Lee’s Drive In

EXCELLENT FOR BREAKFAST!!!
Okay, I just had breakfast for the fourth or fifth time at Lee’s in Bellingham at the corner of Alabama and James, so I now feel comfortable writing a review that people can rely on, regardless of when they go there for breakfast.
First off, anyone who has read my reviews knows I’m picky, really picky, so you I’m not easily impressed. But, honestly, the breakfast here is just plain excellent: hash browns crisp and golden, eggs prepared perfectly-​to-​order, toast crunchy but not dark (strongly recommend their sourdough) with tasty freezer jams (not cheap jellies), huge delicious omelettes, high quality and well prepared sausage, bacon and ham.
The staff is super friendly and attentive, with counter-​ordering followed by table-​service. Most people don’t seem to tip because you order and pay at the counter and there is no tip jar, but I like to give them a little extra (say 10%) when I pay, but I don’t think anyone expects it.
Even though the restaurant could probably use a little updating outside and inside, it is a warm and comfortable environment with a central open fireplace that’s very nice to sit next to and absorb the warmth during this dark, wet time of year. The seats are comfortable and most importantly, the restaurant is extremely clean.
As far as price is concerned, their breakfast selections are very affordable compared to any of the cafés, chain restaurants or upscale burger/​breakfast places here in Whatcom county. For instance, all of their huge omelettes that include two pieces of toast and hashbrowns are $ 7.49. And their breakfasts that include eggs, Hashbrowns, meat, toast, pancakes, French toast etc. are almost all under $ 7.00 — great bargains for great breakfast!
Speaking of bargains, when I took my wife there this morning, I was surprised to discover that right now any breakfast, including their chicken fried steak and eggs and their three meat combo with eggs are $ 6.99, and that includes your choice of drink. She had the veggie omelette and I had the three-​meat breakfast — again, excellent and very generous! So if you’ve never tried this place, now is definitely the time!

If you want to spend money and walk away hungry this place is for you. Very low quality food and small portions. Ordered a basket of onion rings today for $ 3.99 Plus tax and received six count them six medium-​sized onion rings. I brought it to their attention and they did nothing what a waste of money. It’s been a long Time since I’ve been to this restaurant because of the portions and price. It looks like it’ll be a long time before I come back. If I could’ve given them zero stars i would have

I went in last Tuesday night the 11^th at around 5:30. The restaurant was not busy. I had not been in for a number of years but had always told everyone that they had the best fried chicken in Bellingham. I ordered a number eight, two breasts and two wings. It took a very long time for the meal to arrive and when it did one breast and the wings were a little over cooked. The second breast had no skin and was so dry it was inedible. The mashed potatos were cold and the gravy looked and tasted like water that had cornstarch added and boiled to thicken it. There was no chicken taste at all. How a cook could allow this meal to leave the kitchen it beyond me. You could tell by looking at the chicken that there was a problem and anyone tasting the gravy would have known immediately. Any packaged gravy on the shelf would have been much better.
This all made me very sad to think of what I thought of as the best chicken retaurant I had ever eaten in was not the same. Someone is obviously not paying attention to quality

Awful service, awful food. We went here because my grandmother had remembered it as a great, American diner. The cheese in the grilled cheese was artificial, sticky, plasticky and gross. The mashed potatoes were obliously powdered and the gravy jiggled when the plate was set down. The fish was still partially frozen in the middle which was not enjoyable. The «chips» were frozen from a bag. The clam chowder was canned and super salty. There was no one else in the restaurant at 7 pm. My husband thought this was worse than cafeteria food. We will not return, and we’re feeling I’ll when we got home.

Fried chicken. We get a bunch to go and feed the whole extended family. Everyone asks where we got such good chicken.

