Sonic Drive In, How Does it Work?

"Klaus Schmoll" (klausschmoll)
09/02/2014 at 20:18 • Filed to: None

I'm watching the Farts'R'Loud episode in which they turn a Camaro SS convertible into a spokescar for Sonic. Never heard of that chain.

Is it a "press a button and the machine nukes some cold stuff for you" kind of deal, because this is what I gathered from googling? Educate me!

Is their stuff any good, or is it like a "I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole" kind of thing"?

DISCUSSION (48)

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:20

You pull up in a parking spot. Press a button after you look at the menu located over said button and give your order to a person over an intercom. Eventually a waitress (sometimes on roller skates) brings your order out to your car on a tray and you eat in your car.

The food isn't half bad actually.

ly2v8-Brian > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:22

It's a drive in. In car centric postwar US they were every where. Sonic is a modern revival of that. You push the button to key the mic and order your food and a car hop (waitress) brings your food to your car. You eat the meal in your car.

BKRM3 > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:24

I don't eat fast food. Ever. I couldn't tell you the last time I went to a McDonald's, honest to god.

BUT. My friend introduced me to Sonic earlier this year. You pull up to the menu/speaker or park in the parking lot and order at a similar machine near some picnic tables. There's no inside area for ordering or anything, although I think they do have bathrooms.

They have breakfast stuff in addition to normal food. They have these slush drinks that you can make all sort of crazy combinations out of. They have TOTS - with cheese or chili or both! It's an incredible place, and the food I've had has been way better than any other "fast food" style place I've ever tried. I've only been there a few times but I've found it to be totally awesome!

vorspringing > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:24

They also have the best fast food drink in the known universe, cherry limeade.

GhostZ > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:28

They open up a new location and you go there, everything is all shiny and retro-future, so you pull in and order via their telephone system. It comes out with a smile, a blonde cheerleader rolling out on roller skates and handing you a burger and malt. The burger is surprisingly good for how cheap it is. You scarf down the fries and realize that they have some of the best shakes and drinks you can get at a fast food place. Overall, it's great for the price.

Two weeks later you show up again, except now half the employees have been replaced and they don't wear skates anymore. The floor is starting to get dirty, but your order anyway. You try something different, not getting a burger. You are surprised at how fast-food it feels, realizing that whatever you ate (chili dog?) is likely just being microwaved after being flash frozen. They forget onions or something minor, and you blame it on the telephone system.

Six months later your local placed is closed down for some reason and you have to go across town, passing by Sonic. You figure, hey, why not stop in again. This time it's got a new manager, and that bubbly waitress is replaced by an overweight girl you're pretty sure is 14 or 15, listening to green day on her ipod and wearing way, way too much makeup, enough that she's starting to break out. After 45 minutes of waiting, your order is completely misunderstood on the telephone, but it doesn't matter, you can't hear shit anymore on their machine so you didn't even know what they were doing. You get your order, half of it wrong and with room-temperature (or cold) fries and eat it anyway. It tastes like cardboard, because business has been so slow that the flash-frozen food is no longer fresh "ish". You get an upset stomach later that evening and feel worse than the time you ate 50 mcnuggets in one sitting. It's got so much soy (undigestible) and grease that you swear off the place forever.

For the net two years, it flits between owner and owner, becoming a local revolving door for the bottom-of-the-barrel high school students wanting a job and not caring if they smell like grease all day. Every time it gets a new owner, it gets cleaned up and fixed. That's the only time it is cleaned. You show up with each new owner, eat a mediocre meal, and realize nothing's changed, especially if you use the indoor restroom. You try to eat outdoors, but it's windy and uncomfortable and you can't hear your buddy talking over the sound of wind and vehicles.

Eventually it goes out of business, and sits there for five years until someone tears it down for whatever next fast food fad comes into town. You think about it nostalgically, and on your next road trip, you stop by another sonic that's sitting there off the interstate. You wait 45 minutes for your order and get it, realizing that it really isn't any better either and you can't believe you once "liked" this place. You throw half your meal away and go across the street to whatever else is there, done with it for good.

