Friday, December 07, 2007

Merle's Drive In - Pacific Coast Highway

Merle's Drive In Coffee ShopWe've had a couple people send us messages about their memories of Merle's Drive In, located on the corner of MacArthur Blvd and Pacific Coast Highway. Merle's goes back to the 1950's. I don't have the exact date when it opened.

In the 1960's, it became the "The Zoo" drive in, and then in the early 1970's, it closed down, and was leveled. Today, it's the location of shopping center, and another restaurant, the Gulfstream Restaurant.

Here's a letter we received from Ron & Anna Winship on August 25, 2007, regarding their memories of Merle's Drive In...

Steve,

Before it was the ZOO....with the big gorilla waving at all the people....It was Merle's Drive-In....on the corner of MacArthur Blvd. and PCH on the land they call Corona Del Mar Plaza these days.

Meanwhile, this came to mind because we were watching a PBS special with Ralph Story about "What isn't there anymore!" in Los Angeles.

So, it got us thinking: The Clock Restaurants ...especially the one on the Circle in Long Beach. The Clock in Whittier too! Van De Kamps.....and we can't remember what cities they had those! Remember the Windmill in Neon? Harvey's Broiler in Downey! Was in Mel's on Sunset Blvd. or was it something else...can't remember. That one was the most famous of them all. My mom used to hang out there in the 40's.

Anyway, we had a great place for burgers and the best tachitos on the planet. It was located near Poppy and PCH in Corona Del Mar.....where the Sandwich Place is now..next to the empty parking lot.

So, Steve if you can remember the name of the famous Drive-in on Sunset in Hollywood...please let us know.

Ron & Anna Winship

Here's another message I received from Matt Keto as a comment on the Submit a Memory page...
In Corona del Mar, at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and East Pacific Coast Highway, once stood some kind of a drive-in.

I thought it was called The Zoo in the early 70s.

An acquaintance remembers it from her childhood as Merle's.

Can anyone fill in the blanks?

Cheers,
Matt Keto
Costa Mesa

If you have something to contribute regarding Merle's Drive Inn, or The Zoo, please click on "Post a Comment" below, and share them with us.

32 comments:

  1. Merle's was a BIG car cruising spot for most of Orange county in the '50s & early '60's, and included car-hops. We all stopped going when it got stupid as the ZOO. The following will get you to a photo of the day.

    http://cgi.ebay.com/1951-Vintage-Ad-MERLES-Coffee-Shop-CORONA-del-MAR-Ca_W0QQitemZ220084761825QQihZ012QQcategoryZ850QQcmdZViewItem

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  2. I believe the Drive-In on Sunset was called "Tiny Naylors"

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  3. if anyone is interested, i have an original Merle's menu from the 50s. I am selling it on Ebay soon unless someone out there wants to buy it. let me know.
    thanks, Patti

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  4. Hey Patti, make digital scans of the menu, and send them to me. I'll post them here. E-mail me here...

    http://www.octhen.com/2005/01/contact-us.htm

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  5. In Visalia, we also had a Merles Drive in..but sadly it caught fire and now going under new ownership and they claim they will make it like the old one. It is located on Mooney blvd.

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  6. Hey Steve,

    I cant get through to your email via Internet Explorer. I have had a problem with IE. for quite awhile.My browser is Firefox. Is there a direct email address that I can send you the scans or I can even send them via US Mail. Let me know.

    Patti

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  7. You mean you can't send an e-mail to: steve@cleardigitalmedia.com ??

    Try it first.

    Or send via snail mail to:

    P.O. Box 3622
    Quail Valley, CA 92587

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  8. Kau Kau Corner was the name of the
    small drive-in near Poppy in CDM...
    Additionally, Tiny Naylor's was the
    name of the Famous Drive-in up on
    Sunset Blvd. We had forgotten, but
    they also had Hody's Drive-in and
    we think they were up in Long Beach
    or Los Alamitos. Let's just say...in the old days...we really wore out the seats of our cars....a
    lot faster than they do today!

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  9. I so remember when this place was The Zoo! I lived in Costa Mesa at the time but my grandfather lived in CdM. Whenever we used to visit him I always hoped we'd stop there. I'd get pretty damned stoked whenever I saw that gorrila waving on the corner. I remember the food used to come in different colored plastic baskets and there were cheap plastic toys in the kids meals. I lived in CdM several years later and saw the place become different things. I was in one of its incarnations Cowboys, and I remember thinking wow what a HUGE change after watching Dennis Rodman roll through with his entourage LOL

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  10. I grew up in Costa Mesa and attended Corona del Mar High School 1967-1970, so I'm pretty familiar with the area. The drive-in was known as The Zoo at that time, and I believe it was located at the corner of East Pacific Coast Highway and Jamboree Road (not MacArthur). It was demolished well before the time I graduated in 1970.

    Greg Lima

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  11. I also remember the Zoo restaurant. My aunt took us their twice. I still have a menu that I've thought of selling on Ebay but I don't think many Ebayers would appreciate it since not many people knew about the Zoo. Up until finding this web site I've never been able to find ANYTHING about the Zoo My sister even worked at the NB police dept. in the 80's and said they used to refer to the "Zoo corner" but most of the officers didn't know why it was called that.

    I also remember the little zoo in Fullerton on Orangethorpe. My aunt took us there a few times. I seem to remember seeing toucans and peacocks. I remember the chimps too but I was more impressed with the birds.

    Does anyone have any photos of either of these places? It would be great to see them.

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  12. i know that i have a menu from Merle's, i just have to find it. anyone interested in it. If i find it, I may want to sell it. Let me know

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    Replies
    1. Yes I am interested in your menu.. Merle Afflerbaugh was my uncle. My name is David Herman @ got2bshy55@yahoo.com.

