Sonic Drive-In of Latham

Everybody in there wasn’t getting what they ordered, including us. The assistant manager was very rude, and didn’t make any sort of attempt to get it right. She would go around table to table, loudly trying to embarrass the customers. Won’t be back, and complaining to corporate.

This place is awesome they bring your food out to the car on old school roller skates. Totally vintagesque… plus the food is the bomb!!! Everything was hot fresh and delicious!!! Reminds of visiting an old fasioned AW Rootbeer drive in woth my parents when I was a kid. easy ordering process and lovely clean place outside and in. final note. the shakes are creamy delicious bonbons from the skies!!! Oh and check it out so good! the pretzel hotdog with cheese, onions and bacon is downright delicious! Tatertots were so crispy, hot and not greasy

I tried Sonic back in Philly (before they closed) and enjoyed the variety of food & drinks. Flash forward and a new location, and I was overjoyed when I learned that Sonic was coming to Albany. When they opened last July, there were minor errors, but the business was getting started. Almost a year later and the errors are getting worse. Drive thru orders messed up, items missing and cold food that should be hot. When you bring it to their attention, no one could care less. No refunds, no attempts at fixing their mistake. After today’s fiasco, I’d rate this place at 0 stars if I could.

Walked in to order thinking it might be faster but it was still very slow. Ordered quickly but waited 10mins to get my order of 5 hot dogs. I had assumed it would be faster here. My kids said the hot dogs were good though.

I have lived in parts of the country where Sonics were common. I had one friend that liked to go through the drive-​through and get a cherry limeade. When we did so, I would often try something out. I was never a big fan of the food at Sonic then, and it was my least favorite fast food burger joint.
Recently, I was in the neighborhood and in a hurry for a quick lunch. I figured after a number of years I’d give Sonic another chance to see if it had gotten any better. I could tell by the steamed bun that my burger was not freshly cooked and just been warmed up. I don’t remember what my side item was, but it was fried and dried out. This Sonic is not any better than I remember it. My main complaint is that the food is pre-​cooked and tasteless. I will not be going back to Sonic as there are many other fast food burger joints that are better.
But echoing Julie V’s review, the shakes and drinks are what make Sonic unique. If that’s what you’re looking for, you may want to give Sonic a try. Just skip the food.

Not sure why all the bad reviews since I’m too lazy to look but, our experience as first timers was great. It’s fast food, not luxury so there isn’t much to be expected. Our food was hot, our drinks were cold and everything came out in a timely manner. That’s about it. For driving 2 hours solely for a Sonic craving, it was definitely worth it.

My order: dark chocolate shake, regular burger no cheese, lettuce, onion, pickles and sauce.
the verdict: I have had their shakes before and I love the peanut butter chocolate and the banana shakes so I was expecting something delicious with a rich chocolate flavor for the shake. I was wrong. It was an average tasting chocolate shake with nothing «dark» about it. It tasted like any other fast food chocolate shake. I wasn’t expecting much from the burger because I’m my experience the food here is bland and usually cold. I was right. The patty was thin, tough and bland. The toppings made it edible but were nothing special. My kids were so excited when Sonic came here but now that they’ve tried it they don’t need to go back.
My advice: Stick with the shakes, sodas and slushies.

It’s very hard for me to understand the popularity of this restaurant. That there was a traffic cop to direct traffic when it opened beggars belief. Why? I had never been to Sonics until yesterday. I tried mini tots, mini onion rings, mini popcorn chicken, & a diet coke.
I don’t know how they managed to make the food both dried out & greasy, but they did. My medium soda was so packed with ice, I’d be surprised if I got 4 oz of actual soda.
There’s a sign behind the counter that says «no refunds, we will try to fix the problem» (or something like that). My suggestion is to close it down & bring something actually tasty to the area. This type of garbage food already abounds.
First & last visit.

