very disappointed. This restaurant has always done good business, but I've never really stopped in as long as I've lived in Florence. I got a chicken Philly with fries for $11.30. It was put on a bun the size of a hotdog bun, had no flavor, no peppers, I was just a handful of chopped chicken with some cheese on it. They clearly try to fill you up with french fries. Also they put mayonnaise on their Phillies, which I've never heard of. So without that it's dry as a bone. Go to Jersey Mike's if you want a Philly. . read more

The food was nice and hot which is why I give it 3 stars. Blandest fresh food I've ever tasted. There was no seasoning at all on the shrimp and no salt on the fries. Was driving through and decided to support a local business. I was very disappointed we drove out the way for that. Any type of seasoning would have leveled the food up read more

I stopped to use the restroom before ordering. A man emerged from the stall after what seemed to be a long call. He wet (not washed) his hands, did. Did not dry them, then went to the kitchen. We left. read more

We always order from our truck, because of the dog of course. Everyone is always super friendly, even though they are coming outside into most of the time disgusting weather. So thank you for the positive attitudes and delicious grub on a weekend evening! I'm not a huge shrimp fan, but theirs is pretty good, my husband always orders it and I try at least one or two every time, the cocktail sauce has got to be made in house because it's so fire!! read more

The Drive-In - Massive fried shrimp box. - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

See all

Love the food here. I always stop here at least once when visiting family. Always hot and good. I always get the calabash with 50-50 fries and onion rings. read more

The second time this has happened. After I place the order (about 6:15 pm in a Friday night) about 5 Minutes later they said there will be a 20 minute wait for chicken. 5 minutes later, they announced a 24 minute wait for chicken. I made the order at 6:23. Did not get my deer until after 7;00. No excuse. They talked about can't find good help. Well, that is when the OWNER needs to take control The old military saying: Prior Planning Prevents P Poor Performance. Owners need to take ownership. Friday night a a big night. There were about 10 to 15 people waiting for chicken. read more

Good food. Service was quick. Hot dog was delicious. Probably would order the gyro again.

No not today they were way off today for sure... greasy chicken and a hot fudge cake with maybe a tablespoon full of hot fudge. Plus a screaming child. Yeah you guys need to have better help with supervision because I think not everyone knows how to do what needs to be done. Won't be back! read more

Food was fresh and tasty. Cheeseburger was very good. Salad was huge with fresh ingredients and good ranch dressing. The onion rings are just like mama made, great! read more

The Drive-In - Fried Chicken Tender Salad, Cheeseburger with fries and onion rings - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

They are bunch of thieves!! Don't go to this place unless you're using cash and check your order before you leave the store. They got my order wrong twice and charged my card twice. When I ask to speak to the manager the cashier in question acted like I needed to wait until she was ready to speak to me. This did not go well for her. I showed them both transactions on my mobile app and she basically said I was a liar that PayPal debit cards sometimes gives false charges. Sorry ma'am I've worked for a credit card processing firm. If you have two separate transaction ID's less than a minute a part you swiped my card twice. I asked the manager to refund my money and he acted like he could only find one transaction. Well sir get ready to answer some questions or ask some of your employees. Either way y'all SUCK!! read more

The Drive-In - Yes all this for $21 and I still went and spent $60 at Longhorns Steakhouse - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

The food was very nice. The service was very nice and it was very clean outside. I have nowhere to go go to sonic.

