Chow Time: King Tut Drive-In

Living in Southern California, the veritable epicenter of car culture, one might suspect that drive-in restaurants are the de facto method of food service.  In facto, though the concept seems so simple, so charming, and so suited to California's climate, drive-ins are an extremely rare sight.  I don't know why I think drive-ins are so cool; going to a drive-in restaurant is really just a belabored, protracted drive-thru experience with none of the convenience of eating at a proper table and none of the cinematic atmosphere promised by American Graffiti.  Nevertheless, I am always searching for old drive-ins, hoping to capture the nostalgia of warm summer nights, roller skates, and good, old-fashioned junk food.

My overly-romantic notion of drive-ins is no doubt influenced by the opening scene in Moon Over Miami.  It's no wonder then that I'm always slightly deflated when the server at a real life drive-in isn't Betty Grable and she isn't singing the menu to me.  I guess it would be too much to ask that she be clad in 1940's western wear.  

"What Can I Do for You?" - Betty Grable & 

Carole Landis from Moon Over Miami

When my sister explained that there was an authentic drive-in restaurant very near her new home, I was equally excited and disappointed - excited because it sounded perfect, disappointed because in all of the research I had done in preparation for my trip to West Virginia I had seen absolutely no reference to King Tut Drive-In in Beckley, WV.

King Tut Drive-In is a fixture in Beckley.  In fact, it is well-known all over the state of West Virginia.
Their biggest claim to fame is the introduction of pizza to the state in 1957.
Although they will probably accommodate peculiar tastes, I believe that
 "Fried Chicken Livers" and "Pizzas" are two separate menu items.

The look of King Tut is rather, er,...strange.  Long, weathered pickets create a fence-like facade while blue steel beams support a carport structure with a corrugated roof.  It looked more like a tree house than a longstanding eatery.  Learning that it has been in operation for the last 70 years (under current ownership for nearly 60), I wondered if the rusticity of King Tut's current facade didn't hide some really outstanding Egyptian theming.

It definitely speaks more to "King Creole" than King Tut.

Fortunately, I was able to find an historic photo of King Tut (not sure when they ditched the "'s.")

Isn't it dreamy?  It is obviously the same structure but it has clearly undergone an extreme make-under.

Even in the early days, however, there was absolutely no trace of the Sphinx, the pyramids, or the desert sands. 

(Source)

If King Tut Drive-In isn't known for its stunning curb appeal, it is known for its down-home food.  Hand-formed hamburger patties, real ice cream milkshakes, fresh homemade pies, and full dinners are among the most highly-favored menu items.

The King Tut burger with everything.
As I mentioned in a previous post, West Virginians like their food SWEET!
The delicious, homemade bun was bordering on dessert and the coleslaw
(a signature WV topping on burgers and dogs) seemed to be candy-coated.
I will say that the flavor profile was a surprise and surprisingly good once
my savory palate adjusted.  I won't even speak to the lemonade which
would rot your teeth with just one look.

Intrigued by the variety of side orders, we decided to order
the "Loaf of Homemade Bread" to take home for the week.

We were hoping it would be the best thing since un-sliced bread!

I heard it was pretty good....
I think my brother-in-law was able to eat it in two bites.
#worldssmallestloafofbread

The only way to overcome the temptation of homemade
 pie is to learn that they are all sold out!

There is so much to like about King Tut but our best recommendation is to get there early.  Since everything is freshly made on site, there is a limited supply and popular items do sell out.  We went through a few rounds of ordering before settling on what they had in rich supply.   If there is another recommendation to be made, it is to NOT pull up wearing heavily kohl-rimmed eyes, presenting your Alexandria Library card; this ain't ancient Egypt!!!  And whatever you do, don't "ankh" your horn, the protocol at the drive-in is to flash your lights for service.

If you're in West Virginia, then get on over to King Tut Drive-In; it's food fit for a pharaoh...as long as that pharaoh is not insulin dependent.

King Tut Drive-In

301 N Eisenhower Dr

Beckley, WV

(304)252-6353

*Closed every Wednesday*

www.kingtutdrivein.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny

Pulling Out All the Stops: Organ Stop Pizza

Giddiness is probably the least attractive posture a fully-grown man could take.  When faced with the world's-largest Wurlitzer theater organ, however, there really is no other posture to assume.  Southern California is a veritable hotbed of wacky tacky - thriving in spite of a culture of looking "cool" at all costs;  never having been cool, I am blissfully free of the burden of maintaing a "cool" reputation.  That, combined with the fact that we were in Arizona, left me free to be a giddy as a schoolgirl over the thundering sound of the world's largest Wurlitzer theater organ (insert world's largest organ joke).

Capital G-i-double d-y!

