Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
DH
()
Date: August 19, 2011 11:14AM
Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn in Annandale?
It was where Burger King is now on Columbia Pike. I think at one time it was a Ginos.
You ordered from your car and they had car hops deliver to the car.
I just remember as a kid going there with my older brother. He use to hand out there with his buddies. All the Hot Rodders use to hang out there and they would set up their street races from there.
It was where Burger King is now on Columbia Pike. I think at one time it was a Ginos.
You ordered from your car and they had car hops deliver to the car.
I just remember as a kid going there with my older brother. He use to hand out there with his buddies. All the Hot Rodders use to hang out there and they would set up their street races from there.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
slubdawg
()
Date: August 19, 2011 03:59PM
Absolutely! Loved the place, my first date ever was to a movie and then to Tops!
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
old geez
()
Date: August 19, 2011 04:09PM
There was one off King St in Alexandria what is now a Lexus dealer.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
dead Jack Herrity
()
Date: August 19, 2011 04:14PM
Wasn't there a Top's at Fairfax Circle? Or maybe I'm getting it confused with Ho Jo's.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Mr. Know-it-all
()
Date: August 19, 2011 05:14PM
Yeah, there was a Topps in Falls Church at the corner of Leesburg Pike (Rt. 7) and Shreve/Haycock Roads. It eventually became a Gino's, then a Roy Rogers, and now a McDonald's. It's directly across the street from George Mason High School.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Hey
()
Date: August 19, 2011 10:29PM
dead Jack Herrity Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wasn't there a Top's at Fairfax Circle? Or maybe
> I'm getting it confused with Ho Jo's.
Yes there was.
It is now Dong A Korean market or whatever....
Across the street from HoJo's/Duncan doughnuts.
After Tops, it became a Ginos for years.
Tops was one of the original KFC franchises.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wasn't there a Top's at Fairfax Circle? Or maybe
> I'm getting it confused with Ho Jo's.
Yes there was.
It is now Dong A Korean market or whatever....
Across the street from HoJo's/Duncan doughnuts.
After Tops, it became a Ginos for years.
Tops was one of the original KFC franchises.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
DH
()
Date: August 19, 2011 10:48PM
I found this about Tops. Kind of cool
http://www.historicfairfax.org/HFCI53.pdf
http://www.historicfairfax.org/HFCI53.pdf
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Sirloiner
()
Date: August 19, 2011 10:58PM
yes, wish they were still around. best takeout ever.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Spacy
()
Date: August 20, 2011 11:41PM
Used to go here all the time, in all it's incarnations.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobycat/3854800832/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mobycat/3854800832/
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
tops inc
()
Date: August 21, 2011 09:42AM
Sirloiner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> yes, wish they were still around. best takeout
> ever.
The Jim Dandy sandwich was another one
-------------------------------------------------------
> yes, wish they were still around. best takeout
> ever.
The Jim Dandy sandwich was another one
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Richard Wahl
()
Date: July 24, 2012 03:49PM
Yep, sure do, and when I was a teen, it was THE place to go and be seen and to be with, your peers, the one in Falls Church especially, as that is the one that we most often went to. There was the one in Fairfax, but we didn't go there nearly as often. One of the cool things about Topps was WEAM's Johnny Dark request show. We had a blast with that.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
chris
()
Date: August 22, 2012 08:53PM
Does anyone have a pic of topps drive inn at fairfax circle , mt dad used to gothere when he was young he grew up in oakton va
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Jim Dandy
()
Date: August 22, 2012 09:11PM
chris Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone have a pic of topps drive inn at
> fairfax circle , mt dad used to gothere when he
> was young he grew up in oakton va
Found on the Google:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone have a pic of topps drive inn at
> fairfax circle , mt dad used to gothere when he
> was young he grew up in oakton va
Found on the Google:
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Glebe Road
()
Date: August 22, 2012 09:15PM
Glebe Road
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
arl
()
Date: August 22, 2012 09:28PM
Does anyone know where on Glebe that was?
Thanks
Thanks
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
J J Matthews
()
Date: August 22, 2012 09:50PM
arl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know where on Glebe that was?
>
> Thanks
40 N. Glebe Road
http://www.arlnow.com/2012/05/09/then-and-now-tops-drive-inn-on-glebe-road/
Vintage Tops commercial:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know where on Glebe that was?
