Great vintage place from 1952. Amazing double Decker burgers and chocolate banana shakes. Cute vintage decor. A step back in time.

1950's type place restaurant/diner. A modern retro jukebox plays constant 1950's rock and roll. Ate there once in 1984, over forty years ago. Much of the 1950's decor has not changed. This place started around 1952. The order was given from a touch tone phone at the table to the front counter. We thought tnat some of the younger customers would not know how to use a dial telephone. Drive through service is also available, as it has been since the 1950's. Ordered a burger basket (burger and fries) $8., a chicken tender basket (five chicken tenders with fries) $11.50, onion rings, chocolate malted milkshake, chocolate ice cream dish, We got the food in about fifteen minutes brought to our table. Very reasonable. The 2 oz burger that I received was worst of all the items that I had. It was tasteless and reminded me of a smalll burger at Burger King. 1.5 stars. do not recommend it. We hope that the recipe for the burger would be improved. The crinkle cut French fries were average 3 to 3.5 stars and not plentiful. Could have used more. The onion rings were one of the two great items that we had. They were very good in every way. 4 plus stars. My mallted milk shake was good and the price was reasonable. It was appropriate for a 1950's restaurant. 4 stars. The chicken tenders were large had good taste. 4 stars. Rolls came with the chicken tenders. They were soft and had good taste. 4 stars. The chocolate ice cream, along with the onion rings was the standout best item that we had. 5 stars for the chocolate ice cream. It was creamy with a deep chocolate flavor and the ingredients in it were quality ingredients. Loved it. We enjoyed the good music with the meal. Everyone who worked there was very nice to us, including the manager. We will love to dine there again and hope that it can be soon. Thank you for the nice 1950's style food. read more

The girls working up front are very pleasant. The milk shakes are very good. The ice cream is soft and creamy. read more

Wright's Dairy-Rite was founded in March of 1952 by Forester and Alka Wright in Staunton, VA. The business was then only a small frozen custard store, similar to the popular Dairy Queen stores of the time. By the mid 1950's, the Wrights had begun to offer limited hot food items and had enlarged their building. By the end of the 50's, Dairy Rite had been transformed into a full menu Drive-In restaurant similar to Doumars. Dairy Rite was a popular hang out for children of the 1950's and 1960's and continued to grow and expand. Forester passed away in 1972 and his wife Alka in 1973. The business then passed on to their daughter Shirley and son-in-law James Cash. To this day Wright's Dairy-Rite continues to be operated by James (Elwood) Cash and Shirley Wright Mckee, who added a large dining room in 1990. Visitors to Wright's get to experience the food and atmosphere of a by gone era with speaker or the red telephone ordering from your car or table. Wright's continues to offer delicious homemade specialties, including homemade onion rings, hand pattied burgers, footlong hotdogs, Malts and Sundaes, just to name a few. The extra thick milkshakes are to die for. My Super burger with onion rings were pretty tasty. Everything is prepared fresh and cooked to order like they've been doing it for over 60 years. Recently voted one of the top 10 original Drive-In Restaurants in the Nation. read more

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We took our grandsons and had a great time. The servers were all friendly and the food was good and a good value for the price.

Obviously a popular old fashioned diner type place. It been around and the neon sign is a classic. It features old style drive in ordering. Just missing service on roller skates, IMO. We tried a few things, including burger, fries, rings, fish burger. Really nothing special. I think one goes for the nostalgia. Service was friendly but not particularly efficient, I just had sense that they were kids that that didn't have a lot of experience. read more

Our group stopped at Wright's as the final hot dog in a 7 day hot dog road-trip. We pulled into one of the drive-in spots outside and took our time to review the menu. The menu is large but the font is not. My eyes are bad so I had to get out of the car to review the choices. We went with a blend of sweet and savory. Hot dogs and milkshakes. We pressed the button on the call box and placed our order. It took a little bit of time but eventually a friendly worker brought our food out and took our payment. The hot dogs tasted good but the one with chili, mustard, and onions kinda looked like it had been manhandled. The other looks great. The chili had good flavor and the buns were soft with a nice chew to them. The milkshakes were all just ok. My chocolate tasted like it was made with soft serve chocolate instead of hardpacked. Not a strong chocolate flavor. Mom liked her banana milkshake. My aunt was disappointed with her raspberry milkshake. The menu said they used real fruit but the raspberry flavor in her shake tasted pretty artificial. The lack of those little raspberry seeds also suggests that actual raspberries weren't used. Overall, it was a fine experience. The burger menu looking particularly appealing so I might visit again in the future to try a burger. read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Hot Dogs - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

