I’ve long known about the Simon’s Drive-in restaurant, which sat at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax, but only recently did I learn of one in El Monte, directly east of downtown L.A. I love this fantastically atmospheric night shot of it taken in the 1940s. May the gods bless the man who invented neon tubing.
** UPDATE ** According to someone on Reddit, this Simon’s Drive-in was located at Five Points, Valley and Garvey, where the Chase bank is now. It was later named Stan’s Drive-In.
And here’s a colorized version by Patty Allison from “Imbued by Hues”
My mother worked as a car hop and also as the waitress who worked the fountain in the El Monte Simons restaurant. She worked there in the late 40’s. At the time the area was known as Five Points and was the intersection of Valley Blvd. and Garvey Blvd.Would you mind if I made a copy of the El Monte Simons picture so that I could include it with the ancestry work that I have for my mother? She is now deceased. One of the cooks there went by the name of Frank Surate.
Hello George, thanks for your note. Please, by all means, take whatever photos you like from any of the pages on my website.
Hi Martin:
This is just a note to say hello, It has been a long time since I wrote to you. It has been a while. I hope that all is well with you and yours. I saved your issue about Simons Drive in in El Monte, CA. I was never able to figure out how to save the photo. My Mother at one time worked there as a car hop.
George Staib
In the same lot or very close to Nashville West.
There were over 27 drive-in Simon’s diners built through the 1930s-40s, plus free standing Simon’s restaurants and counters, such as in front of the Orpheum theater and across from Pershing Square. Many of these were sold along the way to other drive-ins such as Carpenters, Dolores, and Stan’s.
27??? That makes it much bigger than the mini-chain I think of it as!