>
> Thanks
40 N. Glebe Road
http://www.arlnow.com/2012/05/09/then-and-now-tops-drive-inn-on-glebe-road/
Vintage Tops commercial:
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Enigma
()
Date: August 23, 2012 12:08AM
Man, I wish we had a drive-in around here. The only one in the whole area is that Bengies one way up there near Baltimore.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
keepie
()
Date: August 23, 2012 06:09PM
The one at Lee Hwy and Harrison St. was where the NOVA Pagans came out of. It is now a bank, but next door is Tops Cleaners. Down the way, at the Safeway, was the site of the 1966 shootout between the Pagans and the Avengers. Across Harrison was WARL where Patsy Cline and other country artists go their start.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Ptee190
()
Date: January 07, 2013 03:21AM
tops inc Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone have the reciepe for the Jim Dandy sandwich.
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
>
>
>
>
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone have the reciepe for the Jim Dandy sandwich.
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
>
>
>
>
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Page02
()
Date: January 14, 2013 09:16PM
Check out this story on Tops Drive-Inn's. Histort of the franchise. Mostly on the one at Fairfax Circlw: http://www.historicfairfax.org/pdf/hfci_summer07.pdf
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
dieing breed
()
Date: January 14, 2013 10:18PM
those were the days. dad used to take us kids there every saturday night. the one in falls church. there were always a bunch of guys dressed like fonz reving the engines and burning rubber in their jolopies.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Burger Meister
()
Date: January 15, 2013 09:29AM
DH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn in Annandale?
> It was where Burger King is now on Columbia Pike.
> I think at one time it was a Ginos.
> You ordered from your car and they had car hops
> deliver to the car.
> I just remember as a kid going there with my older
> brother. He use to hand out there with his
> buddies. All the Hot Rodders use to hang out there
> and they would set up their street races from
> there.
I can remember as far back as when it was Gino's. We used to ride our skateboards or bikes up there from our neighborhood near Roundtree park. There also used to be a Gino's right near 7 Corners, that my mom told me The Pagans used to hang out at. (you know when biker gangs were actually scary)
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn in Annandale?
> It was where Burger King is now on Columbia Pike.
> I think at one time it was a Ginos.
> You ordered from your car and they had car hops
> deliver to the car.
> I just remember as a kid going there with my older
> brother. He use to hand out there with his
> buddies. All the Hot Rodders use to hang out there
> and they would set up their street races from
> there.
I can remember as far back as when it was Gino's. We used to ride our skateboards or bikes up there from our neighborhood near Roundtree park. There also used to be a Gino's right near 7 Corners, that my mom told me The Pagans used to hang out at. (you know when biker gangs were actually scary)
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
blanche
()
Date: January 15, 2013 11:47AM
The Tops on Columbia Pike and John Marr had silly advertisements for KFC on the walls. Famous pieces of art such as "Girl with Watering Can" except she was holding a bucket of KFC or the "Boat Ride" with a bucket of chicken in the boat. Very campy.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Barbara
()
Date: June 25, 2014 01:02PM
Sure do remember the Tops on King Street in Alexandria. That was the place to go when I was a teen in the 60's.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
clint rivers
()
Date: June 25, 2014 07:13PM
i was health inspector for arlington co........from1949 to 1964...jim mathews and i became friends when he first came to open his first store on n.glebe rd......i rember when we went to meet col saunders for first time.....jims dad had contract with hecht co. food services and showed jim how to run a smooth drivein.......if there are any history buffs i will try to provide what info i can....cbrjr@q.com
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Jerry Darr
()
Date: March 13, 2015 04:17PM
I was a car hop there in 1964, and used a homemade skateboard to deliver trays to the cars.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Dog Walker81
()
Date: March 13, 2015 10:11PM
Enigma Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Man, I wish we had a drive-in around here. The
> only one in the whole area is that Bengies one way
> up there near Baltimore.
Family Drive-In Movie Theater may be closer, depending on where in Fairfax you start from. Could be a little farther away from your starting point, but is probably a similar distance. It just opened for the season today.
Family is south of Winchester, VA, and off of I-81. It's still quite a drive so you may want to combine the trip with a picnic, visit to or hike in George Washington National Forest or Sky Meadows State Park.
Website: http://www.thefamilydriveintheatre.com/
5890 Valley Pike, (US Rt. 11 South) Stephens City, Virginia 22655
(Exit 307 on I-81) Movie line: 540-665-6982
-------------------------------------------------------
> Man, I wish we had a drive-in around here. The
> only one in the whole area is that Bengies one way
> up there near Baltimore.
Family Drive-In Movie Theater may be closer, depending on where in Fairfax you start from. Could be a little farther away from your starting point, but is probably a similar distance. It just opened for the season today.
Family is south of Winchester, VA, and off of I-81. It's still quite a drive so you may want to combine the trip with a picnic, visit to or hike in George Washington National Forest or Sky Meadows State Park.
