Others talked about Jones' Drive in, which was an A&W for many years, at Colorado and 27th. Cy's was on the west side of the Clark's gas station. Before Cy's there was a soft-serve ice cream place, and even a used car lot! Cy's eventually moved into the Jones' place and later up to Uintah. There are years and years of these little memory gems. I really enjoy sharing these with all of you. As you can tell, we will travel this path again.