What's your favorite kind of burger? This is the question to begin thinking of when you are craving something from a place like A&W. The drive-in restaurant is an american cultural institution and brings instant nostalgic vibes. We visited this location on a lazy Sunday afternoon. I ordered a double bacon cheeseburger, chili cheese fries, and a root beer freeze. The burger was a little dry but the bacon was cooked well. I also thought the burger portion was a little small but there is plenty of food with sides. I added some chili cheese fries to my meal and the topping was a little sparse but that was okay to make it edible with just fingers and not need a utensil. The root beer freeze was amazing, all the benefits of what you think a root beer float should be but premixed so you don't have a large mess. We also tried some cheese curds which were nicely fried and squeaky. I sampled one onion ring and it was okay, but I prefer the breading to have more texture, whereas this one was smooth on the outside. It tasted like a classic beer batter. The chicken strips were my favorite part of this meal, and they also have a chipotle dipping sauce which has a little bit of spice. The breading was nice and crispy but the meat was tender and juicy. The service was prompt even though they were busy and when you are ready to order, you can turn on your hazard lights. This location does have quite a bit of outside seating with picnic tables and some umbrella shades. Overall, I would definitely recommend this place to eat! read more

See all

Good fast food with the drive-in diner experience. The staff are very friendly and helpful. Their root beer and floats must not be missed. Their fries and shakes are good, too. Probably the best thing on their menu are the breaded chicken tenders. They always serve them very hot, but they're tender and juicy. I noticed the last time I was there that the tenders are also available grilled instead of breaded. I'll try that next time. The one disappointment there is minor, but worth keeping in mind: don't drink their water. When ordering some kids' meal combos there, I chose water as the drink, expecting to receive bottled water. They brought cups of water instead. The water tasted funny too the kids, so I tried it. It turned out to be tap water, treated with a water softener, making it taste salty. Avoid their water! read more

Haven't been to an A&W in many years - maybe decades! There aren't too many left around, so we drove about 45 minutes to Dexter for lunch. The service was absolutely fantastic, the food was great and the prices were quite reasonable. I had a frosty mug of root beer, a foot long chili dog and chili cheese fries. My wife had a chili dog and chili cheese fries. Our bill was about $20. read more

I arrived at 10:59 am and my order was taken at 11:01. I have come here for 25 years: the place has gone through a couple transitions since the pandemic began. Today was perfect! There are a couple recognizable carhops and everybody appeared to be working hard. Two coneys, large root beer float and cheese curds were under $15. Not greasy and very fresh! You can get the root beer in glass mugs or to-go. To get served don't forget to turn on your hazard lights. read more

A&W Restaurant - A true historic drive in with carhop service - Fast Food Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

Drive up service like classic days. Food is just as I remembered it - double cheeseburger tasted just the same as it did a decade ago and more. Fries were room temp but onion rings were piping hot. Service wasn't friendly but it was quick and I wasn't expecting much within a short window of transactional time read more

Me and my buddies stopped by after a fun day paintballing. We were hungry and decided to stop here for a quick bite. The service was 10/10. Our waitress was very nice and polite. The food is a different story though. The burgers tastes like rubber and the cheese was not melted. The burgers were also missing toppings. The fries had no seasoning on them but were very crunchy. The cheese curds were very good. Probably should just go to the DQ down the road unless you are really itching for a root beer. read more

I love A&W so much. I used to go to A&Ws all the time as a kid. I was stoked to find there was one nearby me in Dexter! This location is unique as it's a drive-in. You pull up your car, push your hazard lights, and this signals one of the car hops to come over and take your order. I always get at least a root beer float when I swing by! Also love the cheese curds and juicy chicken tenders. So delicious. The service is also incredibly fast. Hope this location never closes, will defs be back here in the future! read more

Still great service for casual drive up dining. It's fun to hang in the truck with your sweetheart for dinner and share corn dog bites with your dog. They have Cod sandwich specials on Friday. Root beer is still served in icy tall mugs. The staff has had order pads for awhile, and this location takes credit cards. They were cash only for many many years. There's a small patio area for nice days/biker-stops. A&W invokes the most American childhood memories. Just don't forget to take your antacid before your visit. :). Easy to find in downtown Dexter. Good alternative to get the kiddo out for a bite during the shutdown too. read more

