Evelyn and Henry (Andy) Anderson established and operated a number
of restaurants in Kenosha. Their first was The Coffee Pot in the
Boat House area. This was followed by The Restaurant and Bus Stop
downtown. It sold bus tickets and provided a place for travelers to
wait as well as acting as a restaurant for business people and
shoppers downtown. Their next venture was located on Roosevelt Road
just west of Pofahl's, in a building whose stoves still burned coal.
Andy's Restaurant on 23rd Ave. and 63 St. still flourishes. The secret
of the success of this restaurant is that it sticks to restaurant
traditions. The sons of Evelyn and Henry - Gary, Bill, and Ken - can cook
everything on the menu themselves if the chefs can't keep up with the
clientele at any given time. Whoever does the cooking, they start from
scratch, not merely receiving several gross of the day's "special" and
poping it into a microwave oven when someone places an order.
Even the bread, pies, and pastries offered at the restaurant are made
fresh on the premises. Not only does the food reflect family tradition and
midwestern cuisine, the atmosphere seems that of a less impatient, more
personalized era. The restaurant has earned awards and other forms of
professional recognition, including the "State Restaurateur of the Year"
award for Henry. The restaurant has a web site with its menu,
and you can see it
by clicking here.
15 years ago, Bill, Ken, and Gary set up Andy's Drive-In two doors west of
Dr. Fulmer's office. The first restaurant in the building, Raleigh's,
had been a Kenosha classic for several decades. After it closed, the building
housed an A&W franchise. Bill Anderson belonged to an American
Motors Club, an organization of people who restored vintage AM cars.
He wanted a place to meet friends and show off their cars. At the same
time, he wanted to extend the philosophy of the restaurant on
63rd. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and milk shakes may have formed the basis
for the global fast food business, but the versions of these classics
you find at restaurants advertised on television around the world
aren't the real thing - just inexpensive imitations. If you want
classic drive-in food, the kind you could have gotten at Raleigh's
40 years ago, Andy's is the place to go. During fair weather, the
American Motors Club and other vintage car organizations meet at
Andy's Drive-In on Wednesday evenings. If you'd like to
come and look at some beautiful vintage cars and talk to some automobile
enthusiasts, you are invited. The rest of the week, the food's always
good, and the atmosphere is always friendly.
