By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST
I found myself in Livingston on a sunny summer afternoon, and knew there was one stop I had to make before I left town, a staple of my summer wanderings: Mark’s In & Out.
The retro drive-in on West Park Street is hard to miss, emblazoned with a giant bubble-lettered neon sign announcing that the place has “beefburgers.” Smaller neon below also advertise “onion rings,” “malts,” “hot dogs” and “floats.” Plus, when open, the drive-in is usually surrounded by cars and has a line of people waiting to order at the front window. That line is to be expected, and I will happily queue for the nostalgia, for the hand-spun milkshakes and malts, and for the crinkle fries that accompany those beefburgers. The beef is ground fresh daily.
I have the time in line to survey my surroundings. Fluffy clouds dot the deep blue above, and a halo of trees set off the building’s stark white from the sky. I’ve always loved the building. To use slang from the 1950s: it’s hip and I dig it. In modern parlance, it gives spaceship vibes. The main portion of the building, for the math nerds among us, is an inverted rectangular frustum. For the rest of us, it looks like someone cut the top off a pyramid and then turned it upside down. It starts small and flares out to the top, making the red and white striped marquee appear to hover above the workers who scurry about the kitchen below, visible through angled glass surrounding three sides.
There’s obvious history here. The ice cream is Wilcoxson’s and the menu touts how the company has been making its frosty desserts in Livingston since 1912. Online, the restaurant’s history talks about the hundreds of people who have worked there over more than seven decades—including children and even grandchildren of former employees who followed in their loved ones’ paths.
As I approach the window, I consider the menu. Do I change my order in the name of research? Nah. The beauty of Mark’s has always been that you can have your burger however the hell you want it. Name the patties, the cheese, and the classic burger toppings and they’ll make it happen. There are also chicken, fish, pork and veggie options.
Don’t sleep on the pizza burger, though. It’s the one specialty burger on offer—topped with pizza sauce, parmesan and American cheese and grilled onion. When I’m in a pizza burger mood, I usually add mushrooms to the mix.
My go-to order is a mushroom and Swiss burger, with “the standard” toppings—ketchup, mustard, pickle and onion. Then I add lettuce, tomato and mayo. Admittedly, the Swiss here is probably more akin to a white American slice than a cheese with any real bite, but I still love it. Tots, onion rings and grilled mushrooms are side options, but it’s hard for me to pass up the crispy crinkle fries. It’s not on the menu, but they still have the “Cadillac” option, topped with cheese or brown gravy.
Then it is on to the sweet treats. You can add flavors to your soda like an old-fashioned soda fountain, choose add-ins for milkshakes or malts or toppings for scoops of ice cream. While a chocolate malt always hits right, it is also a common offering among diners of the world. What isn’t as common is the willingness to allow you to go big with multiple mix-ins. Years ago, my longtime river buddy Ryan introduced me to a concoction he dubbed “the Starburst” after the chewy candy—a fruity milkshake with strawberry, pineapple and banana. It does give a candy impression, and one only made better by the fact it is ice cream. It is craveable and I can’t help but find myself rattling off the short list of mix-ins to the woman at the window.
When I ask our mutual friend Amy about what she orders over the phone later, she says a standard burger, fries and Oreo milkshake. But no matter what she chooses, Amy stresses that Mark’s is definitely best after time on the Yellowstone spent river surfing, fishing or floating with friends.
I think back on the river trips that ended here—or the marathon day where it was a mid-trip re-fuel for friends continuing downriver. I think to the friends I have waited in line with or have surprised with delivery, to the meals eaten in the park across the street, by the river or on the tiled ledge surrounding the building.
This moment of reflection is the beauty of nostalgia. Mark’s has become part of our shared history and each visit brings an opportunity to relive fond memories—with a side of fries.
Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.