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    2. Yes.. Merle Afflerbaugh was my Uncle. He was the owner and founder.. First girls on roller skates as car hops.... Contact David Herman got2bshy55@yahoo.com.

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  13. The Hody's drive in was located at the corner of Candlewood and Lakewood Blvd. in Lakewood,CA.
    Later on it became a Mexican restaurant.

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  14. Hody's Drive-In was also at the corner of Anaheim and PCH in Long Beach. Now a ten-story commercial building. Nothings sacred any longer ....just tear down old stuff with character and build some glass thing that has no ascetic value. Bob King at majskyking@gmail.com

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  15. Hody,s were in Long Beach, Lakewood and Hollywood. Merles was actually on the corner of PCH and Jamboree. The Drag Racers used to go race on Jamboree out towards the Blimp hangers.

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  16. Anonymous is wrong: Merles was on the corner of PCH and MacArthur Blvd, and WAS replace by the ZOO. I know, I lived it. Jamboree was up the coast a bit, and just across from Bal Island.

    CoxPilot

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    Replies
    1. You are correct. I used to cruise Merle's and race on Jamboree and other roads in the toolies. 1961-64. Now in Canada.

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  17. Got a kick out these about merles, merle, was my stepdads brother inlaw,started out with male carhops dressed in Balboa blues,Use to fish on his cris craft out of Bal. Yacht club, 1949, Merle also started the Copper Penny chain,also at the circle in Long Beach, Bennie and cecle drive in,Bet ya dont remember that one, It was a little ahead of its time AL

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    1. Hello, anonymous...responding to your comment from January 2011....almost three years ago!!
      Sure, I remember the Copper Penny, Beanie and Cecil's and most especially, Balboa Blues! Wore them all the time...not to bed, of course.
      Wish they'd come back....very hip, except for the cap! Bogie wore the cap, but he could pull it off.
      Bob King
      majskyking@gmail.com
      1950 Long Beach Poly

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  18. Merle's was a hot spot to connect up to find out were the parties were on any given weekend in Newoport, Balboa Island, Corona Del Mar, ect. We used to drive down from Garden Grove, a big car full of girls looking for the boys. It was a spot where drag races were set-up, the guys raced up McAurther or other roads in the back bay. Corvetts from as far as Hollywood would come down to race the locals.Memories...

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    Replies
    1. Patte, You are right on target, that is exactly the story goes.

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  19. I am looking for anything merle's related. I have a original artist concept painting of what merle's would look like. I am reframing it and would like additional items.

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  20. To any and all posting comments regarding Merle's drive in the Copper Penny chain, Beanie & Cecil's or Merle Afflerbaugh i would be most interested in any and all you have to show or say. Mr Afflerbaugh was my grandfather he died before i was born his wife Paula was my grandmother and their daughter Merilee is my mother. Please contact me @ adams_j_2009@yahoo.com

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  21. The taquitos at the Kau Kau Korner were the best ever. The BBQ beef sandwich was great too.

    - jwhook
    Lincoln Junior High, 1962

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  22. Let's not forget Harvey's Broiler in Downey where they had a 1/4 mile marked off in the alley behind the drive-in. And of course Lions Drag Strip.

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  23. Does Anyone have a picture of the "ZOO" restaurant on PCH and MacArthur in Newport???? I know it's long gone-just looking for some nostalgia!!!

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  24. I grew up in Newport and started hanging at Merle's in '55 or '56, the attraction was the car scene, hot cars attracted girls so it was a good place to be. All the top Hot Rods in the O.C. and from elsewhere cruised or were towed to Merle's to drag race either at the Buffalo Ranch (short course) on MacArthur about where Ford road is today or Como Rd (long course) which was in the middle of Irvine farmland. Como Road was widened and renamed Harvard and is in the city of Irvine.

    The picture of Merle's at the top showing the lighted sign was pointed directly at PCH, car hop service was offered on both sides of the building, right or left of the sign. The right side closest to Mac Arthur was the "A" where all the in crowd parked, you wouldn't be caught dead on the left side, this is where Mom & Dad and old folks parked. The only exception was Bal Week, Easter Week when the influx of kids were so graet the cars lined PCH all the way north to to what's now Jamboree. If you couldn't find a parking spot regardless where, then out you went and to the back of the line for another try.

    When Santa Drag strip which was part of Orange County Airport's runway closed in March of '59
    the Hot Rod scene was dying taking a whole crowd of teenagers out of Merle's and onto to other pursuits and it was no longer a happening place it once was..... The renaming to the Zoo was a last ditch effort to keep it alive.

    Ah! memories.

    Cleary

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  25. Responding to your comment of January 30, 2011....almost three years ago!!

    Sure, I remember Beanie and Cecil's and the Copper Pennys....remember Balboa Blues, too. Wish they'd come back....very hip! All except for the cap, of course, although Bogey wore the cap with style and grace....he could pull it off.

    I've a work in process, now 14 years in the making....not much "process", of "things that aren't here anymore". It's on my bucket list to complete....some day.

    Bob King
    majskyking@gmail.com
    Long Beach Polytechnic High School....1950

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  26. I remember both Merles and the Zoo. We lived at Baywood in the 1970s and it was located at McArthur and PCH. In those earlier days NPB was so laid back (almost like a beach town). Wonderful memories.

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  27. I remember SO MUCH of old O. C. I graduated from Harbor High in 1956. Merle's was owned by one of my best friend's father. Her name was Deanna Afflerbaugh. She didn't attend Harbor but we both attended Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy in Flintridge as young girls. She later became a nun and I never heard from her again. Merle's was THE PLACE for cruising! I noticed a message from several years ago from the granddaughter of Merle Afflerbaugh. She said her mother is Merrilee (sister of Deanna). Small world! Anyone else from NHUHS class of '56?

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