Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Our experience at SONIC

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-15-2011, 09:22 PM:

OK, so there was great excitement in Billings, Montana a few weeks ago when the first Sonic Drive-In opened in town. The cars were circling the building and backed up out into the street. The city had to send out cops to help direct traffic around the place. It was nuts!

My wife and I didn't rush out to go there, but when we were in Billings a couple of weeks ago we found ourselves nearby at mealtime, so decided to try it out to see what all the hoopla was about.

Even 5 or 6 weeks after the grand opening, there was still a long line of cars with a kid outside directing traffic.

For those who don't know, Sonic's big hook is that they deliver the old-fashioned drive-in restaurant experience, with car-hops on roller skates bringing the food out to the cars. I always liked going to the drive-in as a kid so I was looking forward to the "Sonic experience."

After waiting in line, we got a spot. It was quite cool...push a button to talk to the order-taker inside, and stick the credit card into the machine and pay right then and there. Easy!

But things sort of went sideways after that. The carhop brought out our food in a bag, rather than on a tray to be hooked to the car window like I was expecting. (And the way the parking is set-up, you're too close to the speaker/menu to allow enough room for the tray to hang on your car window anyway.) The car-hop had to stand behind my window like a cop, handing me the bag, and I had to twist around to take it.

Not that big a deal, I figured. We prepared to enjoy the delicious Sonic burgers and fries. In the bag was....well, just ordinary fast food. Nothing special about this stuff at all. They weren't bad, but they weren't great either. We had no idea what all the shouting was about.

So then, after dinner we decided to indulge in a couple of milk shakes for dessert. We also had the notion that we would give the car-hop our bag of trash from the original meal, since we didn't see a single trashcan anywhere in view.

So we ordered the milkshakes, the car hop brought them, I asked her to take our other bag....and you would have thought I had asked her to haul off a bag of severed heads or something. She was like, "ohhh-kay" and took the bag with two fingertips.

I thought, WTF? What happened to the "drive-in restaurant" experience? The car-hop is supposed to bring the food on the tray, put it on the window, and the driver is supposed to pass the food around to the car occupants, and after dinner the driver signals the car-hop somehow and they come and get the tray.

What Sonic is doing has none of that. They have simply transferred the "drive-through window" experience into the parking lot, and I guess you're expected to take your food home and eat it and dispose of your trash there.

Anyway, both Lynn and I were severely disappointed. We have no desire to go there ever again. I truly do not see what all the furor is about.

Anybody else had a better Sonic experience than we had? Is there something I'm missing here??

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-15-2011, 09:38 PM:

There's usually a tray just outside the driver's side door. You're supposed to put your empties there and just leave them. There's supposed to be a kid who comes around and trashes everything.

They stopped hanging trays on the side of peoples' cars because there were too many complaints of paint getting scratched and windows getting chipped.
I know... lame excuse but with today's people...

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-15-2011, 09:45 PM:

We have three Sonics here in Nampa and just not my favorite place to get a carhop hamburger since they use foiled bags that keeps the steam inside causing the buns to get majorily soggy.

Hamburgers are so dry and flat tasting that I have to take it home and "redress" it to make have some more appetizing flavor.

We hit the drive-thru instead of the carhop service.

But, as with a lot of venues that try to go retro in their business with this new generation's ideas: They haven't a clue on how to do it .. RIGHT, and fail miserably.

I'm sure that Mike remembers the old A&W Root Beer stands, shaped like a root beer barrel and how their root beer was served along with their excellent tasting hamburgers and fresh cut fries that were never frozen in the first place...in which A&W has now lost that part of hamburger making.

-Monte

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-15-2011, 10:54 PM:

We have about 600 Sonics here and I do not understand why. I went to one with my girlfriend at the time and the food was just barely scratcing the surface of average. Not even as good as something like Burger King or McDonalds. It was like I was eating something with no taste. And I'll be damned if I stink up my car with the smell of food. That's why we took her car.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-15-2011, 11:01 PM:

Lawton has at least 5 Sonic locations within the city limits. And Sonic has locations in the nearby towns of Cache, Medicine Park, Elgin and Walters. Sonic Drive-In started in Oklahoma, with some of the first ones being built in this area. The company is headquartered in Oklahoma City. They have a pretty nice building next to the Bricktown canal directly across from Toby Keith's "I Love This Bar" Bar/Restaurant. The Oklahoma Redhawks AAA baseball park is on the other side of the building.

