Formerly: A&W Root Beer Stand
Corbin, Kentucky · Founded 1956
A seasonal Corbin drive-in, reportedly tracing its root-beer-and-chili-dog tradition to a 1956 A&W origin.
The Root Beer Stand is a family-run Corbin drive-in at 129 18th St., known for burgers, onion rings, Eastern Kentucky chili dogs, and root beer. Local business material traces it to 1956, with an account describing an early A&W franchise connection, but its full ownership and continuity record remains to be documented.
The Root Beer Stand traces its Corbin history to 1956. A local account says Clifford Noe acquired it that year as an A&W franchise, but the claim needs primary franchise or business-record verification.
Source: The Root Beer Stand social-media season-opening post, 2025; Silas House social-media post, 2025.
Kentucky.com describes the Root Beer Stand as a family-owned Corbin drive-in serving burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, and root beer.
Source: Kentucky.com, “What keeps the Corbin Root Beer Stand fizzing? ‘The community’,” July 26, 2021.
The Root Beer Stand announces its seasonal opening and lists its Corbin location and current operating schedule.
Source: The Root Beer Stand social-media season-opening post, March 31, 2025.
USA Today's Best Hot Dog coverage identifies the Root Beer Stand at 129 18th St. and highlights its Eastern Kentucky chili dog.
Source: Courier Journal, “Root Beer Stand in Corbin, Ky. lands on USA TODAY best hot dog list,” July 15, 2026.
Every claim gets rated. A business's own website can never earn "documented."
The business and local accounts trace the stand’s history to 1956, and current reporting confirms it remains active in Corbin. The reviewed sources do not provide a full set of directories, licenses, ownership transfers, or operating records needed to establish uninterrupted operation at the same site in every year since 1956.
A local account says Clifford Noe purchased the business as an A&W franchise in 1956. No A&W franchise file, contemporaneous advertisement, licensing record, or local newspaper announcement was located in the reviewed evidence, so the claim remains plausible rather than documented.
A 2026 Courier Journal report on the stand’s inclusion in a USA Today best-hot-dog list identifies its Eastern Kentucky chili dog as a signature item.
No statewide comparison of Kentucky root-beer stands, A&W locations, drive-ins, their founding dates, and continuity was located. A 1956 claimed origin does not establish statewide seniority by itself.
The Root Beer Stand opened in 1954 on South Main Street in Corbin.
The available source record points to a reported 1956 origin, and current reporting places the business at 129 18th St. in Corbin. The exact early location and franchise history require primary-record verification.
Source: The Root Beer Stand social-media season-opening post, 2025; Courier Journal, “Root Beer Stand in Corbin, Ky. lands on USA TODAY best hot dog list,” July 15, 2026.
The Root Beer Stand is definitively Kentucky's oldest root beer stand.
The stand has a reported 1956 origin, but no statewide comparative evidence establishing Kentucky seniority was identified.
Source: Kentucky.com, “What keeps the Corbin Root Beer Stand fizzing? ‘The community’,” July 26, 2021; Courier Journal, “Root Beer Stand in Corbin, Ky. lands on USA TODAY best hot dog list,” July 15, 2026.
The Root Beer Stand survives because it functions as a local seasonal ritual rather than a generic fast-food stop. Its compact menu, neighborhood recognition, and drive-in identity have made it a Corbin landmark, even as several details of its early business history still require source-level confirmation.
The Root Beer Stand traces its Corbin history to 1956. Local accounts say it began as an A&W franchise and developed into a family-run drive-in at 129 18th St., serving burgers, hot dogs, onion rings, root beer, and its Eastern Kentucky chili dog. The early franchise and ownership record still needs confirmation from primary business sources.
The Root Beer Stand is a long-running Corbin drive-in with a reported 1956 origin, but it has not been established as Kentucky’s oldest drive-in or root-beer stand. A statewide title would require comparative research into earlier Kentucky drive-ins and documentation of each candidate’s operating continuity.
The Root Beer Stand is located at 129 18th St., Corbin, Kentucky 40701. Current reporting and business listings identify this address, not 2110 S. Main St.
The Root Beer Stand is described in 2021 reporting as family-owned, but the reviewed sources do not establish the current legal owner or operating entity. Kentucky Secretary of State filings, local licenses, or an attributable current ownership report are needed before naming an owner.
129 18th St, Corbin, KY 40701
(606) 528-4163
None on file
The Root Beer Stand operates seasonally. Recent business posts listed Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday through Saturday service, but verify current dates and hours before visiting.