Xxx Root Beer

Drive-ins & diners are as quintessential to America as Uncle Sam and Apple pie. Today, the last iconic Triple XXX Thirst Station remains in West Lafayette, Indiana, where its been on the hill, but on the level, since 1929. Just steps from the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, you cant help but notice the Triple XXX on the hill in Chauncey Village. The Triple XXX Family Restaurant name change reflected that it was no longer just a thirst station. The diners tag line, We were here before your mother was born isnt just lip service. Ask almost any regular who sits along the winding countertop how long theyve been coming in and ordering the Breakfast Special, or Duane Purvis, and youll hear some great stories that span generations. Tourists, travelers, and locals alike, could count on great food at affordable prices. These roadside restaurants boomed after the end of World War II and provided travelers with some of the best burgers, fries, milkshakes, and cold-frosty root beers around. Yet the difference youll find when you walk through the doors of Greg and Carrie Ehresmans Triple XXX Family Restaurant is palpable. Once upon a time, you could enjoy a frosty mug and fries from the comfort of your car at the Triple XXX. After ordering through the intercom, roller-skating carhops delivered your tray, then picked it up when you were ready to leave. Although the X no longer employs carhops, diners can still enjoy the open-air experience and eat curbside. In 1969, Greg landed his first job at The Triple XXX. Not only did Greg wash dishes, he was also given the coveted task of making Triple XXX Root Beer. Mixing the pure cane sugar recipe by hand, he used a stainless-steel paddlethe same paddle the Ehresmans still own today. On April 1, 1999, Carrie and Greg became the new owners of the black and orange eatery on Chauncey Hill. For Greg, this was a lifelong dream fulfilled. Its not just locals who love the Triple XXX. The Food Networks own Guy Fieri broug