Sonic is not my first choice of drive-in burger restaurants in Lawton. That honor goes to Wayne's Drive Inn. It's a family-owned business with 2 locations. I think their burgers are A LOT better than those from Sonic. And Wayne's drive-ins are laid out a bit better.

Once in a while I'll visit the Sonic location around the corner from my workplace, but only because it is close. The same thing goes for Taco Bell, although I'll drive farther for Taco Mayo. I just wish Taco Bueno had more than one location in Lawton.

My cousin Tommy lives in Minneapolis. Apparently the twin cities area doesn't have shit for burger restaurants. But they do have some Sonic locations there now. When Tommy comes to Lawton to visit his mother (my aunt) he goes on a burger tour. The first stop is Wayne's Drive Inn. Then there's Whataburger. He'll head out to the Wichita Mountains and eat at the Meers Store whose original blood line Texas Longhorn burgers have won numerous awards and been featured on the Food Network and Travel Channel. Yes, the original blood line of Texas Longhorn cattle is actually found in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. If my cousin Tommy has time he'll visit Burgess Grill in downtown Lawton and Gertlestone's Pub & Grub.

With In-N-Out Burger opening 8 locations and a distribution center in Dallas-Fort Worth, I'm hoping In-N-Out might build at least one location in Lawton-Fort Sill. There's a good number of displaced Californians here pining away for In-N-Out.

quote: Monte L Fullmer
I'm sure that Mike remembers the old A&W Root Beer stands

I remember them! When I was a little kid my mother worked at an A&W Drive-In in New Mexico. They were good. That particular drive-in in Artesia, New Mexico closed and was replaced with, yes you guessed it, a Sonic.

quote: Randy Stankey
They stopped hanging trays on the side of peoples' cars because there were too many complaints of paint getting scratched and windows getting chipped.

Modern cars and trucks aren't designed to hold trays.

At Wayne's the car hops bring out food on trays (as opposed to putting your food in bags). But they don't hang the trays on vehicles.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-15-2011, 11:17 PM:

quote: Bobby Henderson
Modern cars and trucks aren't designed to hold trays.

I suppose that's true if the window is severely curved on top, but I would think most vehicles' windows could support a tray. But I can totally see people damaging their own cars with their stupidity and then blaming the restaurant.

I don't remember there being a place outside the car for the trash to sit, but now I'm curious about that, so maybe we'll go back one more time. Maybe I'll try the chicken strips or something.

Monte -- yes, the old A&Ws. We had one in town here. With the frosty mugs and the "burger family." Good stuff.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-16-2011, 12:02 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
I don't remember there being a place outside the car for the trash to sit, but now I'm curious about that, so maybe we'll go back one more time.

The Sonic locations here have trash cans near the drive way exits. The location I visit near work takes call-in orders. I just drive up, grab my order and go back to the office.

I think if In-N-Out takes off in Texas in a big way (as it did in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah) it could certainly spread into Oklahoma. Dallas-Fort Worth is just a 3 hour drive from Lawton, easily within the same-day driving distance requirement store locations have with the distribution center. In-N-Out could put a hurting on Sonic. However, it isn't as if Sonic lacks competition. The Whataburger chain has more than a few fans. And this redneck heavy area of the country has no shortage of locally run burger joints with lofty reputations.

Out of certain growing restaurant chains, I'm hoping more for a Chipotle location in Lawton. I think Chipotle would go over great here. A major downtown redevelopment project is finally getting underway and Chipotle would be a natural there. There's not as many retail parcels available near Cameron University, although that would be an even better bet. Cameron is across from Memorial Hospital and the wealthy "pill hill" neighborhood North of the hospital.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-16-2011, 12:47 AM:

...'bout I only eat now from Sonic is the "Chicken Strip Dinner" yet, Dairy Queen does the strip dinner better ....

Posted by Don Furr (Member # 1469) on 04-16-2011, 08:29 AM:

To each his own but I've always liked the Sonic Burgers and Tater Tots. Haven't really eaten anything else there. I can tell you that between Atlanta and Jacksonville, Fl. SONICS are closing as fast as dollar theatres. If a Sonic can't make it in a small southern town they can't make it anywhere else.

Don

Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 04-16-2011, 09:55 AM:

When the first Sonic opened here, my dad got some zoning laws passed for them. He did alot of corporate law. I think I've eaten there once.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-16-2011, 10:56 AM:

Regardless of their food or service, Sonic does do drinks right.

