Swensons Drive-In

Swenson’s is an old school drive up restaurant with car hops and all. They get mega press for their burgers which are pretty good but far from the best in town. It has made them an akron icon so who am I to judge.
I finally decided to write a review based on the quality of the non burger offerings here. Today I ordered a fish dinner and it was excellent. I believe it to be triangle cut cod it l looked very pale like it was under cooked. It was not, it was crunchy and perfectly cooked and the tartar sauce was good as well. The fries are always cooked perfectly they are just nothing special. In the past I have also had a grilled cheese and the BLT and while these are by no means gourmet sandwiches they are also very good.
The salads also exceed expectations for the price. What other fast food restaurant puts a hard boiled egg on a basic salad?
Do not miss the potato teasers.
They just do things right at a low price.

Swenson’s is an absolute must for anybody passing through Akron! You honestly can’t go wrong when ordering.
The burgers are sweet, juicy, topped with melted Velveeta cheese, and served on a toasted bun. You must order your burger «with everything,» which includes mustard, onions, and pickles. A single burger is good, but a double is better. Swenson’s is also famous for their Galley Boy burger which is a double burger with fresh veggies and two secret sauces. P
The vegetarian options are also excellent. The grilled cheese is jam-​packed with melted cheese on buttery bread… Add tomato for extra deliciousness. The Salad Boy is Swenson’s amazing veggie burger. The delicious veggie patty is topped with fresh vegetables and the sauces of their famous burger, the Galley Boy.
The sides are to die for. If I had to pick one to accompany my burger it would be their famous onion rings. The trick is to ask for them «broken» so they come bite-​sized and easy to munch on.
All the drinks, including their many milkshakes, are great. Personally, I choose the California soft drink to wash down my food. The California is a combination of grape soda and seven up, served with a lemon over crushed ice.
Again, you can’t go wrong. No matter what you order, you will be pleased and will most likely be back that week for seconds.

The reviews for Swenson’s seem inflated because of tradition, but that’s just fine. Swenson’s is what I imagine fast food must have been like in the old days, before McDonald’s began to plunge into the lowest depths of product quality, before the microwave was introduced into the burger joint assembly line. Swenson’s burgers are «retro» fast food burgers, buttered up and cooked on the griddle the way they used to be, wrapped loosely in paper and brought to your car by an energetic and hard working crew of high school and college-​age kids.
While I will always take a juicy pub-​style burger made from locally-​sourced beef before a fast food style burger, there are times and places for both. Swenson’s, to me, is that rare guilty pleasure that is best enjoyed on that spontaneous evening when no other clearer options come to mind, and perhaps when alcohol is guiding your judgement. I order the cheeseburgers to avoid the mess that comes with a Galley Boy and its oily, mayonaissey «special sauce.» The Galley Boy might be the signature burger, but it is not exactly a feat of food engineering. The slippery patties are placed precariously between flimsy sauce-​soaked buns, creating an effect similar to squeezing a wet trout; apply the smallest amount of pressure, and the patty begins to slide away onto your lap or out the back end. If you are wearing new clothes and don’t like struggling with your food, beware of this burger; it will leave you cursing at your steering wheel.
If you are a secret closet smoker, on the other hand, I can think of no better way to hide the cigarette taste in your mouth and scent on your hands from your unsuspecting significant other than to eat a Galley Boy. The oily, skin-​penetrating sauce will overcome the tobacco smell much quicker and more convincingly than soap.

You go here for tradition, service and food, in that order. The burgers are unusual– added sugar– a tad/​to the meat and bun. They’re fried, not grilled, and tasty. Steak sandwich is pretty good, fries taste like potato and milkshakes are good. Some old school items– fried (thick) Bologna, phosphates, floats, egg salad. Free entertainment is watching the mostly male car hops run from point A to point B. Tip em good.

This place has great fast service and is good if ur in a hurry. I highly recommend coming to Swensons

Bear with me here…
In college I loved this place. I used to come here and order the galley boy and fries and a shake and I was happy for days.
So in the past (ehem) 18 years I am not sure if my tastes changed or if Swenson’s changed.
The service was spot on, so that part is still great.
But the galley boy? I dunno… it tasted so sweet. The sauces… they weren’t how I remembered them.
The onion rings were good. And the «California» was good. It is basically ginger ale with a grape flavor.
I also forgot how messy it is to eat in the car. And the onion ring fragrance that permeates your car for weeks to follow.
So I would give it another shot maybe. It is not bad, by any stretch. Just didn’t knock my socks off like I thought I remembered it doing!

Meh. Cheap food, fast service, but no taste. It’s a local McDonald’s without (hopefully) the chemicals.

First time here after seeing it advertised over the years. Service was great on a beautiful fall Saturday. I had the Galley Boy with onion rings and a peanut butter shake. My wife had the hamburger with lettuce and tomato. The special shake was pumpkin which may have replaced the pecan. Lots of fun and will be back.

