Thomas Drugs Soda Fountain

What to expect at Thomas Drugs Soda Fountain

Thomas Drugs has been on the corner of Highway 25 and Kilgore Trace in Cross Plains since 1913, and the soda fountain in the back has been serving hand-dipped milkshakes and grilled sandwiches since 1946. It is not a museum — it is a working pharmacy with a working lunch counter, and locals come here for prescriptions, chocolate malts and gossip in equal measure. If you want to understand what a Tennessee small town felt like in 1955, this is where to eat lunch.

The menu is short and unchanged for decades: BLTs, pimento cheese, egg salad, hot dogs, and the milkshakes and phosphates that are the reason to come. A chocolate malt is $5 and comes in a real metal cup with the excess on the side. The counter seats maybe 10; there are half a dozen booths behind. Everyone talks to everyone. The pharmacist may come out and top up your coffee.

Come for lunch on a weekday — Saturdays get slammed with visitors and the counter fills fast. Cash or card both work. Combine with Cross Plains State Natural Area, five minutes east, for a proper morning-and-lunch out from Springfield. This is a 20-minute stop that people remember longer than the big attractions. Bring cash for the tip jar — it goes to the counter staff.

Plan your visit Tickets$5-10 per person Time needed45 min visit WhereCross Plains Opening hours Mon-Fri 8:00-18:00 Sat 8:00-15:00 Closed Sunday Hotels near Thomas Drugs Soda Fountain

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