They play the Happy Days/Grease card a little heavily at Issaquah’s XXX Root Beer Drive-In: burgers named for cars (the ” ’58 Impala” is a half-pound bacon cheeseburger) and a relentlessly catchy AM-radio soundtrack (Chuck Berry, the Cowsills). But we love it because it feels like an authentic hangout. Its orange and yellow picnic tables are just the place to meet friends or take the family on a summer Saturday night—as they have been for decades; the restaurant opened in 1940 and has been in its current location since 1968. Vintage-car enthusiasts like to show off their gorgeously maintained vehicles at XXX too, adding to the ambience. We don’t say it’ll be cheap. The burger-and-fries baskets are all upward of $8, and a mug of root beer—scrumptious, with a home-brewed taste, though on the sweet side—is $2.59. But it’s worth it. “Nothing that you eat or drink here is good for you,” says a sign. Well, maybe not nutritionally, but definitely emotionally. —Gavin Borchert 98 N.E. Gilman Blvd., Issaquah, 425-392-1266, triplexrootbeer.com
New King county park rangers to begin patrolling Saturday
Council members hope the increased presence of officials will deter break-ins at trailheads.
SR18 closure at I-90 rescheduled to start May 29
Both directions of traffic will be closed around the clock until June 4.
Candidate filing begins for 9 Washington state legislative seats
Candidates can begin filing at 8 a.m. Monday (May 5) for more than 3,200 seats on city councils, county commissions, school boards, and special districts.