Swensons Drive-In

We came here twice a few years ago when they opened. They had old trays that did not work on the car window at all. Rather than just giving us the food in bags and maybe a cardboard tray for the inside of car the server insisted on loose fitting tray. When he walked away and I reached over for the burger (without touching anything else) the entire tray slid into the car. The seats were wet, food all over, they didn’t replace anything except the soda. Needless to say we never went back. Too bad, because what little we saw of the food looked good. The other thing I do wonder about is if you are tipping the servers that bring food out. As nice as all this nostalgia is I would rather see a sit down, fifties diner for this place rather than all the car stuff.

Outstanding food and service! I’ve been coming here for years, and we still find an excuse to visit! You have to try the Galley Boy, and a milkshake! This is the best place in the area for a burger, by far!

I think I’m a fan, having just moved here from Seattle this is definitely my go to place for burgers. Good food, great service and I do enjoy the old school feel. The burger’s way better than in n out, fries tho is meh. Thumbs up from moi.

Yummy! I got the «salad boy» it was good. I’m not a vegetarian but I love veggie burgers. It’s exactly like the «galley boy» but a veg burger. Also got the jalapeño pooper things. Good! (I couldn’t remember the official names of anything, sorry!)

I love this place. It’s only down the road so I go quite a bit. The galley boy is a staple here and a great burger. Can’t go wrong with the onion rings or my personal favorite the potatoes teasers. I always order the California grape/​lemon drink as well. The service is great no matter how busy they are and the prices are low. I love living so close to this place.

Why 5 stars? Because it lived up to the hype.
— — —
Swenson’s was another spot that I’d missed out on during my time in Cleveland, which was a pre-​Yelping and pre-​adventurous time in my life. I routinely ate Chipotle, Hungry Howie’s, and Chinese to-​go… and that was basically it. Meanwhile, since leaving Cleveland, I’ve heard the tales of all the amazing places I did not visit, because I was being a silly billy. Swenson’s is one of those places.
I was nervous that Swenson’s would simply just be a typical fast food joint, and nothing special. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Swenson’s is basically the In-​N-​Out Burger of NE Ohio. I have no idea what on a Galley Boy that makes it so delicious, but it’s crack. Crack that I don’t think can ever be duplicated. And despite my aversion to spicy things, the potato teezers were a nice alternative to fries.
I love the old school drive-​in concept. It’s like Sonic, but if Sonic were to truly stay authentically retro. They ask you to lower you window just enough to hang your tray on. They bring out the milkshakes with no lid and a skinny straw. Those things my be inconvenient, but they certainly are festive.

I would give them six stars if available. First off, they sprint to your car. Secondly, you don’t even get out of your car. You can sit and relax in your car, and not even worry about what the weather is outside, or waiting for service. The menu is not fancy at all, and has fairy normal menu options. The difference is the food. Their burgers are sweet tasting, and the buns are crispy and soft at the same time. In my opinion, the best burgers in the northeast ohio area I have tried. They also have a plethora of side items including a «potato teaser» that is a glorified tator tot with jalapeño pieces inside them. If you need a quick meal, and are in the mood for burgers, look no further. I would get at least 3 though if hungry, they do run a little smaller than most.

If it’s good enough for LeBron it’s good enough for me.
I have been visiting family in Cleveland since I was a kid and cannot believe they had never taken me here before!
It’s like a local Sonic — but better.
The potato teasers were insanely yummy — like a jalapeño popper — but just add potato and way better.
We got two shakes and while we were chugging them down we realized they brought us the wrong ones. They figured it out before we could tell them and fixed it in no time — even though we would have gladly finished them off.
But I was glad to have my combo of mint and chocolate shake. SO GOOD.
Next time I’ll go when I have more of an appetite and tackle the rest of the menu for sure.

My first time visiting Swensons, even though it’s been on my list of places to try for some time. I went on a very warm Saturday afternoon, just before the dinner rush. A runner/​server immediately approached my car, and handed me a menu, telling me to take my time reviewing the menu, asking me to turn on my headlights when ready to order. I opted for the single cheeseburger, fries and vanilla shake. My food arrived a short time later. The best part of the meal was, by far, the vanilla shake. My shake was creamy, thick and tasty. The fries were pretty good too, nice and hot. The burger was just ok, the bun was toasted and a bit crumbly and the cheese tasted more like a sauce than a slice of cheese. All in all, the food was probably 3 stars, but the overall experience was definitely 4 stars. I would definitely return.

If you don’t have Swensons in your life, you are missing out! Love the burgers and the milkshakes! Chocolate malt is my favorite. I’ve had the egg salad, potato teasers, mushrooms, and onion rings and love them all! Service is quick and always with a friendly face!

Swensons is an awesome local burger chain! The galley boy, potato teasers and a coney style grilled cheese are a few of the menu items that really stand out. I would definitely recommend this burger over any of your big chain burger joints. Give it a try sometime!

