Bo-Mac’s Drive-In continues the tradition of great food and memorable moments in Shoals

In 1960, an attorney and a doctor decided to dip their toes into the popular drive-in business. Bob and Mac created their drive-in restaurant near the intersection of Routes 50 and 150 in Shoals, Indiana, and named it after themselves.

Bo-Mac’s became an area institution. Its neon sign, still glowing today like a vintage beacon, has five words in all caps — SHAKES, SUNDAES, ROOT BEER, SANDWICHES — below its taunting swirl of ice cream sweepingskyward from a tilted sugar cone.

Current owners Todd and Blair Baker purchased it in 2021 from the family, who took it on a few years after it opened. They keep with the place’s tradition of sharing food and memories outdoors around picnic tables and in cars, which are still attended by carhops.

Burgers, sandwiches and sides

“Some of our main items that are really popular are from the original owners in their own handwriting,” said Todd Baker.

These items include “Rox” burgers — two cheeseburgers stacked with hand-sliced, breaded onion rings and bacon — and “Coneys,” a take on the Coney Island hot dog smothered in a rich, meaty sauce.

Those “sandwiches” in the Bo-Mac’ssign? There are 17 different choices. Eight are burgers, including one “Firehouse Burger,” a cheeseburger topped with hot sauce, jalapenos, coney sauce, and coleslaw. The rest include catfish or cod and a varietyof grilled or hand-breaded chicken options.

Most of Bo-Mac’s 18 side dishes, such as fries, fried mushrooms, andchicken strips, are dippable. Some have a twist like corn dog bites, nacho nuggets, and fried pickles, as well as potato salad, coleslaw, and baked beans.

In addition to a la carte for many of the above items, there are baskets, platters, buckets, and even barrels. Monthly, Bo-Mac’s offers an assortment of barbecued pork, which is smoked, grilled, or pulled.

A boundless selection of ice cream

Bo-Mac’s has an array of savory options, but many customers are beckoned by the swirl on the sign, sweeping skyward from its dainty little cone. “Ice cream is what we’re really known for,” Baker said. 

The drive-in offers shakes, malts, cups, cones, sundaes, and flurries with what Baker calls “an endless variety of toppings.” 

A sampling can start with soft-serve chocolate or vanilla. Shake and malt territory can intersect with mint, cherry, pumpkin, pineapple, or blue raspberry. Floats can bob in Coca-Cola, root beer, red cream soda, or Dr. Pepper. Flurries can be mixed with ingredients like cheesecake bites and pina colada. The “Gold Brick” flurry has Heath bar, butterscotch, and nuts. 

Bo-Mac’s is open from April to October and again from around Thanksgiving until February. Baker said one of his favorite parts of the business is what people share beneath the glowing sign, in addition to its food. 

“I’ve been coming here for as long as I can remember, as it is with many locals, as well as their children and grandchildren,” he said. “First dates, birthdays, meaningful moments, it’s important to us to provide that space for customers and deliver a good experience and make more memories.” 

Veni Fields is a journalist and freelance writer from Virginia Beach.