A&W Restaurant - Huge footlong with the works - Fast Food Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

Anytime we can take our pups out with us is a delight, so this drive-in A&W is super fun for us in that regard. It's also located in picturesque downtown Dexter, just a few steps from the lovely creek, which makes a nice post dinner stroll easy to do. It's a drive-in so stay in your car with your lights on and the servers will do the rest. They also have a nice outdoor seating area if you'd prefer to step outside and get some fresh air. It's an A&W so the food is definitely fast food burger fare, so don't come expecting a gourmet meal. It's really more about the experience and easy of the drive-in. But it is one of the better A&Ws I've been to in the area and loads better than a lot of other fast food options around. Don't miss out on a rootbeer or a float in a frosty mug! read more

My future next ex wife works there. Just joking a bunch of nice kids good service and what do you expect from a fast food place? Can you take me back to the 60s read more

Friendly and fast service. Yummy food. I don't come here that often as I do not live close by but it's a consistent experience.

The burger both deluxe cheeseburger and bacon burger were picture perfect and delicious. The toppings were added with care and skill and just the right amount. The cheese curds were delicious also as well as the classic root beer float in a mug. Our server was profesdional, happy and thorough although it was quite busy. Service didn't falter at all. A lovely end to a beautiful summer night. Keep on going for another 100 years read more

A&W Restaurant - Classic root beer float on a beautiful summer night - Fast Food Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

See all

After summer activities like a bike ride through Dexter's bike trails or a nearby round of golf, there is nothing better to quench your thirst than a big, old fashioned mug of icy cold A & W Root Beer. It always tastes better in a mug! And to add to the fun and nostalgia of the place, the Dexter location is one of the few who still provides car hop service to hang a tray with your order right on your driver side window. Most of the servers here are friendly Dexter High School girls working close to home over the summer. In addition to offering both regular and diet root beer, this A & W also makes an awesome Grilled Chicken Sammy with all the fixins....a regular summer staple for us. For a refreshing stop to temper the summer heat, Dexter's A & W does the trick with some old fashioned icy cold root beer. Highly recommended. read more

See all

Omg, I love this place!!! It reminds me of the A&W in Lexington MI when I was a kid. I'm in Ypsilanti but my doctors office is in dexter, so if it wasn't for this place, I would find a closer practitioner lol Always friendly and great food. Keep up the good work read more

Great food and root beer. Try the creamed beer. Love the onion rings.

Five stars as far as fast food restaurants go. Within two minutes of parking, a waitress was at my window with a menu. It only took me a second to decide after she told me coneys are half off on Tuesdays. Within five minutes, I had a meal hanging from my window. I felt like I'd stepped back in time--if only my mom, dad, and brother had been in the car like in the days of yore. The coney was decent, the fries better than at some other fast food chains, and the root beer float in a frosty mug was delectable. When I finished, I flipped on my hazards, and the tray disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Great service, good food, and an ambience that can make you feel like a child again. read more

See all

Good dogs and nice outdoor seating. Great for summer lunch. Blast from the past. Enjoy

A&W in Dexter is by far the best A&W (or coney dog/root beer place). Do yourself a favor and get cheese curds along with your footlong (or burger). Their on tap root beer is the best of any place, far better than anywhere else I've tried. Root beer floats here will be the best you've ever had. read more

If you grew up A&W Drive-ins like I did in the south then you have to come here. Great service, excellent food and the memories come flooding back. Start a spring, summer, fall and maybe even a winter tradition with your family. Its great fun, conversations in the car family fun read more

It's been 20 years since I last was here and the good news is it hasn't changed a bit. Root beer in frosted mugs Everetts California burger still as good as ever. High school kids making summer vacation money. Ol time drive in curb service. Only down side is Im not young anymore. Sigh... read more