Website: http://www.thefamilydriveintheatre.com/
5890 Valley Pike, (US Rt. 11 South) Stephens City, Virginia 22655
(Exit 307 on I-81) Movie line: 540-665-6982
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Regina Williams
()
Date: April 03, 2015 04:30PM
Hi There,
I am 66 and grew up in Greenway Hills right after the houses were being built. Mom was the first woman ever on the Fairfax City Police
Force. Tops was called a "hoods hangout" though unfairly. My husband and I were married in Annandale and moved to Tampa,Florida. I of course attended Fairfax High School as that was "it". There were very few things at Fairfax Circle. We left at ages 23 and 25 respectively.
Let me say that a three bedroom house with basement was 17,950!
Have a blessed day!
I am 66 and grew up in Greenway Hills right after the houses were being built. Mom was the first woman ever on the Fairfax City Police
Force. Tops was called a "hoods hangout" though unfairly. My husband and I were married in Annandale and moved to Tampa,Florida. I of course attended Fairfax High School as that was "it". There were very few things at Fairfax Circle. We left at ages 23 and 25 respectively.
Let me say that a three bedroom house with basement was 17,950!
Have a blessed day!
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Regina Williams
()
Date: April 03, 2015 04:30PM
Hi There,
I am 66 and grew up in Greenway Hills right after the houses were being built. Mom was the first woman ever on the Fairfax City Police
Force. Tops was called a "hoods hangout" though unfairly. My husband and I were married in Annandale and moved to Tampa,Florida. I of course attended Fairfax High School as that was "it". There were very few things at Fairfax Circle. We left at ages 23 and 25 respectively.
Let me say that a three bedroom house with basement was 17,950!
Have a blessed day!
I am 66 and grew up in Greenway Hills right after the houses were being built. Mom was the first woman ever on the Fairfax City Police
Force. Tops was called a "hoods hangout" though unfairly. My husband and I were married in Annandale and moved to Tampa,Florida. I of course attended Fairfax High School as that was "it". There were very few things at Fairfax Circle. We left at ages 23 and 25 respectively.
Let me say that a three bedroom house with basement was 17,950!
Have a blessed day!
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Marden McKee Cullumber
()
Date: August 12, 2015 07:00PM
I'm 67 years old and I spent five years living in Country Club Hills on Country Hill Drive next to Greenway Hills. I went to Layton Hill Elementary School, Sidney Lanier Middle School (the first year it opened) and Fairfax High School. My father was in the U S Air Force. We used to beg our father to take us to Tops Drive Inn.I had two older sisters, Susan and Diana. Our high school days were interrupted by a reassignment of our Dad to Wright Patterson AFB, Fairborn, Ohio.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
I Remember
()
Date: August 12, 2015 07:17PM
Topps was awesome.
I wish we had Sonic here. Its kind of the millenials version of Topps.
i can still smell the onion rings.
I wish we had Sonic here. Its kind of the millenials version of Topps.
i can still smell the onion rings.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
nigga nigga nigga nigag
()
Date: August 12, 2015 07:25PM
My girl gives me top at drive inns all the time
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
causeican
()
Date: August 12, 2015 09:19PM
How many of you old timers are in this picture? I bet every one of these boys is a FFU regular today. Confess.
Attachments:
Attachments:
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Double Action Jackson
()
Date: August 12, 2015 10:31PM
I'm the one with the gun in my pocket, Can you make me?? LOL
Just kidding!
I have heard of Tops, was before my time here, I came in 1970, I think they were gone by about 1968. Gino's was the next "thing" The Roys in the mid 70's.
Ginos sucked to me there burgers were not well done
No chopped up meat from who knows where for me folks. A good steak I can eat rare with a nice crust from the broiler.
Just kidding!
I have heard of Tops, was before my time here, I came in 1970, I think they were gone by about 1968. Gino's was the next "thing" The Roys in the mid 70's.
Ginos sucked to me there burgers were not well done
No chopped up meat from who knows where for me folks. A good steak I can eat rare with a nice crust from the broiler.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
NoVa Native
()
Date: August 12, 2015 10:47PM
The Tops in Annandale was where the Fairfax County Police would take their breaks. There were always several cop cars in the parking lot. For awhile, I think, they were getting free food. In the days before 911, the joke in Annandale was "if you need the police the place to call is Tops."
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Double Action Jackson
()
Date: August 12, 2015 11:17PM
>"if you need the police the place to call is Tops."
I have a feeling , It was not a joke.
I have a feeling , It was not a joke.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
DanKnows
()
Date: August 13, 2015 12:30PM
arl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know where on Glebe that was?
>
> Thanks
Right next to Rt. 50
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone know where on Glebe that was?
