Good Food at an Old Fashioned Drive - In

The sign in front of May's

          "This is my favorite place to eat!" exclaimed an elderly lady.  At the top of town in Ashland, you might see a perfectly swirled ice cream sign that says May's Drive - In Restaurant.  May's, located at 2105 West Centre Street in Ashland, contains many home made recipe meals.   The Ashland restaurant is only one of the many branches that the May family owns.  They also has branches in Lewisburg, Berwick, Bloomsburg, and Hughesville.   

            

              Bill and Sara May, the owners of May's, started their operation in 1956.  Bill enjoyed discovering new spots to build his restaurants. He wanted his restaurants to have mouth watering food and have reasonable prices for families.  Years later, third and fourth generations of Mays still keep the family tradition going.   

                

 

May's Drive In

                 As you pull up to May's at the top of town in Ashland, it is not the most beautiful sight to see.  The outside contains  a little parking lot for customers to park in. Customers must use caution when they  park due to a pole that has many scrape marks on it from people hitting it while backing out.  The outside of the building,  constructed of rough red and brown brick, makes May's look more like an old fashioned building.  The outside wall facing the parking lot contains two little windows so that customers can order and enjoy ice cream outside in the summer.  The bright red awning catches peoples attention as they zoom by making them want to stop in for a treat.  Little kids will also love feeding the panda bear garbage can their garbage.  Often times, customers will just stop in for a cup of coffee. While customers drink their coffee, they also enjoy reading the daily newspaper,  that is available to buy.  

 

                  Touching the cool metal and walking through the double doors, people enter the old fashioned drive - in. The slippery, wet tile makes it difficult to walk sometimes.  Immediately as customers walk in, they get hit in the face with the aroma of burgers frying and chicken grilling.  The rough brick wall constructed inside, is a remnant of the wall which used to be outside.  A section was added on due to the lack of space on busy days. Years ago, juke boxes hung at every table so customers could enjoy any kind of music they wanted, but recently they were removed. Holes still remain in the wall where juke boxes once used to hang. 

 

A look into the kitchen

                  Many days, May's has a busy lunch rush.  During the busy hours, many workers hustle around in order to get the job done.  Typically, two people take customers' orders at the counter.  Two workers also prepare and cook the food.  Before the rush comes, workers prepare as much food as possible so all they have to do when a customer orders is cook it, which doesn't take too long. The kitchen doesn't take up much room, but is big enough to get the job done.  It features stainless steel work areas along with some storage space.

                    A big dining area adorns the back section of May's.  The back dining area, home to 16 wooden booths, welcomes anybody looking for a great meal.  Wooden paneling covers the walls, making it feel rustic.  Tan colored tables, bolted to the wall, make for a sturdy dining surface.  Currently, the windows contain beautiful paintings of winter scenes crafted by North Schuylkill students.  Old Coca-Cola pictures hang on the walls, making the atmosphere seem like the olden days.  Above each table hangs a red and  white tulip shaped lamp.        

 

                    May's has many great assets. "It's close to my house, has reasonable prices, great food and has a great welcoming environment," said Ellen, a customer at Mays.  "The service here is also great", said Ellen. "The workers always make sure I have everything I need," replied Ellen.  The calm and relaxed environment makes customers feel welcomed when they walk into May's.  The workers seem so happy, almost as if  they are working at Disney World. The condiments do not sit out on the table like at other drive-in's.  At May's, a little counter holds containers with ketchup, relish, onions and mustard.  Customers must scoop out their own condiments into a little cup. 

 

An egg omelet from May's breakfast.   

                     May's closes very early in the winter around 8:30, but the next day at 7AM, they are ready to start their day all over again serving breakfast till 11.  In summer months, May's stays open till 9:30. Breakfast has a different routine than lunch and dinner. At breakfast, customers have a waitress and they take your order at your table. Breakfast food comes out on glass plates.  The plates are placed on plastic place mats which also act as the breakfast menu. Metal silverware placed on napkins, makes the meal seem more fancy.  During lunch and dinner, customers order their own meal at the counter.  After being given a number, customers go and sit and wait for their food.  When their number is called, patrons go up and pick up their food from the counter.  The steaming hot food sometimes melts the Styrofoam plate under it.  Everything used at lunch contains either Styrofoam, paper, or plastic making for an easier clean up. 

                      May's offers a variety of different foods.  At breakfast, they offer omelets of any kind, along with toast, home fries, pancakes, waffles and many other delicious meals. During lunch, customers can order fried chicken, chicken fingers or chicken sandwiches.  May's also has burgers, cheese steaks, fish sandwiches, pizza and hotdogs.  Kids meals are also available for little diners.  For dessert, customers have a variety of ice cream flavors to choose from.  They have stormers which contains either chocolate or vanilla ice cream with any kind of candy a customers wants.  The candy available for stormers are Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, M&M's, 1,000 Grand, Heath, Gummy Bears and many more.  They also sell banana splits, milkshakes and many kinds of sundaes.        

 

                     May's has something that everyone would enjoy.  They sell breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any kind of ice cream.  If you are looking for a good place to eat, stop in at May's and try it today.   You won't be disappointed!