What’s the saying??? Don’t judge a book by its cover? That’s what I think of when I went to Lee’s. After church we went to get a quick breakfast while we waited to go pick the kids up. The wife suggested Lee’s, and I said really? I have drove by it 100 times but never gave it a look to go in and eat. Boy have I been missing out.
I had the country fried steak and eggs. (Yeah from my other reviews you probably see a pattern) The wife had french toast with a ½ order of biscuits and gravy.
Everything was cooked perfectly, the gravy had great flavor and the fried steak was not greasy. The biscuits were soft and fresh and the french toast was as well. Neither were hard or stale like some places we have tried.
The price is very reasonable and one of the cheaper places to eat a decent breakfast. I felt like I had really good value for the money. Even got to watch the Red Wings play on the TV while I was eating!

This restaurant is God awful. I ordered the oyster dinner with clam chowder and French fries. We first got the chowder, it was terrible. It Tasted like Campbell clam chowder from a can, and I’m almost 100% certain it was. The oysters were over cooked in the deep fryer and I could tell they were not fresh. The French fries sucked as well. I’d rather waste my money at McDonald’s.

This place looks like my 1972 bell camper on the inside. 5 $ any burger and fries !?! Where do I sit. Order at the counter and they bring the good to you. It’s good too. I hope the five dollar deal doesn’t mean they’re on their last leg. I’ve only just sat down.

Frigging great diner style food! Love this place! Had the cheeseburger with bacon and crinkle cut fries! Excellent food and great chocolate shake! Need sturdier straws for that thick of a shake!!!

This place is perfect if you’re looking for a classic homemade meal. The ham and cheese with crinkle cut fries was yummy!

It reminds me of my childhood. Enjoy the classic burgers, crinkle cut fries, and a good old fashion shake.
The décor, atmosphere, plates, etc have not been updated since the average customer here was at prom. (Which I love)
It’s not a place to compare to fancy burger places or modern restaurants. Just come enjoy the simple times from the decades past.
Order from the counter and grab your own stuff if you need it!

We went there for dinner yesterday. The food was good but the service was terrible. No one said thank you when we paid, no one came to check to see how our food was, no one came to ask if we needed a to go box. There was not any tartar sauce to go with the fish and chips and when we flagged down a server she pulled the tartar sauce out of her pocket. We wondered how long had it been in there at room temperature.

I live almost right next door so I decided I would try their veggie burger. It was a lot better than I expected. Actually pretty tasty!

I got violently ill after eating here.

This place reminds me of the local burger joints of my youth. Tasty food, good prices, and great variety.
Note to Disabled: Reasonably accessible, has its own parking lot.

Absolutely, Positively, the best fried (broasted) chicken I have ever eaten in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic (places I have been).
Broasted is deep fried under pressure, resulting in, if used correctly) crispy skin, moist, fall off the bone tender chicken. As far as I know, the only place left that «broasts» chicken.
Some helpful hints
1. Order «IN». That means order in the dining room and eat it there. Be patient. It takes all of 15 – 20 mins, but there is a great selection of reading in the newspaper rack by the front door.
2. Be Careful, it comes out NUKE HOT! Don’t broast your tongue, you will want to use every one of your taste buds when savoring the moist, crispy fall off the bone meal.
3. If you order «OUT» or «to-​go» the chicken will loose a bit of the crispy skin due to the steam in the box, but I promise… the quality does not change, its just different.
Although I eat the Chicken 90% of the time I go, one dark (4:30pm) dreary, moist, clouds six feet off the ground, bone chilling normal Bellingham November night, I ordered a BLT on white toast, and Split Pea Soup. The sandwich could have come from my Moms kitchen, and the soup was as good as Campbells (I know, I know, ‘Campbells’… but I just happen to believe Campbells IS the standard for soup… from Campbells, its just better or worse, and if its «just like Campbells, well, that to me is just fine!) anyway, back to the BLT… fresh cooked bacon… not that kind you usually get in a BLT, that «cooked early that morning and sitting in a pan all day drying out» bacon… Fresh, perfectly cooked salty hot bacon on top of perfectly toasted golden brown white bread, fresh cold lettuce, and a thin slice of tomato! Wow. Although the next two BLTS were the run of the mill variety, I learned to ASK for the bacon to be cooked to order, and was accommodated both times.
Bottom line… not of many of these Local Fare, Local owner, Local crowd joints left anywhere! This place is an easy on the pocketbook, warm environment, nice folks restaurant that the locals should support before we blink our eyes and wake up to find a KFC, or McDonald’s, or alike sitting in the heart of the lettered street hood.

