Saw this A&W Restaurant featured on a food show. This was the place where root beer was born. Had to come down to try it. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic shelter-at-home order, the restaurant only offered take-out. We drove-thru & ordered. A staff member came out to process our payment & food came out on a tray. There was no human contact at all. We got to try the basic cheeseburger, a Coney Island hotdog, fried cheese curds & chili cheese fries. Of course, we had to try a root beer soda & a root beer float. Root beer is made the old fashion way, with cane sugar. Food was good and the root beer drinks were super delicious! This was a fun outing! Will go back again in the future! read more

See all

Very nice friendly staff! A must visit fast food location with old school traditions. Root beer float is the best. Clean, sanitary an great memorially! read more

I went inside to place my order cause I have bad hearing and cannot use the drive thru due to not hearing so well. I left my two dogs in the car windows down its Hot. After placing my order I said I need to go back out to my car can you bring my order out to the car. The green haired lady behind the counter said no I have to use the drive-thru to get outside service. My reply was I spent nearly $150 in your establishment for food to go and you can't bring it out to the car and she said no. So I said give me my drinks now I'll drink them and she took her time getting me my drinks saying you'll get that with your order I said if I'm going to be standing here I want my drinks I practically had to argue with this green haired lady to get my drinks while waiting for my food. After getting my drinks and sitting with my dogs after walking back inside to get my food which I'm disabled I can barely walk I had to carry four bags of food out to my car by myself with no help except for the dirty looks I got from the green haired lady this is the last time I'm ever going to spend money or be a customer at A&W as far as I care A&W go to hell. read more

A&W Restaurant - Receipt Papa Burger - Double (1/3 lb) - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

Great place for Fast food the fish & chips are very tasty & good as well as their burgers! If you're tired of Jack in the Box or McDonalds..... hit this place up for a change ! read more

I have been coming here for over 20 years, and the food has always been consistently yum worthy , the owner is always in a good mood, the staff is always friendly and the milkshakes are my favorite , oh and they have Cheese Curds that are super greasy and cheesy and delicious and if your watching your weight , order the calorie free curds , my favorite item on the menu is currently a Mushroom Onion Melt made with Beyond Meat , and everyone should try one the beyond meat is complimented with the onions and mushrooms making for a really good eating experience , it actually tastes so close to real that my tastebuds were like "order another!" Also, this location is Darling and traditional, a staple in the Lodi Community. Serving families for decades ! read more

See all

I really wish there were more stand alone A&Ws in my area. But I guess this one makes it more a treat. I've become a big fan of any place that serves Hands Breaded Tenders (which sadly aren't included, ironically, at A&W/KFC Restaurants) and truly have yet to be disappointed by A&Ws tenders. As well as the cheese curds Everything has always been fresh and satisfying, making the trips from Stockton and Manteca worth the drive. read more

A&W Restaurant - Hand Breaded Chicken Tenders Cheese Curds Regular Size Root Beer - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

Pleaseeeeeee bring the French onion back. It is the best tarsting burger you guys have and it is the only burger I get when I come there. I beg you to being it back and being it back for good. read more

I have been going to A&W since I was a little girl. Though I miss how it used to be, I still really enjoy their food and, of course, rootbeer. My food is always fresh and hot. They don't skimp on toppings or fries and everyone is always so friendly. read more

Love this place. Milkshakes are amazing. AMAZING customer service. Favorite worker is some random dude named Aiden. But they're all very kind. 10/10 recommend! read more

First and foremost, thank you to the owner/owners of this establishment for hosting a Volkswagen car meet here! VW owners from near and far met here for a great summer evening hanging out with friends. We've come here off and on for over two decades. I wouldn't have known about this place if it wasn't for my hubby, he was born and raised in this town. On this last visit, I have to point out how pleased I was with all of the crew here working. You wouldn't think you were in a fast food place, they were really personable, helpful, and busy! They were bombarded with show goers and car owners, but they handled it all quite well. If you visit, do get the root beer in the frosty mug, that's a must have! The burgers, chili dogs, fries, cheese curds and onion rings were all delicious! They do have soft serve ice cream that's priced a little more than the ones at McD's but it's probably four times the size. read more

See all

Fantastic experience! This was like a step back in time, with awesome burgers, Tasty hot fries, REAL soft serve ice cream and delicious root beer served in frosted glass A&W mugs! They even had cheese curds. if you're in Lodi, stop here. You will not regret it! read more