>
> Thanks
Right next to Rt. 50
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Hondo
()
Date: August 13, 2015 02:27PM
DH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn in Annandale?
So speaking of Tops, does anyone remember when Col Sanders came to Annandale during one of the Annandale Days parades of the early 1960s?
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn in Annandale?
So speaking of Tops, does anyone remember when Col Sanders came to Annandale during one of the Annandale Days parades of the early 1960s?
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Old Fool
()
Date: August 13, 2015 02:39PM
I was too young for Tops. But I do remember a Jack in the Box off Glebe Rd in Balston area in the early 80's. Good burgers.
The only Jack in the Box Ive seen since was in Concord NC near Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The only Jack in the Box Ive seen since was in Concord NC near Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Huh .. Speak-Up
()
Date: February 03, 2016 06:03PM
Annandale ... Back out of Hollywood Knights -1980 ...The FABLES, St.Albans , and London Fog, Gant shirts, and SS 396 Malibu ..
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Fudgie
()
Date: February 03, 2016 07:51PM
Didn't Johnny Dark's trailer get rolled over there or something one night?
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Frunkus
()
Date: February 04, 2016 02:27PM
The guy in the middle of the picture with the plaid jacket is a dead ringer for a young Bill Clinton.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Health food burger
()
Date: February 04, 2016 03:22PM
Hey, remeber when everyone was a buck fifty and ate whatever they wanted?
Musta been the sugar, salt and grease.
Musta been the sugar, salt and grease.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
LYKub
()
Date: February 04, 2016 03:53PM
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.............THE GOOD OLD DAYS!!!!
Wish I was there when it happened. Not a single Ghetto Orphan in that pic!
Wish I was there when it happened. Not a single Ghetto Orphan in that pic!
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
tops
()
Date: February 04, 2016 05:20PM
There was also a Tops on Route 1, at the TOP of the hill, just south of the Mt Vernon Drive-In
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Don Cox
()
Date: October 05, 2020 11:00PM
I don't ,but It was my
Favorite at Tops Kind of a lightly toasted brioche
Or pretzel bun. 1/4 inch
Sliced smoked ham. Lettuce, tomato,
Mayo,mustard. Maybe pickle ? Sliced
in half each held with tooth pick
Skewers. At Tops Route one
Just South of the My.Vernon Drive in theater. Mt.Vernon Va.forgot the cheese.
Favorite at Tops Kind of a lightly toasted brioche
Or pretzel bun. 1/4 inch
Sliced smoked ham. Lettuce, tomato,
Mayo,mustard. Maybe pickle ? Sliced
in half each held with tooth pick
Skewers. At Tops Route one
Just South of the My.Vernon Drive in theater. Mt.Vernon Va.forgot the cheese.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Ron P.
()
Date: February 07, 2021 09:37AM
I remember Tops Drive In. Back in the early 1960s when I was a youngster living on a Dairy Farm in Loudoun County, my Mom and a friend of hers used to take me to the National Theater in Washington, DC to see Saturday matinees of shows like "My Fair Lady" and "The Sound of Music". We would stop at the Tops Drive In and I would order a Sir Loiner, which was brought out to the car by a car hop in uniform on a special tray that hung from the car door. I'll never forget those special days of extravagance: a Tops Drive In meal and a Broadway Show! It was my idea of Heaven when I was 12 years old. If there was a Time Machine that could take me back, I'd recreate the whole agenda (except that, as an adult, I'd go for a martini and dinner at O'Donnell's or The Occidental after the show!
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Taken Down Not PC
()
Date: February 07, 2021 09:03PM
>Check out this story on Tops Drive-Inn's. Histort of the franchise. Mostly on the one at Fairfax Circlw: http://www.historicfairfax.org/pdf/hfci_summer07.pdf
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
FCer
()
Date: February 08, 2021 01:01AM
causeican Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many of you old timers are in this picture? I
> bet every one of these boys is a FFU regular
> today. Confess.
Look at those saddle shoes.
-------------------------------------------------------
> How many of you old timers are in this picture? I
> bet every one of these boys is a FFU regular
> today. Confess.
Look at those saddle shoes.
Re: Anyone remember Tops Drive Inn?
Posted by:
Gots To Know The Score
()
Date: February 08, 2021 11:00PM
>The one at Lee Hwy and Harrison St. was where the NOVA Pagans came out of.
Even though this was posted in 2012 9 years ago
Were they at Cycles Inc on Wilson before the caper and is that why they were up there , they sold Trumpets and Beezers and not new Harleys you know
Even though this was posted in 2012 9 years ago
Were they at Cycles Inc on Wilson before the caper and is that why they were up there , they sold Trumpets and Beezers and not new Harleys you know