Drive-In Inc The

I grew up in Florence, and the «Drive In» (formerly 301 Drive In) was the place to go! Years later I’m happy to report, it still is! I had the fish sandwich with fries special, and enjoyed every bite! The fish was REAL fish lightly breaded and came with lettuce and tarter sauce (not a ton, which I hate, just enough to add flavor!). The fries were hot and not salted (again, a plus!). Had to wait a little while for it as it was being fried fresh, but believe me, was worth it! I’ll be back!

This was a nice drive in restaurant. We ordered the special fish sandwich with fries. One of the sandwiches still had the dark skin on it. They corrected this ASAP .
The guy that brought our food out was VERY FRIENDLY AND PROFESSIONAL. Price was great !!

Good fried chicken. Reasonably priced. Fast & Friendly service. Clean restaurant & restrooms.

Finding that perfect fried gizzard is like searching for the Holy Grail; it may take you a lifetime of pursuit; you may travel miles and miles the world over; you may suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; but when you find it, when you pop that perfect balance of crunchy seasoned outer coating and succulent inner organ meat into your mouth, you have found the acme of eternal happiness!
My quest for this perfect fried gizzard first took me to The Drive — In in Florence, SC several years back while on a business trip. A Florence institution since 1957, serving fried chicken, chili dogs, fries and sweet tea, The Drive — In is a quintessential southern joint. Although it has moved from its old Highway 301 location, it still maintains its traditional drive-​in feature — individual canopied car stalls with microphone enabled menus and outside delivery so you can eat in your car — think Happy Days sans the skates.
So what is that elusive perfect fried gizzard, you might ask? First and foremost, it has to be made-​2-​order, not sitting in its own grease in an aluminum serving tray sweltering under a heating lamp for hours. Second, it is a plump, meaty gizzard; not scrawny and malnourished. A plump gizzard can take the deep frying heat without withering away to nothing. Third, IT MUST NOT BE OVERCOOKED. Overcooking is the Achilles Heel of preparing a fried gizzard. It is the most common mistake cooks make and gives the gizzard its bad name. And last, the gizzard must have the right batter to meat ratio. When the ratio is right, the batter doesn’t overwhelm the gizzard but fluffs up like a pillow; a compliment upon which the gizzard may lay. In the over 50 years of slinging gizzards, The Drive In’s got it down to a science!
The fried gizzard platter at The Drive In comes with a small salad, a heaping mound of gizzards, fries piled high and two white bread dinner rolls. Don’t expect artful arrangement. It is an overflowing plate with a messy presentation. Do expect to dip a hot, succulent made-​2-​order gizzard into The Drive — In’s special sauce (a play on Russian dressing) and be bedazzled by the combination of crunchiness, juiciness, and oiliness that makes fried chicken so delicious!

Considering how busy they were the order was placed and prepared fairly quick. I. Got the 301 fresh patty burger which appeared to be a hand made patty vs a pre-​made one. The taste was like a homemade burger and was juicy and flavorful. It was a little crowded during the peak of the lunch hours however I think that proves it’s a locals favorite.

I called this place to order a delivery and they wouldn’t deliver for less than a $ 50 order? Makes no sense

Great for dropping in and eating a quick meal without resorting to fast food. I had the chicken gyro and absolutely loved it!
I’m not familiar with Florence and merely dropped by because I heard good things about it, so I wouldn’t know how it compares to other local spots. But overall, I loved the food. The fries weren’t salted (which I actually prefer) and nothing was too too too greasy. Prices are reasonable for what you’re gretting.
I highly recommend the clarinet for your drink. It’s half cherry soda and half lemonade!

Food is good. A lot of options on menu. Fried Chicken is good and the prices are fair. Clean, food made to order. We do not eat here a lot because its not the healthiest, but it is a top choice if we are splurging. We have always been happy with our food and would definitely recommend.

Best homemade onion rings in Florence. Great Fried chicken. Large selection Clean interior.

The sign now in front of the new building just says The Drive-​In Restaurant — not the 301 Drive-​In I had heard about for years. Never had a chance to see the old place, but I had read that it was the typical Southern drive-​in that flourished in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s. The new place just doesn’t strike you as a drive-​in — too new, too bright & shiny, with thin-​legged metal chairs, and tables with formica like tops. It is like seeing someone who has had a face lift — it looks new, but it ain’t quite right.
It was a little difficult to find because of all the road construction, and detours were required — and every time I was forced to make a turn, the GPS Lady on the Blackberry announced, in what seemed like an impatient tone I thought quite uncalled for, that she was recalculating the route. But we got there.
You place your order at the counter, like at McDonald’s, and it is delivered to your table when ready by staff in matching uniforms. The fried chicken was crispy, a little greasy, but with a pretty good flavor. The hot dogs were just ok, the chili kinda watery.
The fries were excellent, the little roll that came with the chicken was not prepared early that morning by loving hands, and the salad came in a little, styrofoam bowl, no cup, that all but guaranteed that much of the salad would spill over on to the bright, red plastic tray, diluting even further the small dab of dressing.
I love drive-​ins, and real drive-​in food — drive-​ins are friends of mine — and this is no drive-​in.

I love restaurants that have been around forever, that have developed character over the years. I was hoping that The Drive-​In would be one of those places. I mean, it has been around since 1957. It wasn’t.
Look, the food is perfectly fine. My burger was good, my fries were crispy. My cherry sprite was wonderful – freshly made, and loaded with cherries. Would I come here again for the food? Probably, if I were in Florence again.
The restaurant, though, lacks a certain kind of 50s charm. Though it’s been around since the late 50s, the restaurant looks like it’s been around since the late 00s. It seems a bit … sterile, atmosphere-​wise. It actually reminded me quite a lot of restaurants that attempt to revive a 50s feel, but were founded three years ago. Perhaps I’m just complaining for no reason.

The food is good and they have a nice selection of options to choose from. Service is average and usually rushed. Restaurant is nice and usually pretty clean. A lot of people rave about the tea here, but its not that great. Town House is better. Prices are higher than you want to spend. Its a decent place to get lunch for a pretty good meal.