Unkle Woody's

One of the more romanticized landmarks of Washington lore is the Unkle Woody's Drive Inn.  Baby boomers reflect on the establishment with reverence given to few other Washington landmarks.  Here is what we know about the history of Unkle Woody's.

Longtime realtor John Bartley owned the property, and in 1957, he opened the Kings Kastles Drive-In.

Bartley did not run the restaurant for long, leasing the building to Bud Warner,  James Apke, and finally, Robert Warnes, who all tried to make the restaurant a success.  Warnes closed the restaurant in November 1959.

A few months after closing in February 1960, the building suffered significant damage by fire due to suspected arson.

In the spring of 1961, new players arrived.  The Funks and Norwoods came together to form Unkle Woody's, a play on their last names.

In 1963, a larger dining room was added, quadrupling the inside dining space.

In 1971, Unkle Woody's celebrated their 10th anniversary.

The restaurant remained open until 1976 when it closed. The property was sold to Essig Motors, which razed the building. Below, you will see one of the final advertisements for Unkle Woody's in early 1976. A photo of Essig's demolition completes the end of an era.