Sonic Chain..How good?

Hi,
We have a sonic about to be built here in Brick NJ. I've seen it advertized and understand thr 50's car hop gimmick. Some people have told me the food and drinks is better than most fast food places. Can any one out there let me know what we have instore when our new sonic opens?
Lee

One of the things that I like about the Sonics here in TN is that they serve their full menu all day. I work 3rd shift and like to get a burger in the am. The food is good and a big menu.

I've never been to one, but I love their ads. They advertise all the time on my cable system, but I don't think there is a single Sonic in all of Maryland.

If they've crept up from the South as far as NJ, you're probably not far behind. We just got our first three here in the Ft Myers/Naples area of SW Florida.
I agree with the above poster that it's great to be able to get an above average burger at any hour of the day.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Have a cranberry limeade. It's the best soft drink in town.

I'm a big fan of the cherry limeades, but the cranberry sounds really good, too.

Robearjr- I know how you feel. When I lived in NY, they always had commercials for Sonic on TV, except there were no Sonics on Long Island. My family always said wouldn't it be nice if there was one nearby because the food looked so good and different from the typical fast food. The shakes and tater tots looked really good! Well, 2 years ago we moved to FL and have a Sonic about 5 minutes away from our house.

It was one of the first places we tried when we moved. The first time we went we were a little dissapointed, not with the concept of Sonic itself, but with the food. It's mediocre, but a bit better than McDonald's. The ice cream is terrible. To me it's dry and tasteless. I know, how can ice cream be dry, but there is no other way to describe it. The tater tots have no taste at all. I make better ones at home with the frozen bagged tater tots. Their burgers are pretty good as are their foot longs and breakfast burritos and sandwiches. We do go to Sonic every now and then for foot long hot dogs or breakfast. It's nice because you can bring your dog and sit outside or sit in the car and have someone roll over to your car and bring you your food. We usually order him a doggie cup of ice cream. Even though we don't like their ice cream our dog does.

leethebard- Give it a try when it opens. Some people in my family love it and some don't. The concept is pretty fun, but it is not really "fast" food, they are kind of slow, so expect to wait especially if its crowded.

I tried their sausage/egg/cheese on a ciabatta roll. It was very good. Much, much better than the Arches. Also, the mac and cheese bites are good, too.

quote:

Originally posted by susanll

I tried their sausage/egg/cheese on a ciabatta roll. It was very good. Much, much better than the Arches. Also, the mac and cheese bites are good, too.

I'll second that! I really like the bacon/egg/cheese on the ciabatta. Doesn't taste too "fast-food"-y. I haven't tried their mac & cheese bites yet. I do like their diet strawberry limeade and diet cherry limeade... yum... especially on hot summer days!

We have two here in town. I like their hamburgers and have tried some of their other stuff.I like how I can get tator tots instead of fries for a change.The tots here are always crispy and hot.
Yeah I like their cherrylimeade,will have to try the cranberry one.
Speaking of dogs,my friend Nancy often takes her dog along when they go to Sonic to eat or just get something to drink.
They are all over the place here in Texas,just like DairyQueen.

I get Sonic and Checkers confused.

Score

It is my understanding that Checkers and Rally's are a "merged" company. Sonic stands alone at this point.
I do think Sonic makes great Summer drinks, with the various Limeades etc. I always manage to time my visits for their half-price "Happy Hour" weekday afternoons.

We too have seen the ads on "local" TV for years, but no Sonic close. Well finally one is coming to Winchester, Va about 17 miles away. We get down there often enough I'm sure we'll be stopping by. I like the foot longs and a few other things.

MikeS.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

I've never been to one, but I love their ads. They advertise all the time on my cable system, but I don't think there is a single Sonic in all of Maryland.

Same here. There are none in Wisconsin, either.

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

I get Sonic and Checkers confused.

Sonic is a retro version of the fifties drive-in, bur updated w/ some 21st century technology. You still get carhops to bring the food to your parked-outside car, but you order via an electronic menu board which also accepts credit cards. They have a broad menu of breakfast sandwich/burrito/wrap items and the usual burger/fried tater/milk shake items, plus a seemingly infinite variety of soft drink/fruit drink options. IMO, their burgers are pretty good especially the double. They serve their entire menu throughout the day.

Checkers/Rally's, on the other hand, is your standard double drive-through fast food burger joint. No service, just pick it up at the window. They also put out a decent burger. QFan especially likes the Champ Burger which comes w/ the works in a California style. Most have some limited outside seating if you don't want to eat in the car.

Hope this may help clear up some of the confusion.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

I'm making an early resolution to not patronize publicly traded or subsidiary fast food franchises for as long as I can go starting in 2008. I've been so curious to try Sonic for some time now, but I had to admit that my heart dropped a bit when I saw that the chain does in fact trade on NASDAQ. Guess I'll have to make a trip out to the Morgantown area to get a taste before I'm "off it."

