The "Road House"

Which "Road House" do you remember?

It's nice to get together with other South Africans who lived in the same City as you growing up, the other night we started talking about Road houses, and trying to remember the names.

I remember my mom taking us to a Road House every now and again growing up, mainly for milkshakes.

Uncle Charlies in the South which was a big petrol station, also had a restaurant and Road House attached to it.

But seriously - when we were teenagers, growing up the worst date was being taken to a road house, but when a guy had a car it was all he could afford when he said he was taking you out for dinner.

Are there still road houses left in Johannesburg?

Okay so these are the Roadhouses I remember:

• Uncle Charlies
• Chicken Licken (close to Uncle Charlies)
• Doll House on Louis Botha Avenue
• Casablanca in Hilbrow
• Cas Bar in Alberton
• Americano Road House on Eloff Street Ext.
• The one in Brackpan
• The one opposite Smugglers in Randburg
• The one down Hendrik Verwoerd Drive in Randburg - I think there were a few.
• Another one in Alrode near Alberton

I don't think any of them made particularly good food worth remembering, but most of them had good milkshakes, although the best milk shake was the Blue Bubblegum milkshakes from Chicken Licken.

In the 70's and 80's Road houses just like Drive-Inn's were everywhere in the Jo'burg area, South, West, North and East of Jo'burg.

What great memories, I will have to do a post on the drive-inn's we frequented, now alas I don't think there are any left in Gauteng.