The sign now in front of the new building just says The Drive-In Restaurant - not the 301 Drive-In I had heard about for years. Never had a chance to see the old place, but I had read that it was the typical Southern drive-in that flourished in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. The new place just doesn't strike you as a drive-in - too new, too bright & shiny, with thin-legged metal chairs, and tables with formica like tops. It is like seeing someone who has had a face lift - it looks new, but it ain't quite right. It was a little difficult to find because of all the road construction, and detours were required - and every time I was forced to make a turn, the GPS Lady on the Blackberry announced, in what seemed like an impatient tone I thought quite uncalled for, that she was recalculating the route. But we got there. You place your order at the counter, like at McDonald's, and it is delivered to your table when ready by staff in matching uniforms. The fried chicken was crispy, a little greasy, but with a pretty good flavor. The hot dogs were just ok, the chili kinda watery. The fries were excellent, the little roll that came with the chicken was not prepared early that morning by loving hands, and the salad came in a little, styrofoam bowl, no cup, that all but guaranteed that much of the salad would spill over on to the bright, red plastic tray, diluting even further the small dab of dressing. I love drive-ins, and real drive-in food - drive-ins are friends of mine - and this is no drive-in. read more

The Drive-In - The Drive-in Restaurant - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

See all

After driving 18 hours we were looking for a local joint that would leave us with full tummies! This place rocked! It was really busy, but worth it! The serving sizes were crazy huge. Thanks for a great meal! read more

14.50 for a 3 piece chicken dinner with 9 fries. Really. Also charges extra for debt card usage.

Great food and the staff were very friendly and helpful. Large portions in the meals and the banana pudding is the old school kind grandma always made. The building is nostalgic and come to think of it, the staff act like people used to. This will definitely become a regular stop when we are in the area. read more

Came here with my family on a whim, we'll let just say this place is way below average. The food was so bland, no seasoning on anything, the green beans needed seasoned and the rice with canned brown gravy was nothing to write home about. The onion rings had no batter on them, pretty much a deep fried onion. The only thing positive I can say about it was that my son liked the grilled cheese. They made me give them a star... read more

I ordered just a 6 piece chicken only, dark meat. I got a 3 piece chicken dinner with fries and a salad and three pieces of chicken on the side. As soon as I ate that salad, my stomach told me I was going to have a rough night. read more

Enjoyed very much the Onion rings! It was such a large order that 5 people could have used them as a side. I enjoyed the cheeseburger very much and my husband liked his fried chicken. They forgot my tarter sauce and I was bummed by that and the gentleman working was alone working all the cars so he wasn't super friendly at all and never would come back to car despite us trying to flag him. It was a lunch rush so we won't hold it against the quality of food. We would stop again driving thru town on the way to the beach. read more

Finding that perfect fried gizzard is like searching for the Holy Grail; it may take you a lifetime of pursuit; you may travel miles and miles the world over; you may suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune; but when you find it, when you pop that perfect balance of crunchy seasoned outer coating and succulent inner organ meat into your mouth, you have found the acme of eternal happiness! My quest for this perfect fried gizzard first took me to The Drive - In in Florence, SC several years back while on a business trip. A Florence institution since 1957, serving fried chicken, chili dogs, fries and sweet tea, The Drive - In is a quintessential southern joint. Although it has moved from its old Highway 301 location, it still maintains its traditional drive-in feature - individual canopied car stalls with microphone enabled menus and outside delivery so you can eat in your car - think Happy Days sans the skates. So what is that elusive perfect fried gizzard, you might ask? First and foremost, it has to be made-2-order, not sitting in its own grease in an aluminum serving tray sweltering under a heating lamp for hours. Second, it is a plump, meaty gizzard; not scrawny and malnourished. A plump gizzard can take the deep frying heat without withering away to nothing. Third, IT MUST NOT BE OVERCOOKED. Overcooking is the Achilles Heel of preparing a fried gizzard. It is the most common mistake cooks make and gives the gizzard its bad name. And last, the gizzard must have the right batter to meat ratio. When the ratio is right, the batter doesn't overwhelm the gizzard but fluffs up like a pillow; a compliment upon which the gizzard may lay. In the over 50 years of slinging gizzards, The Drive In's got it down to a science! The fried gizzard platter at The Drive In comes with a small salad, a heaping mound of gizzards, fries piled high and two white bread dinner rolls. Don't expect artful arrangement. It is an overflowing plate with a messy presentation. Do expect to dip a hot, succulent made-2-order gizzard into The Drive - In's special sauce (a play on Russian dressing) and be bedazzled by the combination of crunchiness, juiciness, and oiliness that makes fried chicken so delicious! read more

