Sonic Drive-In

Seems like they've made a lot of changes at Sonic but I'm not too sure that they were for the better.

Their jalapeno burgers are very bland and I'm not happy w/ the new chili that comes on the coneys, it just seems kinda flavorless. Still love the tots though and their chicken strip basket w/ white gravy, fries and Texas toast is a great deal! Also, cant go wrong w/ a Route 44 Cherry Limeaid!!

While some fast-food places are easy to pin down in terms of the genre of food they serve, Sonic is not quite so easy. While other chains sell hamburgers, Sonic is more the fast-food equivalent of your grocery's frozen-foods case.

They do sell hamburgers, but also hot dogs, corn dogs, sandwiches, wraps, and whatever random special they have on the menu. They sell breakfast foods, and unlike most fast food places you can order a breakfast food at any time of day. They sell shakes and malts, and are about the only place left (outside of the few remaining drugstore soda fountains that hide under rocks in small towns) where you can get flavored syrups added to your soft drinks--I expect it has to do with the "fifties nostalgia" thing that is still a big part of their shtick.

I will never forgive the Sonic that used to be just up the street from where I live for going out of business. This location is now the closest one left to me, and even that is not very close.

Back before "my" Sonic closed, I would phone ahead with my order, then bike or drive over to pick it up. Unless I ordered something that would take a long time to prepare, it was usually ready by the time I got there.

I've never been keen on Sonic's hamburgers, but I've been known to enjoy their hot dogs and onion rings. But my true favorite foods and beverages from Sonic are as follows:

FOODS:

Pancake on a stick: The equivalent of a corn dog made with a link sausage and pancake batter rather than a hot dog and corn meal. Alas, they stopped serving this some time ago, but I still remember it fondly in my dreams.

Frito pie: Mmmm. Chili and cheese served over a bed of Fritos (with optional onions, of which I always ask for extra). What's not to like?

Chili-cheese-frito wrap (aka chili-cheese wrap): Frito pie in a burrito skin. Just when I thought that one of my favorite Sonic dishes could not be improved upon, they had to go and make it HAND-HELD. Again, I always ask not only for onions, but for EXTRA onions. (For a while, Sonic stopped serving both frito pie and this wrap--apparently they lost the right to use Fritos, or thought they were too expensive, or something. Apparently there was some kind of an outcry, because they returned!)

BLT sandwich: There's just something about a bacon-lettuce-and-tomato--the way the salty, sweet, and sour flavors of the bacon, tomato, and may combine in your mouth. I go all Pavlovian just thinking about it. The quality of Sonic's BLTs tends to vary a bit, but when they manage to get perfectly ripe tomatoes, this is HEAVEN. (Although my arteries probably don't think so, as the fat from the bacon and the mayo are compounded by the heavily-buttered Texas Toast the sandwich is made on.)

Cheddar peppers: Where other restaurants may have jalapeno poppers, made with cream cheese, Sonic has these marvelous appetizers made by slapping a big chunk of cheddar cheese into half a jalapeno pepper, dunking it in batter, and deep-frying it. (Make sure you insist on getting a dipping cup of ranch dressing with it--sometimes they forget.) As with all Sonic's deep-fried foods, it takes about five minutes to prepare, so call ahead or be ready to wait.

BEVERAGES:

"Blended" root beer float: You know those times in the cafeteria when you would fill your cup halfway up with root beer, then squirt a dollop of soft-serve in and stir it all around until it reached uniform consistency? Well, now you don't even have to stir it yourself anymore--just order it that way from Sonic. It's amazing how something so simple can be so tasty. I wish I had one now.

Shakes and malts: Sonic makes good ones. I especially like their chocolate malt. Did you know that malted milk was originally developed to be a new kind of powdered baby formula, but was subsequently used as an energy food in arctic expeditions? Well, now you do.

"Cream pie" shakes: Tasty, but not sure they're tasty enough to be worth the extra money over a normal one.

Cherry limeade: Not "real" limeade, but rather cherry-flavored Sprite with some real lime chunks and maraschino cherries dropped in. It's surprisingly good, actually. I hate "straight" Sprite with a passion, but find cherry limeade enjoyable and refreshing.

Ocean water: Sprite with blue coconut flavoring added. Unfortunately you don't get real coconut bits put in it. Another drinkable alternative to "plain" Sprite, sort of pina colada flavored.

In the end, Sonic will never be the Astoria or the Ritz, but it offers a good selection of fast food so there will usually be something that appeals to almost everybody. Just don't eat there too often, or your arteries might not be able to take the strain.

Also, a note: Some people may not realize this, but many people feel that you should tip the Sonic waitress. Unlike most fast food places, they actually bring the order out to your car. That's a lot of walking back and forth, in all kinds of weather.