The only place to get this excited over the world's largest Wurlitzer theater organ is at its home, Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa, AZ.  Organ Stop Pizza began its life in Phoenix in 1972.  The brainchild of  William P. Brown, who was intent on combining his love of pizza with his love of theater organ, Organ Stop Pizza quickly outgrew its first two locations.  Proving that wacky tacky can be found in any era, OSP broke ground and opened the doors to its current location in 1995.  The facade of its permanent residence is nothing to write home about.  In fact, it is decidedly un-wacky tacky, but once inside the Mesa eatery/organ spectacular, the building itself is reduced to inconsequential background noise.

This is it!  The glowing void in the middle of the picture is the place where the organ console and organist are hydraulically lifted from the ground to perform everything from cinematic masterpieces to polkas to national anthems.  I had to pause a moment when I recognized one of the tunes as "Oh, Canada," the Canadian national
anthem.  I quickly remembered that much of Arizona's seasonal populace is made up of Canadian "snowbirds."

The afternoon's feature organist
OSP has multiple organists on a rotating schedule;
I kind of wanted to stay and hear them all.

I tried to upload my videos so I could share them with you, but apparently, YouTube has incredibly sensitive filters and muted all of my videos, citing copyright infringement.  Really?!?!?!  How does everyone else on YouTube upload EVERY SINGLE SONG in the entire world with no problem?  I am really bad at computers, so after a few tries, I gave up in frustration.  Let me tell you, the descent from overwhelming giddiness to bitter frustration is not nearly as long a fall as one might imagine.  Nevertheless, there exist some videos of the OSP organ in action (although how they managed to get by the YouTube censor bureau, I will never know).

"Chattanooga Choo Choo"

Maybe "Chattanooga Choo Choo" is in the public domain???

The sound quality isn't spectacular but you can definitely

 get a sense of the organ's instrumental capabilities.

Petty, internet-related frustrations aside, I can't quite fully explain the level of elation one is capable of achieving when two of the world's most perfect offerings come together - organ music and pizza (plus a fully-loaded salad bar)!  It is wacky tacky nirvana.  Much credit is due the sensational musicians that lend their talents to the Organ Stop Pizza.  But how can we overlook the real star of the show here - the organ!

Look at that beautiful console!
Designed and built in the 1920's for the world-famous
Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, OSP's organ
is a total show-stopper before the first stop is even pulled out! 

Compartments loaded with thousands of pipes and clear,
 hinged dampers are controlled entirely by the organist.

Castanets, horns, tambourine, and the wacky tackiest of all instruments - the accordion!

A player piano, bongos, a conga drum, and just about
everything else for which one could wish.

A fanfare is imminent when a fan of horns is always poised at the ready.

"Stars and Stripes Forever"

Take that "Oh, Canada"....only joking, Canadians...

Oh yeah, did I mention that the organ console rotates

during the performance - IT ROTATES!!!

As is evidenced by the above video, dramatic points or particularly-
patriotic moments in a song change the room from relative darkness
 to a glittering spectacle of electric light.
Could an organ concert get any more incredible?  Well, maybe it can...

Once every set, the organist played a rousing, little ditty entitled "The Alleycat."

"The Alleycat" - Bent Fabric

Imagine this being played by the world's largest Wurlitzer theater organ.

Then imagine the thrill of the curtain rising to
reveal a chorus line of feline marionettes!!!

Organ Stop Pizza is more than theater in its most rarefied form; it is an interactive experience.  At the base of the organ platform, there are cards on which the audience members can fill in requests for tunes and notate special occasions that they are celebrating at the restaurant.  While the organist did not play our request (how awesome would it have been to hear The Munsters theme song played on the world's largest Wurlitzer organ), he did honor Mary's request to wish me a happy birthday.

"Happy Birthday Mr. Tiny"

Can you see how crestfallen he is when he realizes 

he's wishing the fat guy in the front row a happy birthday? 

Well, the joke's on you OSP, it wasn't really my birthday!!!

Citing the "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all" rule, I can't say anything about Organ Stop Pizza's pizza.  Well, I guess I could...but I won't.  It really wouldn't matter what they served there - Organ Stop Hot Dogs, Organ Stop Sushi, Organ Stop Hamster - a rose by any other name would certainly sound as sweet.  We've been to the Spreckel's Organ in San Diego, CA.  We've heard the Avalon Theater's beautiful Page Organ accompany some of the finest films of the silent era.  Now we've been to Organ Stop pizza's mighty Wurlitzer.  The hunt is on for the world's best organs...just don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow in a bathtub full of ice!

We loved it so much that we couldn't leave without a souvenir.
Organ Stop Pizza rigorously maintains the organ and often
 has to swap out spent pipes; we got a "D."

I truly can't recommend a visit to Organ Stop Pizza enough.  If you have even an ounce of wacky tacky spirit in the recesses of your doubtful mind and cold, cold heart, you will definitely get a thrill out of the mighty Wurlitzer and those crazy, dancing cats!

Organ Stop Pizza

1149 E Southern Ave

Mesa, AZ

(480)813-5700

www.organstoppizza.com

Cheers!

Mr. Tiny