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Don Boyd | all galleries >> Memories of Old Hialeah, Old Miami and Old South Florida Photo Galleries - largest non-Facebook collection on the internet >> Miami Area RESTAURANTS, Drive-Ins, Bars, Lounges, Liquor Stores, Clubs, Strip Joints, etc. Gallery - All Years - click to view >> Jimmy's Hurricane Images Gallery - click on image to view the gallery > Jimmy's Hurricane Drive-In at Bird and Douglas Roads
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1950's Allan Moss

Jimmy's Hurricane Drive-In at Bird and Douglas Roads

Miami, Florida


Photo courtesy of Gary Licko, a former co-worker of mine in Customer Service at Sears - Northside Shopping Center in the early 1970's. He has the large print of this image which he scanned for my site. Jeff Levine advises that this photo was taken by Allan Moss of Pilkington Studio in Coral Gables.

This hugely popular drive-in was located at the SW corner of Bird and Douglas Roads and was frequented by mostly young people cruising in their cool wheels. It later became a Shell gas station. I have a photo of a 1953 ad for Jimmy's Hurricane with "Santa's Babies" pictured at: http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/146206742

This is one of the earliest photos that I added to the "Old Miami" section of my site. It was added in April 2007.


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Guest 01-Oct-2021 12:00
This brings tears to my eyes...the old Googie architecture is amazing, unlike the cookie-cut outs of today's structures these had class and above ALL STYLE!!! Sure do miss these times...
Guest 18-Aug-2019 18:47
My Mom wore roller skates while working at Jimmys anymore photos perhaps Mom is in one
john cummings 05-Aug-2019 09:37
When I was in the Coast Guard at Dinner Key in 1956 ,Jimmy's Hurricane was my favorite burger place.
Guest 01-Nov-2017 19:23
I not only worked there for 4 whole days but bought thick ham sandwiches twice a week when working at Hot Shoppes down Bird Road and cross the Dixie Hwy. When I worked there it was called Jimmy's Hurricane on Bird and Douglas (1961).
Don Boyd17-Jul-2016 09:34
Paul, thank you for your comment but if it indeed says "Jimmie's" it probably is not "Jimmy's Hurricane" due to the difference in spelling of Jimmy and the fact that it does not say "Hurricane" after his name. Perhaps it was this Jimmie's? http://www.pbase.com/donboyd/image/87018861

Don
.
Paul H 16-Jul-2016 12:49
I have in my possession a glass drink stirrer that says;

You'll Remember
Jimmie's
Miami, Florida

My grandmother spent some time in Florida after the war.
LynnG26-Jun-2016 21:23
For a while we lived in an industrial area behind Jimmy's Hurricane, within walking distance. My younger brother would walk over and try to charm the carhops into giving him free food.
E.B.S.B. 21-Dec-2012 00:58
I knew we were heading to the Hurricane when I saw the searchlights reaching up into the night sky! Oh how I miss The Gables, the way they were ...
Willa (Allgair) Downs 11-Oct-2011 15:55
I was relieved to find you photo of Jimmy's Hurricane. Still looking for Hot Shoppes. Would you happen to have a photo of the Mini Diner?
Guest 24-Jul-2011 23:21
Hi Gale,I was at Jimmys when you worked there
Gale D. 09-Jun-2011 22:35
I worked at Jimmie's from Aug. 1960-Aug. 1962, was a car hop! So much fun! I was able to support my Mom, and 2 kids on what I made. We dressed as Santa at Christmas time, shorts and striped t-shirts in the summer. Would love to see some of the old customers I had, they were great people, and the kids from U of M were fun too. I remember Jimmie going around with the fish basket handing out samples. Was a great time in my life.
Les 17-May-2011 11:56
Tom Bailey died in 2005. When did Jimmy's close? 1968?
Judy 10-Apr-2011 21:56
We stopped at Jimmy's on the way home from Crandon Park for hot dogs and fries when I was a little girl. In high school, at Gables, we went there after football games. Later I ended up working there while going to college in 1963-1965. I was an inside waitress, not a curb girl.
sinclair 24-Aug-2010 20:00
Jimmy was married to a cousin of mine. Her sister was married to Fulton Webb a G-Tech grad who had been in Coral Gables since 1924. Fulton was in the prestessed concrete business and ended up owning two blocks of Coral Gables on Bird - remember Orange motors? When I was at the U in the 60's we used to fish off shore and visit Jimmy's house in Stiltsville. A very colourful and likeable icon.
patrick163907-Apr-2010 23:32
Tom Bailey was a very close friend of mine,many years back. As was Gordon , and Nick and Chico and Bill. Tom and I were in C Ty an deucalion at gables before I got shipped off to military school and then to kansas. I heard about his passing from Gordon, what a great loss.he had a big heart to go along with the big guy.
My best to you,Patrick
Sid Allen 06-Jun-2009 03:14
Hey Tom!