There is one near our office and I drive by it and laugh at their sign every day. It reads

quote:
Happy hour $0.50 corn dogs
WITH FREE MUSTARD!

Posted by Emma Tomiak (Member # 1862) on 04-16-2011, 11:56 AM:

I like their ice. You can buy it by the bag [Smile]

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 04-16-2011, 12:50 PM:

I live within walking distance of a Sonic. I find their food okay. They are more renown, as Brad mentioned, for their soft drinks. They even have a "Happy Hour" between 2 and 4 in the afternoons where their sodas are half price. With the combination of the styrofoam cups and their pellet ice, the drinks are indeed awesome.
Up the hill a mile south of me is a What-a-Burger, which is my likely destination for a burger, even though Sonic is cheaper.
I live behind a Wienerschnitzel, which I only set foot in maybe three or four times a year.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 04-16-2011, 06:06 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
But I can totally see people damaging their own cars with their stupidity and then blaming the restaurant.

Surely a disclaimer would have solved that problem rather than just getting rid of them. You see them all the time in car parks...'Park here at your own risk. We accept no responsibility for damage' etc.

Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 04-16-2011, 06:35 PM:

"This your burger, sir? You know that's over 850 calories and your limit is 350? License and registration please."

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-16-2011, 08:45 PM:

quote: Emma Tomiak
I like their ice. You can buy it by the bag

Has this become a thing? The Burger Kings around here advertise bagged ice on their marquees.

The little Sonic food I've tried is so totally devoid of taste or character that if you were blindfolded you probably couldn't identify it. They are the perfect example of gimmick (faux ersatz nostalgia) over substance.

Posted by Jonathan Althaus (Member # 5042) on 04-16-2011, 09:31 PM:

Happy hour from 2-4, half price drinks. Pretty much the only time I go

Posted by Chase Pickett (Member # 5975) on 04-16-2011, 09:48 PM:

quote: Martin McCaffery
Has this become a thing? The Burger Kings around here advertise bagged ice on their marquees.

McDonald's does this too, and it is way cheaper to buy a 10 pound bag from there than any grocery store/service station. Almost 1/3 cheaper.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-16-2011, 11:21 PM:

I recall a kid doing a test of the ice from various fast food chains and showing that it was usually dirtier than the water in their toilet basins, underlining the fact that those ice dispensers were cleaned far less often than the toilets.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-17-2011, 12:26 AM:

But that's why Sonic ice is so tasty!

Is this the report?

quote:

Frozen Food Safety --Your Ice Supply

There’s no better time to talk about ice than in the summer months. Did you know that in every food code in the U.S. and Canada, ice is defined as a “food”? That means the water used to make the ice must be from a safe source and the bagged ice manufacturing company must follow good manufacturing practices, packaging and storage procedures. If you make your own ice, your machine must be properly maintained and sanitary. You must also transport, store, dispense, or handle ice with the utmost care to prevent contamination of that final frozen condiment.

Can ice make us sick? Yup! The majority of the consuming public does not realize that you can get very sick from contaminated ice. As we know, ice is “frozen water”, but just because it is a frozen food, that doesn’t mean it cannot contain harmful bacteria or viruses. In fact, in at the University of Texas, Salmonella, E. coli, and Shigella all survived in a study of ice cubes mixed with a cola drink, scotch and water, or 85 proof tequila! Viruses also survive in ice cubes, so our foodborne illness leader, the noroviruses, can wreak havoc in the frozen crystals. In 1987, 5,000 people fell ill after consuming contaminated ice in soft drink and alcoholic beverages in an outbreak in Pennsylvania and Delaware. Norovirus was the culprit. Mishandling ice is a common source of contamination. Recorded outbreaks traced back to infected food workers have included typhoid fever, Salmonella, Hepatitis A, and E. coli 0157:H7.

How safe is the ice we consume? According to the International Packaged Ice Association (IPIA), in commercial ice plants, ice is generated in large capacity machines that package the ice automatically so there is no human contact. However, 50-75% of the packaged ice sold in the U.S. and Canada is produced in convenience stores, supermarkets, gas stations, liquor stores, and other retail outlets, not to mention the millions of pounds of ice consumed daily from ice machines in restaurants, hospitals, and hotels, etc. Many of these on-premise operations receive no oversight from local health inspection.

