As the sun set on a Sunday night in April 2025, flames shot up from Eat Up Drive In, engulfing the roof and sending a plume of black smoke into the dusky sky. Everyone was able to get out, and there were no injuries reported. But the restaurant itself was toast.
In the nearly nine months since then, the casual eatery on the corner of 40th Street and Indian School Road has remained closed. For months, it sat empty with a big hole blown in the top.
But now, the restaurant is fixed up and ready to welcome customers back inside. Eat Up Drive In will reopen on Saturday.
The restaurant originally opened in 2021, serving a menu of homestyle American eats, including fried chicken, sliced steak and baked potatoes, along with breakfast burritos, sandwiches and salads. Those dishes could be picked up at the drive-thru, enjoyed inside the small dining area or outside at a picnic table on the patio…