MEMORIES OF OSCAR'S
Here's a snapshot of my wife, Susan
Roskos Mardon '65, in her Oscar's uniform circa 1967. She worked at the
Oscar's on 38th and University -- Bob Mardon '64
I met my husband Ray at the El Cajon Blvd Oscars. He graduated from Hoover in 1964 -- Ruth Palovchik Yurgelon '65
I remember cherry Cokes with vanilla cream at Oscar's. Wow! -- Lee Harris '59
Friends of mine, in the late ‘50s,
liked to rent bicycles-built-for-two from Zumwalt’s on El Cajon Blvd in
the evening. We would take them home for the night, then head out early
the next morning. I would leave my house on Linda Paseo and head for my
friend’s house near Hoover. Inevitably, as I was riding alone, guys from
State would yell out “You lost someone”!!!
When the entire gang was finally together we would ride down
Adams Avenue to Park Boulevard, boys on the front, girls on the back
getting a “free ride”. Our destination was the Presidio, where we
enjoyed riding the bikes over the park’s grassy knolls. After a picnic
lunch and sightseeing, we headed home, “cruising” Oscar’s after dark.
The bikes were returned the next day. Other kids would occasionally
roller skate through Oscars, but we were the coolest when we cruised
Oscars in my boyfriend's 1950 Maroon "Merc", lowered, of course, to the
legal limit (the height of a pack of Camel cigarette's). Guys knew
exactly which routes to take to avoid hazardous "dips".) 1949 and 1950
lowered Merc's were the coolest cars to go around...and around...and
around Oscars...until the cops were called and we were told, "that's
enough for the evening, buy French fries or go home". Then we would go
down Texas Street watching and listening for the cars that would
"backfire" the most! The best cars were the throatiest, backfiringest,
rumbliest, lowest, cherriest ones! Of course the beautiful, blonde and
blue eyed, Karen Poulson was the coolest!! She cruised Oscar’s with her
Hoover boyfriend Ron Cole in a light blue ’58 Lotus Elite race car! We
are still best friends! The best food served at Oscars was their hot
deep-dish cherry pies with vanilla ice cream melting on top!!!! -- Jeannine Berger Passenheim ’60
I was in heaven at Oscar’s if my date
could afford to share the lettuce wedge with Thousand Island dressing.
Even though most of us could not afford to eat there; the fellowship was
free and abundant. Loved it! -- Ginny Sanderson Dahlen ‘60
Ah, Oscars -- with the Elephant
mural. That is where the rich kids went to have their fancy burgers
(sort of like Bobs Big Boy in LA at that time) while the rest of us went
to Don's Drive-in. I miss Don’s deep fried tacos with all the
ingredients inserted ahead of time, and everything dripping in grease.
Food is a real atavistic icon. -- Merle Betz ’61
In 1958 and 1959, my best friend,
Linda Griffin and I used to cruise Oscars in my metallic bronze '51
Chevy. We'd pass through a couple of times checking to see who was there
and then we'd park. She would always order a deep-dish berry pie and
I'd order a root beer float in those large glass mugs. Oscars was the
ONLY place to cruise in those days!!! -- Ellen Scott Hahn ’59
I worked at both the Oscars on Euclid
and El Cajon, and Menlo and El Cajon in the late ‘50s but I did not
keep anything from either facility. The Euclid facility, in its later
days was known, as “the Circus”. -- Colin Fort ’60
I recall that either the District
Attorney or the Police Chief, in response to questions from the public
about police officers and their cars frequently parked at Oscars, said:
"They are conducting a special investigation to find out if the cheese
is on the top of the bottom patty or on the bottom of the top patty". -- Roy Boughton '59
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