GETTING READY FOR BURGERS
Jack’s Drive In is set to begin its 81st season on Tuesday in Wynantskill
WYNANTSKILL, N.Y. » Beloved local burger joint Jack’s Drive In begins its 81st season this week, a sure sign of spring for many area residents.
Located at 24 Main Ave. in Wynantskill, right on the border of Troy, Jack’s Drive In is scheduled to open at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
Early that morning, the longtime eatery will start grilling caramelized onions for its signature sliders, sending a distinct scent out into the air.
“That’s how Wynantskill knows we’re open,” said Joe Deeb, who owns the local business with his cousin S.K. Deeb.
Each March on opening day at Jack’s Drive In, lots of customers from near and far flock to the roadside stand to get their hands on some old fashioned sliders once again.
Many of them have been patiently waiting for this day to arrive. For the past two weeks, the business has been getting phone calls asking when opening day will be.
On Sunday, Jack’s Drive In made the official announcement on Facebook, followed by a flood of comments from fans who were excitedly marking their calendars and making plans to get their first sliders of 2019.
About 2,000 sliders will leave the window by closing time on Tuesday, man-
ager Albert Deeb predicted, with thousands more to be served in the days, weeks and months to come.
In addition to the classic ketchup and onion hamburger sliders that Jack’s Drive In has been serving since the 1930s, its current menu includes cheeseburgers, mini hot dogs, french fries and thick milkshakes.
Ahead of its 81st year, Joe Deeb said he’s looking forward to “another season of smiling faces and serving lots of sliders.”
The Deeb family has run Jack’s Drive In since 1966, which is when they took over from founder Jack Horn, who started the business in 1938 as a carhop-style drive-in operated out of a wooden shack.
Now the seasonal business is set in a small brick building with a walk-up window where customers place their orders. Some diners still choose to eat in their cars, or at one of the outdoor picnic tables on the grounds.
With more than eight de- cades of history, the folks at Jack’s Drive In are glad to continue a local tradition that people love.
Beginning Tuesday, Jack’s Drive In will be open from 11 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. daily through November.
More information about the business is available online at the Jack’s Drive In Facebook page or by calling 518-283-5110.