Expensive for mediocre burgers and ice cream. Their polar swirl is little vanilla soft serve cup with a few bits on top - mine had exactly one crumbled Reese on top. Their burgers taste a little like Wendy's but worse and more expensive. read more

A fun spot to stop. I found the food average, fries were good, onion rings a bit soggy, though hubs did love the cheese curds. Burgers were good, definitely better than fast food but not something I would go out of my way to get. Milkshakes were good, would get one of those again. Cash only, atm on site. read more

Nothing super special about the food or the service. The three stars is pretty much for the root beer alone. The last time I went, I waited in line for 20 minutes only to be informed that they don't accept credit cards, and that there is no ATM on the premises. Great. However, the prices are very reasonable, especially if you order the daily special. The burgers and weiners are pretty... meh. But you get what you pay for. It's a better alternative to McD's across the road. read more

First time eating here and boy.... I was super disappointed. I have to give the good and the bad. First off hats off the the waitress Hannah who was on point and a great waitress. I feel bad she is working at this establishment. Ok let me begin with the food. The burgers are waaaaaaay....over priced and tiny. We ordered two burgers the double cheese with bacon and the papa burger. Both burgers were straight trash. The lady who was the cook was so lazy she microwaved both burgers and tried to pass it off like she made them fresh. The cheese was straight obliterated and my girls papa burger had soggy lettuce and tomatoes that were piping hot with the bun. The bun was burning our hands when we actually attempted the eat this monstrosity of a wreck burger. Now let's also talk about the false advertising of onion rings on the menu pictures. The onion rings looked official on the pictures like the would have a real ring of onion under the batter. NOT!! Straight minced onion. Like the manager ran out of the real good onion rings and replaced them with some knockoff Burger King onion rings,straight trash! If you decide to go here remember only get the root beer floats,shakes and chili cheese fries. We did like the chili cheese fries and my only issue is they need to get rid of the beans in the chili or at least let people choose if the want chili with meat only or with beans. I'm giving this place 2 stars because the peach shake was good and the chil cheese fries saved my pallet. Message to the owner step up your management of this place because you have cooks who are cutting corners and being lazy and giving your establishment a bad name Mr. or Ms. A&W root beer owner. "Literally microwaved burgers!!!" Come on now. I know Covid has set businesses back but your cooks are ruining your restaurant. If corporate comes and does an undercover boss your going to feel it! read more

Haven't been here in years and will not be back so sorry to see a New England landmark fall so far

A&W is a classic American restaurant with feel good food and a long tradition of serving great burgers, fries, floats, and other oh so delicious treats! Having said that, I'm frustrated and upset over my recent experience there at this particular location. The waitress who took my order was a young and sweet. She may still have been new to this job. While at the service window waiting for my food I could hear a woman in the kitchen rudely scolding the waitress for not writing down the toppings on the hot dog. She continued to belittle the waitress and bark orders at her. I was uncomfortable. Most importantly, it was uncalled for. I asked the waitress if that was the owner and she said it was. Surprised, I asked if the owner spoke like that to all of her employees. After a brief pause she replied with a quiet, "no." Perhaps most people would not think twice about returning to this business after an incident like that, but unfortunately this incident has altered my view of the classic American feel good food. If simple kindness and respect can't be served by its owner to an employee then what can this place serve to families and folks in this community that is genuinely American? Do better A&W. read more

I love the hot wenniers and root beer! They have by far the best dang hot wenniers bar none. I always have to get me some when I fly back East. read more

Awful place. Food is mediocre and ober priced. The cashier at the front is an angry old woman, who shouldn't be in customer service. I don't recommend. read more

So so disappointing. Went here w my two small children this afternoon...the place was pretty busy (were all in the middle of social distancing & quarantine-figured this would be a good/fun option) ordered a chili cheese dog, fries, chic slider two corn dog kids meals & a shake. maybe I strayed too far from what they do best; probably should have went w a burger?! The sea salt caramel milk shake seemed like mostly milk & a scoop of vanilla ice cream and was watery (I don't like too sweet so that wasn't a deal breaker) the chili cheese dogs bun was pretty soggy by the time I got it & the 3rd bite in, I noticed a hard gristle ball thing in my mouth...the taste wasn't bad but I was done after that. The chicken slider didn't have much flavor and the potato roll was DRYYYY hard and squashed flat...the corn dog bites in the kids meal seemed ok-I ate on,since one of my daughters ate hers & the other only ate two & left the rest (5 total)....I hate to say it but even the root beer wasn't great...seemed ultra sweet and like it was lacking carbonation. My server was pleasant (not that I complained or gave her a reason not to be- just noting). BUMMER all the way around read more