Even when ice machines are inspected, it is often found these machines are not cleaned and sanitized very often, if ever in some cases. Mold and slime build up inside them, allowing bacteria to grow and contaminate the ice product. Study after study shows that “dirty ice” is more common than you might think. A California report noted of 10 ice machines, almost half had an unacceptable level of contamination. In 2002, the University of South Florida surveyed convenience store on-premises ice machines and found 36 % of packaged ice produced comes from water that did not meet EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) drinking water standards.

Clean, risk-free ice – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends ice machines be cleaned and sanitized once a week. The IPIA stresses separate, controlled packaging areas and correct labeling if selling retail ice. As for food service, here’s some additional recommendations for safer ice:

# Wash your hands prior to doing any tasks to handle ice. This includes a 20 second hand wash with soap and water after using the restroom, sneezing or coughing, handling other foods, doing cleaning tasks, or contaminating hands in any way.
# Ice machines must also be delimed and perhaps professionally cleaned a few times a year. Potable water that is properly filtered at the inlet to the ice machine will keep your machine cleaner.
# Never nest multiple ice buckets. Transfer buckets should be stored inverted in a sanitary area. At the ice machine, store large ice scoops in a sanitary receptacle on the outside of the machine. Ice scoops should be made of metal or plastic.
# At the dispensing ice bin, clean and sanitize the ice bin daily and store the ice scoop in the ice with the handle up or on a clean, dry surface. Shut the cover on the bin while not in use. Never use a breakable glass as an ice scoop.
# If you fill a hopper for automatic dispensing to customers, clean and sanitize the hopper daily and keep it properly covered.
# Ice machines and bins must never be directly plumbed to the sewer system. There must be an “air gap” on the drain of the machine or bin. That way, the sewer system can never back up into your ice storage units.
# If using ice for chilling sealed containers of food or beverages, do not use that ice again for human consumption in drinks.

Bottom Line ice safety: Clean that machine! Ice is a “ready-to-eat” food, so in addition, food workers should not handle ice with bare hands, but must always use a sanitary ice scoop, tongs, or gloves for an extra level of protection.

`Til next time,

Lacie Thrall
Safety Management Services
FoodHandler Inc.

Posted by Hillary Charles (Member # 769) on 04-17-2011, 11:52 AM:

All but our first SONIC experience was a disaster. Every time my husband would order a "Sonic burger," the voice would come back "cheeseburger." It was like some Abbott & Costello routine. The bill would get all balled up, and the food was mediocre (although I do agree that the drinks are good). We gave up on SONIC after 4 visits.

On the other hand, we are within driving distance of two authentic vintage drive-in restaurants, the Red Rabbit in Duncannon, Pa., and Crabb's Tropical Treat in Hanover, Pa. The "Treat" still uses the original Teletray intercom system, and at Red Rabbit, you turn on your headlights for the carhop service. Trays are used at each place without incident. The food is great at both places and service is excellent! And the atmosphere--like "American Graffiti"!

As long as either of those places remain in business, we have no reason to give SONIC yet another chance.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 04-17-2011, 12:10 PM:

Not only is their food bland and tasteless, but until very recently their carhops made less than minimum wage, as Sonic expects that they will be tipped. They got some negative press online and the company owned locations upped everyone to minimum wage a few years ago in response. Some of the independent franchisees still pay waitress wages.

Tip at a fast food joint?

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 04-17-2011, 02:17 PM:

The Lubbock franchise owners pay minimum wage.
About 20 years ago, there was a hepatitis scare when one of the employees came down with it. He was a cook, and several customers got hepatitis shots, though there were no confirmed cases of customers coming down with hepatitis. The local Sonics were rebranded "Stars" for a few years after that.
The original Sonic that went up in the same lot the current one is in now by my house had a kitchen fire which resulted in it being closed for several months in the 1980s.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-17-2011, 02:22 PM:

quote: Brad Miller
Is this the report?

No. I remember where one HS kid did a project for school by going to the local fast food restaurants and comparing the stuff. And the results were given some airing on TV news at the time.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-17-2011, 04:21 PM:

I am a big fan of the concept of old fashioned diners. Oh, what would I do to have a real life Jack Rabbits(that diner from Pulp Fiction).

Johnny Rockets is OK, but a wasted opportunity to have a good old fashioned diner.

SOnics is run by morons. As others have said, it is actually more trouble to be served by your car with their setup than actually going to the counter to serve yourself. Problem is you cant even do that. Even if you are on foot, you still got to use their annoying intercom stations. And the food is just OK. I went back again to see if it was an individual store problem. Nope. The concept itself is fatally flawed.

