Drive-in and Drive-up Food, Ice Cream, and Movies (Mon., 8/11/25)

August 9, 2025/Rick Handler

Commercial Drive-in Movies and Drive-up Ice Cream and Food Places

Rich, delicious chocolate gelato from Pappa J's Twin Plaza. (Photo by Rick Handler) — Rich, delicious chocolate gelato from PaPa J’s Twin Plaza. (Photo by Rick Handler)

Drive-in movie theaters and drive-up restaurants have seen a true renaissance in recent years. Two in those categories that are very well known are Moon Township’s Dependable Drive-In and Jerry’s Curb Service in Bridgewater, Beaver County. Other good drive-ups are Page Dairy Mart (4112 E. Carson St., Becks Run) and Glen’s Custard in Springdale (original location) and Lower Burrell. Local ice cream chain gone international, Bruster’s, has 12 locations in the Pittsburgh area including the original location in Bridgewater. Millie’s is a growing local ice cream business with multiple locations including Downtown, Oakland, Shadyside, and Lawrenceville. Scoops has four neighborhood ice cream parlors. And don’t forget Leona’s ice cream sandwiches. For gelato, it’s hard to beat Pappa J’s Twin Plaza and Mercurio’s. And newly opened is Nanna’s Scoops on Northumberland Street in Squirrel Hill. Other drive-in movie screens in the region include: Riverside (Vandergrift), Evergreen (Mt. Pleasant), Brownsville (Grindstone), and Starlight (Butler). So “head out on the highway looking for adventure.” (R.H.)