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Oklahoma Drive-ins

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Charcoal Oven [gone]
Oklahoma City, OK
The Charcoal Oven, a drive-thru restaurant, opened in 1958. You could eat in your car or on the outdoor patio. The sign was built and installed in 1960. In 2016, the place closed and the sign was removed and put in storage. There were plans to display it at the Billboard Museum but that venture has not materialized.

Pete's Drive-in
Pryor, OK

2011:
2019:
Pete's Drive-in opened around 1955. The star-shaped sign installed on the canopy is a C-152 Lectra. In 2014, the C-152 Lectra and the bulb arrow were restored. The Pete's sign was removed. [map]

Ballard's Drive-in [gone]
Pauls Valley, OK
Ballard's Drive-in was established in 1951 as a Dairy Queen. Soon thereafter, the name was changed to Ballard's Drive-in. These photos are from 2011. The business closed in 2012. The building and signs were still there in 2013. However, by 2015, the building was gone.

Wayne's Drive Inn
Lawton, OK
Wayne's Drive Inn opened in 1950 and this was the third location built. In the early 1960s, this location on Sheridan Rd. was rebuilt. It was changed from indoor seating to a carhop-style drive-in. This sign was built in recent years. The other locations are gone. A new Wayne's Drive Inn was built on Cache Rd. around 2005. For more, see this website. [map]

former Mac's Drive-in
Lawton, OK
Mac's Drive-in last housed a used car dealership. The property has been vacant since at least 2013. This sign looks remarkably similar to this former restaurant sign in Chicago. [map]

former Watsonburger [gone]
Durant, OK
This former Watsonburger was still open in 2008 but vacant in 2013. By 2014, the building was housing Coffee & Donuts. The building was gone by 2022. There are other Watsonburgers in Texas.

The Del Rancho Drive-in is based in Oklahoma City and has about two dozen locations in Oklahoma and northern Texas. The first location opened in Oklahoma City in 1961.

Del Rancho Drive-in [gone]
Moore, OK
Del Rancho Drive-in [gone]
Clinton, OK
Del Rancho Drive-in
Norman, OK
Del Rancho Drive-in [gone]
2401 SW 59th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
Del Rancho Drive-in
16 SW 59th St.
Oklahoma City, OK
The Del Rancho Drive-in building in Moore sure looked like a former Biff-Burger. The building last housed the Hi-Fi Burgershop and the sign had been adapted. The building is currently vacant. [map]

The Del Rancho Drive-in in Clinton had closed by 2018. The building was originally a Tastee-Freez. The sign panels are gone now and the building houses the Hub Diner. [map]

[Norman map]

The 2401 SW 59th St. location closed around 2019. The sign panels and ordering system units are gone now. The building now houses Bella's Kitchen. [map]

[16 SW 59th map]

former Del Rancho Drive-in
Virginia Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK

2012:
2020:
The Del Rancho Drive-in shown above in Oklahoma City on Virginia Ave. had been abandoned since at least 2008. It was still there and vacant in 2018. In 2019, the building was housing a used car lot. The building now houses the Tienda la Typica Guatemala. I don't know if there were any other Del Rancho buildings with this design. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

former Del Rancho Drive-in
NW 23rd St.
Oklahoma City, OK
This former Del Rancho Drive-in has housed Big Truck Tacos since at least 2011. [map]

former Del Rancho Drive-in
Oklahoma City, OK		 Del Rancho Drive-in
Midwest City, OK
This Del Rancho Drive-in closed around 2016 and began housing El Pariente Hamburgers. [map]

This Del Rancho Drive-in in Midwest City is apparently a vintage location. [map]

Del Rancho Drive-in
Warr Acres, OK		 former Del Rancho Drive-in
Del City, OK
The Del Rancho Drive-in in Warr Acres was originally built as a Sonic Drive-in. It was remodeled for Del Rancho and opened in 2011. [map]

This Del Rancho Drive-in in Del City has been vacant since at least 2007. This photo is from 2019. The canopy was removed around 2020. [map]

Del Rancho Drive-in
Tahlequah, OK
The Del Rancho Drive-in building in Tahlequah is either modern or drastically remodeled. I don't know when this location opened. [map]

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