Mel's Drive-In • 1947

When Mel Weiss and Harold Dobbs launched San Francisco's first drive-in in 1947, they created a cultural touchstone that would later become immortalized in George Lucas's American Graffiti. The original South Van Ness location could park 110 cars, and the concept proved so popular it covered startup costs within a month. Today, chrome-trimmed booths and a counter serve the same burgers, shakes, and all-day breakfast that made Mel's a Bay Area institution.