I finally took the plunge and ate at Sonic. There were highs and lows to the experience.
The good: it’s very clean. The staff are surprisingly cheerful and pleasant. They offer a nice selection of non-​traditional burger joint side options. They don’t nickel-​n-​dime you for their packets of sauces which are available on the counter free for the taking. Also, they seem to have hired a decent amount of special needs staff which makes my heart sing :-)
The bad: it was the worst chain double cheeseburger I’ve ever had. The prices for burgers are too high and the wait time for food when it’s not busy is not acceptable.
Let’s start with the burger. The meat patties are very dry, thin and don’t even taste like meat. If I were blindfolded and fed the meat I wouldn’t be able to tell you what kind of meat it was or if it was even meat. Everything was served room temperature. The meat was not hot or even warm and the cheese was not even slightly melted. All I could taste was the coldness of very bland iceberg lettuce, flavorless under-​ripe tomatoes and pickles. All ice cold. The bun was not memorable since everything was cold. I had to dunk it in even more ketchup to make it edible even though it already came with ketchup, mustard and mayo. The mayo did nothing to enhance the burger.
I wanted a corn dog but didn’t see it on the menu. I found it while waiting for my food. It’s on the kid’s menu. My bad. I should have asked but I didn’t.
Also, even though I specified that I was eating there and not taking my food to go, everything came in to-​go bags. I hate waste.
The good: The chili cheese fries were legit. Tasty chili, cheese and onions added for no extra charge although the small was so… tiny.
Also, the have a good selection of comfort junk food appetizers such as jalapeños poppers, mozzarella sticks, corn dogs, onion rings, tater-​tots and hot dogs that might bring me back. That type of tasty crap sings my song.
In conclusion, their burgers are the bottom of the barrel compared to similarly categorized fast food chain burgers. If I’m craving a cheap, highly processed and gooey cheeseburger I’ll go to McD’s or BK. Wendy’s has the best of the low-​end burgers. However, if I’m feeling frisky and want some chili cheese fries, a corn dog, mozzarella sticks or jalapeño poppers on the fly, I might go back.

Problem here is the value, or lack thereof. Prices are crazy high unless you stick to value menu.
Smallest soda is 1.79! Small onion rings is 2.29! My order had 4 rings!!! Unreal.
I ordered the ultimate chicken sandwich… no price for it on the menu of course. Price? 5.99!!! I’m not kidding!!! Dude, it was a fast food chicken sandwich… and tasted like it. Chik-​fil-​a sammiches are way better and are half the price.
This place is fine for half price drinks or whatever is on special, but their regular price items are a serious prison rape move!!!
Calling the 1 – 800 number on this one.

The drinks are good, the food is empty calories, and servers are surprisingly friendly. Good for drowning your sorrows in greasy food and cold, non-​alcoholic drinks.
Generally, the food is very subpar compared to other places that serve similar items. The hamburgers are rubbery, onions rings are on the bitter side, and the
However, the slushies are usually great — an equal ratio of drink to finely shaved ice and slightly on the sweeter side. Most drinks can be customized up the wazoo, including milk shakes,
The servers have been young and friendly (a nice change for Albany) which, although it doesn’t make the crappy food better, makes the trip not quite as big a regret.
In summary — it’s Sonic. Go for the drinks, and get food if you must.

I foolishly had higher hopes for you Sonic…
I visited this location just after 9 at night after being out for various meetings throughout the evening and just wanted something quick, easy, and satisfying. Sonic proved to be none of those things.
Ordered through the drive thru, and the person taking my order was very pleasant. Ordered a couple of chicken sandwich meals, some chicken strips, and a burger (not all for myself, but I did want to sample their burger as well as chicken options). After ordering and when I got to the window, it took longer than necessary to actually get my food and the the people working seemed like I was bothering them being there and were slouched and hanging over the counter. I was put off by that behavior. No, I’m not expecting 5 star service from a fast food restaurant, but for a newly opened chain that thinks so highly of themselves they should take more pride in their jobs. I don’t see the workers at Chick-​Fil-​A behaving that way!
As I always do, I check my order to make sure everything is there, and the order was made correctly. Of course one of the sandwiches was not, so I went back through the drive thru to inform the staff and have it corrected. After I spoke to someone in the drive thru line, they told me to pull around, and a worker there came up to my car and gave me what I thought was an attitude for having an issue with my order. He asked if I wanted them to re-​make the sandwich, or if they could correct the one that they gave me. Why is that even a question?
When I finally got home and saw the food that was served I was again, unimpressed. The chicken on their sandwiches is TINY, and the tater tots I got on the side were not even filled to the top of the container. The soda tasted flat. The only promising thing in the order was the burger I got, which was actually a pretty decent size. But almost $ 30 on some fast food that wasn’t even anything special had me feeling like this place is a rip off.
Hey, at least I can say I got to experience Sonic in Albany, but I won’t be returning.