That is the Sonic experience.

Giles007 > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 20:33

Great read! Where's that new "comment of the day" section?

thedevilinside > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:33

As others have mentioned, you order from your car and they bring it to you.

They also have a drive thru which is like others ordering but then they bring it out to you and get the money. The one I go to is on rollerblades and I hate that they have to rollerbalde towards my car then step down a curb. I'm always scared they're gonna fall.

GhostZ > BKRM3
09/02/2014 at 20:34

Some of them do have inside areas, depending on space availability.

BlazinAce - Doctor of Internal Combustion > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:34

My city needs a drive in joint pronto. I don't know if it's because of me constantly talking about cars, but my colleagues are actually "flying proud" their cars right now, even if it's just a bunch of economic hatchbacks. If there was a place to hang out WITH the cars, I'm sure they'd go.

GhostZ > Giles007
09/02/2014 at 20:35

In the same place where my love for Sonic went after it ripped out my heart.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 20:38

HOW HAVE YOU NOT HEARD OF SONIC?!?!

Kinja'd!!!

IT"S A WAY OF LIFE

Alex B > BKRM3
09/02/2014 at 20:39

I hate fast food too. The only fast food I tolerate is chick fila. It tastes somewhat real.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 20:40

I think yours may be the exception rather than the rule. We had one open up here about 6 months ago and everything is still shiny and new and being brought out on rollerblades rather than roller skates....

GhostZ > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
09/02/2014 at 20:43

Truth be told, they're not bad at all. They just have a really hard time competing against other outfits. But my point is that the idea of Sonic is often better than the actual food.

We already had a Wendy's, Culver's, and a bunch of other 'upscale' fast food places. They couldn't handle it, and all the good locations were bought out already.

Big Bubba Ray > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/02/2014 at 20:56

My God there are a ton of Sonics in and around Kansas City.

Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast. > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 21:09

Where are you that Wendy's is considered "upscale?"

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Big Bubba Ray
09/02/2014 at 21:09

Yeah, pretty much every town and city has them. Basically every town with over 1k people has a Sonic (except for my town lol).

GhostZ > Mr. Ontop, No Strokes, No Smokes...Goes Fast.
09/02/2014 at 21:12

I don't live there anymore, but a lot of empty, rural areas consider anything better than White Castle, McDonalds, Checkers/Rally's and Burger King to be upscale. Sonic and Wendy's are definitely in that category, since they don't do 2-4$ meals.

This was long before McDonalds started pushing their products as "premium" and started putting fake wood and aluminum on their interiors to make them feel more comfortable. I'm talking about the McDonalds that would have giant plastic french fries in the corners and be bleached-white everywhere else.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/02/2014 at 21:16

Samd here, we don't even have a Taco Bell!

TheD0k_2many toys 2little time > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 21:16

Kinja'd!!!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
09/02/2014 at 21:18

HUH? We have about 12 in a county of 450K people...

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 21:23

No. White Castle is fucking classy!

GhostZ > Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies
09/02/2014 at 21:24

Did a crave crate two years ago. One of my friends went temporarily blind.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 21:29

I don't know what that is, I just made that statement because I've never lived around one and cherished the few times I've been. Krystal ain't got shit on White Castle.

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/02/2014 at 21:30

The closet ones to me are in Syracuse around 30 minutes away in a different county.

BKRM3 > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 21:31

THAT I would be interested in! The outside is so cool I wonder what the ones that have indoor areas are like.

Frank Grimes > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 21:31

Yes. Also sometimes if you go with your friends the waitress asks you if you masturbate a lot.You are so shocked about this out of the blue insane question you just freeze trying to comprehend what just happened. TRU STROY!

