Quote: OK, I admit it: I’m a sucker for drive-ins. I still remember the excitement of pulling into the A&W in the small town where I went to kindergarten, and ordering the appropriately sized mug of root beer for everyone (Papa, Mama, and Baby Mug). Great Falls, MT; Torrey, UT; on our travels, we’ve found some local places serving great food and holding out against the complete homogenization of the franchise culture.

Iceberg is somewhere in between family-run and fully franchised. Its current owners, who purchased it in 1996 from the original owners, began franchising in 2000. They’re up to 11 Utah locations, and will soon be in Phoenix and Palm Desert.

The food is more than standard drive-in fare: burgers, fries, onion rings, with a few twists that go beyond just adding chicken sandwiches to the menu. However, we stuck with the basics: burgers (good), onion rings (fantastic), and shakes. (They’re proud of their fry sauce; our family consensus: naw—tastes like tartar sauce and ketchup.)

The shakes are the highlight of a trip to Iceberg. Don’t order a large, unless you’re using it to feed a family of five, or want a brain freeze the size of Antarctica. They’re extra thick, extra cold, and extra generous. Closer in character to a Blizzard or other blended ice cream concoction, each stands 2 inches above the edge of a cup, is undrinkable through a straw, and comes served in another cup that acts as insulator, spill catcher, and protective barrier against other prying spoons. Your choices are nearly endless: the menu has 28 standard shakes (we’re talking way beyond chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry here), and there’s always a monthly special. If those aren’t enough choices, you can design your own. My triple berry shake (the June flavor of the month) was an awesome treat for a berry lover like me.

The decor suggests updated Jetsons, and still kinda works. In the 1960s, it suggested the future; now it nostalgically prods our memories of what we thought the future would look like when it seemed so uncomplicated. My kids simply had to sit at the large central counter of indeterminate shape that meandered through the center of the dining area (I probably would’ve made them sit there anyways). When we left, I was still struggling to finish my shake, and may even have let the last ounce go (a rare occurrence). The lack of a clear memory must be due to the brain freeze.

On the downside: this location clearly is still figuring out how to run things. The exterior and interior trash cans were badly in need of emptying, the friendly staff got our order wrong twice, and delivered our onion rings 20 minutes after the rest of our food. I’d visit another location (all listed here) if I’m back in Utah, but I’d poke around this one before ordering again.

Location: At the intersection of 200 E and St. George Blvd., one mile directly west of Exit 8 off I-15.
From journals On the Plateau, Part V: Crossing Utah's Backroads and Badlands