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This place is one of the few old time Burger joints that is still at it. Prices are fair, food is good and service is fun. They have phones at each table and you call in your order. The Reuben was great. read more

Classic establishment with loss of charm. Booths, stools, outdoor seating and a drive in style dining available. You sit down at the booth, look through the menu and then pick up the phone to order. Fries came out very hot which I appreciate. Only thing I would change is that they offer Coke products over Pepsi. Loads of classic ice cream desserts. The classic banana split looked amazing. read more

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This was such a cute place! The food was great! & so were the milkshakes! The service was great too..everyone was very kind & helpful!.. read more

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Amazing service, the food was so good, didn't take too long, and the food was very fresh. Amazing Job!

These are the kinds of places we like to find on the road, and Wright's was especially unique with its history and vibe. We ate inside and the room was decorated with fun, vintage decor. Ordered at the counter, and the staff was friendly and welcoming. Our order was brought out to our table in about 10 minutes (the menu advises you that it's not a "fast food" restaurant). Stuck to the basics, but they were all quite yummy -- burgers were great, also loved the onion rings and tater tots. Really enjoyed it and would stop again if we were nearby. read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

How does a place like this not exist anywhere right by where I live ????????????????????? Although I've had places that have been around for decades and went in or near my home area & other parts of my home state, I wish I had a place like this in or near my hometown. It's much like the similar places (mainly old school designed vintage styled diners) that I've visited when visiting certain areas on vacation years back. Including certain other areas in Virginia, North & South Carolina, Wildwood & Seaside Heights in my home state (New Jersey). A friend of mine introduced this place to me just now via social media & it seems totally cool & everything on their menu looks so edible. From the food, the sides, shakes, drinks, etc. This friend of mine (Steve) informed me that the first or last time he visited was over 40 years ago & will be visiting again on his road trip past the area where this restaurant is located. Ive never been to this place before but I will have to inform my family about this the next time we return to Virginia for a visit for any reason. Such as spending a weekend, a several day-week's long vacation or anything like that. That is if we end up in the Staunton area for whatever reason. In the meantime, Steve, if you're reading this review right now it's a special shoutout & thank you for introducing me to this place to add to my bucket list for a future visit. Have something delicious & filling from this place for me!!!! read more

The food is what an old diner should be! They take cash, credit as well. The outside has a drive up, where you order and they bring the food out to you. They have seasonal milkshakes. Kids menu which my kid loved her meal. The onion rings are made fresh daily. Nice size and crunch. Still looks like what I'm guessing is the original atmosphere. Totally a 50s vibe to it. Looked like a lot of locals and regulars so you know it's good! read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

Delicious food, great service. I think the turkey club might be my favorite, but have not had anything that wasn't delicious.

This place is a cozy find that really sticks to the old diner feel. Staff is very respectful as well. The food is definitely the star of this restaurant though. The photos don't do it great justice but flavor is king. This place has everything you would want from a diner. Great burgers, shakes, and great prices. I live far from this place but if i'm ever in the area i'll definitely try to come eat here again. read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Chicken Basket - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

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This is always a family go to spot when visiting Staunton, VA. Perhaps it's the ambiance of a drive-in, friendly service, and consistent good food. Everything cannot remain the same over the years (i.e. the portion size); however, Wright's Dairy Rite has done a great job with being consistently good :) Treat yourself and give it a try (esp. the milkshakes). read more

Old fashioned goodness right here! Our delicious pork bbq sandwich arrived in wax paper. Haven't seen that since I was a child. Added milkshakes to our meal. I got a chocolate, double malt. Service was cheerful and friendly. If you want to go back in time, be sure to stop here. Prices are reasonable. Menu looks awesome. We will be back. read more

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Great and fun place to go for ice cream, milkshakes and food. My nephews food came in a fun little paper car, he ate the whole cheeseburger which is always a good sign. I had the fish fillet sandwich, which was fried crispy and good. We got dessert to go, their hot fudge cake with vanilla ice cream. I would ask for the ice cream on the side, as I didn't know it wouldn't be packed as such, so of course it melted... But was still good. Their staff were also very friendly. read more

