Wright's Dairy Rite - Staunton, VA

Posted By Michael Stern on December 25, 2009 7:20 AM

Three years before Ray Kroc began franchising McDonald’s, Wright’s Dairy Rite of Staunton, Virginia, started serving Superburgers. Two beef patties with cheese and lettuce, topped with special sauce and layered in a triple-decker bun, this monumental hamburger is still served as it was in 1952 – by car hops at the window of your vehicle in a car slip at the side of the restaurant. Wright’s added a dining room in 1989, so it is possible to eat inside, where décor includes a handsome Wurlitzer juke box (with compact discs rather than 45s) and vintage Wright’s menus from the 1950s and 1960s.

If really hungry and in search of juiciness, we forgo the Superburger for a Monsterburger. That is one-half pound of beef barely sandwiched in a bun, available in a basket, with French fries or, better yet, with Wright’s homemade onion rings. To drink with this festive heap of food, one needs a shake. At Wright’s, milk shakes are the real thing, available in chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla, as well as with real bananas or strawberries (mmmm!), and with or without malted milk for additional richness. While on the subject of dairy products, we should also note that this place knows how to make a fine banana split, a float (a big blob of ice cream set adrift in the soda pop of your choice), and a flurry (candy and/or cookies blended into soft-serve ice cream).

Wright’s serves three meals a day, and the menu goes well beyond burgers. There are regular and foot-long hot dogs, pork barbecue on a bun, sandwich baskets with potato chips and a pickle, whole submarines, hearty chili with beans, and even some recently added low-fat wraps. In addition to milk shakes and soda pop, the beverage list includes that drink known to connoisseurs of Dixie mixology as the champagne of the South – pre-sweetened ice tea, served in cups that range up to one-quart size.

Overall Rating

Milk Shake

Monsterburger

Superburger

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Posted By Richard Moore on July 19, 2011 12:51 PM

How could Wright's be so wrong? Industrial packaged food at its worst. Shakes full of high fructose corn syrup, frozen onions rings, frozen industrial pre-packaged burger patties, frozen French fries, industrial bakery buns. Three of us dumped the food into the garbage bin.

Overall Rating

Superburger

Milk Shake

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Posted By Ken Farr on January 9, 2011 1:09 PM

Stopped by this place, as I have driven by it twice, while in the area. Very nice, the people who work there are very friendly and helpful. We had the pleasure of speaking with the owner, and he was a very gracious man and proud of his establishment.

I enjoyed my meal, burger, fries and malt. While not the absolute pinacle, it was very good and worth a drive. When I'm back in Va. I will make a point to stop by.

You really need to support this sort of place before they disappear and all that is left is Cracker Barrel, Mickey D's etc.

Worth the drive.

Overall Rating

Superburger

Milk Shake

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Posted By Peter Roaman on November 15, 2005 9:15 PM

I've been to Wright's a number of times. First time, I stumbled across it 'cause I like to take Route 11 rather than the interstate, and it blew me away finding an actual old style drive-in with curbside service. But after a few visits the novelty wore off.

The burgers and shakes are real good, but a lot of the other items are rather ordinary and the BBQ was not very good at all. Still I always like to stop there just 'cause it's such a cool experience.

Overall Rating

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