Even drive thrus arre much more convenient than this clumsy setup.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-17-2011, 05:51 PM:

quote: Mike Olpin
Tip at a fast food joint?

When I started out as an usher in 1974, we were paid below minimum wage because we supposedly got tipped. I knew one person the whole time I was there who got a tip.

Anyone remember when the law changed, or if it ever did?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-17-2011, 06:36 PM:

There is a Sonic right next to CLACO. When I worked there I ate there JUST twice. Twice was twice too many times! Also, none of the employees speak english. I have no idea how they have built so many locations with the crap they serve.

Mark

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-17-2011, 09:52 PM:

The crap must be really cheap. . for them. Louis

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 04-17-2011, 11:43 PM:

quote: Martin McCaffery
When I started out as an usher in 1974, we were paid below minimum wage because we supposedly got tipped. I knew one person the whole time I was there who got a tip.

Anyone remember when the law changed, or if it ever did?

It never did. Your boss is (and was back then as well) required to pay you the difference to make minimum wage if the inclusion of tips doesn't net you at least the minimum. But lots of businesses tried getting away with not keeping track of that stuff. These days, there are more procedures and such for accounting that make this less likely to happen but the actual law dealing with minimum wages hasn't changed in this regard (aside from a few states).

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-18-2011, 08:18 AM:

I have only recently had a desire to go to a Sonic since they have been advertising their new hot dogs. I hope it is a better experience than what you had Mike.

We have a local chain out of Akron that is a drive-in restaurant. They are very popular, they do good business and I hear that their food is very good. It's called Swensons.

www.swensonsdriveins.com

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-18-2011, 08:39 AM:

And just a piece of Sonic trivia to make this all relevant to Film-Tech
Back when I was trying to catalog all of the movie theatres in the history of Alabama, the city directories for Huntsville for several years under the theatre listings had the Sonic Drive-In. Now Sonic would make perfect sense as a drive-in name in Huntsville, home of the Space Center and the cult of Werner Von Braun, but after posting my listings online I was informed that it was really just the Sonic Drive In fast food place.
Moral of the story, I guess, is get two sources.

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-18-2011, 09:24 AM:

Seriously, does one expect gourmet food at a fast-food burger joint?

I do love their Cherry Lime-Aids, though. About the only thing I get whenever I go there, which is about once a year.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-18-2011, 10:07 AM:

Although I have never had a "great" meal at a Sonic, I haven't had a bad one either.

It is what it is... fast food.

All the Sonic drive-ins I have been to were in the South. I haven't been to one anywhere else. I imagine you guys might be having a similar problem to what I have seen at Waffle House.

There are a couple of Waffle Houses near here, in Ohio, just west of Cleveland. They are nothing like an "authentic" WH in the South. There's just a culture that most Yanks don't understand. It is that culture that makes the WH experience. The food at Waffle House is not gourmet food by any stretch of the imagination but the culture and their way of doing business are a big part of the reason why people go there.

People know what to expect when they go to Waffle House.

I bet this is part of the problem that people are experiencing with Sonic.
Like Waffle House, Sonic is a regional business which has expanded outside its original geography. In so doing, they have expanded beyond their cultural base. When people go to a Sonic Drive-in, expecting to get what they have experienced or heard about in an "authentic" Sonic, they are disappointed.

There's also a Krispy Kreme donut shop in Erie and I have noticed the same thing. It's just not the same experience as you would get at a Krispy Kreme in Winston-Salem. Krispy Kreme, up here in the North, is just another donut.

I have never had a surly waitress at a Sonic.
I have only seen one waitress who didn't wear skates. I asked her why and she told me that her boss wouldn't let her wear skates anymore because she fell and dropped an order all over the ground.
I have always left my empties on the little shelf under the speaker.
I have never had trouble getting table service if I didn't want to eat in my car. I just parked around back so as not to take up one of the drive-in bays then walk over and sit down. There has always been a waitress in five minutes or less.
I always tell the waitress to just keep the change and I often make sure to offer enough cash for there to be a healthy tip.

No, I never expected Sonic to have great food but I certainly prefer it to Mickey D's or Burger King. However, next time I see a Sonic and it's not in the "original" area, I'll be more wary about going there.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-18-2011, 11:14 AM:

quote: Wayne Keyser
"This your burger, sir? You know that's over 850 calories and your limit is 350? License and registration please."

