King Tut Drive-In

King Tut Drive-In was a drive-in restaurant on North Eisenhower Drive in Beckley, West Virginia, serving American and barbecue food. It opened in 1945, started by the Tutweiler family. In 1955, John McKay took over. His son Dave, who once made pizza there for 25 cents an hour, later ran the place with his brother Jeff until Jeff moved to Maryland.

The property had an awning over the parking area, a kitchen building, and a large front marquee that showed the menu. Like many drive-ins, workers called “curb girls” by McKay brought orders to customers in their cars. On September 25, 2020, the restaurant announced a temporary closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic and reopened on October 8. On July 31, 2023, the owners said they planned to sell and retire.

King Tut Drive-In closed for good on August 29, 2023. The drive-in had a big neon sign shaped like a yellow and red crown. It was open daily from 10 am to 11 pm except Wednesdays, a day off that Dave McKay said was part of an agreement his father made with other local drive-in owners. The menu was large, covering breakfast, lunch, and dinner with items like hoagies, sandwiches, pot roast, chicken livers, and swiss steak.

The most popular dishes were barbecue, hot dogs, specialty salads, and pizza. Desserts included root-beer floats, milkshakes, and three kinds of pie: apple, coconut, and either chocolate or cherry cream. Many recipes came from McKay’s grandmother, Kenneth McKay.