A&W Restaurant - Chicken slider/potato roll - Burgers Near Me - Smithfield, Rhode Island

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This place has gone done hill this year. This was third and final time we ordered from there. The other two times weren't great either. The food is haphazardly thrown together. The tomato's were about a half an inch thick, lettuce was old looking and just looked overall unappetizing. We ordered it, so we should at least try it. I was eating my burger when I felt a huge hair in my mouth from the burger, took the hair out of my mouth with the food still all attached, as indicated in the photo. Was a total turnoff for me. There's almost nothing worse than hair in your food. Obviously someone's long black hair fell into my burger and they didn't even notice, which they should have, because it's a GIANT black hair. Burgers were even wrapped like dog poop. Used to be a decent place to get some fast food, now it's just junk. I'll never eat here again. Save yourself the expense, because they are expensive, for a lousy fast food joint. read more

A&W Restaurant - Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Smithfield, Rhode Island

Well, one thing will not go over your head on a visit to the A&W shack: WE MAKE OUR OWN ROOT BEER HERE! ON THE PREMISES! -- thought bubble -- digging up the sassafrass root in the back, harvesting the sugar cane, infusing the imported vanilla bean pods from Madagascar, drawing spring water from the well, dissolving carbon dioxide one cup at a time... -- But if you're talking about adding some syrup to carbonated water, you know, the soda fountain at the McDonalds up the road makes it's OWN Code Red Mountain Dew and doesn't its customers me $4/cup. Is this root beer creamy-delicious? Yes, but please, I've had better. It's old-fashioned drive through style (with the tray that attaches to your window) or order at the window and sit at sticky picnic tables (with a ripped old plastic sign as "tablecloth" stapled to it) and gaze at the surrounding strip malls. Chicken fingers, "cheese" fries, blackened/wrinkled/microwaved? burger with browned iceberg lettuce, small fries, 2 root beers was a shocking $26 for sub-par fast food. Give me a little "pleasure" with my "guilty", guys. Bathroom = scary. Refilled ketchup bottle = scary. I felt like Bob as in "What About - ?" using napkins (akin to a square of Scott's toilet tissue) as a barrier to touch anything communal. Baby steps to french fries... I'm all for the experience of kickin it old school nostalgia-syle and all-American burgers and fries joints but if you can't do those right your HOMEMADE corn syrup vanilla-y root beer ain't enough to bring me back on its own. read more

A&W was THE place to go back in good 'ole PA for delicious chili dogs, fries, root beer floats, you named it, we ate it. Along with Long John Silvers' (they usually shared the building kinda like KFC & Taco Bell does here), I totally gained like 20lbs from each visit. And then it happened. We gave this location a try and along with my shattered heart, I promptly dropped the 20lbs. 'Sad to report, this location pales in comparison to what we were used to. While I certainly appreciate the retro touch, nothing says lovin' like poorly wrapped chili dogs on your lap. During my several visits, I was never actually served in my car or offered any type of roadside assistance: we simply patiently waited 15 minutes in line. The food is mediocre at best and by the time we'd be settled in, our "feast" would usually be a soggy mess. Worse though, was the service. While a few of the staff were friendly, there was this one chick in particular who had the most condescending, negative attitude I've ever seen at a restaurant (and that says a lot). I'm talking eye rolling, visible annoyance and deep sighing here. Generally I -love- A&W and cannot express enough that should you be elsewhere or going for a drive through PA, don't think for a second the quality at this location is representative of their chain as a whole. read more

As I was driving past this landmark of a restaurant yesterday, my memories of my last trip there still stand out, despite the fact that it was months ago. Now I must mention that as a teenager, I spent many, many nights eating there and the place will always hold a fond memory for me. But that was then..... So to say I have had better burgers at a bowling alley is not a lie. I don't know what happened but the hot dog, cheeseburger and fries I ordered were all crappy and if I ever stop by again, it will be for a Root Beer Float only. read more