Would that be Black Cesar's Forge?
Tom Orr 28-May-2009 17:43
Ah Jimmy's - I got hooked on their fried shrimp at an early age. Back then 'nice' restaurants didn't serve shrimp or red snapper for that matter - Jimmy's did and we ate there a lot. We also went often to The Forge but I always wanted either fried shrimp or PB&J and they had neither but would send someone out for the PB&J makings.

Don, these photos are a blast and thank you for making them available online. I loved the pic of the Red Coach Grill - my father and uncle's favorite hang out. Every politician and journalist in town spent lots of time there. I met the former owner, 15 - 20 years ago, in Largo Fl - great story but I won't bore you with it.

Thanks again,
Tom Orr (yeah, those Orrs)
Don Boyd27-May-2009 17:00
Thanks for posting, Tom. Please feel free to elaborate about the Red Coach Grill escapades because I'm sure that others, besides me, would love to read about them.

Don
Tom Orr 27-May-2009 13:17
Ah Jimmy's - I got hooked on their fried shrimp at an early age. Back then 'nice' restaurants didn't serve shrimp or red snapper for that matter - Jimmy's did and we ate there a lot. We also went often to The Forge but I always wanted either fried shrimp or PB&J and they had neither but would send someone out for the PB&J makings.

Don, these photos are a blast and thank you for making them available online. I loved the pic of the Red Coach Grill - my father and uncle's favorite hang out. Every politician and journalist in town spent lots of time there. I met the former owner, 15 - 20 years ago, in Largo Fl - great story but I won't bore you with it.

Thanks again,
Tom Orr (yeah, those Orrs)
Paul K 19-May-2009 21:02
Hot Shoppes had the oval sign with a lot of neon (concentric rings, I think). Jimmy's was red and white, with red on white arrow-shaped billboards all down US1 pointing to the restaurant (north) and showing the mileage.
jim winters 11-Apr-2009 08:35
does anyone remember what the jimmys sign and/or the hott shoppes signs looked like? was one of them oval with neon?
Kathleen Roper 03-Feb-2009 21:11
When I was a little girl in the mid-fifty's my parents would take me to Jimmy's Hurricane. I recall that Jimmy used to work the crowd with a plate full of freshly fried "snapper fingers". Yummy!
Sid Allen 15-Jan-2009 11:56
Hmmmm... Ann Marie Magne. I remember you from Southwest High School. 11th grade geometry class, if my memory still works!
Don Boyd23-Nov-2008 05:46
Thank you for posting your memories, Nancy. It's great to hear from someone who actually worked there.

Don
Nancy Deemer Libby 23-Nov-2008 02:08
I remember this so well. I graduated Miami High 1955, went to work there with Margaret Rossey Little on June 15th. 55. Worked till August full time and went to work for Southern Bell. Made good tips and had a wonderful time. We had great customers. Miami was a wonderful place to live during that time. Worked part time after the telephone co. training. Then became a Service Rep in business office in downtown Miami. So not able to work there anymore. Blessings to all who loved our wonderful Miami and Coral Gables.
Maddie 03-Jul-2008 01:25
Nothing like the Chili Dogs at the Hurricane and we would stop there after a movie or party. Does anyone remember Waxy's drive in on Lejeune Rd ?Or Red Diamond Inn on LeJeune?
Guest 06-Jun-2008 02:42
No. Larry Rentz was before my husband. My husband was Tom Bailey, who was Captain in 66-67.

