Ship Mates Drive-In, Laguna Beach 1950s

Waiting staff in sailor suits would take orders from customers in their cars at the Ship Mates Drive-In in Laguna Beach, California. A black and white photograph of this long-lost establishment also shows a circular diner, topped by a ship’s mast and a cheery sailor figure using a nautical telescope to look out to sea.

On the menu which greeted customers with the phrase Good Morning Shipmates! Start The Day Right, there were numerous breakfast specials – the most expensive cost $1.25. Coffee was 10c a cup, hamburgers cost 50c and a cherry phosphate, an effervescent soft drink, cost 15c.

The simple artwork on the menu cover, in navy blue fonts and illustrations, beautifully reflects a quieter scene in this beautiful Orange County coastal city in the 1950s.

We’ve found two owners of The Shipmates Drive-in which was located at 1201 South Coast Blvd – E J Jones and Parky Crosby.

Crosby renamed it The WheelHouse and offered seafood dishes and cocktails in its later incarnation.

There is now a Jack In The Box at the site.

Courtesy Private Collection.

Each print is accompanied by a copy of the interior menu where available.

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