AlwaysStrong: All American Drive-In (Massapequa)

Arthur Bovino — October 15, 2009

All American Drive-In, a classic fast-food joint on Merrick Road in Massapequa, Long Island.

Restaurant: All American Drive-In
Address: 4286 Merrick Road, Massapequa, NY 11758
Contact: (516) 798-9574
Hours: Mon-Sat, 10am-10pm; Sun, 11am-9:30pm.
Grade: B+
Recommended Dishes: Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Butterfly Shrimp, and Knish.

 

Ask someone on the South Shore of Long Island where to get a burger and they’ll ask if you’ve been to All American Drive-In. Like Bigelow’s in Rockville Center, and Bonanza in Oyster Bay, it’s a roadside institution— some Islanders have even called it their In-N-Out. These aren’t In-N-Out burgers, but they’re a fresh and tasty rite of passage.

 

Left, Cheeseburger ($1.25). Right, Double Header ($2.00).

All American has been owned by the Vultaggio family since Phillip Vultaggio, a homebuilder, constructed and opened it in 1963 at the end of what was then a golf course. It’s currently owned by his sons, Phillip Jr., and William Vultaggio. All American was actually Mr. Vultaggio’s second store at the location— in 1952 he opened a Carvel franchise, which though still owned by the family, went private (the adjacent Marshall’s Ice Cream Bar) in 2004.

All American was built in the style of 50’s fast-food joints and still has its original sign, and cup logo. It’s basically a glass-enclosed counter and kitchen in the middle of a huge parking lot (necessary for high traffic pulling in from Merrick Road). This is a Drive-In not a Drive-Thru, as Iole Marshall, Mr. Vultaggio’s granddaughter noted, “A drive-thru is with a window where you order, a drive-in you pull up to with your car.”

There are four registers, each typically mobbed by a crush of teenagers and families with large orders. The crowd never seems to abate, but it doesn’t usually take more than 15 minutes to order and get food. It’s not just the look that recalls the 50’s, prices are low too. Butterfly Shrimp ($5.25) are the most expensive menu item— nothing else costs more than $2.60. Ordering the entire menu costs less than $38 and that includes a bottle of water, a large soda, a pint of milk and each of the three shake flavors.

 

Top left, clockwise: Fish Filet ($1.95), Tuna on a Bun ($1.75), Knish ($1.40) & Butterfly Shrimp ($5.25).

A signature meal consists of fresh-cut and peeled fries, shake and a simple, foil-wrapped cheeseburger or Quarter Pounder with Cheese ($2.55), which is dressed with pickles, ketchup, minced onions and cheese that is stick-to-the-patty-and-the-bun-like-mac-and-cheese-completely-melted gooey.

All-Beef Franks are perfectly acceptable, and there’s a Fish Filet that’s decent as far as fish filets go. Other notable items include: Tuna on a Bun, Grilled Cheese, Butterfly Shrimp, Onion Rings and Knish.

 

Top left, clockwise: All Beef Franks ($1.75), Thick Chocolate Shake ($1.65), Onion Rings ($1.55) and French Fries ($1.75).

But as one Massapequan advised, “You don’t come here for a fish sandwich. Don’t tell your friends you did that.” Similarly, there’s little more to the grilled cheese than novelty. Crunchy, breaded shrimp are surprisingly good, as are onion rings— both have crusty brown exteriors. The knish (only on Strong Island would you get a knish with your burger) is a great alternative to partial peel-on fries, which if you like them crispy are hit and miss.

But All-American is a hit. Why? They do things the old-fashioned way (they even use the old-school ketchup dispenser). “We put a lot into making sure there’s a lot of value there,” Ms. Marshall noted. “My grandfather always instilled that.”

It’s a philosophy that has turned customers into regulars through generations. “We know people by name,” said Ms. Marshall. “You see people and you know what they want.”

Once you’ve gone, it’s tough to frequent the corporate big boys on Long Island. The only thing lacking after a meal is soft serve, a need that can be fulfilled next door at Marshall’s.