Awesome Drive-Thrus

The first recorded drive-thru was at the Grand National Bank of St. Louis, Missouri, in 1930. It certainly wasn't a hamburger joint, but eateries soon embraced the idea. These days it's not just nationally known fast-food restaurants that have drive-thru lanes. These unique dining establishments are taking the drive-thru to new culinary heights.

Location: Outer Banks, NC

What You'll Find: Drinking and driving is illegal. But buying beer while driving isn't — at least not at North Carolina's Brew Thru. Six packs, cases, and even kegs of beer are all available for purchase along with popular brew accompaniments such as pretzels and candy. Of course, commemorative t-shirts and mugs are also for sale as the Brew Thru has become quite the attraction.

Location: La Puente, CA

What You'll Find: Nothing spurs a sweet craving like driving through a giant doughnut. Luckily at The Donut Hole you can pick some up on your way through. The huge local landmark has been sating — and creating — doughnut cravings since 1968.

Location: Chicago, IL

What You'll Find: Cake isn't just for birthdays. It can be for lunch, for dinner, for breakfast — or even a quick snack while on a drive. Portillos serves regional foods like Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, ribs, and burgers, all of which can be bought and consumed without leaving your vehicle. But the restaurant's true triumph is its cake, which is available in a variety of flavors, from strawberry shortcake to chocolate to lemon. And if one slice just won't do it, don't worry. Whole cakes are available at the drive-thru as well.

Location: On the slopes of Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, and Massachusetts

What You'll Find: Okay, so it's not actually a drive-thru; the Waffle Cabin is a ski-thru. For ski bums on the go who don't have time between mogul runs to sit down and unbuckle, these small, mountainside log cabins serve up freshly made waffles dusted with sugar.

Location: Omaha, NB

What You'll Find: It's half-time and you've run out of wings for your football Sunday. You call the delivery guy. They won't be there for another 45 minutes. Your fans can't wait that long. What do you do? You get in the car and drive-thru WingIts, where their menu boasts blazin' Buffalo wings with all the accouterments.

Location: Burbank, CA

What You'll Find: In Japan, Yakitori is a style of grilled food (usually different parts of chicken from heart to thigh) accompanied by beer at rollicking, smoke-filled bars. But at Tokyo Yakitori, you can have the salty, crispy pleasures of yakitori while sitting in the driver's seat. (Not surprisingly, beer is missing from the mix.)

Location: Long Island, NY

What You'll Find: The quaint, little red Dairy Barns scattered across Long Island may look old fashioned, but when it comes to dishing out dairy, they are at the height of modernity. You won't find hamburgers on this fast-food menu — but some of the products do come from a cow: Milk, cream, cheese, yogurt, butter, and more are for sale.

Location: Seattle, WA

What You'll Find: At Cowgirls Espresso, the rule may be no shirt, no shoes, no service for customers, but that doesn't apply to the bikini-clad baristas. In a town like Seattle, where coffee shops are a dime a dozen, founder Lori Bowden decided that her coffee shop needed to have not one but two hooks: drive-thru capabilities and scantily-dressed ladies steaming your milk. Her ideas worked. Today, Cowgirls Espresso has four locations across the country.