Milwaukee’s Drive-In Tradition Continues at Fred’s

The small neighborhood drive-in is nearly extinct, as most have fallen victim to fast-food chains. A rare exception is Fred’s Drive-In (4726 W. Vliet St.), located in Milwaukee’s Washington Heights neighborhood. The place is small, so it’ll be standing-room-only if you want to eat in. But there are reasons why Fred’s has been in business since 1967: Regular customers are greeted by name, the ingredients are good and everything is inexpensive. Their roast beef sandwich, 6 ounces of thin slices of meat served in a Kaiser roll, is a specialty, and the burgers are made with fresh beef. A line of Vienna sausages from Chicago marks a newer addition. Dinners are deep-fried fare—think chicken, shrimp, fish and clams. Save room for dessert—one of Fred’s frozen custard sundaes. The small neighborhood drive-in remains alive.