A & W Drive-In Restaurant

This is probably the worse fast food establishment I have ever gone to. I asked for a plain hamburger (for a picky kid) and the first one came with cheese, the second one came with cheese and mayo. After 4 attempts they finally got it right. I ordered the fish and chips which was pretty gross. The breading on the fish was soggy. The fires weren’t crispy. I had never been here before this and I will not be back

I’m talking root beer. Screaming children. Fund raisers. Dope fries. A+ just wish all those teens weren’t scaring me in the parking lot.

There’s absolutely nothing good about a meal, when you have to defend it from swarms of flies! View the photo I posted! Those are just the dead ones! Food was great, but definitely ZERO stars for cleanliness. I didn’t even want to eat the flies were so bad! GROSS!

What can ya Say about A & W? Root Beer Float, that’s what ! Best Root Beer Float around.
A short History I discovered from the A & W Website. In 1919, at a parade honoring returning World War I veterans in Lodi, California, Roy Allen set up a roadside drink stand to offer a new thick and creamy drink, Root Beer. His creation was such a success; he decided to take on a partner, Frank Wright. In 1922, Allen and Wright combined their initials to name the beverage A&W Root Beer. A & W actually became America’s first franchised restaurant chain in 1924. And now you know… The rest of the story…
Buck’s A & W also gives you a Small taste of what an older Burger Joint used to be like. I can’t help but feel a little nostalgic walking into this one. From the Original Sign outside to the seats inside it just feels original. This being the Only «Original» looking A & W restaurant that I know of in Western Washington. It’s definitely got a Hometown feel to it with all the South Kitsap Memorabilia, A few T-​Shirts for Sale, Take Home a Jug of A & W, Car Shows on Wednesday nights, Etc., Etc… I’ve heard people complain about service but I’ve never had a bad experience. I even met the Manager a few times, very friendly. You can still get the Papa Burger, although I don’t really see the Mama Burger or Teen Burger anywhere. They still have the Coney Dogs as well as Fish, Shrimp & Chicken. Cheese Curds !! Onion Rings !! And of course the Frosty Glass Mugs that the Root Beer Floats are served in Just makes them taste all that much better. A Root Beer Float is just one of those things you have to experience in life. It does seem to be a little pricy but I think it’s just a sign of the times. I think it takes a little more to keep some small businesses going.
So as long as I’m able to I’ll always find the time to stop by Buck’s A & W, if not to make memories with my Grandkids but on occasion just to ponder and reminisce my trips to A & W with my Mom & Dad as a youth…
Thanks for the Memories A & W.

After living in Port Orchard for 11 years I figured it was time to finally give this place a try. I stopped in for lunch yesterday, and decided to go through drive thru. service was prompt and friendly. I ordered the burger and fries and of course couldn’t resist digging into the fries during my 10 minute drive home. Well, they were stone cold. The burger was lukewarm at best. Not really a great first experience but hopefully I just caught them on an off day. I will give them another try.

I thought I would give A&W another try as I was really wanting a bacon cheese burger and fries like I got when I was teenager on Kitsap Way. The burger was black and crispy, the bun was cold, the only thing warm was the lettuce and condiments. Asked for extra crispy fries… got limp fish tasting fries. Strike three A&W your out!!!

I haven’t gone back to eat there (yet). But I did write corporate about my franken-​burger and they forwarded my comments to Rick — the manager — who persisted in making sure the issue was resolved. He called me to apologize for the dodgy burgers and the bad service offering us a $ 10 gift certificate so we could come back and give them another shot. He was very nice, genuine and apologetic about the not-​so-​grilled-​chicken burger and made me feel like a valued customer. We have since picked up the certificate and because of his sincerity and kindness are willing to give them another shot — watch this space!

Buck’s A&W…
I have a real love hate relationship with this landmark of port orchard.
Ungodly expensive fast food.
It taste great, its always fresh, but its still fast food
Some of the employees there are great, other are friggin awful.
It used to be the perfect place for the local kids to get their first job, not so much anymore.
They have the cool car shows every Wednesday, and many other local groups activities like car washes and what-​not. And they have tons of SKHS memorabilia and local teams pictures all over the walls, and that is a great feeling to walk into.
But the price is crazy i tell ya!
and Staff really isn’t that great the last few times I’ve been in.
I have not been in since they brought back the All you can eat deals.
But I only go in a few times a year because paying $ 20+ for two burgers and fries is astronomically over priced.
But being from Port Orchard i would lose a little part of my soul if Buck’s A&W ever closed down.
So you should eat there! and buy me some too!

This is my first time at this a&w. The guy taking our orders was very great and knowledgable about the food served. He had some great recommendations. The cheese curds were delicious, the burger was «eh». Prices were a little too high for my taste. But I’ll go back.