Best burger under 10 bucks anywhere!
Sometimes there is food that you just crave and Swensons is definitely one of them… When I was going to college I must have ate here 3 times a week; that before I got old and gained weight from just looking at food.
Even being a self-​proclaimed foodie this place is a must anytime I am in Ohio. I will make a trip to one of their locations just for their burgers. Double cheese burger, mayo, ketchup, pickle and mustard and deep fried mushrooms. The buns are lightly toasted, burgers are not over-​cooked and layered with cheese and sauce; these are hands down the best burger anywhere for the price. It used to be an old car hop and the waitress/​waiters would until a few years ago wear skates to take your order. That has stopped because I think no one skates anymore, but still has the same feel to it. You got to drive up and leave your lights on to get someone’s attention.
So stop here and get a burger. It will change your taste for burgers forever!
Now guys just please open a few in Seattle!!!

Usually I have great service and the food is always great. However tonight the server named Patrick was very short and rude to us. After trying to order he ran away and we were not completed with our order. When our order was brought to us we were then told we could not spilt the order into two separate bill when we said there was going to be two at first. After receiving and paying for our food we realized we had gotten too much food and told them so and Patrick told us to keep it. After about 10 minutes or so he came back and took the order to give to a different car.

Wow what else can you say. No other hamburger place in the country can compete with Swensons. You gotta get the Gally Boy and potato teezers. I grew up in Ohio all the way until college and moved away but every year when I come back to visit Ohio I ALWAYS 100% of the time eat at Swensons. There is literally not enough positive things I can say about this place!!! If you don’t like this place or say some other fast food restaurant is better then you obviously have some issues and probably never eat out and are just use to eat really crappy food so when you taste something as delicious as a swensons burger you were probably just not use to eating something of quality.

Classic Akron burger place. Car hops. Fast service. Extensive menu, but I always seem drawn to the Galley Boy & onion rings. Toasted bun, two thin patties, & special sauce, garnished with an olive stabbed with a toothpick. Beats any fast food burger chain hands down! This is how a burger place should be.
Swenson’s primer: Be prepared. Headlights on for service. Headlights off after they help you. Back on when you are done. Best if you know what you want, but they will bring you a menu if you ask. Tip your server well. They depend on your tips. Those kids RUN back & forth all day serving tasty burgers & assorted deliciousness.
You have to try this place. It’s Akron. The Rubber City. Eat Swenson’s. Sit in the parking lot & watch for the Goodyear blimp.

Basically if you don’t like Swensons, I can’t trust you.
I’ve been going to Swenson’s as a kid (and maybe it shows) and it’s still just as good as it was back then.
No matter what you have to try the galley boy and potato teazers… the worst part seriously is when it’s all over.
As far as drinks, the California is my favorite!
Staff is always friendly and quick, this is my favorite Swensons location.

I’ve had several friends talk about how good this place was. We were in the area and just had to stop in and try it. The galley boy burger is pretty amazing. It has 2 patties and two special sauces one on top of the bun and one on the bottom bun. Not sure what the sauces are, but it tasted awesome! Also tried the strawberry milkshake and it was great too! Def try and stop in if you are ever in the area.

Love the Galleyboy and tator teasers!!! The service is always good they are speedy too! If you are in Akron you need to stop!

Really good burgers!
I
Love
This
Place!
Always that we are around here, we have to eat here.
The galley boy is the best best best best ever.
I like when they are running to the car for five a good service an amazing experience.
Just in Ohio!

Went here on Saturday after a really hard work out. I was STARVING! I got a double cheeseburger, fries, and butter pecan milkshake. It was all DELICIOUS! Still one of my favorite burgers in Akron. And can I just say that the guys who run around and serve everyone are awesome. I could not do that job.

If you have a good quality beef patty, don’t slather it in a pound of sauce that turns the buns into mush between your fingers. The greasy sandwiches fill you up instantly – in a bad way. I’d go to McDonald’s across the street over Swenson’s any day.

Galley boys are the single best invention in the history of food, ever. Nicest employees and speedy service! Five stars

On my way to Akron… home of Lebron James, I was told i MUST TRY Swensons.
Being a Cali girl, I was expecting an experience similar to In n Out. Drive thru, but hey not a bad burger & fries. This is not the Swensons experience…
You pull up… they RUN to your car (yes, they have to run). They assume you know the menu but are happy to provide one if needed. The array of milkshakes makes your head explode, dreaming of what a pineapple hot fudge mix would taste like. You order a Galley boy… because, well, that’s what «everyone orders». They RUN out to your car to bring your order AND a tray that fits neatly into your window to eat off of. You eat, you oo and aww at the fried zucchini and burger. But the Peanut butter Hot fudge milkshake seals the deal.
Overall, fun & delicious experience. I have mad respect for the RUNNERS in my story. They come to your car rain or shine and always with a smile. Warning, do not eat every day if you still want to see your toes when you stand up.
Cheers to the A K Rowdy!

You have to try a Galley Boy once in your life or it just won’t be complete. I’ve been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. Keep the burgers coming!!!

I had never had Swensons before we moved to Akron, and now I know what I was missing. Everything on their menu is good, but the potato teezers are my absolute favorite. Their BLT’s are wicked cheap and surprisingly good! The guys are always quick and friendly, and the sadist in me enjoys watching them run around the parking lot.