Acting Man??
Why???Explain!!!

i take sonic over micky d or the king anyday, order a bacon cheeseburger on texas toast with onion rings and a lime cherry slushee.........mmmmm, wheres my keys

OK Today was a FIRST for me at my local SONIC. As I have said before it is next door to the Local Popeyes..so a FF lunch for me is a 2 stop trip. I got my chicken and pulled in to the Sonic to get my Chrry-Lime Slush (Rt 44 size). The girl brings it out to the car and I am getting ready to pull away when she comes running back to the car saying "We Forgot the LIME!!" She took my drink back in...I hadn't touched the contents, then came back with it saying she was glad she caught me. A little thing,perhaps, but that's service, no matter if it is FF or Morton's Steak House, I appreciate her efforts.

We all appreciate good service and it is good to know that Sonic still gives good service. I am sure that you appreciated that.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

That's pretty cool...refreshing to hear!

ATM, QFan wants to know if the Cherry Lime Slush was any good-after all that? We are just now getting multiple Sonics (3 so far) in our area so am wondering if all the fuss/advertising about their endless drink varieties is worth the hype.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

quote:

Originally posted by QFan

quote:

Originally posted by Scorereader

I get Sonic and Checkers confused.

QFan especially likes the Champ Burger which comes w/ the works in a California style.
QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Could you explain what "Califonia Style means"?

quote:

Originally posted by stricken_detective

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

I've never been to one, but I love their ads. They advertise all the time on my cable system, but I don't think there is a single Sonic in all of Maryland.

Same here. There are none in Wisconsin, either.

Isn't it funny that you are so used to seeing a certain chain, that you naturally think that it is everywhere? Strange to hear that someone is not familiar with them.

We had them in Missouri (used to love getting the patty melt and tater tots back in the 80's, the girls served you on roller skates) and of course they are everywhere here in AZ. I rarely eat there anymore.


Makes me wonder what others take for granted in other parts of the country that we do not have here.

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss

quote:

Originally posted by QFan

Originally posted by Scorereader

I get Sonic and Checkers confused.

QFan especially likes the Champ Burger which comes w/ the works in a California style.
QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Could you explain what "Califonia Style means"?

I'll try. Having lived virtually my entire life east of the Mississippi River, most of the burger places have not traditionally served their burgers "loaded." Either you commonly get a limited # of toppings or you have to request items like a tomato, mayo, etc. I realize this is a generalization (there are always exceptions which prove the rule).
On the other hand, in various trips over the years to West Coast burger establishments (InNOut, FatBurger, Carl's Jr, Farmer Boy, Burgerville, and virtually all of the RF-approved independent burger joints), it seems nearly universal that the burgers are stacked much higher and loaded w/ all the goodies such as lettuce, tomato, mayo, pickle, onion, special sauces, plus often more creative stuff like jalapenos, shrooms, onion straws/rings and whatever else a creative owner can think up. Then to finish off, the other noticeable difference almost always seems to be that West Coast burgers are served in a folded paper napkin around the bottom of the burger to hold it all together and keep all the goodies out of your lap.
Consequently, over the years, QFan and other burger pals on this side of the country have taken to referring to the Left Coast style of burger as a "California-style" burger. The Champ Burger at Checkers is definitely a loaded burger, hence the comparison, although it does not have the ubiquitous paper napkin folded around the bottom.
With the advent of many West Coast chains opening up around the country (or buying control of eastern chains) such as FatBurger and Hardees w/ their thick burgers the distinction is definitely starting to change here as well.
Sorry for rambling on, but hope this answers your question.

QFan
Bonita Springs, FL

Qfan
My wife likes the Lemon-Berry Slush.. (lemon and Strawberry) I am partial to the Cherry-Lime, myself. You can get them as "Ades" as in liquid over ice cubes, or slush which is more like the "Slurpee". From 2-5 PM on weekdays they cut the price in Half for thse drinks. So the $1.49 "Hiway 44" size beverage goes for 75 cents... a real cold drink bargain these days. Sonic brags on being willing to make any combination of flavors they sell to form the beverage of choice for their customers. Want a Diet Vanilla Sprite...ask for it. They also have smoothies as well as the juices and carbonated beverages
We don't go out of our way far to get a drink...but if there is a Sonic in our path we will often do the drive-thru for a Slush, if we want one.

We'll be getting our first Sonic in Minnesota soon, in St. Paul near my father-in-law's house. I've never heard of a Diet Vanilla Sprite before.....And no other fast food chain offers a slush at the drive thru that I know of! My autistic son will be so happy!

Neesie,
I had never heard of that combonation either until I read it as part of the AD copy on the side of my Slush cup recently. The point they are trying to make is that they offer an almost limitless number of possible combinations..I have done the chocolate-cherry-coke a few times. But Diet Sprite/vanilla won't cause me to come in off the street to order one...
The Cherry Lime with an extra piece or two of Lime is really good.

Speaking of combinations, I had a pineapple diet Sprite once at Sonic... it was actually really good! As long as you remember that there's actual pieces of pineapple in there... otherwise, you might get a little surprise. LOL

We were in Lancaster, Pa this past weekend to attend a play and wanted a quick lunch. We saw a Sonic and pulled in. I do not like sweet drinks so opted for water. My daughter in law ordered the cherry line drink and one of their hamburgers. She declared both as being "tops". In the meantime, my granddaugter and I enjoyed our corn dogs very much. I do not like fast food places but I would go to Sonic anytime that I wanted to get something quickly.