850 calories? Is that all? Must be the cheeseburger with mayo. Going with mustard instead of mayo saves 100 calories and a good amount of cholesterol. How about a Western Bacon Six Dollar Burger from Carl's Jr.? That's 1000 calories, 53 grams of fat (22g saturated), 130mg of cholesterol and a whopping 2370mg of sodium.

I don't know if Burger King still sells the Triple Whopper with Cheese. If you get one with mayo that brings the damage to 1250 calories. BK tries VERY HARD to slather mayonnaise on all their burgers. I don't like mayo on burgers and for whatever reason BK locations I've visited through the years screw up the order loading the burger with mayo anyway. This especially happens at the drive through. Because, like Joe Pesci says, "they fuck you at the drive through!" So I usually avoid Burger King on those rare occasions where I eat out at a burger joint. The only time I visit BK when I'm with a group of people and someone else in the group insists on going there. It doesn't happen often.

Braums can sometimes be pretty bad about the mayo thing too. One of my friends doesn't like any condiments on burgers at all. No mayo, no mustard and not even any ketchup. Dry. One visit, it took the Braums folks 3 times to get his burger made right. Fast food workers can get into a certain "thinking on auto pilot" zone, so it's easy for any special order to be goofed.

By some of these calorie numbers, McDonald's most popular burgers, the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese seem like diet food item (540 calories for a Big Mac and 510 for a Quarter Pounder with Cheese).

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-18-2011, 11:26 AM:

quote: Randy Stankey
No, I never expected Sonic to have great food but I certainly prefer it to Mickey D's or Burger King.

Well...I wasn't expecting gourmet either but with the amazing amounts of traffic surrounding the place even 6 weeks after it opened, I thought it would be a little better than average fast food, at least. It wasn't. Our local Dairy Queen serves up a much better burger and milkshake.

We did make a point to look around for trash cans ANYWHERE, because we were just wondering what we were supposed to do with our stuff. There was not a single trash can on that property that I saw. I truly don't remember seeing a spot below the menu board for trash to sit....my wife is going to be in Billings this week so she's going to check that out.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-18-2011, 11:52 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Our local Dairy Queen serves up a much better burger and milkshake.

I wish we still had some Dairy Queen locations in Lawton. The nearest ones are in Anadarko and Chickasha (30-40 miles). Braums has sort of replaced Dairy Queen here. They have a similar burgers and ice cream store theme, plus Braums has a grocery area of the store. I still prefer a Blizzard from DQ to a Braums Mix at Braums.

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-18-2011, 12:37 PM:

quote: Chris Slycord
...underlining the fact that those ice dispensers were cleaned far less often than the toilets.

And we all know how rarely the toilets are cleaned in fast food restaurants so imagine how rarely the ice machines are cleaned out.

I stopped using ice at our local Chipotle. I was getting ice from the dispenser once and a big chunk of unidentifiable gunk came out of it into my cup. It was a gray matter and looked much like a big booger. I was so grossed out. It doesn't help that the place is slammed no matter what time you go in there. I doubt they ever have time to clean and there are new employees every time I go there. I also stopped using their online ordering. Every time I have used it, except for once, they either "didn't get my order", "didn't make it yet" even though the time had passed for it to be ready or their "system was down". Whatever. I wouldn't even go to Chipotle anymore if my wife didn't love it so much. I think it is overrated and the menu sucks. How can a place survive on such a limited menu? I liked Qdoba much better since the menu was much more varied. Unfortunately, they couldn't make it because of their location and they closed. [Frown]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-18-2011, 01:24 PM:

In the past few years I've pretty much gotten used to the idea that the food you eat is probably loaded with vile germs, even if you make it at home (sanitized your kitchen counter lately?) and this is why we're provided with an immune system, so it's best to just grit your teeth and enjoy your meal. The best thing is to just worry about the bugs you can actually see.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-18-2011, 01:28 PM:

When I eat at Chipotle I have a beer (Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, Tecate, etc. depending on what's available -but not Corona).

Restaurant ice can be a hazard. The ice makers definitely must be cleaned frequently just like anything else. One of my friends is a general manager of a local restaurant and he's pretty insistent on keeping the whole place clean, not just the dining area. He's also the same one who eats burgers "dry." He won't visit certain restaurants at all, such as Taco Bell. He knew the whole fake beef thing long before the press got hold of the news.

