Till at least the beginning of the 90s, Ivan's Pharmacy in Ventnor, NJ, had a lunch counter and soda fountain. As a kid I'd go in and buy chocolate malteds with the tips from my paper route.

When I was in high school, two of my friends worked there. it was ace...our crowd was very retro and kitch anyway, so we'd be wearing our vintage taffeta skirts and 50s cardigans from the Salvation Army thrift store and sit sipping our malteds at the soda fountain...we thought we were VERY hip.

I can't believe no one's mentioned egg creams. No egg, no cream. So why on earth were they called that? It was just chocolate syrup, a bit of milk, and soda water. Nicer than it sounds...