I've been going to A&W since I was a little kid! Much like the Rustic Drive-in, it's one of those RI staples that you have to experience. The food is alright, but it's the "style" that I really like. It's a nice place for a pit stop if you're riding on your motorcycle through Rt. 44 or want to get old timey car service. Just turn on your headlights and a waiter/ess will be over to take your order. You must come for the Root Beer (Floats). I'm not sure what they do, but the root beer is especially delicious. They make it right on the premises which is pretty neat! So, if you feel like taking in a little bit of old flavor, stop on in. You may even catch a cruise night on Tuesday. read more

A and W is cleaning up finally. The owner is a real B but the employees seem to have a real dedication to service. I was pleased when they brought my rootbeer over to the patio in an ice cold glass, I am hoping to see them make more improvements like this because I really hate sonics service and I would like to see A and W achieve 5 stars from me someday And this time around the food came quickly. read more

For anyone who hates on this A&W, haters gonna hate. I have loved this place since I can remember. The root beer is made on premise, and I haven't ever had a better soft drink. They are cash only, but it's to keep this mom and pop place afloat and still have prices be low, and they are quite vocal about cash only on their online presence too which is great. I have only done car service once, at my last visit last night, which was great. I knew exactly what I was going to order, but they gave me a menu just in case. I always go with a #6 (cheese burger, fries, and root beer combo) and if I'm feeling special, I'll get some cheese curds as well. Sometimes I'll just go with the cheese curds if I'm feeling extra special. The burger is fresh meat, and never over cooked.. The fries are crispy and fresh, seeing that everything is made to order here. No heat lamps! The BEST thing here though... are the cheese curds. Imagine fresh mozzarella string cheese in a great breading, and fried until delicious and awesome. They melt in your mouth and are just great. Some people may say 'oh well, 4$ for cheese curds, and egads, $7 for a cheeseburger combo' but what I say is 'Try going to McD's to enjoy a fresh RB, fries and burger. Oh wait... you can't.' This place will always be a staple in my book, and I'm glad to be supporting local businesses instead of the chain restaurants that are abound on Route 44. read more

I'm very sad to report that A&W has gone downhill in the last few years. It's still an experience worth having for the carhop and the root beer/floats but not for much else. The burgers are blah. There's absolutely nothing special about them and there are lots of fast food places that do them better. The wieners, my usual favorite fare in days gone by, are horribly plain. There is no flavor whatsoever now. What happened? There was not even a hint of celery salt nor anything savory about the meat. This was probably my biggest disappointment. The place does have small redeeming qualities though. The onion rings are great and notably light on the grease. The cheese curds follow suit. I personally love the root beer as well. It's not traditional hop-infused, spiced root beer but if you love the idea of a sweet root beer float, this is the best place around. Carbonation seems to vary by the batch though, tending to be light universally. The fries alone are nothing special but the chili cheese fries are a surprisingly light take on the concept. The chili is whole bean and not salty; this allows the cheese to provide most of the saltiness. I recommend mixing them up and digging in with a fork. I almost felt bad for the carhop girl this last time around. She was clearly alone and was very rushed everywhere she went. I'll give her a pass on not having a smile plastered on her face but her overall demeanor wasn't what I'd call great service. I've had great service here in the recent past though. Prices are up there so don't buy food piecemeal; the combos are where you'll find the most reasonable (but still a bit pricey) deals. Also, it's still cash only. WHY?! Bring the family for the carhop experience, root beer floats, and maybe appetizers but get a full meal elsewhere. It's very sad to see how far this landmark has gone downhill! read more

One of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. I went here as a result of the RI Food Fights, in which we were only allowed to get the pastrami burger. When I asked what came on it, the waitress behind the counter sighed and loudly told me what came on it. What they ignored mentioning was that mustard also came on the burger, which I am allergic to. Luckily, I was able to trade my top bun for the bottom bun of a friend's burger, so I didn't break out into hives. The burger was actually a lot worse than a McDonald's burger. It was spongy, unseasoned and extremely greasy. I attempted to wash it down with a root beer float, but the root beer was practically flat, and the ice cream inside almost tasted sour. The entire shack is in dire need of renovation. The parking lot is a mess, the building itself is dirty, and there were way too many bugs around. I question the health standards of the business. read more

