OldBoy

they are just about finishing a new SONIC fast food joint where i live in upstate NY. always see commericals but never saw one around me and thus never been.

how are they? are they typical fast food? what's good to get? is the drive-in for eating there or easy to order and take out? reasonable prices for fast food? etc...

Michael T Hudson

Most of the ones in the Austin area you drive up and can eat it there or take it with you. It is pretty inexpensive. I like coney dogs and tots. A few have indoor seating or patio options as well.

Vibiana

I love Sonic. It's one of the few places you can get a real malt these days, with malt powder, not just a shake (other than Dairy Queens, which are few and far between in cities for the most part).

Sonic onion rings are the devil, just so you know. They dip them in milkshake base before they fry them.

Also, go between 2-4 PM for happy hour, their drinks are half price.

Burgers are so-so but anything on Texas Toast is great.

*P.S. I am a huge curvy fatgirlperson, so you know what I speak is the truth.

OldBoy

^ mmmmm. i don't think i have ever had a real malted. my mom used to make what she called a "malted" when i was a kid, but that was just milk, strawberries or banana and some vanilla syrup. never with malt powder or anything like that. the Texas Toast sounds good and different than the usual bun and i always loved a crunchy piece of bread with my meat.

it would figure that a new place, one that i've never had before and eager to try out would come when i am back on my workout kick

JasonF

Obligatory "It's all about ME!!!!" post:


The guy in the passenger seat on those Sonic commercials is my neighbor.

Nefarious

I love their Cherry-Limeades. The burgers, as mentioned, are so so. I don't prefer their onion rings as they tend to be too green for me (the onion inside doesn't get cooked enough for my liking - al dente onion rings, I guess?). Their chili cheese tots are great but I don't even want to know about the health factor. I try to not get them more than a couple of times a year.

Kvrdave's family members are addicted to their ice.

pinata242

This month they have a Chedd'R Pepper Supersonic Cheeseburger with free medium tots for $4.69. It's AMAZING! Go during happy hour and you can live like a fat king for less than $6.

tommyp007

The food is good, but the drinks are the reason to go to Sonic.

OldBoy

what exactly is so special about their drinks? are they just flavored lemonades? artificial or natural?

Th0r S1mpson

Average (or below average food), great drinks. Stop in for a refreshment, but don't bother making a meal out of it.

I like a strawberry limeade.

Their breakfast burrito thing is about the only food I've enjoyed there. And tater tots, but it's hard to screw up a tater tot.

Nefarious

They use a lot of natural ingredients. Real limes in the lime-ade.

fujishig

Not sure how things are usually like over there, but be prepared for to wait in line for a while if you go in the first few weeks... they opened up one here, and while the food was ok, it was nowhere near worth the wait. Plus, it didn't seem all that affordable as far as fast food goes, but that may be local prices.

kvrdave

I think it is just an incredible business model. Don't offer seating and ordering inside, so you have less costs to maintain the place....and then you can charge less.

Being a hick, I get excited any time I can eat something I have seen on TV, so I think everything is great there. The ice is wonderful. They sell it by the bag, if you like.

shaun3000

The drinks rock. First, they serve them in styrofoam cups so they stay cold for a LONG time. Their ice is small granules, very airy and crunchy, again, keeps the drinks cold for a LONG time. They have all kinds of flavors, not just cherry and vanilla. They make their own lime-ades, lemonade, slushes, etc. Excellent shakes and malts. In short, if you want a drink or a ice cream dessert, they rock. As far as ice cream chains go, I'd rank them:
Braum's
Dairy Queen
Sonic
Stean 'n Shake



everyone else.

Michael T Hudson

I think the commercials are great. They annoy the hell out of my wife.

Michael T Hudson

The ice thing seems to be by certain locations. I have purchased ice at Sonic before in a small town in East Texas but tried at my local Sonic and they looked at me like I was crazy. They do have awesome ice.

Mad Dawg

Dammit! I was there to grab lunch and passed on that one after a lot of thought. I'll have to give it a whirl.

Anyway, to parrot everyone else, the drinks are just the best. I bought lunch a few hours ago and I'm still plugging away on an icey cold Dr. Pepper. I like the food, although it used to be much better.

Numanoid

Their "Real Fruit Slushes" not ironically have real fruit in them. I love getting the strawberry slushes and sucking up the chunks of strawberry through the straw. Sometimes getting those big suckers through takes a lot out of you. It's like exercising while eating.

Numanoid

What, pray tell, is milkshake base?

Groucho

Their ice is so interesting we have a whole thread just about that!

cdollaz

My standard drink is a chocolate/cherry Coke. Sounds nasty, but I love them.

antennaball

I go there a couple times a week for a Route 44 Diet Ocean Water. Mmmmmm.

Palaver

Lemon Cream Slush

Minor Threat

Are you sure you're really talking about slushes....?

Cardsfan111

As has been mentioned--great ice, great commercials...other restaurants should really consider focusing their business model around these essential items.