I associate Sonic Drive-In with Diet Dr. Pepper with their pebble ice and blue coconut syrup. When the grocery store wasn't open and my teenager was dropped off at school, I knew if I went back inside the house, I wouldn't want to come back out in the cold so I washed the car and then decided to treat myself to said Diet Dr. Pepper concoction. While I was ordering on the app, my brain saw a corn dog was $0.99 so "Why the hecks not?" and then a deal popped up for a Jr. Double Cheeseburger for $1.99. Sometimes my brain craves doing something out of the ordinary to combat the responsible part of my brain that sticks to a routine so I got both. The drink was just what I remembered, the corn dog was hot, crispy, and the batter had a good taste. I got the cheeseburger with no cheese (my body cannot process it lol). The patties tasted like they were from the golden arches. It was a little too saucy for my liking, but I wouldn't say no to it if we crossed paths again. The ambiance was...my car so it was clean and had my favorite radio station playing. The food was brought out fairly quickly and without much fanfare, which was okay with me. I parked as close as I could to the door so the staff member didn't have to trek super far. Again, not bad for a mini adventure off the usual path, but it can be a whole season again before I visit again! read more

Sonic Drive-In - Stall menu - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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I visited Sonic for the first time ever this month. I had a gift card that was purchased online and printed on paper. To redeem it, I had to use the Sonic app. That was a bit of a hassle, as I would not normally download an app for a place I've never been to before. Once I had the app, I placed my order using my gift card, and then had to add a credit card to cover the $2 balance. Ugh. My confirmation said my order would be ready in a few minutes, so I headed right over to Sonic and used the app to notify the staff I was in a pickup stall. There were only a couple of other cars there, but it took several minutes for my food to come out. My order included: A small vanilla shake. This was the best part of my meal. The shake was really thick! A southwest queso chicken wrap. This was also pretty good. I can see it being a good snack on the go. A small order of chicken bites. They were fine, but nothing to write home about. In all, my order came to around $12. I don't typically eat fast food, and would not have visited Sonic if I hadn't received the gift card. It was a nice opportunity to try a few items on the menu. I'd probably return for a shake or a queso wrap if I were in the area, but the long wait time would be a deterrent if I needed to pick it up quickly. read more

Sonic Drive-In - Small Classic Shake - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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This place is comically bad. I waited 15 minutes for onion rings, and somehow they tasted like birthday cake. I can't explain it, but they legitimately tasted like birthday cake. Just wow. read more

This Sonic location is primarily a drive in, but it does have a eat-in dining area where you order at a window or using the app. My rating here is based on comparing this with other fast-food locations, and I always order using their app. The items I have tried here are primarily burgers, Coney dogs, and their snack wraps. All of these are first rate. The staff here while seeming to be a little shorthanded always performs well and never has made a mistake. What more do you need? read more

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I was doing door dash and I went threw the drive threw and Angelica S was very fast and very pleased. She had the order out quickly. Sat there less then 3 mins . I give her all 5 stars thank you for being fast . This girl needs a raise. I got 3 order and she had them all out less then 10 mins and I drop off a order and came back . And she also had 5 other cars . Good job read more

I didn't necessarily have high expectations or anything since it's fast food and I've gone to plenty of Sonics in Texas, but this one was... meh. The food and shakes we got tasted fine, but it took a while to get delivered and they forgot the jalapeños on the fries. The server also left the red tray at our table in the patio and walked away without a word. We ate in the patio area which is enclosed and has a window to order at if you buzz for someone. I feel like they're just short staffed so service is slow. Oh, you also need a token to use their restroom since it's located outside of the patio area. read more

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Food is ok, Ambiance is the automobile I eat my food in. Service is consistently terrible from low staff, no staff, no one answers or greets you at the speaker so you have to just drive to the window. I'm sure Sonic thinks less staff equals bigger profits but how does that work when people stop going to Sonic because it's taking way to long to get the food that was ordered & paid for on the Sonic app? I really get a bad vibe from this place and the overworked stressed out employee is not to blame read more