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It has been years since I stopped in to Wrights and it's just like stopping back in 1950! Although I wasn't alive the service fun atmosphere and quality of food still abound from a time gone past! Whether you pull into the authentic drive in spaces and order your food through the voice box. Or you choose to set a table using the phone to dial in your order while listening to Your Favorite music. The staff is extremely friendly, helpful, and fast. It's amazing. The prices ever remain as low as they are considering the skyrocketing inflation over the past three years. If you want a taste of America, serve with a smile and an amazing milkshake. Stop and write grab yourself a burger or a dog and have a fantastic time. read more

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I've been coming here for years and somehow have never written a review. Wright's is Staunton, VA institution. This classic 1950's drive-in diner still has the original drive in ordering system outdoors and booth phones for ordering at your table. With classic 50's tunes playing you'll swear you are trapped in a Happy Day episode. Everything is great here from the burgers to the Rueben to the bbq sandwich. The fries are diner fries, not hand cut or super special. The ice cream is soft serve. read more

Amazing food and service. We had the burgers, fries and onion rings. Everything was delivered fresh and hot to our car. Will be visiting this place again and again. read more

My visit to Wright's Dairy-rite is based on a love story. Not mine, but my Aunt who more than 50 years ago as a starving college student, was courted by her beau who took her on dates to Wright's. His generosity won her heart and he became her husband for life.Hearing that story, I was excited to visit the place where it all began. Wright's Dairy-Rite is a historic drive-in shake shop that has maintained a fun, up-beat atmosphere steeped in historic, Americana straight out of the 1950s. The decor is vintage and so authentic, I almost expected to see bouffant and pompadour hair-dos on the other patrons. A little do-wop music would have been right at home. We used the historic telephone on the wall to order our food. The telephone was more vintage 1980s than 1950s but I'll give a pass since many today would be confounded by a telephone that doesn't sit in your pocket. The food was delicious. Burgers were juicy and thick. The hot dog, smothered in chili was also tasty. The onion rings were some of the best I've ever had; thick juicy slices of fresh onion coated in a crispy fried batter. Unlike many places there was no oil saturation or greasy taste or feel. We ordered butterscotch, chocolate and strawberry milk shakes(two were malted). All were fresh made, with quality ice cream and were very flavorful. Wright's is very affordable. The total cost for our group of four was about 14.00 per person for burgers onion rings, sodas and shakes. It is obvious why this business has remained a Staunton landmark for more than 70 years. With its fun atmosphere, friendly service, quality food, and affordable prices it will undoubtedly be in business for at least 70 more. read more

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This drive-in restaurant is right out of the 1960's, from the car-side service to the boomerang formica table tops to the menu right out of American Graffiti. The burgers are very good, the fries fine, and the onion rings truly exceptional. Oh, the place has added some modern touches, like taking credit cards and adding a bacon cheeseburger to the mix. And the music coming from the jukebox includes decades of music not contemporary with the physical setting. But Wright's still has that fun "Friday night before the high school football game" feel. Friendly young servers and lots of families in for milkshakes or a good lunch. This is a good break from fast food, and several large steps up in quality. Worth stopping in when in town. read more

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Jonesing for a mid-afternoon milk shake while in town for the day, stopped in at this local institution for a fix. It's a drive-in, with curb service. You order from a car-side menu board thru a squawk box and the food is delivered to the car. The only thing missing was servers on roller skates for this to be a total 50's throwback. Service is quick and super friendly. Shake delivered in no time. It was thick, creamy and rich with just the right amount of chocolate. Definitely hit the spot. It's a broad menu, pricing on par with other fast food. Next time, I'll try some food to wash down my shake. read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

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Don't let the exterior of this restaurant fool you. Step into the restaurant to be transported back to a 50's style diner filled with lots of retro colors & designs along with good smells! My friends and I really love the vibes here. To order food, you can use retro wall phone to place your order which is super efficient. I got the "Double Cheeseburger" and added fried egg (+$0.75) and mushrooms (+$0.50). This burger came out hot and fresh. The cheese was melty and delicious. The fried egg provided a nice touch and the bread was soft and delicious. I'd recommend getting at least the "third pound burger" for more meat because I didn't feel like there was enough, but maybe that's just me. Overall, this burger was extremely satisfying since my friends and I had just came back from hiking. We wolfed down our burger in less than two minutes. We all got a side of fries which was a bit stale and not salted enough (in my opinion), but I always appreciate crinkle fries and a butt ton of ketchup on top will do the trick. The milkshakes here were pretty good but a bit too sweet for me (got the strawberry milkshake which had real strawberry bits in it). It's thick and delicious, and you can pay a small up charge to make it EXTRA THICCC. Lastly, one of my friends got the chicken basket which had really tasty and juicy fried chicken tenderloins that were seasoned really well. It also came with coleslaw and a tasty honey dijon mustard sauce? Definitely recommend it if you're not feeling a burger! Everything definitely tastes better when you're mad hungry, but in general, this place has such a unique vibe and theme that we'd stop by even on a regular day. The food here is pretty cheap - you can get a burger, side of fries, and a shake for around $10. The food itself is a 4/5 overall, but the vibes and service definitely bump it to a 5/5! read more