The Drive-In - The Drive In's fried gizzard platter - the Holy Grail of Gizzards! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

Love the chicken, onion rings, chicken livers and salads! Been eating here for years and still love it! Some things have changed due to covid but a lot of other things have too. All understandable! read more

This was my first time here, and when I looked at the menu I was like "Where has this place been all my life?" It's a diverse smattering of wonderful fast food options, from burgers to gyros, and even fried chicken and fish. It even has fried gizzards, which I am so trying next time. I got the double cheeseburger. It was prepared fairly quickly, and tasted great. The meat was very fresh and tender. The fries were run of the mill steak fries, but were crispy and fresh. It ran me $11 for that combo, which is a tad bit high. And two bucks for a drink that only has one free refill is not cool. I also didn't like the large sign that boldly proclaims additional charges for extra condiments and sauces, a pet peeve of mine. Don't do that. The atmosphere is 50s diner-esque with counter service, and the dining room is big and spacious. Parking is a bit limited during heavy times. I will be returning to try some of the other offerings. If you like this place, try the similar Mr. C's up in Concord, NC. Menu and atmosphere is very similar, but unlimited refills there. ;) read more

I used to love this place growing up. Now you couldn't pay me to eat there. Our cashier (a young African American male) was great! But the food and service was terrible. 2 other workers seemed to have an attitude (older African American women) when processing my refund (which I never even got and also didn't get a receipt for the refund either. There was a very long curly black hair right on top of my shrimp and fries. It was so noticeable if anyone had even paid attention to the plate they were serving. The experience from the beginning was terrible. No masks are required and some older Caucasian woman was way too close to us in line and was coughing all over my boyfriends back. The whole place was dirty, stuff all over the floor and tables. This place has went so far downhill. read more

Love finding places like this. Old drive-in with indoors restaurant. Indoors is very nicely renovated with lots of big-screen TVs and free wifi. I dropped in to check it out on a walk and found out the onions rings were fresh and not frozen. So much for the health benefits of the walk. Wonderful. Hope to get back before leaving town to try other things. Addendum: got back to try the 301 Fresh Burger. Hand patty and 2x the price of regular burger. Very good version of diner/drive-in burger. Eight ounces with juices running out. read more

The Drive-In - Fresh - not frozen - onion rings! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

I think the food is very good. I enjoy eating there from time to time. I would have given them four stars but, there are no refills on refreshments right now due to covid which is totally understandable but, they continue to charge $2.50 for a large soda which I think is very high for a non-refillable drink. I think they should consider lowering that down a lot until this crisis is over. Also they charge a surcharge for using a debit or charge card wich was new to me. It was only about $0.40. perhaps restaurants in general charge overhead that for credit cards even if you pay cash but you don't ever notice. My lunch was a gyro with fries and cost me $12 and change so you be the judge. read more

After a long workday, I searched yelp for any food options that were open. The Drive In was the only one that came up that wasn't fast food. I wasn't disappointed, and you won't be either. Made my 3hr drive home palatable. Lots of options to make anybody happy. I sat inside. Got the Slavaki (port tenderloin) Gyro, fries, and lemonade. read more

Used to enjoy this restaurant. They now nickel and dime you to death. No refills on drinks, 75 cents for tap water, 35 cents for salad dressing and additional charge for debit card. read more

He waited 45 minutes for a four piece chicken and onion rings. Customer service was awful.