King James knows what’s up. Swensons is an Akron-​area institution. There are several locations on the south-​ish side of Cleveland and in and around A-​K Rowdy. From Lakewood, it’s a far drive for us so we only get to have the treat when we’re en route to or from points south. Worth it.
Service is always friendly and efficient. Eat in your car with a clip on tray for your window. Kids running their asses off to take your order and get your food out quick. I’ve only ever tried the burgers, shakes and fried mushrooms. All are very good drive-​in quality stuff. I know the Galley Boy is kind of the signature here, but for me, whatever special sauce they put on it is a little too sweet. I like to keep it simple: a cheeseburger ‘with everything’ which at Swenson’s means onion, pickles, and mustard. SO GOOD.
The buns are toasted which gives a nice texture addition to the thin, tasty burgers. Bonus points that the onions are sliced, not chopped. I just don’t get chopped onions on a burger; they all fall out all over the place.
Anyhow, Swenson’s is definitely worth a stop. With several locations and now a food truck, there’s probably one not far from you.

This is the only place I will cheat on my diet for. A co-​worker had said I needed to come here and finally decided to give it go!
OMFG! I’m a fat girl, but never a fat girl who would eat cheese off of paper. However, this place made me do it! I admit it freely! It’s delicious.
When my friends and family come in from out of state this is the first place we hit before we go anywhere. You park and turn on your head lights and young people come running. Its even better when they carry food!
Its perfect with the kids too! You plug your phone into the charger put on some netflix and enjoy your food in quite with such a pretty view of the sky. Never had a problem with any of the employees or the food.
The only real complaint I can think of is there is 1 bathroom and its not very well vented so bring a clothes pin or some spray!

I absolutely love this place!!! I am not a huge fan of fast food, but this place is unique. You park there and the food is brought to your car. They place a tray on your car window or you can bring the tray into the car. The staff literally sprint to your car every time so while it seems dangerous at times, it is also entertaining. The boys and girls have always been friendly and clearly efficient.
The food — where do I start? I love the salad boy! A veggie burger with their special sauces with all the regular fixings! It’s actually quite large and I have to rise to the challenge to finish all of it. Their potato teezers are also a favorite — cheese potato and jalapeño in a fried coating… can’t go wrong with that! My husband gets the Galley Boy each time — never heard him complain. They also have milkshakes and special orange drinks, called Florida and California.
Swensons is just a fun place to grab a quick dinner and have a different experience. And no, it’s not like Sonic because that place is not nearly as awesome.
I kindly make a plea to the owner of Swensons to open up a location on the west side of Cleveland!

I don’t understand the love for this place. I have tried it, I honestly have. I wanted to love this place after the hype, but I was extremely disappointed. The burgers, I mean, they are good, but nothing to orgasm about. The shakes were shakes.
The service is odd? Young men running to and from your car. Do they take the people from Sonic who don’t know how to skate? If you’re not paying attention you feel like you are about to get car jacked. It just seems unnecessary to me.
If it weren’t for the hype I might have liked this place more. Not sure. I just don’t get it. Average food at best. Not bad, just nothing special.

Absolutely love Swensons! Their service is amazing. Someone almost always gets to my car before I even shut off my engine. If you need something else, just turn on your headlights and someone will come right away, literally running to your car.
Galley Boy burger is a must! It is a double cheese burger and you can get whatever you want on it. Super juicy so make sure you have plenty of napkins. They have the «everything» option, which includes pickles, onions, and mustard. I also love getting the potato teasers and mushrooms, yum! Potato teasers are basically like jalapeño poppers, so if you’re into that, I recommend it.
You can eat in your car or take it to-​go. If it’s a nice day, I definitely take advantage and eat there. They have these trays that hang onto your window. As for drinks, I highly recommend the half and half! It’s half lemonade, half tea and it’s amazing! During my most recent visit, the half and half tasted a little watered down, but I let our server know so he immediately replaced it with a freshly made batch. I always leave Swensons extremely satisfied!

So fattening… And so good.
I always get the quarter pounder plus, onion rings and a California is a must! Their burgers do have a sweet taste, which i actually like. Service is always super fast and friendly. I only wish they had more locations in northeast Ohio.

Not much to say about swensons except that it’s so good! It’s kinda like the In N Out of Ohio. like you can’t get it on the west coast but once you’ve had it you always want it. Have to get a burger! Have to! And a peanut butter shake. YOURE. WELCOME.
Little place, servers come out to your car, you eat in your car or take it to go.

First time here was such a fun experience! If only I knew to read the Unilocal reviews BEFORE placing my order and I would have known to get these potato puffs instead of fries. Oh well, next time!
Vegetarians can get the salad boy. Vegans, ask for no butter on the buns, no cheese and no special sauces (our server couldn’t tell us what was in the sauces)

Where to start here… Best burgers in the greater NE OH area, hands down. May even be the best burgers known to man, you should try and get back to me with your opinion, which I’m sure will be the same as mine unless you have the palate of a former carney fire-​eater, or Detroit dumpster-​diving hobo.
I enjoy the service as much as the food, its a real blast from the past type feel. Your servers run up to your car to take your order, when I say run, I mean they literally are required to run to your ride. No sloppy bums working here, only the best of the best. When your food arrives they have the tray that attaches to your door for less mess and easier eating while in your car.
Burgers have a hint of what tastes like brown sugar, its heavenly whatever it is. They have an enormous list of milk shakes, all amazing. Theres nothing like being able to sit in your car, people watch and enjoy a meal simultaneously. Any place with tater tots available aside from fries is the place to be in my book. If you ever happen to be sitting around pondering the thought of how the best burger in the world tastes, swing on down to Swensons!