A disgusting ice story example: back in the 1990s, some friends and I spent a weekend partying in Dallas. We stayed at a hotel in Mesquite and ate breakfast Sunday morning at a nearby Denny's before heading back to Oklahoma. My glass of ice water had an ice cube with a cockroach leg frozen inside of it. Needless to say, we didn't get charged for our breakfast. Still, I didn't eat or drink much of anything. Eating breakfast with a hangover is bad enough without finding a roach leg in a drink!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-18-2011, 01:44 PM:

I agree with the local drive in thing Josh! Some of them in Utah are superb... There are a couple of good ones near where I live and we also have an In&Out less than a mmile away plus Salt City Burgers and Tony Burgers. The Five Guys burgers are ok but theor fries are awful. Only been there one time. The other three above mentioned places all have great fresh cut fries.

Mark

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 04-18-2011, 03:05 PM:

I agree on Salt City Burger. Good place.

Our first Sonic opened around ten years ago and also had lines around the block for weeks. Said location lasted maybe five years, sat abandoned, and has since been demolished and replaced by a Hardee's.

I used to hit Sonic in the morning for either a strawberry or lime slush, but the service is so bad at the local Sonics that I gave up on them, and they're kind of out of the way for me now anyway.

The advantage to Sonic is that they'll make pretty much anything you can dream up with the available ingredients on hand. My favorite thing to custom order was a Chili Breakfast Toaster, which was a breakfast toaster sandwich with chili, egg, and cheese.

Posted by Keri Delio (Member # 6170) on 04-18-2011, 04:06 PM:

The Cherry Limeade & slushes are o.k. at Sonic but that's about it.

I've eaten at Chipotle once & only once. Ordered a chicken taco plate & got bones in it which grossed me out. Not long after eating there it came right back up which was even more gross [puke]

It was nothing compared to the food poisoning I got from eating at a Taco Bell though - got so dehydrated I had to go to the hospital [Frown]

Honestly my husband & I eat fast food maybe once every 2-3 months at most.
We like the burgers at Carl's Jrs & Dairy Queen has decent chicken strip baskets.

Posted by Hal Smith (Member # 4356) on 04-18-2011, 04:50 PM:

Worst food...Ever!

There's a locally owned gas station one and one-half miles east of the Sonic on Waterloo Road that buys bulk fresh hamburger from the small packing house next door, forms the patty by hand, and squashes them flat on the grill with a spatula. And I want a Sonic burger because?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-18-2011, 06:08 PM:

..Think I'll get some Harmon's KFC instead .... But, DEE's in SLC aint too bad either...nor Sconecutters...

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-18-2011, 07:27 PM:

Didn't Sonic start as a GAS station?

Maybe they're still in the GAS business! Louis

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-18-2011, 07:44 PM:

quote: Louis Bornwasser
Didn't Sonic start as a GAS station?

Sonic started out in 1953 in Shawnee, Oklahoma (Brad Pitt's home town) as Top Hat Drive-In. The drive-in's owners changed the name to Sonic a few years later after learning the Top Hat Drive-In thing was already taken & trademarked.

The original Wayne's Drive-Inn here in Lawton opened in 1950; it just didn't expand like Sonic did. More than 50 years passed before the owners added a second location on Lawton's West side, right in front of the Carmike 8 theater parking lot.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-19-2011, 09:09 AM:

I think more than the quality of food, the biggest complaint I have is more about the logistics. The place has no ambience and the service they provide is actually more of a hassle and inconvenience. It is actually easier for me as a consumer just to have either a takeout window or a drivethru.

And I agree with Bobby Henderson on the mayo on fast food burgers thing. The average fast food worker has no concept of what "spreading" is versus putting a globs of mayo on a burger. Even the "light" mayo I order tends to have way too much mayonnaise. So these days, I just ask for separaate mayo or just skip it altogether. Not only is it unhealhty, too much mayo actually detracts from the taste.

If someone wants too much ketchup or mayo, let them grab an extra packet of it instead.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-19-2011, 01:10 PM:

What is the deal with fast-food ketchup anyway? If you order a takeout burger, they put a small dollop of ketchup in the very middle of the burger and by the time you eat it, you can't even taste the ketchup at all. They should at least put enough on to go fairly close to the edges, so you get some in every bite but it's not dripping out the edge.

Burgers are more of an art form than a lot of people realize, I think!

