Inside Peppermint Twist Delano: Why WCCO Viewers Voted It Minnesota’s Best Drive-In

Delano sits thirty miles west of Minneapolis along US Highway 12, where suburban sprawl yields to open Wright County farmland. Drivers scanning the roadside each May watch for a bright splash of bubblegum pink signaling the opening of the Peppermint Twist Drive-In. As detailed in an RVtravel Report tracking premier regional highway stops, this Wright County landmark secured the coveted WCCO "Best of Minnesota" drive-in title by perfecting an experience rooted entirely in personal, low-tech hospitality.

The draw bypasses modern corporate fast-casual concepts. While corporate fast-food brands invest heavily in touchscreens and drive-thru artificial intelligence, Peppermint Twist runs on car window trays, scratch-made malt shakes, and a sprawling, whimsical Teddy Bear Park. Families, motorcyclists, and vintage auto clubs pull in off the highway, parking under striped canopies to participate in a seasonal dining tradition that has defined Upper Midwest summers for decades.

📌 Key Takeaways:

• WCCO Viewers' Choice: Peppermint Twist took the top spot in WCCO's statewide polling, beating out historic metropolitan drive-ins across Minnesota.
• Handcrafted Menus: The kitchen serves griddled burgers, golden onion rings, and more than 30 flavors of dense, hand-scooped malts and milkshakes.
• Roadside Original: The adjacent Teddy Bear Park provides an immersive open-air garden that turns a quick meal into a memorable travel stop.

The Pink Canopy on Highway 12 and the Carhop Tradition

Peppermint Twist makes no attempt at modern minimalism. Painted in vibrant shades of pink and mint green, the exterior demands attention from motorists traveling the Highway 12 corridor. Drivers pull into vintage vehicle bays beneath protective awnings, flip on their headlights, and wait for carhops to step up to the driver's side window with order pads in hand.

The carhop model was once ubiquitous across the Upper Midwest during the postwar highway boom. Most suburban locations vanished as indoor dining rooms and double-lane fast-food windows took over the market in the late 1970s. Peppermint Twist survived by leaning directly into its mid-century character. Metal trays clip securely onto rolled-down car windows, laden with paper-lined baskets of crinkle-cut fries, grilled cheeseburgers, and cold glass malt cups. The interaction remains personal, swift, and unapologetically retro.

Inside the Kitchen: Scratch-Made Malts and Flat-Top Classics

Nostalgia alone cannot sustain a restaurant across successive generations. The kitchen executes classic roadside comfort food with careful consistency. Burgers hit the flat-top griddle hot, developing caramelized edges before cooks top them with melted American cheese, crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, and griddled onions. The menu covers all the essential drive-in staples: corn dogs, battered mushrooms, crispy chicken tenders, and crinkle-cut fries salted immediately out of the fryer.

The real centerpiece remains the malt bar. Unlike national chains that rely on pre-mixed soft-serve bases pumped from automated dispensers, Peppermint Twist hand-scoops hard ice cream to build rich, dense malts. Spindle mixers blend each order to order, creating shakes thick enough to collapse an ordinary paper straw. Flavors span well past standard chocolate and vanilla, offering butterscotch, wild raspberry, peanut butter fudge, banana, and seasonal fruit varieties topped with whipped cream and a signature pink mint.

Comparing Minnesota's Classic Historic Drive-In Stops

Minnesota retains a resilient network of mid-century drive-in restaurants, each preserved by passionate independent operators. Peppermint Twist stands out for its elaborate outdoor environment and small-town setting.

Teddy Bear Park: The Backyard That Keeps Families Returning

Many drive-ins focus purely on cars parked in asphalt lots. Peppermint Twist changes the dynamic by inviting guests out of their vehicles into the green yard behind the stalls. Named Teddy Bear Park, this enclosed outdoor garden features manicured grassy pathways, pink picnic tables, flower beds, and dozens of plush, wooden, and fiberglass teddy bears posed in charming scenes.

For parents traveling Highway 12 with young children, the park solves the typical stress of dining on the road. Children run along the paths, inspect the whimsical displays, and eat their soft-serve ice cream without the confinement of a booth or car seat. The lawn also serves as an open-air venue for classic car cruise-ins, where collectors park pristine 1950s Chevrolets and 1960s Mustangs, creating a living museum background that complements the restaurant's architecture.

The Realities of Running a Seasonal Minnesota Roadside Business

Operating a seasonal drive-in in central Minnesota demands careful logistical planning. The restaurant operates strictly from early May through late September, compressing an entire fiscal year of customer traffic into five intense months. When sub-zero winter temperatures hit Wright County, the pink shutters lock down tight.

Staffing relies heavily on local high school and college students who return each spring, trained to manage busy peak-hour rushes where vehicle lines spill out toward the highway shoulder. Supply chains require careful oversight, as the owners source high volumes of dairy, fresh produce, and ground beef during the height of summer travel. The brief operating window creates an unmistakable urgency: Minnesotans know that missing the summer window means waiting another seven months for their next hand-spun malt.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What months is Peppermint Twist in Delano open?

A1: Peppermint Twist operates seasonally, typically opening around Mother's Day weekend in early May and concluding service in late September or early October, weather permitting.

Q2: Do I have to eat in my car, or is there outdoor seating available?

A2: Guests can choose traditional carhop service inside their vehicles, walk up to the order windows, or carry their food into the adjoining Teddy Bear Park to eat at open-air picnic tables.

Q3: How did Peppermint Twist win the WCCO "Best of Minnesota" award?

A3: The restaurant claimed top honors through a viewer-voted competition conducted by CBS affiliate WCCO, earning the highest vote count among dozens of historic drive-ins statewide.

Q4: Is there an entrance fee for Teddy Bear Park?

A4: Teddy Bear Park is open to paying customers of the restaurant, providing an accessible outdoor recreational and dining space for families at no added charge.

The Enduring Allure of Delano's Mid-Century Landmark

The popularity of Peppermint Twist proves that diners still seek out tactile, unhurried roadside hospitality. Highway 12 offers faster national chain alternatives, yet hundreds of travelers intentionally pull off the road each summer afternoon into Delano's pink parking stalls. They come for the tactile snap of real carhop trays, the thick chill of a handcrafted malt, and an environment that celebrates simple community pleasures. In the heart of Wright County, this roadside gem keeps the authentic spirit of mid-century Minnesota summer alive, one shake at a time.