Sonic
Mmm. Sonic.
Sonic Drive-In, boasting "service with the speed of sound," is part of the folklore of my time in Weatherford. Foot long chili cheese coneys, onion rings, cherry limeades with little plastic monkeys perched on the cup, and the elusive Pickle-Os all have a special place in my heart.
Turns out there are several in Bakersfield, California - not exactly close to home but on the route to our usual camping spot in the southern Sierras.
Last weekend I insisted that we stop there for lunch on the way home. The food was exactly the way I remembered it. I thought it was great. Katy thought it was scary. Oh well. I guess that "memories + bad food = good food."
Across the street from Sonic was a quick-mart type place. It was a plain cinder block box with one door and no windows. Painted on the building, in large block letters, were three words that made up the only signage that I could see:
BAIT LIQUOR AMMO
What else could you possibly need?
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Body armor? Just in case you wind up on the receiving end of the ammo AFTER the liquor is consumed?
I just happened to enjoy a #2 hamburger with chili from Sonic yesterday myself. Although their burgers can't compare to In and Out's, you can't beat their shakes and the atmosphere of the Drive-In. Another benefit of living in Texas is the preponderance of Sonic Drive-in's. Always one only a few exits away.
Now that I think about it, I don't think I've never had a hamburger at Sonic. Only coneys.
Mmmm. Foot long chili cheese dog. (aka Death on a bun.)
Good stuff.. All of it... I really liked In and Out's burger (I tried it a couple of years ago while visiting SoCal for work)...
But finding the "Mom and Pop" places usually beats em both! For example, the best burger I've ever had was at a little place in Anchorage, AK of all places... It was called WeeBee's...
Pickle-O's!! Why did they ever get rid of Pickle-O's?! (I heard a rumor that they were coming back but I have yet to find them.) Oh, well.
I guess I should be thankful that I have a Sonic just 5 minutes from home. (As Jeff pointed out, they're 5 minutes from anywhere in Texas.)
After all, I think my brother James doesn't really leave California occasionally just to visit our folks in Oklahoma -- the real reason is that he needs his Sonic foot-long chili chese coney fix... and his greasy grilled-onion burger from The Grill.
Gee, I've got you all beat. There is a Sonic
right next door to my workplace. . don't much
care for their burgers. There is a tiny little spot nearby called Bunny's that has greasier
burgers and they taste better. Their fries are "real" there too. I don't go there very
often which makes everything taste even better when I do.
What is a Pickle-O? I guess that since I wasn't driving age before we left W'ford I didn't learn the finer points of Sonic, although I think they have the best (cherry or vanilla too) diet cokes and tater tots!
Pickle-O's were (are? A man can dream...) battered deep-fried pickle slices.
IIRC, they were totally nasty. But the Weatherford Sonic was one of the few places that had them on the menu.
I never cared for them myself... But a gal I was seeing at the time liked them so I forced myself to choke them down...
Right now I'm in love with that chicken toaster sandwich thingy... but it's kinda pricey for a sandwich... 3 bucks and some change... or maybe I'm just cheap...
Guess I should qualify that.. "At the time" was my college days at SWOSU... late 80's.. sheesh, has it been that long ago?
Well... to each his own.
I liked Pickle-O's. But obviously I am in a small minority since Sonic chucked them from the menu a long time ago.
A few years ago I found a reasonable substitute at a cajun restaurant chain called Razoo's. They "overspice" their batter a little for my taste, but they're still good.
I'm sure Razoo's will wise up in a year or two and dump their fried pickles too.