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 04-19-2011, 02:18 PM:

Well I just got back from lunch and I had my first meal at a Sonic. I was in one of the next cities over for work and decided to go there and try the Chicago dogs they have been advertising on television. I went to the drive thru since I have no desire to wait in one of those stalls. I ordered two of the Chicago dogs, an order of onion rings that the employee talked me into, and a cherry lemonade. When she told me the total was only $5.81 I thought for sure that she got my order wrong. No way can you get that much food for that price at any fast food restaurant. I looked at the receipt and it was correct so then I figured the portions must be very small. I was impressed when she handed the food to me at how much there actually was. The onion rings were standard run of the mill onion rings but very crispy. The dogs were very good and spicy and the drink was also good. Overall I was impressed and I will go back. Those dumb television ads always get me. [Big Grin]

Posted by Stephen LaPadula (Member # 3050) on 04-19-2011, 07:47 PM:

Not to get off topic of Sonic, but speaking about calories has anyone seen the BACONATOR from Wendy's: 3 1/4 lb patties with bacon and cheese on every level.

Cheese Cake Factory serves Fettuccini Alfredo for 1700 calories....and that's the kid portion

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 04-21-2011, 07:35 AM:

Cheesecake Factory website says they don't offer a kid's menu. And I will never, ever, ever, evvvver be surprised by the caloric content of anything with the word "bacon" or "cheesecake" associated with it.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-21-2011, 09:30 PM:

I love bacon. I love cheeseburgers. BUt for whatever reason, I dont like bacon cheeseburgers. For me the bacon taste is too strong and overwhelms the burger taste. Considering how popular bacon cheeseburgers are, I must be one of the few that feels this way.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-21-2011, 11:22 PM:

I'm not really big on bacon cheeseburgers either. Grilled stuffed peppers wrapped in bacon, those are pretty good. Sometimes I can go for burgers with slightly unusual ingredients, like mushrooms and Swiss cheese. It just depends on the mood.

I'll probably need to hold off eating a burger anytime soon. Tuesday night I was in Stillwater, OK. Ate a full rack of "fall off the bone ribs" at Texas Roadhouse. I wanted to eat at a restaurant we didn't already have in Lawton, but the group chose Texas Roadhouse.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-22-2011, 12:30 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
they put a small dollop of ketchup in the very middle of the burger and by the time you eat it, you can't even taste the ketchup at all.

Why I usually ask for a thing of BBQ sauce - to give some life in them burgers ...

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-22-2011, 12:58 AM:

Bacon burgers are okay but I don't think they are worth the upcharge that most places want for it.

If you want the ultimate bacon treat try chocolate covered bacon! [Cool]

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-22-2011, 10:12 AM:

". . . a heart attack on-a-bun!!"

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-22-2011, 12:40 PM:

Incorect Louis! THIS is a heart attack burger.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-22-2011, 01:09 PM:

Ugh, Paula Deen handles the "burger" for the camera. Then she puts it back on the plate and licks the doughnut icing off her fingers. Then she picks up the burger and hands it to the other lady to take a bite. Great sanitary habits there folks!

Then the two ladies are eating on the same burger. That's kind of passing a line of being gross. What's next? Is one of them going to chew the burger a little and spit it into the other's mouth?
[puke]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 04-22-2011, 01:16 PM:

She did say they were going to be arrested.

Posted by Chase Pickett (Member # 5975) on 04-22-2011, 01:29 PM:

McDonald's McHeart-attack: One Double Cheeseburger + One Hot n' Spicy (or regular depending on preference) chicken sandwich. Split the double cheeseburger in half horizontally, or between the two beef patties, insert Hot n' Spicy (bun and all) into the double cheeseburger and viola!

Whoever knew a one way ticket to cardiac arrest would only be $2?!

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 04-23-2011, 04:22 PM:

Chase... Everything Mickey-D's sells is heart attack material.

Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 04-23-2011, 06:38 PM:

quote:
Then the two ladies are eating on the same burger. That's kind of passing a line of being gross. What's next? Is one of them going to chew the burger a little and spit it into the other's mouth?
[puke]

2 Girls 1 Cup!

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-24-2011, 11:53 AM:

I'm sure someone could put together a two girls one burger hardcore video.

Brad's frame grab from the Paula Deen episode is priceless. That lady looks like she's going cross-eyed while taking a bite of the doughnut burger.

quote: Mark Gulbrandsen
Everything Mickey-D's sells is heart attack material.

The fries are the main offender. A Big Mac has between 500 and 600 calories. That's less than the burgers from a lot of other joints. OTOH, the Big Mac really isn't all that big.