Sonic — makes me think sparklers and techno fab and future and rocket ships. In reality: NOT.
OK for starters the traffic pattern at Sonic is SO STUPID. Because cars were seriously backing up on Route 7 (due to glee at having a new Sonic and/​or because the parking lot is SO RIDICULOUSLY SMALL and there are not as yet any drones delivering my meal) they closed that entrance. Which now means if you pull into the parking lot from the side road, and there isn’t a spot, you have to back up into the line of cars waiting to get in to get out. SO STUPID.
The parking lot was full (we parked behind Denny’s right next door) but the dining room was just half full. BRILLIANT. Then the woman that took my order screwed things up: I didn’t want cheese on one burger, which is NOT on the menu, so I said I wanted it plain, and what I got was a PLAIN burger — no cheese but no lettuce or tomato or onion or anything else — sheesh. Just a hamburger, Sonic — or are you too far out there to remember what a hamburger is???
The cheeseburger with the works ($ 4.19) was sticky in my mouth: sticky bread, sticky cheese, the meat was the right color and not sticky, a nice amount of lettuce, pickle and overall kind of boring. The small fries ($ 1.19) was small, just OK, reminiscent of McDonald’s knock offs. I REALLY liked my strawberry limeade ($ 1.69) — a bit fizzy, not too sweet, bits of real berry to block up the straw — this is something you don’t get everywhere.
SUM: Nothing futuristic, just pretty good in an old-​fashioned (1950s) American hamburger sort of way. Yawn.

There aren’t any Sonics in my area and I was staying in Latham so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Unfortunately, this chain appears to be greatly overhyped. The first time I came here I ordered a hot dog meal and not only did it take a long time to get the food, but it wasn’t even delivered to my car on roller skates! That’s half the reason I came!
I came back the next night thinking maybe dessert was more their specialty and I did like that better (and it was delivered on roller skates) but wait time was still a problem.

I admit I am a millennial who loves fine dining; I appreciate locally sourced food where cows are treated like equals with voting rights and the whole nine yards. But… I also love good fast food in true American fashion. Unfortunately Sonic is neither fast nor good.
I appreciate the retro feel of Sonic, channeling the 1960’s, very Happy Days and Grease. However the appeal ends there because what is left is a long wait, and lackluster food. Maybe I’m just being picky, and maybe it’s because Albany is finally getting a growing number of better burger joints, but I was just really disappointed.
We pulled up to a slot, and waited about 5 min from the time we pushed the button to the time we actually got some one to take our order. We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich, two different hot dogs, onion rings, and a Sonic Hawaiian limeade.
The wait for someone to bring our food was another 10 – 15 min. Though the food did come out hot, which other Unilocalers have complained about, it didn’t matter. It was not good.
The chicken sandwich was tough, plain, and tasted artificial. The onion rings were dry, hard, and I called it quits after eating only one.
Hot dogs… more disappointment. Bun lacked any substance, hot dog itself no flavor, cheese had an artificial Velveeta flavor and texture.
Highlight was the limeade which had chunks of pineapple in it, not too sweet but the ice tasted weird. Maybe their machine isn’t quite broken in yet?
Can’t speak to their cold treats, maybe that’s where their niche will be though it’s hard to believe it will be good enough for them to survive.
For me, I will continue to dream of the day when we will have a Chick-​fil-​a and a Shake Shack…

It reminds me of a modernized 1950s Car Hop. Roller skates and all! The shakes are awesome and so are the slushes. They have so many flavors. My personal favorite is a cherry pineapple slush. My favorite menu item is the Chicago Dog.
Alright, so I’m going to tell you the three ways you can sonic here.
The first is the way that it is supposed to be. You drive up to the parking space to a computer screen. You press the classic Red Button and order. Then they roller skate your food out to you.
The second option is to use one of the two drive thus that they have. Simple as that.
The third is to eat in the lobby or outside on their tables. This Means you can Sonic all year round!

Come on people, it’s a fast food joint. Not sure what people were expecting. Every fast food joint has their thing: McD is the Big Mac, BK is the Whopper and Sonic (IMO) is the slushies.
This Sonic has been open about a month or so and there’s still a line when I go. The hype hasn’t died down yet. Give it time. Yes there are issues with ordering at times, but it’s expected for a new place. Again, give it time.
The burgers are good, the popcorn chicken is good, love their honey mustard sauce, and oh the slushies. My favorite is cherry, but you can get crazy with the combos that can be made into a slushy. Be a daredevil and add some pop rocks in there, if you dare. I had a try at their ice cream and it was good as well.
I have no complaints about the food and once the service improves, I’m sure I’ll add a star. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy slushies and the occasional ice cream :)