Tom passed away in 2005.
Larry 12-May-2008 22:50
Does Sonny's Deli on Bird still exist?
Guest 25-Feb-2008 00:39
Susan, was your husband Larry Rentz?
Ron Valdes 01-Feb-2008 19:42
Loved cruising thru in my '39 Ford coupe. Nothing like a Coke & Fries and cheap gas.
ron V.
Susan 01-Feb-2008 04:20
My late husband used to tell me about his (mis)adventures at Hot Shoppes and Jimmy's. He graduated from Gables and was the football captain his senior year in the late 60's.

His family had a lumberyard there in Gables as well as several other locations from Stuart to the Keys.
Lanny 20-Jan-2008 22:00
I remember that we high schoolers were not allowed out of our cars unless we went directly into the restaurant. There were off-duty policemen everywhere to control the cruising. It was fun but Hot Shoppes was better for dating because of the automatic call machines and plenty of isolated parking spaces.
Jeff 16-Jul-2007 02:34
Jimmy Ellenburg sold the property to Shell Oil around 1963-64. I met him in the 1980's, and he was also an accomplished artist; his paintings hanging in the living room of his home (not too far from the old restaurant's site)...
Guest 04-Jul-2007 20:45
It is nice to hear about that time and place but I seem to remember that Jimmys was sectioned off, by us, into Coral Gables High and the rest. The rest being Miami, Jackson, etc. we would rarely cross that invisable barrier but if we did it was because one of you had a really hot blonde that needed a Coral Gables boy !
Dave 30-Jun-2007 16:14
I loved going here when I was a little kid. My Grandmother loved the burgers and fries here and took us here in her "Rocket 88" Olds painted hot pink about once a month. In 1957, my mom's younger cousin came to study at UM and would take us here in his Ford Fairlane 500 Convertible. We'd put pillows in the back seat and go to the Tropicaire Drive-in Movie right afterwards. He lived at the San Sebastian Apartments, then a dormitory for UM, just north of Jimmy's. Lots of good memories here!
Parks Masterson 30-Jun-2007 04:00
I remember going to Jimmy's with my family. We ate Grouper Fingers.
In 1969 or 1970 when I was in college, a photo of Jimmy's showed up in a text book as an example of the creative use of concrete! That awning was spectacular.
Was it painted different colors on the underside?
Cheryl 25-Jun-2007 15:09
Hot Shoppes was on US 1 just south of Bird Road...the BEST after football game hangout (after Jimmy's closed). It is now a US Post office for Coconut Grove residents.
Tyler Penny 16-Jun-2007 12:02
Hurricane Cooler anyone? Jimmy's was closed buy the time I reached dating age, so we had to settle for Hott Shoppe's Orange Freeze, along with the best onion rings in the area.
Guest 26-May-2007 23:54
No, Lyn, Hot Shoppes was farther down US1. Jimmy's Hurricane was the home of the Friday shrimp basket. It was located on the corner of Bird Road and Douglas Road. When you look at the photo notice the building in the background. That was Aerocom, Aeronautical Communications Co. Inc. They made communication equipment for airplanes. My farther worked there from around 1952 until 1967, when he died. He was the shipping manager.
Ann-Marie Magne'
DAve Albury 21-May-2007 02:41
No it isn't hott shoppes was on the s/e corner of bird rd & us1. THere is a Shell gas station on the old site of jimmy hurricanes.
Lyn Contopoulo 11-May-2007 01:32
Was this once Hot Shoppes?
Don Boyd17-Apr-2007 02:28
Thanks Jim! Don
Jim Hays 16-Apr-2007 21:34
That would be the Southwest corner