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I just finished a road trip through a few countries in central Europe and was wondering whether I would come across a drive-in restaurant? I didn't but I wouldn't mind visiting one on the next trip.

In Germany McDonalds used to have tons of Drive-Ins, but these were actually mis-labelled Drive-Thrus. I think they call them McDrives now. It seems they still think Germans can't pronounce the TH.

So I'm looking for a place where you park but stay in your car and a waitress/waiter comes around (often on roller skates) to take your order and deliver it as well. You then eat in the car.

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I thought these were all gone since the 60s, until I was in Arizona earlier this month and went to Sonic - and yes, they had roller skates too :)) – Mark Mayo Sep 23 '12 at 23:06
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Yeah these are not even that easy to find in the US any more though during the '50s revival in the '80s I had a favourite one in Fullerton California. I've never seen one outside the US. If there is something it will likely be somewhere that also has a classic car theme, what those Germans call "Oldtimers"! – hippietrail Sep 24 '12 at 3:01
I'm not sure if it make much sense with the weather you get in Central Europe. Can't imagine waitress rollerskating in rain ;-) – vartec Sep 25 '12 at 8:56
In my travels in Europe I've never seen one, in fact I've never seen one at all. The drive through does sometimes work like you describe though, if they haven't got what you are ordering ready they might well ask you to wait in the parking lot and then deliver it to you. I think @vartec has the right idea, here you order at the drive through then stop at the parking lot and eat. The waitress/waiter doesn't wanna leave the restaurant and you don't wanna leave your car heh. – Alendri Sep 25 '12 at 9:57
I'm from Czech Republic, and I can say that as far asI know, there's no such restaurant here. We're not so happy about being in car, we prefer to walk out and be comfortably seated. – tohecz Nov 2 '12 at 22:59

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I'm pretty sure the answer is no, there are none.

Even using a loose definition of Central Europe, there doesn't seem to be any other than the "Drive-thrus" you mention. The closest I could find was Autokino Gravenbruch, a drive-in movie cinema in Germany.

This sausage vendor in Poland also showed up in my searches but I think it falls solidly into the category of 'buying takeaway food and sitting in your car to eat it', which you could do almost anywhere.

There's also Annette's Diner, a resturant in Disney Village, Paris where they've attempted to recreate a 1950's, "Happy Days" feel and will present you with a real American breakfasts served by waitresses on roller skates. Sounds like the right atmosphere, but of course, no drive-in.

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The other problem is some places calling themselves "Drive in" (eg Coffeze in Scotland) when they're really just drive-thru... – Mark Mayo Sep 28 '12 at 6:11
@MarkMayo: Peter already mentioned that in his question: In Germany McDonalds used to have tons of Drive-Ins, but these were actually mis-labelled Drive-Thrus. – hippietrail Sep 28 '12 at 7:28
Yeah, was just using it to highlight Coffeze which I'd found in my searches, which turned out not to be one. – Mark Mayo Sep 28 '12 at 14:21
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At least there were some real drive in restaurants in Europe. I found a really old newspaper article about the first drive-in restaurant in Germany, opened in 1962. This restaurant seems no longer be there.

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