This was the first time coming to A&W drive thru, not once during our transaction, before or after, say that we have to drive up to a sign that we never even saw! If i could give negative stars i would. The woman who brought our items out was very rude and disrespectful saying "next time park infront of the sign". Trust me there will never be a next time. The food was delicious, it's sad that the service isn't up to par. It really affects the vibe of the whole drive thru experience. read more

This is as American as apple pie! Fantastic menu and the best staff ever, being the whole family and kids will love this place ! read more

A&W Restaurant - An American original ! Close the first ever location of the first A&W ! - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

Great burger, fries and especially root beer! BUT THEY DON'T PARTICIPATE IN A&W PROMOTIONS! Went in for the first time when I see a sign saying they don't honor A&W promotions. BUMMER! read more

I guess this is the site of the original A & W root beer. I am a bit confused at the original A & W you could order from your can and they would bring it out to you hanging the tray from your car window. They had a large display case with some memorabilia from day past. We were in town so my companion had to see it as he enjoys root beer floats. The service here was was Ok but fairly lackluster. I ordered an item with cheese and it came to me without cheese so I took it back to the counter witht the reciept and they put in in the back as I watched it being rehandled and rewrapped then given back to me. The french fries were really not very good and tasted a bit like the fish. I think that they must cook them in the same oil. I don't live in town but if I did I don't think I would return. read more

It had been a while since I've visited an A & W. I am quite familiar with A&W as my uncle owned a franchise from the late 1960s thru the 1980s, when I was a teen spent much time in the summers when visiting - not too many teen guys wouldn't mind helping out for free burgers and root beer for some help at the restaurant. I loved help making the root beer in the morning before the store opened. Anyway, I stopped by to get what was called a "teen" burger back in the day - or a bacon cheese burger now. So I took a bite and the first real taste I got was a bit of bun with bacon, tomato and mayo - first bite was more like a BLT than a bacon cheeseburger- but that's not bad. It tasted really good. As I got further into the burger, it tasted like a good burger added to a BLT. The cheese was not too noticeable to me but I wasn't disappointed. I was enjoying the tasty burger in the middle of a BLT with a bit of onion ( I had the pickles taken out during the order). The beef tasted great, the bacon was awesome, it wasn't greasy and the tomato tasted decent for the middle of the winter. All in all, I was very happy and left with a smile. I'm going to have to come back for another teen burger. The place was clean and employees nice and speedy. Great job A&W! read more

See all

So, I was surprised today at the service. We come here often enough and my family loves it, but clearly there was some sort of issue today. They mixed up part of our order with someone in drive thru- they came in after we informed them of the mistake. They took back the chili cheese fries from my daughter and said they would make our large cheese curds The lady was at the counter with the cheese curds that was supposed to be ours - they said don't worry you can keep them we'll make your chili cheese fries now. No consistency! Literally with us right there!! Not that I wanted free food- but that was rude. read more

Might not live in Lodi anymore but when I come visit my mom we always stop here. One of the only real A&W's around. Not the ones that are paired up with another restaurant. During these times the drive through was perfect with no contact pickup. Thank you and support your small local business! read more

Nothing like a frosty mug of root beer fresh from the tap!! I loved the memorabilia around this location and it's always great to be able to visit the original! The food was just what we wanted and served with a smile and of course the root beer was amazing! Make sure you ring the bell on the way out!! read more

See all

Safety concern of heavy glass bottles and thick glass root beer mugs lining the shelves RIGHT OVER the booths. When I approached the owner regarding the danger, he did not seem to think it was a very big deal. I hope there is not an earthquake anytime soon because someone sitting in those booths will definitely suffer a head injury or worse and, of course, he will be sued. read more

This place has been around as long as I can remember. Always have good food and of course their root beer is my kids favorite.

Amazing food. Amazing service. Aesthetically pleasing. Clean. Friendly. This location far surpasses all other local A&W restaurants. The decor inside makes you go back in time and remember your youth. It is a happy and magnetizing environment. Please go and pay it a visit. read more

I heard this was the original 1919 A&W. Went there for 2 root beer floats after a nice Sunday. bike. We were thinking, this is like old times. When we got there. a sign on the window said dining room closed, no problem. We rode our bikes into the drive through. A staffworker came out and yelled to us we couldn't be in the drive through for safety reasons. Only 1 other car in the whole parking lot. I said can't we just tell you what we want. She said no and closed the door. Rude and crazy that she refused to accommodate us. we won't be back. Shame on A&W. Rich N. read more

GOT DAMN! That root beer is next level, it's so addictive what do they put in it... cigarettes?!?

