A classic Lake Country drive-in, The Kiltie has stayed true to its roots

OCONOMOWOC - If it feels old-fashioned, that's just fine with the folks at The Kiltie.

With a history dating back to the 1940s, the classic drive-in off Highway 16 has stayed loyal to its roots during its approximately 70 years serving Lake Country.

"We keep a lot of the traditions. We get a lot of the same people, too, a lot of the lake-dwellers who come in from even out-of-state and all over the state," said manager Hannah Roraff. 

But while many things remain the same, that doesn't mean that the restaurant hasn't evolved over the years.

"The building itself has been here since about 1946 or '47, and that was back in the day before we even had the canopy," Roraff said.

That canopy, according to Roraff, went up in the 1960s, around the same time that current owner Drew Howie became a part of The Kiltie family.

"He's been around for such a long time. I know he started working here when he was 14 himself," Roraff said. "We're like a family here, we're all close and see each other every day. The people who work here, a lot of them have worked here a long time. We get the new, young ones in and they stick around."

The menu at The Kiltie has also remained largely the same over the years, with popular options such as the burgers, onion rings and french fries staying on as favorites of the local clientele.

"We do also have some new things; we've added some nice wonton-wrapped mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers," Roraff said. "We just have some really good stuff."

Dessert is a particularly popular time at The Kiltie as well, with plenty of options, including shakes and freezes.

"One of our features is definitely our sundaes. We just have some really well put-together sundaes," Roraff said. "People love to take pictures of them."

Other options at The Kiltie include hot dogs, chicken and shrimp dinners and more.

Despite its long history and extensive fan base, Roraff said that she has not seen any inklings from Howie about possibly expanding or opening a second location.

"I've seen us choose to pick quality over mass production. We enjoy being really well-acclaimed, so we would rather put out a good product than make multiple Kilties all over," Roraff said. "We have a very large following. The need to expand isn't really there. We're happy where we are."

THE KILTIE

ADDRESS: N48 W36154 E Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc

PHONE NUMBER: 262-567-2648

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/kiltiedrivein