Al Green’s Ice Cream To-Go Carton
Vintage: 1960
Resides at the Irvington Historical Society
LONG AGO, AL Green’s drive-in on East Washington Street was the place for ice cream. Al and sister Belle, who was known to play matchmaker to unsuspecting patrons, opened the pink stucco landmark in 1947. Al made the ice cream for frosty shakes and creamy root beer floats, which were so popular that customers began asking to buy the ice cream separately to take home. Al obliged. Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry with hunks of fruit were scooped into cardboard to-go cartons like this one. High in butterfat, all three flavors tasted uniquely rich compared to brands sold in grocery stores at the time. In the late 1970s, Al Green’s began a slow decline. Yet, to the end, married couples set up by Belle stopped by and parked in “their spot.” In 1992, the restaurant was demolished.
