Glade's Drive Inn tastes a helluva lot better than Glade's air fresheners.
While I have been exploring good ol' Spanish Fork, there is something I have come to realize: There is the new Spanish Fork, and there is the old Spanish Fork. There is the area north of highway 6 with all kinds of brand new spots (mostly chains) and more businesses on the way. North of highway 6 is expanding like crazy and typically a busy area. Then there is the other side of highway 6. This is where the city has its charm and history. This is what I thought all of Spanish Fork was before exploring the area more. Glade's Drive Inn is within the charm of Spanish Fork.
What started off as a little gas station transformed into a fun drive in burger spot back in 1954 and it has pretty much stayed the same ever since. Speaking from someone in real estate, I can confirm they haven't done much to the OG building, but I am glad they haven't. It really seems to look the exact same as it did back in the day.
I was meeting friends here and we were both able to take the spots in the very front. There is only three of them so this was super lucky. I can imagine it gets super hard to find parking and whatnot in the busier summer months. With it being a small drive in, there is very limited parking and nowhere to really sit or anything. I think it would be nice to get a few tables outside or something, but I do get it...it's part of the drive inn vibe.
It doesn't seem like they have changed their menu since opening either. It is a pretty dated menu and admittedly, it is a bit confusing. If you want it in a combo, then they just add the word "super". To me, "super" means bigger, not "plus fries and a drink". All of the burgers are made on a grilled bun with "Glade's toppings", which is their signature white sauce, ketchup, pickles, and lettuce. You know what I love about this? They don't have tomatoes! I think tomatoes on burgers are repugnant so I appreciate the alliance here.
Honestly, it took a while to get our food. A while. They are not fast at all. I don't mean this against them at all. I don't work there and I don't know what kind of prep goes into making our food...but just be prepared, this is not an "In and Out".
Once we got our food, we decided to go to a nearby park. All of our food came in styrofoam containers and they did give us our drinks ahead of time. They have pepsi products and all kinds of shakes. I thought about trying one of the shakes and I definitely want to go back to see what they're all about.
The burger itself was delicious. I loved the toppings on it and it was cooked great. It was also just a really big burger--they don't skimp at Glade's. The fries were pretty good and they came with their "famous white sauce". My friends said they didn't know what the sauce specifically was but that it was delicious. I am not sure how much I agree. The sauce was very so-so. It definitely had mayo in it but I am not convinced it had anything else. I am not a mayo hater, but mayo is one of the most bland sauces out there. The white sauce on the burger was delicious, as it soaked in with the toppings to bring out flavor...but fries with plain mayo is a bit odd.
This was also a really cheap option--it was only $30ish for the three of us. Between the price, and the fact that I am supporting a local, family business, I absolutely loved it. The staff was all really nice and it was a solid experience. I will be living in Lehi starting in the next few weeks but I would love to come back during the summer time! read more