Visit this place for a blast from the past! My fiance and I parked here and then sat there like the newbies we were, wondering how to order. Luckily a girl walked over to our car and quickly took our order: a root beer float, hamburger, hot dog, cheese curds and reeses polar swirl. All for less than $15! We ate at a picnic table, which was a good idea because the food was messy! Everything was delicious, especially the cheese curds and polar swirl. I hope to return soon! read more

A&W Restaurant - Root beer float, polar swirl, hot dog and burger...yum! - Fast Food Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

What a nice place. Parking lot clean of litter. That is important to me. Service outside was fast and friendly. Food was good. Were not from Michigan but when were there we'll go again. read more

Their food is deplorable. Nothing at all like A & W from my childhood. We ordered two cheeseburgers and fries and a chocolate milkshake. She returned in less then 5 minutes. Obviously, NOTHING is made fresh and it absolutely shows. The fries were cold, the burgers were barely warm, the milkshake tasted like soft serve in a cup. The buns weren't toasted and were a soggy mess and were smashed down. To add insult to injury, not only is the food old but the quality is also really lacking. The cheese is no better than Kraft cheese, the meat just taste like something one would purchase from Walmart, and the "milkshake" was clearly non-dairy soft serve and so gross. So embarrassed and ashamed that I took my son here. Hopefully, he won't remember. 20 years ago they served fresh food. They cooked the burgers to-order, over an open flame. They made your milk shake from hand scooped ice cream and milk. They used to have the best curly fries. NONE of this is true today. They look the same on the outside but don't be fooled. This A & W is a shadow of it's former self and for the prices they are charging that is outrageous! There was broken glass all over the dining area outside were the umbrellas are located. Seriously, someone needs to be sent out to clean that up. The place is run down and needs a face lift. The waitress was fine. Smiled, was polite, and quick to take my order. Never checked back with us to see if we needed anything. We will never be back. read more

I really love this A and W. I've been going here for over 30 years and this past week ran into my first bad service. I am a very patient person and very understanding of staffing issues post Covid. We waited almost ten minutes to even have someone come to our car - which by itself wasn't terrible since they were busy. The issue is the waitress who walked right by us with nothing in her hands, made eye contact and proceeded to walk away. Then we watched three more cars drive up and receive service first. I was very disappointed as they usually have great staff here. Topped it all off with a mediocre meal that wasn't correct - we were missing items, had incorrect drinks, and one of the hamburgers had hardly any ketchup and mustard. On a good day, the food is always fresh, well made, and most importantly, the Root Beer is cold. I am giving a four star rating based off my past experience but we are coming into the busy season for A and W and the staff needs to do better. read more

My favorite fast food in Dexter! So many great things to have. A must is the chicken strips! They are real chicken breast strips and not processed nuggets. Also you can't go wrong with the cheese curds and rootbeer float shake. It will change your life! read more

Yummy root beer and good fast food. What else do you need to know it is fast and haven't met a kid that hasn't liked it.

The new (well, ten years ago new) owners have updated this place fantastically. It looks fantastic, the electronic ordering the car hops use ensure the food is out fast, there's a nice outdoor eating area, and I just love the food. It's not healthy. This is fast food. It's so good tasting even if it's not good for me. The onion rings are great- not cornflakey tasting at all. A classic coney dog (sans onion for me) is awesome- just enough chili to cover the dog and fill the bun, but not so much that it soaks through the bun. And the root beer is amazing. Made every morning by literally mixing in a giant vat (I should know, I worked here about 15 years ago as a teen!) and is the best classic root beer I'be ever had. A root beer float here is just the thing on a summer day. This would be an excellent and unique date spot! read more

A previous reviewer wrote: "Who can hate on A&W?" Me. I can. After driving past its old-timey facade many times, my husband and I decided to stop in and take a trip back to the past with their curbside service. (His past, I should note; not mine.) The service was prompt and friendly and the food came quickly. Except that doesn't count for much when the food's pretty terrible. We both had burgers which were like the steam-table burgers from a high school cafeteria. Fries were standard. Worst of all? My husband wanted to revisit his childhood with a frosty mug of root beer. But it was flat. Which is gross. So, yeah, I'm all for nostalgia but this just wasn't our thing. read more

