In Kingsport to watch the Axmen and wanted to try out this local favorite. This is the original location of the small regional chain and is walk in vs the other locations appearing to be drive thru only. There is no indoor seating, but a covered area outside with a half dozen picnic style tables. Food was fast to order and made quickly with friendly service. Loved the flavor of the food and the prices were reasonable in this inflationary environment and compared to major fast food chains. I'll definitely go back the next time I'm in the area. read more

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This Pal's right here, is the greatest Pal's I've ever been to in the 2+ years I've lived in Tennessee. When it comes to Pal's, I've only ever seen Drive Thru. Drive Thru's make me ask the question of, "If I don't have a car, can I not order food here?" Well do I have good news for you. This Pal's is a walk in establishment. You can walk into the building to make your order, and then walk out the other door with your food. Right outside that door, there's a little area with picnic benches under a little roof to protect you from Sun/Snow/Rain while you eat your food. Within that little area is a Bathroom for Men and Women so if at any point during your meal you need to go, they've got you covered. If you don't have anyone to come to Pal's with to give you company during your meal, no need to worry! There's typically always a bunch of friendly birds looking for a hand out nearby. I'm the type of person that's easily amused, so when I sat down to eat my two hot dogs, I pinched off some bread from the bun and threw it for the birds to eat. They LOVED IT! The staff inside are are EXTREMELY friendly to say the least. While me and my boyfriend were in the area in the process of getting married, we stopped here two days in a row. When they learned we were getting married, they were quick to congratulate us. Lastly I want to talk about the food. When you order your food, the food is made fresh on the spot. You may be waiting for a few minutes BUT you wait there knowing the food you will receive is fresh. Nowadays, so many fast food places will hand you crusty dried up food expecting you to eat it instead of giving you fresh food. To the point that when you order, you HAVE to specify you want it fresh. That is not an issue with Pal's! I love this specific Pal's because it's the only Pal's I've ever seen that not only lets you walk in to order, but gives you a place to enjoy your meal sheltered from the elements of nature. AND a place to take care of your business mid meal. To anyone reading this, you've got to check this place out if you're in the local area! read more

Pal's - Fast Food Near Me - Kingsport, Tennessee

I'm preaching to the choir here, but this place is obviously an institution within the Kingsport community. But, here's the thing ... this place stacks up against any and every national chain that's been thrown at them. Kind of like the best barber I ever had was in Kingsport, the best fast food burger joint I've consistently patronized is also in Kingsport. And, of course ... it's PALS read more

Lived in this area most of my life. At one time pals had a great reputation super service super food wonderful people, but like all things it's falling way below expectations! Rud hateful young people with an attitude and mainly the food has gone up in price and it's just it has very bland taste now. Still good chili bun, and french fries are the same but the attitude of the the workers has changed, very disappointing. Will still eat there occasionally. read more

Fast. Friendly. And delicious. I've always driven past pals, but today was my first experience. I asked for the recommendation, and got the small chili cheeseburger with fries and some red strawberry soda. It was so good! It's not the place for substitutions but everything as ordered was great. It's good fast food. read more

Love the chocolate shake. And Bar B Dogs! Bar B Dogs forever. I just recently discovered their ham biscuits--biscuits are flaky and buttery. Excellent! I love their pork tenderloin ones too, but alas! Like the Bar B Dogs, they only come and go. Great food for the money! read more

Came for a Patty Melt (limited time item), a unsweetened tea and split a Frenchie Fry. Always good food! We sat at the picnic tables outside; it was windy day and you had to keep your stuff close to you but loved it. read more

On a recent rainy trip through the area, we sighted Pal's a number of times through the windshield but eventually came across this one, the original location with a neon sign that would have been right at home in "American Graffiti". I had to try it, if only for the classic sign. The burgers were freshly prepared but fairly typical of what one would get from burger joint of this era. The "of this era" is important here, as modern fast food burgers are either Fuddrucker-style balls-o-meat under a half-inch of cheese, or the very precisely produced corporate products from the golden arches, Dave Thomas's daughter, or that king character. These burgers are what I remember from my childhood. The french fries were right out of the cooker and remarkably good, another throwback to another time. So, too, was the outdoor seating reminiscent of the first time I went to McDonald's (this was at its only New Orleans location in 1967, and yes indeed, I am old). The shake was delicious. Despite initial misgivings over being a 2019 child being forced to eat 1960s fast food, the eleven year old pronounced her approval at meal's end. read more