Let me start off by saying as a reviewer it is my job to be as honest as possible. From the time I learned that we were getting a Sonic in my area... I was SO excited. Sadly, I have, at best, been moderately satisfied. Whether I have dined at the restaurant, picked it up to take home, or had it delivered the standard temperature of the food is lukewarm. The parking lot is riddled with potholes the inside is always dingy and the drive-in portion is not easy to access . Now let's fast forward to my experience today. My mom and I decided to treat ourselves to the beverages that we like from this restaurant. We pulled up through the drive-thru and there was exactly one car in front of us. That car placed their order and proceeded. We pulled up to the speaker ordered our drinks after being greeted as though we were interrupting something. No confirmation of the two drinks we ordered was ever given so we proceeded to drive forward. After waiting for a solid 15 minutes the car in front of us got their one item which was an ice cream cone. We were then told our total was $9.97 which I found shocking for two drinks. I had ordered a medium cherry limeade and my mom had ordered a medium lemonade slush. We were handed a bag of onion rings and tater tots and the window closed. Had to knock on the window and tell them that this was not our order and that we had ordered two drinks gave them our drink order a second time waited another 5 minutes and ended up with a lemonade slush that tasted like a yellow water and a cherry limeade slush which is not what I had ordered. We were also charged .75 for a piece of lime which I would think should come standard with my drink. It was also not in my drink. This trip was hardly were the dodging the potholes in the parking lot. It will be a very long time before I go back. read more

Sonic Drive-In - Our two medium drinks. Neither good. One completely wrong. 75 sent charge for a piece lime that I didn't get and couldn't taste - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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I will never go TO ANY Sonic again. Lost me and my family as customers. The manager Jose is a complete jerk. He told me to go to McDonald's and I would rather go there than deal with these incompetent losers at this Sonic. Their smart phone app sucks, they don't stand behind any of the corporate deals and act like its a different entity. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GO TO BURGER KING. read more

This is our first time back to Sonic in 4.5 YEARS, but we were craving some beverages so decided to give it another try. Ordered on the app for carryout where drinks were half off. They slimmed down the options by a lot, but still have most of the classics like cherry limeade and strawberry limeade which were both fabulous. Had an issue with one of the kids' slushies where they punctured a hole in the styrofoam cup and was leaking by the time we drove home. Also tried the Steak Butter Bacon Cheeseburger which was expensive but awesome. Very tasty steak butter, but the grilled onions did not come grilled - just normal diced raw onions (yuck). Also disappointed that they didn't have the Broccoli Cheddar Tots that we wanted to try. And the Fried Cookie Dough Bites à la Mode was comically small and a complete ripoff for $3. Smaller than kid sized - almost like miniature food. read more

The drinks are impossible to go wrong on. Their slushees are cheap fun and healthier than a Slurpee (If you choose a real fruit slush) The food on the other hand leaves some to be desired The meat is of good quality, can't go wrong with what Sonic picks for meat. Toppings, performance is irregular at this location. I can get something that looks like a cornucopia if toppings or this sad excuse for a hotdog. This was supposed to have ketchup mustard relish onions and tomatoes. I got onions and tomatoes. And not much of either. Apparently the guy in the kitchen is half assing it today. It was cheap, I'll give it that and it filled my belly for lunch. Thank you Sonic. But please, improve on toppings accuracy!!! read more

Sonic Drive-In - 6" Premium Beef Hot Dog - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

I know it's unusual for someone to review a fast food place but I did want to make an exception here. Recently my sister and I ordered from here and when we got the order home it was short a couple items. We called the restaurant and the manager said that a free combo was ours because of the problem. We went back yesterday and the staff was so friendly. There was no question when we brought up the previous problem and solution. They were good to their word and very apologetic again for the problem. They really did a good job! Good customer service really stands out and in my book it earns return visits. While I've been going there on and off since Sonic opened, they treated us so well I'd go back just to show loyalty now. The grilled cheese with steak and bacon was really tasty! I know it's only here for a limited time, but I hope they consider adding it to the regular menu. I'd go back for it! Well done Sonic! read more

Went with the fam (four adults and an infant) Sunday afternoon (yesterday), and waited over 15 minutes for someone to take our order. We lost patience and went over to Culvers. read more

We waited for 30 minuets for our food. The server did apologize stating they were backed up. My coke was flat, I went in and rang the buzzer. I was ignored. I could see 4 people in the kitchen and knocked on the window. Someone looked up, saw me and ignored me. Next to me was a door dash driver. When the server came out he told the door dash guy to leave you don't have to pick up the order and swore at him. At sonic customer service is dead. read more

food tastes like any other slushie, but you have the option for various customizations and toppings. service is slower than my granny trying to walk across the street. the parking environment is dull and parking is too tight for my escalade. read more

The food is okay. The onion rings are good but the wait was long. The blackout flout was amazing.