Local eatery in town. They have a vast selection of choices to choose from. I opted for the chicken club and fries. My boyfriend ordered the beef gyro and fries. You have the option of ordering and eating within the restaurant. However, they also have a retro style order your food like the old drive ups from the 50s era. Our food took a minute to cook, however, everything is made fresh to order, can't argue with that. My club was mediocre, and the gyro was satisfying to the palette. I may have to do some more exploring of the menu. Overall, staff was hospitable, restaurant was clean, and atmosphere was good. I will definitely return in the future. read more

Fried chicken and fried pork chops was very dry fries were well just fries nothing great and for two plates it was $25. Very busy place I am still trying to figure out why. I will not be back for the fast food with dine in sit down prices!! read more

Good food, large menu, fast service. Old time dinner look. Not fancy but good place for lower price good food

I love restaurants that have been around forever, that have developed character over the years. I was hoping that The Drive-In would be one of those places. I mean, it has been around since 1957. It wasn't. Look, the food is perfectly fine. My burger was good, my fries were crispy. My cherry sprite was wonderful--freshly made, and loaded with cherries. Would I come here again for the food? Probably, if I were in Florence again. The restaurant, though, lacks a certain kind of 50s charm. Though it's been around since the late 50s, the restaurant looks like it's been around since the late 00s. It seems a bit ... sterile, atmosphere-wise. It actually reminded me quite a lot of restaurants that attempt to revive a 50s feel, but were founded three years ago. Perhaps I'm just complaining for no reason. read more

Probably the worst meal I've ever had. My burger was raw in the middle. And they denied my refund even after seeing it. disgusting. Never ever again. read more

Great for dropping in and eating a quick meal without resorting to fast food. I had the chicken gyro and absolutely loved it! I'm not familiar with Florence and merely dropped by because I heard good things about it, so I wouldn't know how it compares to other local spots. But overall, I loved the food. The fries weren't salted (which I actually prefer) and nothing was too too too greasy. Prices are reasonable for what you're gretting. I highly recommend the clarinet for your drink. It's half cherry soda and half lemonade! read more

I grew up in Florence, and the "Drive In" (formerly 301 Drive In) was the place to go! Years later I'm happy to report, it still is! I had the fish sandwich with fries special, and enjoyed every bite! The fish was REAL fish lightly breaded and came with lettuce and tarter sauce (not a ton, which I hate, just enough to add flavor!). The fries were hot and not salted (again, a plus!). Had to wait a little while for it as it was being fried fresh, but believe me, was worth it! I'll be back! read more

The Drive-In - The fish sandwich and fries! - Chicken Shop Near Me - Florence, South Carolina

No longer give you refills on drinks. No longer serve homemade ranch, just packets of ranch that taste terrible. Had to pay 3$ every time I needed another drink. Terrible. Burger was good, tea was very very sweet. Go to townhouse. read more

Our family has always loved to eat here UNTIL recently. They have gone up on their prices and they are "dollaring" you to death. You no longer can get drink refills when dining in, which is ridiculous when you pay 2.50 for tea. They are no longer giving you the house dressing for your onion ring orders. Instead, they are charging 35cents for a half-filled 3oz container of sauce. I know the pandemic has been hard on everyone but we definitely did not get what we paid for and will not be back. read more

I love this place better than Sundae House. You get big portions for the money you pay. The service and cleanliness is good. My daughter had the chicken strips and they were very good. The Souvlaki Gyro is amazing. read more

Been a couple of times. Dined inside the first time--mostly "greasy spoon" food. Waited quite a bit for our food and there were only a few other customers at the time. The food was underwhelming. Tried the drive in part recently for dessert for a milkshake and another dessert. The milkshake was okay (Cookout is way better) and the dessert piece was really small, expensive and not very good. Again, the wait was long and the person who delivered our food was rude. It seems to be busy in the evenings, but I'm not sure why. I love supporting local businesses but have no desire to spend money here. Very disappointed. read more

This is one of my favorite places to stop on the way to Myrtle Beach from Charlotte. Their menu has the full spread of Southern Drive-In Food. You can't go wrong with the fried chicken or gyros. Of course I always get a chocolate milkshake! read more

Came here because of app. Ordered bacon burger with onion rings but got fries. Wonderful burger fresh, hot. Liked the cherry Coke on the menu. Will be back again to try more items on the menu. read more