Anytime you see a line at a restaurant, you figure there’s something worthwhile inside. And when there is always a line, you know this is a great place to eat. A little over halfway to Lynchburg on Rt. 29 heading south is a town called Colleen. I suppose it’s a town since they have a sign on the highway, but as best I can tell, Colleen consists of a big Exxon Station and a smaller establishment, Colleen Drive In, where there is always a line and it is definitely worth a stop.
The Colleen Drive-In specializes in soft ice cream, but not ordinary ice cream. Colleen Drive-In ice cream is loaded with butterfat. It is rich and yummy. A plain cone is delicious, but the place also makes terrific shakes and sundaes.
They also serve slow food. Not fast food, though their sign says so, but it’s slow food because if you order a burger, it takes a while. They make everything to order and cook on a well-seasoned grill. They’ve been in business since way back in the 60’s, so the grill is very well seasoned. The drive-in is truly a step back in time, one of the last of the old food and ice cream operations.
The restaurant also serves fried chicken, onion rings and a typical selection of grill food. They have good hot dogs, but I’m not crazy about the chili. Their fries and onion rings are excellent.
The address is 4105 Thomas Nelson Highway, Arrington. The phone number is 434-263-5343 if you’d like to call in ahead.
If you’re really hungry and pass by that way, stop by and order a vanilla malted milk shake, a cheeseburger all the way and an order of fries. Wait the required 10 or 15 minutes and after that, any time you ever pass through Colleen, you’ll stop by that little drive-in on 29 South.
