Spotlight on Honk for Service
This week’s Roadside Reads and Reels spotlight is on Honk for Service by Lou Ellen McGinley. This one caught my eye after I learned it included the story of the old Parkmoor restaurants, which once had a strong presence in the St. Louis area. I tracked down a copy and was immediately hooked by the vintage photos of drive-ins from across the country. The book is packed with fun imagery, historical nuggets, and design details that make any Googie fan sit up and take notice.
A Visual Road Trip Through Drive-In America
Honk for Service: A Visual Road Trip Through Drive-In America is part photography collection and part cultural time capsule. It focuses less on fast food giants and more on the quirky, local spots that gave roadside America its charm. The real hook, though, is its look at the invention of the drive-in serving tray — the kind that hooks onto a car window — and how it changed everything. One regional chain even sprang up by accident, created not to build a restaurant empire but to prove the concept of that simple invention.
A Personal Parkmoor Connection
For me, the connection was personal. The Parkmoor on Clayton Avenue in Richmond Heights was still around when I was in my twenties. The original location went up in the 1930s, but it was completely rebuilt in 1969. The new building had a modern coffee shop style with a big orange roof, stone walls, and huge floor-to-ceiling windows. The vibe was very SoCal-meets-Midwest, not unlike diners you’d find in Los Angeles — places like Pann’s or the one in Pulp Fiction.
Sadly, it closed in 1999 and was demolished to make way for yet another Walgreens. At the time, it felt like they wanted one on every corner. Today, car washes seem to be taking that role, but I digress.
Final Thoughts
If you’re into old signage, car culture, vintage diners, or just want a visual escape back to a more colorful time, Honk for Service is worth tracking down. Copies are still out there, and it’s the kind of book that belongs on the shelf of anyone obsessed with mid-century Americana.
Safe travels, RJ
Honk for Service: A Tray and the Glory Days of the Drive-In by Lou Ellen McGinley is available on Amazon.
You might also enjoy: Car Hops and Curb Service by Jim Heimann, The American Drive-In by Michael Karl Witzel, Roadside America: The Automobile and the American Dream, by Lucinda Lewis, Road Trip: Roadside America, From Custard’s Last Stand to the Wigwam Restaurant by Richard Longstreth, and The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip by David Campany.