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Everything is delicious, especially the onion rings...cooked to perfection. The pastrami Reuben and cheeseburger were topnotch!

My family visited Wrights expecting a fun time and good lunch. After eating half of my hamburger I noticed my grandson's hot dog bun was molded. I immediately stopped eating the rest of my meal. Another family member, having finished his meal went to the bathroom and threw up with the thought of eating as molded bun. I showed the molded bun to the manager and she would only refund the hot dog stating I couldn't prove my burger had mold on it. We were not able to finish our meal and our family time was ruined by this upsetting experience. We were looking forward to dessert and my grandson was cheated out of the dessert that came with his kids meal. read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Molded hot dog bun - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

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this is by far my FAVORITE restaurant they arent fast food and has the best food like the burgers and fries and if you dip the fries in the ice cream its even better sweet and salty perfection the rolls are the best parts and the buns the buns are crispy around the edges and a soft with a crispness in the middle and perfectly buttered fully recommend read more

Their signature burger had an excess of sauce and burger was low quality. Was trying to be a big mac and had old lettuce (and my dad's a bum for eating it, thinking it was going to get better, instead of returning it). We had high expectations envisioning a hand-stamped patty while reading the '70s House of Representatives raving review on the wall and seeing the droves of people walking in hungry with its solid yelp review. The staff was nice and decor was cool. The fries were good for what they were (4) and the shrimp were cooked to order (4). Maybe had bad luck, but personally will not be back hungry for more. read more

I wanted to send an updated review. They are doing everything right here! The burgers are delicious and the tater-tots are great too!! We tried the Wrights special beef is really great! We would definitely order that again! We all saved room for ice-cream and we were glad we did!! I had the hot-fudge sundae and it was perfect! The malts were especially good-the butterscotch malt was so,so good! I will definitely get it again! read more

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Great food options and friendly service. A fun place to eat with affordable prices. Have been dining here for over forty years.

Wrights Diary Rite is a staple in the Staunton, Virginia community, for a little historical information it was started by Mr. And Mrs Wright for a place for people to gather. No matter what food item you choose you will not go wrong with any of it and prices are the cheapest around, especially with this inflation. There is dine in or drive up option either is great. They also hold a aloe cruise in's for those classic car lovers like me. The service is fast and always efficient. read more

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My family and enjoyed the food. Fresh burgers and lots of flavors for shakes. The 50s theme was a fun touch Great stop. .

Advised a group of friends to visit here with me. Was disappointed with the quality of the food. The burger was small and dry. Looked nothing like the photos here. Fries were tasteless. If you're looking for tasty food, skip this place, the magic is long gone. read more

Had a butterscotch Sunday and a peanut butter cup writes flurry both were great. Did the outside car-hop service.

We were lucky to come across this classic diner in Staunton, VA. The menu is simple and traditional: burgers, hot dogs, fries, milkshakes. Very reasonable prices and delicious food. The ambiance is classic 1950s and there is a phone at each table where you place the orders, which are then delivered to the table. read more

The kind of simple food you'd expect at a classic drive-in. Reasonably priced with options to build your own burgers and hot dogs. I had a burger basket (burger with cheese, pickles, and ketchup), a hot dog with chili, onion, and mustard, and a chocolate malted shake. We split onion rings and my wife had a chicken tender basket. Burger was a basic patty and the hot dog with toppings was really good. Onion rings were breaded and cooked perfectly, though they could have used a little salt. Crinkle fries were perfectly crispy with a tender interior and the chicken fingers were great. Definitely would stop back when I'm in the area. read more

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Best burgers around and the t nostalgia of an old drive in is just cool. My wife hasn't been. I'll be taking her soon.

I still think about this place 16 years later. It was probably one of the best burgers I ever had. So in the future I definitely want to go back so I can review what it taste like now but my 16 year old memory still says that this was probably the best restaurant in Staunton, Virginia. read more