How can an Ice Cream restaurant not care about the quality of their Ice Cream?! For the second time in a row, I received two ice cream orders that allowed the Ice Cream to thaw and then refreeze. For those unfamiliar, this thawing and refreezing process affects the Lactose molecules in the Ice cream, yielding a grainy and flavorless mix. It feels like you're eating ice cream with Sand in it, and the flavor is completely absent in the mix. I don't expect employees being paid poorly to care, but I suspect this goes further up the management chain. "Go ahead and use that mix, it's FINE!". Guess DQ will become my go-to for Ice cream treats. Get your act together Sonic, this is NOT okay. read more

Service was nice and quick, I don't think this was intentional, possibly a mistake. I found a long hair on the side of the cup and under the lid. When I had opened the lid not only was there a long piece of hair in there but also another piece of hair on the drink. The fact I drank some of this with two pieces of hair in it is gross. Imagine slurping this through the straw.. please see attached photo!!!! read more

Sonic Drive-In - Hair in the cup! - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

we capitalized on $1 chili dog day, so I would say good value on these kind of days. It's also nice they bring the food out to you, especially with the pandemic nowadays. On a non-deal day, I would say it's a little more pricey for fast food comparatively, and the food quality is just so-so. But hey, we didn't come to this place to get a gourmet meal, we came here for quick eats and the drive-in experience. read more

The service was absolutely terrible. We waited 30 minutes to get assistance from the car. We eventually saw saw a worker leave mid shift so we try to go inside. When we go inside we asked a worker where we should order and she just said "I don't know" . Then she pointed us to the door. Absolutely worst managed restaurant ever (we drove 45 mins to get there and ended up getting no food) read more

During the summer, I love going through the drive-thru for an ice-cold slush or a cherry limeade. The drinks are always perfectly chilled and refreshing, making them the perfect treat on a hot day. The convenience of the drive-thru means I can enjoy these tasty beverages without getting out of my car. It's a small but delightful part of my summer routine. read more

Been waiting for over a half hour and still no food. Went inside at the counter and nobody was there. Everyone else seems to be waiting a while too. Not fast food at all read more

Got scammed. Drinks said half off. Was rang up full price. Even ordered French toast; thought that was part of the order. Guess not. $10 for 2 drinks, said $1.79. Cool. Nah, you have a nice day bro.... telling me "take care" how am I supposed to take care when you mess up on multiple levels. Not like I'm getting anything for this shit read more

Food isn't good I order burger and a hot dog and a shake everything wasn't enjoyable

Other than cheap prices (normally, but even more so during special times and promotions) -- I'm not entirely sure what drives me to visit this Sonic location periodically. Nothing here is particularly memorable for me -- but at the same time, nothing is particularly bad either. If i visit, it's most likely during the half price drink hours for one of their slushes. The flavors are sweet and almost candy or soda-like... but satisfying (for the price) for some reason. The next most common reason for me to visit is the shakes -- which can hold their own well against Steak n Shake, McDonalds and Dairy Queen. Flavorwise, nothing really stands out here -- but there is something different about the experience of sipping this from the front seat of your car instead of inside a diner or ice cream parlor. Finally, the hot food -- is pretty normal for fast food. There's frequently discounts for hot dogs and burgers -- but it seems almost like an afterthought compared to their drinks and frozen treats. Overall, it's worth a visit for a change of pace and drive-in experience -- but nothing particularly special in terms of food. read more

I've been waiting at a stall for over an hour and no one has answered so i placed my order online 30 minutes ago and it's still not ready. the workers here are slow and uncommunicative with customers. this is the worst experience ive ever had here read more

If i could give 0 stars I would. Eat here if you want Corona virus. Employees don't wear gloves. When I ask for a refund on something I refused because of it I never got it Don't bother with corporate either, they are no help. I know they won't close because I'm not going back, but just be careful eating there. Eeeeewwwwww read more

After watching a few of their commercials on tv, I thought it'd be fun to take the family for a Sunday night out. Once we got their and found a spot, we where all excited to see the menu. After ordering and hearing our total $35.97, i thought okay it'll be worth it. Once we received our food after what seemed to be an eternal wait, we handed out each other's meals and got down to business. I ordered the double with onion rings and a mango sprite, wife the same only with fries, kids meal for my son and popcorn chicken for my daughter. My burger was sloppy and veggies seemed to all be wilted. Onion rings were okay, fries were undercooked and soggy. My sons burger seemed like it was made an hour or two prior to us ordering and the popcorn chicken was all breading and no meat it seemed like. Overall bad experience to what we payed for, staff was okay and friendly. But the food was baaad. Never going back. read more

It was my first time experiencing a Sonic Drive-In and it was great! The homemade onion rings were so good! The food was wonderful. Fresh, hot, and delicious. It didn't take more than 3 minutes to get the food. It was a breath of fresh air for the food industry. I have had so many bad experiences lately and it was about time someone stepped up and did the food right. They were so good. Thank you Sonic Drive-In for a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it. I will keep coming back from now on. read more