This was my first time going to an A&W. i went specially for their rootbeer floats. I wasnt too happy when i received it. I barely had any icecream in it. I can taste the rootbeer itself and not the cream. read more

Closed the inside dining at 7:30 told me to drive through the drive though with my 170 sprinter van. Mouthy employees!

Go inside for the first time in a long time and the girl behind the counter tells us we would have to wait due to the kitchen being backed up so we proceed to stand there then she walks right in front of us to take our order (We thought) and says how can I help you, I start to tell her my order and she shakes her head no and points to her headphones, okay for ONE why walk right in front of a waiting customer and do that??? And TWO why would you take the next order even at the drive thru while a customer is waiting and THREE at least not be rude, be a little nicer. We used to come every week but will not be back because of one rude employee that could learn customer service before working with customers. read more

Our first time in Lodi and this place came up in their history! Wouldn't have ever known this is where A&W originated from. It was a cute little spot and definitely had some cool old vibes. They also have a drive thru you could use. We got the chili cheese fries, double cheeseburger, cheese curds, the root beer sundae floats, and their hotdog! The cheese curds were amazing! Wisconsin cheese apparently. The cheeseburgers definitely fill you up and the floats....huge and definitely make sure you have room for it! read more

We have been going to this Original A&W for years, we went again today, something changed, the burgers have gotten smaller reminiscent of a small burger at McDonald's, no lettuce or tomatoes, and not to mention , they no longer have the special meal deal, we were told that only the ones associated with KFC had the deals. Overall not worth the trouble. Oh by the way, no more jukebox. read more

Always fresh and delicious. They have pumpkin spice milk shakes now. I highly recommend it! read more

A&W Restaurant - Always an excellent choice - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

The humble beginnings of A&W root beer floats, it's birthplace here in Lodi. It is a must to stop by here when in Lodi. This palce was filled with people and their families, good for little children also! Service was good and quick. From a picture on the wall, this place doesn't look too different from when it was first opened. Just for a small mug of a root beer float was enough for 2 people. When the frosty mug of yummy goodness came to me, it was the best feeling ever. Just be careful when mixing since we totally spilled everywhere on the table. Prices are very reasonable here too. I love how the place is decorated of root beer and A&W memorabilia. It's history all around the place, even a sign from when it was only 10 cents. The food was good but it was the root beer float that was most memorable to me. Final Thoughts: Not only was it a delicious root beer float but it was extra awesome to have one from it's birthplace. read more

The classic A&W. This place is awesome. Good food and service. I was craving something different and saw that they had Fish and Chips on the menu. It was pretty good. I also like that they can make soda floats. You can get a gallon of A&W root beer to go and they have classic memorabilia for sale. They also updated their parking lot to include a drive thru. I'll visit this place again. read more

This is one of my favorite places to eat. The service is outstanding as always!!! Ladies you ROCK!!! Food is served up in a hurry. Definitely a satisfied customer read more

Our 1st time here and it was a cool experience!! Inside was very cute and vintage. I did not mind the wait at all as long as our food is hot that's all that matters to us:)! The root beer was the best I ever tasted FOR SURE!! read more

A&W Restaurant - Root beer - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

See all

I appreciate nostalgia as much as anyone... but the present A&W is unlike any fast food I've had at A&W years ago... unless you call the restaurant McDonald's. Today I ordered the Papa Burger Combo #1 for $6.89 (odd pricing, isn't it?)... I asked if they had anything like Super-Sizing... The cashier replied that they did. Papa Burger - More like the old Big Mac than the present Big Mac at McDonald's! Severely reduced size, bun disintegrated by the end of the meal. I could be influenced by pre-Alzheimers (or worse), but I don't recollect a Papa Burger this small or tasting so much like something at McDonald's. French Fries - Reminiscent of McDonald's new fries than today's McDonald's French Fries. Crispy on the outside, soft inside... NOT the kind of French Fries I like. Essentially, the Super-Sizing did not alter the size of anything except the drink! Root Beer - Why you come to A&W for... The Root Beer and the Root Beer Floats. So why do you come to A&W, if not for the food? There, admittedly, is a LOT of nostalgia here at this A&W. Lodi is the home of the first A&W, but not necessarily at this location, back in 1953. When you enter the front entrance there is an old time jukebox staring right back at you, playing 45's using old pushbutton controls to choose your selection. This location is promoting Cruise Nights every Thursday that started April 3, between the hours of 5-8:30pm. There are T-Shirts of Cruise Nights of the past lining the top of the North wall of the restaurant. There is also a slide-playing machine the shows photographic slides of past Cruise Nights. There will be hourly door raffles during Cruise Night. Along the South Wall are past Mugs, Gallon Jugs, old pictures, etc of A&W memoralbilia of days gone by. As you enter... Pinball Machine to the right for kids of all ages. This location is definitely showing it's age... need to freshen the atmosphere, paint, or something. Looks and feels aged! AND... the men's restroom definitely needs new porcelain... the room was clean but those god-awful hard-water stains... yecchhh! In summary, except for the atmosphere, today's A&W is more like McDonald's than today's McDonald's. That is NOT a good thing! Update 05-27-2008 Had an order of Large Fries and a Root Beer Float for a total of $5.80 before my bike ride today. Fries - Yecch! AND $1.69 for about 20 fries... THAT'S A LARGE?!?!? If you're a French Fry lover... don't eat here! What do you get for a Small order? About half a dozen? Root Beer Float - HUGE, big scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream in the Float! Great! What a discrepancy between Floats and Fries! Everyone, and everyone was over 50, at least. The only redeeming thing about A&W today? Someone chose a Patsy Cline recording of "Crazy" from the JukeBox! That soothed me somewhat... then, I guess, the customer chose a 60s Rock 'n Roll selection... That woke me up... time to leave. read more

