Sonic Drive-In

This review is for a menu item, this Sonic has great burgers and sides, and I shall still be going back for those. My one star review is for the croissant hot dog currently being touted on TV. I purchased both versions tonight took them home, was horrified to find it’s not a croissant Dog at all, it’s just a tough regular hamburger bun. No buttery, no flaky, no melt in your mouth texture, just a tough leathery bun, with a wiener in it. Seriously, Sonic product testing department, did you just throw a basket of these out in front of a bunch of starving raccoons, observe at least one of them eating it, tick off all the little thumbs –up boxes on your score pad, then scuttle back to HQ to proceed with the TV commercial? In fairness to the staff, they have offered to refund my purchase, which I appreciate because both hotdogs are in the trash. This product is so far away from what they are advertising I almost wonder if some kind of deceptive trade practice law is being broken…

I think this will be my last visit to Sonic. I used to really like Sonic but since the hike in gas prices and the recession I’ve noticed several of the chains lower their standards in quality. They want to keep their prices low which means buying cheaper stuff — we taste the difference. Usually my experience with Sonic, lately, has been a mediocre, disappointing experience. And I have tried several places to judge, including cross country. But my experience tonight at this location was BAD. I ordered the exact same thing 2 or 3 weeks ago, at this location and did not get the same product. I ordered the Jr. Cheeseburger which the guy told me last time was essentially the same burger as the regular cheeseburger just smaller. That’s what I got. Tonight what I got was a burger patty between two buns, which were old and falling apart a bit which is what happens when bread is cheap and past it’s prime, and the lower bun was wet because the burger must have been sitting on the grill for a while and sopping with grease. There was no lettuce other than a few sprinkles, a pathetic, small, tasteless tomato that I had to check to see if it was even in there, one small, deformed looking pickle slice, a few onions, that also had no taste, mayo (which I didn’t ask for) and NO mustard OR ketchup! I would barely call that a hamburger. This is a problem with corporate and management who ok sub par product and tell them to give it to the customer. This is also the problem of the staff who couldn’t manage to assemble the burger in its intended form. In fact, he didn’t even ask me if I was ok with onions and what to put on it which I believe is standard at EVERY burger place. Burger joints ALWAYS ask if you’re ok with onions or sauce. He asked me nothing. Which means the guy taking the order and the guy completing the order really don’t care what you end up with.
The reason chains exist is because people want to go in with confidence that no matter what they order at whatever location that they will always get the exact same product. In fact, consistency is what all of these chains promise in order to get you to become a loyal customer and return. I have been eating fast food since I was a kid and other than most places changing from a grill to a microwave (poor move, by the way), the experience is usually the same… until the past 4 years. To me, most chains have become very unpredictable in the quality of the product you receive, in what form it comes to you (sometimes thrown into the bag and not even assembled), occasionally it is not edible (meat charred black, buns tasting like sponges, fries doused in salt, general taste disgusting), the management unpredictable (manager ignoring me so he can chit chat with cashier when I try to return a smashed product that looks nothing like it does in the picture, and actually argues with me that a ciabatta roll is smaller than a regular roll, as if I’m stupid and never had ciabatta before). I have found myself over the past few years abandoning most chains to go to mom and pop stores because they work hard for their money and pleasing the customer, give higher quality product, a better environment, and usually for not that much more money. Why wouldn’t I pay $ 8 for a delicious burger of high grade meat than pay $ 5 for the lowest grade of meat (which very little is actual meat) that was nuked in a microwave?
Not to mention, since I stopped going to most of these crappy chains my skin is great, my waistline is great, and I feel much better. These chains are not serving what they used to. They’re just selling a bunch of over processed garbage at a price that is highly profitable to them but not thinking of the customer’s experience or the fact that what they’re feeding them is most likely toxic. Honestly, Wendy’s is the only burger chain that even tastes good anymore. You’re better off going to P. T. Terrys, who actually grills their burgers, or to a restaurant.

It’s Sonic. What do you want? I must admit the fresh strawberry slush I had was good, and not crazy sweet.

WHY DO YOU ALWAYS MESS UP MY ORDER? Seriously have your employees REPEAT THE ORDERS.
This is what I ordered = small peach and vanilla Unsweetened tea.
and this is what I got = 2 small vanilla unsweetened tea.
WTF.
The person who brought my food had to go back twice.
I over tipped him because I felt bad since it’s not his fault but seriously have them repeat the order.

Filthy bathrooms.
Friendly service.

Sometimes i just need a Cherry LimeAid.
But really, going here a handful of times (maybe 6) there has not been ONE TIME, which my order was correct.
Ok, really. How hard it is to take an order? My kids want their burgers plain, one likes fries, one likes tots, both get a milk.
Seem like a complicated order?
You’d think not, but go try it here. Bet you $ 1 they will fuck it up.
They have Not ONCE gotten this right.
Seriously.
No more sonic.

We went to Sonic again — I had no idea that the onion rings were so sweet! MMmmmm — although I’m still a ‘tot fan. It’s still the only tolerable fast food in my book.

Normally, I’m not a Sonic’s fan because of the weirdness about encouraging people to sit in idling cars in the parking lot which is an environmental disaster, not to mention the whole tipping conundrum. But, but this Sonic opened up right near my house and it has a DRIVE-​IN! Wooo Wooooo!
It is clean and shiny and pretty and all the employees are super-​duper nice. I like the happy hour — from 2 to 4, half-​priced drinky-​drinks!
Their burgers are passable. Their tater tots are good. Their chili-​cheese tater tots are ethereal. Their corn dog is yummo and is only .99.
I swear I went through the drive-​in today and the person taking my order was so happy and positive and friendly, I just wanted to order half the menu. Well, I kind of did, but it only cost me $ 12! Yay happy hour!
ok, its a sonic, so it should only get 2 stars. But — attitude really does help, as does the drive in and my discovery of chili cheese tator tots. So, lets call it a four star sonics, measured up against other sonics. ok?