Sonic is a restaurant that I normally would not go out of my way to visit. We were in the area so thought it would be fun to go to their drive in. But, the weather was so good we decided to use their outdoor seating. If you have not been to Sonic, you order from an intercom panel at a large billboard type menu. You key in your order, swipe your credit card and wait. The day we went, their "credit card swipers" were not working so a car-hop came out to take our order. I ordered a double hamburger, fries and a pineapple slush - they are known for their thousands of combinations of slushes. I have to say the burger was very good. The fries were fair. The slush actually came with real chunks of pineapple in it - it was very sweet and probably did not need the added sugar. Overall, the experience of eating outdoors made the experience really nice. The fries were not as good as expected - tasted like they had been frozen for too long before deep frying. And, while the server was nice, there was a very long wait for the food. I struggled between two and three stars - their ordering process was broken, the fries subpar, the service slow. But, the hamburger and the slush were good and the staff was nice. So, I err on the positive side and give them three stars. If you compare this to other reviews of mine - this would not hold candle to some of the other restaurants I've given three stars. But, for the type of restaurant and my expectations based on that, it came out where I would have expected. read more

I don't really come here for the food, so I can't comment on that aspect of sonic. In the summer I love going through the drive thru for an ice cold slush or cherry limeade. It is even better if it is between 2-5 pm because then it is half priced. However, make sure the drive thru guy is aware of that because I have definitely driven away before I realized they charged me full price for the drink during happy hour. Sonic also has half priced milkshakes after 8 pm. I need to go back and try that sometime! read more

So Delicious!!! The burger was perfect! Tots were fresh. Drinks were half price for happy hour! Cashier was super helpful and accurate. Love that the patio is indoors. Very clean inside and out. Definitely recommend this place and will be back. read more

Sonic Drive-In - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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ordered 1 drink, been here for 40 minutes. no idea why the fuck it would take 40 minutes to make me a diet coke with strawberries

First time I went there was 12/18/20. Ordered a footlong hot dog and French fries and large coke. About $7.20. Probably the best hotdog and fries I have had in a long time. I will be coming back. read more

We started with some cheesy tots, the cheese tasted like it was old. The gal that delivered it to the car was kind of rude and they didn't give us any napkins. Wouldn't order this one again. We both ordered a double bacon cheeseburger meal. The fries were a little stale, but the burger itself was amazing. It was a good size and tasted delicious! We definitely would order that again. We ended with a second order to get our desserts: Medium Strawberry Cheesecake shake and a medium M&M shot blast. These both left some to be desired. The shake was decent but most of the cheesecake flavor came at the end. The M&M blast didn't have the M&Ms actually mixed in, they were just dumped on top. We'd get the burgers again, but no the rest. read more

I was really in the mood for a Sonic corn dog however when I went inside to eat the place was disgusting. Three trash cans were over flowing, chair were scattered around the room and food and trash was on the floor. The tables and chairs needed to be cleaned. It wasn't busy at 5:00 pm on a Sunday so what were the workers doing? Since I drove 30 minutes for my dog and over cooked onion rings I stayed and will not return to this location. read more

Sonic Drive-In - Trash over flowing, room a mess. - Fast Food Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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My experience here last weekend with my family was good no issues or problems, Food was good and very delicious. We ordered 5pcs crispy tenders and limeade. And for my wife is cheese burger with cheesecake master shake and for my daughter quarter pound double cheeseburger with chocolate classic shake. Limeade was My Super Favorite drinks. And the tenders are slightly breaded and perfect for dipping to their new signature sauce. Overall place was great and well maintained the quality of the food. Staff was quick and attentive service. And for their menu was many options to choose and great prices. Thanks for a good quick lunch we appreciated! read more

Needed to order something to eat while driving. Tried the chicken fingers. Way overdone. I keep trying Sonic but I'm always a little disappointed in something. read more

I would say sonic is a pretty good fast food joint for a really quick, easy and cheap meal. In my opinion, their food is just as good as competitors like McDonald's or Wendy's and since it's a fast food restaurant, it's a pretty great place to get something on the go. Most people who use the drive-thru option for fast food places will definitely enjoy sonic since their drive-thru service is known to be pretty efficient. I've personally never had to wait super long for my order or anything like that whenever I went which is always a plus. I really like the portions they give out too and their fries are always well seasoned, never too salty or too bland. Definitely doesn't get enough credit as other fast food places so I would say come check it out if you ever get the chance! read more

My second time here. This time I just wanted a milk shake. While there was nothing bad about the shake, there was also nothing that made it stand out. There could have been a lot more chocolate in it as it seemed the vanilla ice cream overpowered the other flavors. Very much like my first experience with a double hamburger, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't good enough to make me want to go back anytime soon. I think there are better places to get a shake close by. However, if I was really hungry and the drive through line was short, I would stop here again, just with lower expectations. read more