BKRM3 > Alex B
09/02/2014 at 21:32

Never been to that one. The thing I like about sonic is the ridiculous variety, and the old-timey drive up feel. They bring a tray to your car! Of course, I don't eat in my car... but picnic tables are totally rad as well!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
09/02/2014 at 21:33

LOL the closest one to me is 20 Minutes away... Kansas for ya

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/02/2014 at 21:36

Well my county is pretty much farm towns. So there's not really any marker for anything other than the big three of fast food joints.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
09/02/2014 at 21:37

Finally, someone who lives in a semi-rural area!

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/02/2014 at 21:41

I live in the largest town on my county its a college town and a port town.

TurboSloth > Klaus Schmoll
09/02/2014 at 21:46

I just use the drive thru option, and bring my fast food home. I never eat in my car. Honestly, stuff is pretty okay. I occasionally go there. 7/10.

I kinda want to go to sonic now, and write an oppo review on sonic.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback
09/02/2014 at 21:46

LOL Wichita is a college town and aircraft town (Bombardier, Cessna, Hawker, Beechcraft, Spirit, Boeing, Raytheon, etc.)

GhostZ > BKRM3
09/02/2014 at 21:52

It's super-cheesy retro-futurism. Like the Jetsons vomited all over a McDonalds.

BKRM3 > GhostZ
09/02/2014 at 21:57

Bwahahahaha. 10/10 would buy a Jetsons-vomit milkshake.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > thedevilinside
09/02/2014 at 22:43

That's awkward. All the drive thrus around here are the normal kind with a window to get your food. Sometimes they will bring it to your car if you're next in line and only getting drinks, and the car ahead has a ton of food.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > BKRM3
09/02/2014 at 22:47

They are seriously some of the best "high end" fast food. The breakfast burrito with the tots inside it, is a thing of beauty. Deadly, but a thing of beauty. I really hope they keep the crazy big slush menu for winter, but I have a feeling they will cut it down again soon. The banana taffy one is amazing.

BKRM3 > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
09/02/2014 at 22:52

THERE'S A BANANA TAFFY ONE?!? Damn. I have to go back.

I has the fiesta steak breakfast burrito. Put some salsa on it, had some tots. It was the most glorious of all breakfasts. Because I was on my way to race karts, I decided I needed a sugar rush so I got an Oreo blast as well. Did I take it too far? Only just!

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > BKRM3
09/02/2014 at 22:57

Dude, there's like 40 slush flavors. Banana taffy, peach ring and something called "Polynesian Punch" are my favs. There's also a crazy big shake/malt menu too. I try and avoid those, but I've seen ones like chocolate jalapeno and chocolate bacon.

BKRM3 > Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
09/02/2014 at 23:00

I really have to think outside of the box the next time I'm there. Banana taffy is happening. I think you can put other things in it too. Nerds? Nerds.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > BKRM3
09/02/2014 at 23:01

Yep, lots of Nerds one. Not appealing to me for some reason, so haven't tried.

Scb0825 > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
09/02/2014 at 23:54

Craigslist autos, Oppo, and two more tabs relevant for posting in a particular thread... would bet the majority of our browsers look the same lol!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Scb0825
09/03/2014 at 00:05

Quite possibly haha do you just happen to drive a red jetta sportwagen? Lol

Mattbob > GhostZ
09/03/2014 at 15:18

crave crates are glorious to behold.

GhostZ > Mattbob
09/03/2014 at 15:27

It was in a room the size of an apartment flat. The whole room smelled like white castle for weeks .

nucciOMG > Klaus Schmoll
09/04/2014 at 10:16

1. Drive in, park in a bay.

2. Stare at blankly menu, stream internally.

3. Press button.

4. When person answers, tell them your order.

5. Order moar then you'll ever need.

6. Wait...

7. ????

8. Food is brought to you like a golden god... sometimes on rollerskates.

9. No seriously they wear rollerskates.

10. Pay.

11. CONSUME.

sketchcat > GhostZ
09/04/2014 at 13:00

...and they dont bring salt and ketchup out with your food. you need to ask for it then wait while generic looks slightly over weight teen girl skates off to do three other things before she makes it back with the goods!

MY FAWKING TATER TOTS ARE COLD NOW!

THANKS OBAMA!