It’s been a small handful of years since I last ate here. Knowing that they now have an all you can eat for $ 10.99 on Monday nights brought us back.
We weren’t sure what to expect. A large buffet table covered in hours-​old burgers and chicken strips? Small portion sizes? Not worth the money? I came to Unilocal to see if anyone had mentioned the AYCE in a recent review. I wanted to know what we were getting into! No such luck.
So I’m here to help others like me out. The AYCE is $ 10.99 as previously mentioned. That includes anything on the menu except drinks and desserts. You can get chicken, cod, any of the burgers, Coney dogs, corn dogs, soup, shrimp, fries, onion rings, cheese curds… ANYTHING they sell. I ended up getting the three piece cod, a 5 piece corn dog nugget side, and curly fries; my other half got a bacon cheeseburger, a blue cheese burger, and a 2 piece chicken strip with onion rings. All very good, though, he did comment that the onion rings tasted like fish and that they probably needed to change their frying oil sooner than later. Besides that though, we definitely got a belly full of yummy stuff and we would highly recommend giving it a go to others.

Classic place. Been going here since I was a kid. Food is great, just a bit pricey. But you can’t get an ice cold rootbeer like that any where else around here.

Used to be a good burger joint. The last few times we’ve been here the food has been so-​so or just plain sad. Warm flat root beer. Grilled chicken looked/​tasted really off. One bite and I was done.
It’s really too bad. A&W used to be a destination now we’ll just drive on by even if we’re in the neighborhood.

I grew up with this restaurant, it was always the burger go to place; want a teen burger, mama burger, papa burger in a basket? Had the first chili cheese fries in town, and the yummiest bbq beef sandwiches. The last one I had, had to much grizzle and fat in it. :(
If I were to rate the restaurant today I would do so as follows:
Best Root beer in an icy mug– They use to make it themselves downstairs
Best Diet Root beer
Yumm Taco Salad
Great Munchie Food
Best drive thru burgers until they stopped using the «special» A&W sauce.
Great onion rings
Great overall food in fact. But the service is annoying; they will shut the lights off and close early, not consistent in their open hours.
Prices are TOO HIGH for the food you get Im always surprised to get a $ 30 bill for a couple burger baskets.
Services can be slow unless the owner is there.
The place is clean, a little cluttered with local sports stuff but clean.
I heard the owner wanted to make the place into more of a sit in diner, restaurant and I wish he would promote that with an all new American menu, I am sure the place could be saved… OR have Robert Irvine from Restaurant Impossible give you a little help!
We want your business to make it, go back to the basics (like Dicks), with the added flare of a diner; apps, beer, add some pasta dishes, pies, etc… You know what you are doing Rick! Do it! :)
Looking forward to turning the place around!!!

On a recent trip to Port Orchard, root beer shake became priority number two. After finishing my first order of business, I proceeded to A&W to satisfy my craving. Shake prices are… high. Higher than I remember. Too high. It sucks, because the root beer shake tries it’s damnedest to make sure you get your money’s worth.
So…charge less? Pweese?

I remember coming here when I was a little girl and I loved the big frosty mug full of root-​beer float! Great fast food with family appeal and still has a mom-​n-​pop feel to it.
I love the old fixtures and that they kept it all as it was when I was last there. It’s a classic and one of the last A&W’s I know of.
Cheers! I’ll be back :)

The food has gotten bad… really bad, and its expensive. They still support the little league and do their classic car shows on Wednesdays, but unless you’re just ordering a root beer float, I would get as far away from the food as possible.

First off I will always rate a restaurant for what it is, so a&w I would compare with the other burger shacks around. That being said, a&w gets a five star because for a small town burger place it has quality equal to or above mickyds and bk and even Wendy’s while at the same time it has way more home town spirit. The have car shows in the summer and the local school teams are all sponsored by them.
All this and the best root beer float in town! Hard to beat for a burger joint:)
I think their only downside is the lack of late hours. They close at 8 or 9 if I remember.

It’s a good burger and fries joint. Their burgers are tasty and the fries nice and crispy just the way I like them. The experience is pretty consistent — clean place, good food, and friendly staff.
One little note that I really love: the glass mugs for my drinks. It must be psychological but my soda tastes waaay better in a glass mug rather than your paper cup at McD’s or Burger King (plastic at jack in the box). My favorite burger here? The jalapeño burger with a side of… jalapenos with cheese. I like ‘em spicy what can I say!

We went to Port Orchard a little while ago and the A&W Restaurant was probably the best part about our day trip there. From what I learned, this A&W has been around for a long time now and it really shows. But, I loved that entirely! I could feel the history with this place. It’s a lot more better than a McDonald’s that pops up every year.
As for the food, I thought it was delicious. My bacon burger’s patty was a little burnt, but I liked it. I thought it added to the burger. I also had a root beer float which was just awesome. The price was a little steep for fast food, considering that we’re known for just ordering off the dollar menu.
They also had some items for sale too, such as shirts, pins, and other tourist-​y items. Would going all the way to Port Orchard because of this A&W be worth it? Maybe, if I was craving a good root beer float.

This place reminds me of so many childhood memories, not that I grew up anywhere near here, but still. Since it’s still got wood paneling and older décor I feel like I’ve gone back to the late 80s in a diner back East.
The food, though a bit over priced for some things, is pretty good for what it is. If you get a root beer float be warned that if you don’t eat some ice cream and drink some root beer quick it’ll end up all over the table. Then again, that is part of the fun.