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    Jay's Drive In

    3.7 (56 reviews)
    InexpensiveDiners, Fast Food
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Jay's Drive In Photos

    JAY'S DRIVE IN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Jay's Drive In

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    Reviews With Photos

    Angela D.

    Where you gonna go for socially distanced deliciously fried things in Oregon Illinois? Jay's Drive-In, of course! Maybe it's because we hadn't had fast food in a while, or maybe we were starving from pitching camp and hiking, but we tore into a pork tenderloin sandwich the size of Iowa, and a crispy and juicy Philly cheesesteak. We licked the wrappers. We mowed down a sack of well-seasoned fries. We even chowed down on a bag of fried mushrooms before they cooled, and you know how hot those little lava bombs get, even if you hold them up to the a/c vent or roll them around in your mouth while hissing steam so they don't cause permanent damage. I'm telling you, so good. So deliciously good that we went back the day we left and picked up some ice cream. No added sugar apple pie ice cream, salted caramel sea turtle cone, and because we refused to choose, some rainbow sherbet too. Service is fine, the 50s vibe is cool, they have all the fried things, and everyone wore their masks. Give them a try, it's awesome.

    Social Distance Eats
    Sandy J.

    Jay's Drive-In is still going in the midst of the 2020 pandemic! Menu pics attached. Closing at 9 pm. Still ~ if you get that summer night hankering for ice cream, head on over! The Mackinac Island Fudge is de lec ta ble!!! Staff is prompt, kind, and oh so clean. Outdoor tables are provided for even more social distancing. Drive-In spots are roped off to maximize distance between customers. We only had ice cream, but the rest of the food looks good as well. Thanks, Jay's, for giving us such a sweet out of the house treat in these rough times!

    Vanilla Shake
    Tanner N.

    Got a vanilla shake! It was absolutely beautiful the taste and texture put me over moon and back home. Beautiful experience, will definitely come back again to taste the beauty.

    Cold fries
    Tammy S.

    We went to Jay's Drive-in tonight and were very disappointed in the food and service. When we got there it didn't appear to be that busy, but we had to wait about 5 minutes from when we pushed the button to order and when they actually took our order. From when we ordered and when we received our food it was 1 hour. After waiting about 45 minutes I repushed the button to ask what was going on with our order however they never responded to that so I called on the phone and after waiting 15 minutes on hold I asked what was going on with our order to which she said it just came up and she was on the way out with it. She finally came out with our order which totaled just a few cents shy of $25 I asked if it was normal to take an hour to get you order and she said it was because they had 2 new cooks they were training. When we opened our food every single bit of it was ice cold so it had been obviously sitting on a counter for who knows how long. Most of the food went straight in the trash. I would have given this place 1 star but we ate there a couple years ago and it was much better then so I know they are capable of better. The parking was plentiful and convenient to get into but it is my suggestion if they take a long time to take your order go elsewhere.

    a hand holding a bowl of ice cream
    Jackie L.

    Fast friendly Delilah ice cream. Cute fun experience for the littles ! Had to show them videos of the olden days when they delivered on roller skates

    Their soft serve with twinkle toppings and root beer floats are amazing!
    Heather D.

    Who doesn't love an ol' timey drive through hot dog and ice cream shop? Not this girl! This place hasn't changed one bit since I started visiting White Pines cabins when I was 4 - and I love them for it! Final Verdict: Their root beer is baller shot caller. Give it a try!

    Hand drawn napkin holder 'ads'
    Jackie G.

    This is a local favorite that my friends and I stopped at before leaving town, after camping nearby for a couple days. A local who ran the canoe rental company we used over the weekend recommended Jay's for the low-prices, good food, and fun atmosphere. I got two scoops of ice cream, and friends got a variety of lunch foods. The prices were very reasonable. The decor was cute and vintage, and I posted a few pictures of the details such as the hand drawn napkin holder "ads." I enjoyed that aspect. We ordered inside and ate outside, but you can get the food brought to your car (not on roller skates, but like Sonic). Personally, I struggle a little with the nostalgia concept, since the period was a time that didn't allow the same rights and freedoms to a lot of people in the country, but that's more of a personal issue, not Jay's fault. The reason I'm not giving Jay's a 5 star rating is that the quality of food wasn't as great as I expected. The ice cream was top-notch, and friends enjoyed the homemade rootbeer (some as floats), but the actual food wasn't as homemade as I expected. For example, the fries and chicken breast on the bacon and burger sandwich seemed liked they came from frozen rather than fresh ingredients. It was all still very tasty, but it could be improved.

    We had an appetite
    Nate N.

    My fiancé and I were in town to see the Blackhawk statue and decided on Jay's after seeing good reviews. It was very busy and the staff were exceptionally friendly young adults. The decorations are fun and nostalgic. We hope to visit again!

    Mackenzie M.

    This place is the BEST! Come for the food, stay for the ice cream, and or root beer floats! They have their own root beer that they make and it is mouth watering good! I don't even drink soda so that says a lot. I've had basically everything on the menu, chicken stripes, burgers, pork chop sandwich and everything is delicious! We come at least once a week and are always sad when they close for the season. Great place !

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    3 years ago

    Pork tenderloins bigger than your head! Wonderful kind professional staff serving yummy fast food!

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    8 years ago

    Have a root beer float. The root beer is home made. Delicious! Take a gallon of root beer home. Cute 50's drive in atmosphere.

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    Page 1 of 2

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    Review Highlights - Jay's Drive In

    Man oh man, that was the best burger and fries (and homemade root beer) I've had in a very long time.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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