See all

A & W's are pretty much nonexistent where I live (So. Cal) and am so happy to be able to have the opportunity to enjoy root beer floats and freezes once again of my youth at this place, where the 1st A & W was born (yep, this is the 1st A & W eatery, and unfortunately there are only 2 stand alone restaurants still existing. The other one is in Stockton). On my most recent visit, I came here with my aunt, uncle & husband. Since we just came from having dinner, we decided to just come by here for a sweet treat. We decided to have root beer freeze. Just to let you know, a root beer float is different from a root beer freeze (same price for either by the way), in which the root beer freeze is basically blended with the ice cream instead of just having a scoop of ice cream added to the root beer (which is a root beer float). It just gives the drink a different taste from a regular float (but of course both are excellent treats). The freeze taste just as good as the one I had when I was a little kid and I was glad to have one after so many years. I love the way this eatery is because Rooty, the bear, is sitting right near the main door, waiting for you to take a photo with him (check out my photo). I also really like that there are 2 glass cases of A & W collectibles for you to look through. There is also a bell you can ring before leaving to let the staff know if you had a wonderful dining experience (of course I rang it when I left). I am glad that this place is still here and hope they never close. This place is just one of those special places where you can bring the whole family (although this place is not healthy, I just think this eatery is a fun place to make memories and share a sweet treat) to share the nostalgia from your youth. read more

A&W Restaurant - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

See all

Pretty tasty grub, but not overly impressed. The food was decent but when you are going out of the way for A & W (it just took 5 times to type that) you expect a little more. I think the root beer is still awesome. And seeing it for sale in the gallon jugs bring back the memories, and that is the problem. This modern day version will never live up to the OLD car side service, the mounted tray and frosty mugs with a papa burger and tasty fries. Yes, the good old days were always good, regardless of what Billy Joel says, and tomorrow might be as bad as it seems... Until then, drown in a froth of icy root beer and vanilla ice cream. Wait, is it real ice cream...? I'm done! read more

I have now been here a few times, and the original A&W Root Beer in Lodi still shines. The food is similar to the other locations, although I do not know if they "mix" the root beer special here. Everything is good classic American fare, and the memorabilia is nice to look at during your meal. Their staff are very nice and friendly, especially when delivering my favorite fried cheese curds and root beer floats in a frosty glass mug! It is a great stop when touring the great Lodi wineries or just because. read more

A&W Restaurant - "Small" Root Beer Float and Fried Cheese Curds - awesome lunch! - Burgers Near Me - Lodi, California

See all

I love how this A &W kept its traditional look and doesn't have the franchise feel to it. Certainly reminds me of my days growing up in the Sacramento area and going to the on on Freeport Blvd. at that one, we used to see the guys making the hamburgers himself on the grill! However, my wife and I's go to are the chili dogs and A& root beer. Well worth the trip and the taste has not failed us yet. read more

Came in super hungry hangry - so I was a bit emotionlly unstable. However my hypothetical Trump Hunger Wall was slowly broken down as I approached the counter and greeted by a pleasant smile and cheery, "Hello! How can I help you?" If I could buy that enthusiasm I would. I think the food would be a good start on that investment. I ordered, received my food fast, and dug right in. I must have died and gone to heaven - whatever pleasurable afterlife you believe in. Bottom line, food was hot and tasty. I recommend this A&W. They will make you feel like a child riding a unicorn on a sunny afternoon with a magic wand of happiness and contentment. read more