Pal's - Fast Food Near Me - Kingsport, Tennessee

Let's start with the top.....1/2 Peanut butter & chocolate milkshake was great. Frenchie fries were crispy & hot, with special seasoning salt. Big Pal with cheese was good. Sauce burger with cheese tasted okay, and hot dog was okay. Loved the original location (1956). Order inside, and sit at a picnic table under their covered shelter. Service was quick. read more

Excellent burger. The fastest service ever! The restroom was the cleanest public restroom I've ever seen. read more

Pal's - Pal's Sudden Service...truly sudden. - Fast Food Near Me - Kingsport, Tennessee

The food is decent. The local history is awesome. Oddly the burgers don't come with cheese unless you ask. If you are in town though, it is a must try. read more

I ate here cause a local told me I needed to try it. Well I wish they would have told me how to order the burger. I ordered a big pal with cheese and bacon, no mayo but I had to also say I want lettuce tomato onion even though the picture on the wall showed it with all that stuff! Then the burger didn't come with any sauce. I've never gotten a hamburger that didn't come with ketchup and pickles but I guess there's a first for everything. I wasn't that impressed with the burger it's self. It tasted okay but for almost 8$ hamburger it basically sucked. I am from Montana so maybe I'm spoiled. read more

Pal's - Receipt - Fast Food Near Me - Kingsport, Tennessee

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This was my first time trying Pals I'm from Ohio. I was visit my father and we wanted something quick to eat . Very friendly staff and great food , Also great milkshakes . I forgot to tell the lady taking my order no lettuce on one of the burgers for my father . They replaced the whole burger no questions asked . Great place wish they had Pals in Ohio . read more

the service here was above and beyond. along with the great service came even better food. since it was my first time i got the sauce burger + onion + cheese, the frenchy fries, a hot dog, and a chipped ham. oh and of course--the SWEET tea. the pricing was more than reasonable! i left there full and happy. read more

Best fast food in town. French fries are a must-get. Service is very fast. The only downside is that this place does not have a drive through. The Pal's location on Fort Henry Dr has a drive through, but no in store service. read more

Pal's #01 is the original Pal's restaurant in downtown Kingsport. It sticks to its roots, as it has no drive-thru, and the tables are located outside under a pavilion. I LOVE this place! I frequently yearn for a Big Pal with cheese, a large frenchie-fry, and a sweet tea - oooh the sweeet tea! Whenever I visit my folks, I make it a priority to eat at Pal's at least twice in a weekend. It's not just about the food - it's the nostalgia and the childhood memories of meeting up with friends in high school and chatting over a tea and fries. The service is sudden, like their motto says, and all the Kinsport stores' managers are great people. Look for the other locations, most of which are drive-thru only. They are oddly-shaped buildings with HUGE "statues" of hot dogs and fries on the front. Pal's was even included in a Food Network special a few years back. read more

If you're local to the Tri-Cities area of TN or SW VA, you know and love Pal's. It's an institution and a must-stop on our list when in this area. Pal's never disappoints. The food is top quality, their superb business practices led them to being the first restaurant to receive the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award (2001), and in over 30 years of eating at Pal's I have never once received an incorrect order. Not once. At some notable national franchise drive-thrus, I'm thrilled each time I receive a correct order as it happens so infrequently. Pal's is the model for other restaurants to emulate, leading to loyal employees to have pride in their work and very happy customers. If you're new to Pal's, I recommend the chipped ham with cheese, a hot dog and frenchie fries along with a big iced tea. The ham is cut off a real ham, the hot dog is perfect with a simple chili and onions and their fries have a special seasoning on them, in addition to always being cooked to order. You're not going to get food that's been sitting under a heat lamp for hours at Pal's. If you're at the original Revere Street location in Kingsport, order the peanut butter milkshake and prepare for nirvana. The only negative thing I have to say about Pal's is they aren't in the Nashville area. read more