If you are a local, and have been here more than a few years, you may remember when Krispy Kreme opened in Latham, just a bit farther east of Sonic. You’ll also remember how hyped up it was, and how when it first opened, there were lines out the door and tons of media coverage. But guess what? Krispy Kreme has been closed for awhile now. In the end it didn’t live up to the hype. It wasn’t even close.
Years later, Sonic is a mirror image of the Krispy Kreme hype.
Not that I’m suggesting Sonic will close. But, I cannot understand why on God’s green earth people care about this place. It just ain’t that special. In fact, it’s mind numbingly average.
I’ve nicknamed Sonic «McDonald’s on roller skates».
I had heard that the tater tots were the bomb, but mine turned out to be a dud. They were cold, and were no better than the Ore Ida tots in the grocery freezer isle.
I ordered a double cheeseburger, and I received a single. Reading through other Unilocal reviews, it appears that these kind of mistakes are common. But that’s ok. The very nice kid on roller skates rectified the situation rather quickly. And it actually worked in my favor, as the first burger I received was cold, but the second was at least lukewarm.
How was the burger? Eh, it was ok. About on par with McDonald’s or Wendy’s.
My wife got a BLT, and my daughter the chicken strips. Both were typically processed and very average.
It’s very unlikely Sonic will get my business. With Five Guys, Smashburger, Burger 21, and soon BurgerFi, all a short drive away, and all with far, far better product, there’s simply no reason to patronize Sonic.
Don’t believe the hype.

And I thought the milkshakes were a letdown…
For the first time since their opening, the carhop lane wasn’t spilling out into the street and the line of soon-​to-​be diners wasn’t out the door; perfect time to try a hotdog and some tater tots. Despite the lack of a crowd it took over fifteen minutes for us to get our food, and that was only the beginning of what turned out to be a lunch outing disaster.
The tots came in a half empty carton and were comparable in taste to the onion rings I mentioned in my initial review: neither here nor there, but acceptable for a fast food chain. I wish I could say the same for the Chicago dog. It was a mess of flavors piled into a sad poppy seed bun. A few of the toppings, most notably the sport peppers and celery salt, were actually off-​putting. I wouldn’t want someone to judge New Yorkers based on a fast food thin crust pizza, so I won’t hold this catastrophe of a hotdog over the people of Chicago.
My co-​worker had a burger, fries, and a shake, and didn’t have anything good to say about her meal either. As such, I can’t say with any confidence that I’ll be dining here again.

First off: the two stars are wholly and only on the merits of the food for my one visit. I happened upon an oddly empty hour of the day, noticed almost no cars in the lot, noted I hadn’t eaten yet at all and was eligible for a fast food meal, seized my chance to zip in, and when I got inside, I was the only customer.
Which makes it utterly inexcusable that my food was cold. Taters, cold. Middle of the burger, cold. Bun, cold.
I don’t think it’s piling on to additionally note the quality of the ingredients was food-​service level. Like a Sysco food service burger flopped at a cafeteria. Which does not taste good when cold.
I am giving them all kinds of mulligans for service and so forth for the break-​in period. That the traffic and layout is awful has been well-​established by now by the continuous traffic jam on Route 7 created by installing a car-​hop place with a drive in on a corner of a major state highway. As noted, major problems with both, but not counted in the review.
But cold mediocre fast food gets two stars no matter what the excuse. That it was early in the day makes it atrocious, not an accident of production.
I’ve been to other Sonics before and hadn’t quite seen why it was so hype-​worthy, and now I’m seeing it pretty clearly: the power of advertising. Temperature notwithstanding.
The car hop schtick harkens back to the old days, to be sure, and I have fond memories of A&W, with or without roller skates. And they will bring your food out to you at your table or at your car if you’re in a car hop lane. But so will Smash Burger, or Denny’s for that matter, for a similar price. And both of those places have served, yes, wait for it, HOT food most of the times I go.
In any event, should you decide to go despite this particular warning, here’s some hints:
— traffic is now entering only on North Wade, the little connector road between Denny’s and Sonic. Sometimes you can enter going westbound on seven, but most of the time your best bet is to turn north at the intersection and circle around.
— if you want to try the rollerskating car hops, take the rightmost lane as you pull in to the lot; the lane to the left goes to the drive through, which you’ll have to take all the way around since at present you can’t exit onto 7/​Troy-​Schenectady. (It’s perilously close to the intersection, which was bad enough when it was King’s Buffet, but I can’t ever see trying to do this now.)
— inside they have TVs and «Sonic Radio» playing, at just the level of volume that you can’t really hear either one.
Have a SuperSonic day! WIth cold food!