Member-only story
A Drive Through Time
The Timeless Charm of Blue Top Drive-In
It was a warm sunny afternoon in early March 2025 in Northwest Indiana. People who have been cooped up for months, knee-deep in ice, snow, and severe cold, will jump at the chance to enjoy that kind of day; we were being spoiled. It was a go-for-a-ride, sun-on-your-face, wind-in-your-hair, windows-down kind of day, and I was moved to stop at Blue Top Drive-In in Highland — the perfect place to go on a day like that. Surprisingly, despite being a lifelong resident of the Region and Highland being my hometown, I had only ever been there once when I was very young, but I remember it distinctly.
It is just as I remember more than 45 years later. Built in 1936, with a ‘50s and muscle car enthusiast motif, you can pull up, sit in your car, and have a meal brought to you, or you can dine in and enjoy the retro-chic, automotive-inspired décor. The hospitality and friendly, welcoming nature of owner John Golfis and his staff are like no other. I did not call ahead and did not make an appointment to look around, take pictures, and get information, but I was greeted warmly and hospitably and invited to sit down with him and have a meal while we talked.