For as much as we enjoy eating locally, we were truly looking forward to trying Pal's. We made a spontaneous trip to the city, landing on this location because it looked interesting. First, if you have a phobia about others knowing everything you order, then don't go to this location. Every word is spoken via microphone, even down to the water we drank. :P So the seating was all outside and, thankfully, covered and in the shade. We were enjoying ourselves until several groups came along who were loud and questionable. The food was ok, not bad but not memorable. So why the 2-star rating, you may ask? Well...let's just say the food was horrible the next morning. For both me and the hubs. We won't be returning any time soon, especially to this location. Not sure I want to revisit a meal the following day ever again. read more

small town chain, Good burger and dogs very fast service. I am a fan read more

Burger in no better than McDonald's. Actually McDonald's is better and I don't like McDonald's. Fries were the only good part of the meal.

Had the big pal, their cheddar rounds, peach iced tea, and frenchie fries. The big pal is really damn big. I guess you could say five guys size. It's a good burger, but not great. I'd take Shake Shack over it anyday. Their frenchie fries are good, but they are really salty. I guess cuz i'm a northerner? The Southerners probably don't find it salty. Their cheddar rounds - AMAZING. mini hash brown rounds filled with Cheddar cheese?? Genius! I'd definitely go out of my way to get these. Prices are really, really reasonable too. Most Pal's are drive thru so keep that in mind! read more

Original location of a very successful, locally-owned-and-operated fast food chain. Strong management priciples, outstanding personnel, emphasis on service process, and fresh ingredients make this walk-up restaurant THE destination for delicious burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches. The blend of seasoning on the fries is mouth-watering! No need for ketchup. One of the only locations serving the peanut butter shake. read more

I eat at the one on Lynn Garden more that the others, but they are all good. Malcolm Baldrige business award winner. The service is fast. They also serve breakfast . Everyone talks about the tea, but for my money the coffee is the best around. read more

A Kingsport institution. Don't miss the peanut butter shakes! They are excellent, but available in Kingsport only at their Revere Street location. It's worth the trip. I'm also a fan of their hot dogs (which come with a chili that complements them perfectly) and their French fries. The hot dogs don't look like much, and I wouldn't have ordered them without having read on Yelp that they were great, and they are. (We noticed that everyone in line ahead of us also ordered the hot dogs. I'm not sure the hamburgers are as good, I but I've never ordered them.) I can understand why some on Yelp think the French fries are too salty, but I thought they were perfect--and piping hot. Also, the service is amazingly fast, even for fast food. The owner of Pal's lives in Kingsport and is known for living simply but giving in large ways to the town of Kingsport. He's a remarkable person, which made me enjoy the restaurant even more. read more

The absolute best name in the tricities for fast food. The first restaurant chain to win the Malcolm baldridge award for consistency. You won't be pestered or offered items you didn't come for. The menu stays simple because Pals focuses on what they're good at, rather than trying to be another McClone. read more

The chili doesn't taste as good as it did. Chili burgers and hot dogs used to be my favorite but not anymore. Always eat there quite a bit in colonial heights area. Please go back to the old chili taste. read more

I've been going to the one downtown since I was kid. I love the outdoor benches and they updated and had tht wall painted excellent out side. But it seems not to matter what you get. Its always good. Wish they keep prices down better. Its getting expensive read more

I missed Pal's for 7 years. I lived in St. Croix and I day dreamed about cheddar rounds and a BIG TEA for the longest. Pal's is worth every penny and they know customer relations!! read more

A great inexpensive place to eat!! I love it, I live near it and I can't stand to not be able to eat there. They make your food really fast, really really HOTT, and super delicious!!!! You can order for ten people and your head will start spinning as there almost done by the time you walk over to get the food!! Sadly the only one that serves peanut butter milkshakes is the older walk-in but that is just one more reason I will walk in!! And I really love how they stay as a really old version restraint even as the world around us changes. It's all just one more reason I will always love Pals!! read more

Decent sandwiches and stuff. The worst milkshake I have ever had in my life, got chocolate and it tasted like last years mint special flavor. read more

I love Pal's. The food is fantastic and the fries- the best ever! Their tea is wonderful. The service is always fast and the servers pleasant. Definitely suggest you try them if you never have or are not from this area. read more