Who can hate on A&W? Drive up, turn your lights on when you're ready to order, a young waitress will come out to take your order and get a frosty mug of cold root beer. The burgers and fries are pretty standard fast food fare but sometimes that perfectly fills a craving! I'm so glad this place hasn't folded even though they could use a fresh coat of paint! Drive up and step back in time. Gets packed on the weekends when the weather is nice. read more

Wow, this drive-in takes me back to childhood when the family would go to dinner and eat in the car, plastic seatcovers and all. One drives up, parks and a server is at your car in seconds. Your order will be taken with a handheld electronic device and a cardboard number placed under your windshield wiper identifies your order with your car. The menu is handwritten on a whiteboard inside but no worries if you can't see it, your server will have a paper copy. Just turn on your car lights if you need anything and your server will, again, be at your service in mere seconds. The food is classic A & W Root Beer fare. The burgers are terrific, the onion rings just right and the fries are well, just fries. Menu has fried cheese curds, mushrooms and an extensive coney selection. But the best is the frosty rootbeer in a glass mug. Nothing beats it! Hours end at 8:00pm on M-Sat and 7pm on Sunday but don't miss this hidden treasure which provides a trip down memory lane. read more

It's ok, but it's not like the old A & W of yesteryear. Service was great, fast, and friendly though

The larger root beer floats are really cheap and extremely reasonably priced. If you're eating in and want your root beer float in a frosted beer mug, then go for it. Those were really cool too. I got the fast food burger. It was good and memorable for the large pickles that didn't have the typical fast food texture I was expecting (although it was a definitely fast food burger). The onion rings were very disappointing and deserved more onion in the center. Instead they ended more or less as just fried batter. The atmosphere outside the restaurant with car hop service and outdoor tables is a lot of fun. This is a great place to go kick back with a family after a hike on the nearby trails. However, the atmosphere instead leaves a lot to be desired. It's not only severely out of date; it seems like it is starting to fall into a bit of disrepair. It's strange to sit at a counter here and I do not recommend it. All and all I find this slightly more fun than your standard fast food fair and it's a fun place to stop by once in a while. Just don't eat inside and stick with fries over onion rings. read more

Shakes and floats were the only thing acceptable. "Hamburger" was cold and dry with the butt of the tomato. Fries, slightly warm ...OK I guess. I'll try to remember to skip it next I'm the area. read more

The food is just bad. I was not expecting great food, but the food I did receive was borderline unacceptable. Ya, it's a drive-in style restaurant, and there are even a few picnic tables if you decide to eat outside of your car; however, the ascetics cannot compensate for the food you pay for. I will say this: the root beer was excellent! read more

Cute place, but not cute food. My burger smelled gross and the lettuce was soggy. Menu was dirty. :( They folded my burger so tightly that the bun got folded into the wrapper. Fortunately, service was quick and courteous, and they even made eye contact (a rare thing)! Tip to business: please pay more attention to presentation! read more

A&W Restaurant - Stains on menu. - Fast Food Near Me - Dexter, Michigan

The store was ready for the pandemic. Great and safe system to order your food. Servers wear masks and so you know they protect their customers. Go A & W and nice drive from Ann Arbor. read more

Ordered chili dogs, chili dog w/cheese, fries and of course root beer. Food came out quickly, was hot and of course the root beer was delicious! Bought a gallon to go...... Oh, need to add that staff was friendly read more

We have always loved a&w in Dexter and they have done a great job adjusting during the pandemic too! Food is always good and the service always great! read more

Looking for a quick and fun experience for dinner with kids? This is it. Option to stay in car or sit outside. Either way, service is fantastic; food wait is quick and taste is great. Then ending the dinner with a twist cone or root beer float makes it perfect. read more

Local gem! Only open for the summer season you have to get your fill while you can. The root beer freezes (black cow) are AMAZING, and something you will crave. The cheese curds are also very good, and something different from normal fast food. The burgers and hot dogs are what you expect, not amazing but the better end of fast food. The servers are all super friendly, but be prepared to watch other cars that pull in after you get service first, we have drove off on a couple of occasions after sitting without service for over 10 minutes. So if you're going, make sure to clear your schedule. But overall, this place offers a fun summer experience. read more