I had a on-​line deal coupon for Lee’s and thought I would give it a try for breakfast.
Lee’s is an order first kind of place, no wait staff, and get your own coffee. Those three things may not be a match for you, but I was okay with them this Sunday AM.
Walking in the door to a menu on the counter by the cashier meant there was no time for indecisiveness, make a choice and place your order. Then I grabbed a cup and poured my own cup of coffee. Taking my number 19, I went to sit at a booth. Most patrons already seated were above 60, but that’s okay with me.
The food arrived in 10 minutes and was pretty good for a 2 egg breakfast. We’re hash browns fans and these were tasty, golden brown, warm and moist on the inside. The eggs were the weakest part, not sure why, just not super-​flavorlful. The wheat toast was good and hearty, I like bread with something to it. The sausage was okay, tasty but not quite piping hot. So the food was good, not spectacular.
But I love that the place is frequented by older folks. They’ve been coming here for years and to me, that says something.
Then there were the two fellows that arrived and got settled in a booth with their newspaper, drinking coffee, chuckiling, generally enjoying themselves. Until a couple that had arrived about the same time as we had, got up and left. The couple left everything on the table, they just got up and left. Lee’s is a bus your own table place. So these two guys got up and cleared the table, taking care to make sure everything was cleared and put where it belonged (on the bussing cart). Then they settled into what was apparently their regular booth. One said, «there, that’s better». I like to see that kind of care and ownership showed by customers. It’s noble and seemingly less and less common.

I love going to Lees Drive-​In for weekend breakfast, and I’m not sure why because when I think about it there isn’t a lot to love. Instead of exploring that dissonance here in a Unilocal!review, I’ll just tell you why I do appreciate it.
First, the customers are all senior citizens – again I don’t know why but – for some reason the silver-​haired demographic has a knack for picking good breakfast spots. If a ton of old people choose a place to eat breakfast, that means it is really cheap or really good (or both), so it is extremely important to walk in to Lees Drive-​In with my 5yr old niece and know aside from her, I am the youngest person there by 20 or 30 years.
Second, they have a fireplace in the middle of the dining room. Granted I’ve only come here for breakfast, but a few of those times it has been in the winter and a fireplace goes a long way towards making anyplace awesome when it is wintertime.
Third, it is not expensive. It isn’t as cheap as McDonalds or your own kitchen, but it is a great value. McDonalds is disgusting and you have to clean your own kitchen so that makes Lee’s the best value of the three by far.
Finally, it is locally owned! We’ve all been to Denny’s or IHOP which are very comparable, but I gotta believe there is a Lee somewhere in Bellingham, and I’d rather him get my money than the shareholders of Denny’s or IHOP. The guy put a fireplace in the middle of the dining room… pay him his due!

This is where people come to die.
It was a burger. A thin burger with bacon and guac. It was just a burger. The fries? McCain I’m sure. They had 14 year olds working the place, which is fine but it was like being in a timewarp for some reason.
It was filled with geriatrics, which isn’t always a good sign.

The word that keeps coming to mind for Lee’s is basic. The menu is all staples of the diner genre: fried chicken, burgers, BLT sandwiches, fries, milkshake, coffee. The famous fried chicken is tasty and juicy, with seasoning that reminded me a lot of the colonel’s. (And the portrait of who I assume is the founder looks a lot like him too.) The chicken thigh is the biggest I’ve ever seen.
You order at the counter and then they bring out the food to your table. It took a little while, but everything was hot and fresh. Although I’m still trying to figure what was with the offer of tartar sauce with the chicken fingers — is that an American thing? I could have used some honey mustard dip, but the monotone low-​talker guy who served us was getting on my nerves so I didn’t bother asking. The strawberry milkshake was very thick and made with lots of strawberry ice cream.
The place looks a little dated with its green naugahyde booths, but it’s very clean, and the fireplace is a nice touch. The food was great quality. Given that it’s across the street from Trader Joes’s, I’ll probably be back!