I've eaten at this A&W a handful of times over the years. I found their food to be nothing special and their prices are quite high for fast food, but I always enjoyed their old-fashioned car hop service. The last time I was there I took my young daughter so she could experience the old car hop service for herself. It was a gray day in October and the parking lot was empty. We pulled in for lunch and I was excited to show her how how it works. The big sign in the parking lot says "Lights On for Service". I flashed the car lights and waited for the waitress to appear - nothing. I drove the car up closer to the window and flashed the lights again - nothing. I got out of the car and walked to the window. I saw two women inside talking and I asked if they were open. The older one (the manager or owner) said yes they were open. I asked if they were going to come out to the car to take our order. She replied, "No, it's too cold today to serve outdoors - you can place your order at the window." WHAT?? I even told her that we were there so my daughter could see how the car hop service worked. Sorry, she obviously didn't care. I was ready to drive off - but we were hungry. I placed the order and then had to go back to the window to pick it up when it was ready. They couldn't even be bothered to bring it out to the car to give a little girl a thrill. How disappointing! Bottom line - A&W blew it with their lousy attitude and service on that day. The food was never very good anyway. I'll never go back. read more

If you live in RI and southeastern Mass, you have to come to A&W. Most of us up north don't get to experience drive-in restaurants, so when one exists, it is one heck of a luxury experience. Have to go with a chili cheese dog. I mean why else would you go to A&W? Oh that's right their root beer. Go with the floats on this one. The only slight downside I have to A&W is that it appears that it is pricey. However compare what you just bought to what you would pay at a fast food joint and it would be pretty comparable. I'd love to go at least one more time before it closes for the winter. read more

I had a groupon for A&W and hadn't been back since the last time I had a groupon. Now I remember why. We waited 15 minutes for what I expected to be a fresh burger. Not only was the burger barely room temperature, but the bun was soggy. The fries were very good. I, like many others love to hang out and eat, and check my emails, Facebook, etc. A&W does not have wifi and this area is a complete dead zone. read more

I have no idea why people are rating this place 2-3 stars when this place is downright good...but hey, that's just me. Last time I went to A&W was back in the Summer and I went there often with my folks. Despite the horrible traffic of Smithfield, it didn't change my cravings and good thing they didn't. I ordered a chili cheese dog with onion rings, chili cheese fries, and a root beer float. That was the best damn Root Beer float and chili cheese fries I've ever had. You just can't beat the classic A&W Root Beer, you just can't. Not to mention at the time there was an Auto Show going on right on the property so I had not only a delicious meal but a sneak peak at some pretty sweet 40's/50's rides! Atleast my experience expectations were met. As an honest critic, I'm giving this baby 5 stars reguardless. read more

Ok, so if you have eaten at Shake Shack, Five Guys, In-N-Out, or BGR, A&W will never compare. It's much more fair to compare it to McD's or BK. Anyhow, if you stick to the wieners, you'll be a happy camper. If you're not from the New England area, this place is kinda special. Aside from expensive bottled root beer, this A&W serves up truly special root beer. And as most ppl have stated, this in itself warrants at least 3 stars. I've been about 3 times within the past couple of years and thought service was always good and the area was clean. It was my fault for trying the clam plate. Honestly, how can good seafood be $5 and come out of a fast food joint? I don't think 3 stars is necessarily bad but I don't think the prices they make you pay is a good value for what you get. Yes, stick to the wieners and root beer! read more

This was my first experience at an A&W and I would absolutely recommend it was tantalizing, in a good way, to my taste buds!! (The Root Beer was also phenomenal) read more

A&W has been a family favorite since I was a kid. Now that I'm an adult I can't help but swing by for a fizzing cup of freshly made rootbeer. A&W still offers drive in service. Park in front -turn on the head lights, that's it ... they come to you. They offer everything from burgers to fries, hotdogs and floats. On designated evening you can swing by for their car show. People show up from all over to see the cars, listen to the DJ and reminisce about the good ol'days. I take my pup here all the time because it's a take out, or eat out only locations, a picnic table will do just fine! read more

From a food perspective, it is not that it is 'bad', it is just that it is nothing to go out of your way for; and it is a little pricy on some items. The drings on the other hand are really good. The softserve is made daily on location. They also have some family friendly meals that are cost effecient and provide for a good outing. read more

Had a groupon and decided to go. Have not been to an A&W since the 1970's. The workers were very friendly, they do serve u in while you wait your car, or you can sit on some picnic tables. Our group was five just to crowded in a car to eat we picked the tables. Food was OK, nothing great, had double cheese burger with onion rings and of course a Root beer, and they still serve them in a frosty mug. yumma For the old time service and the great root beer you have to stop by with the family, kids will enjoy ... read more

Definitely pricier than I remember. I LIVED at A&W as a kid, and was excited to hear that it was still open. We came up from North Carolina and had to visit. Times change, I guess. The wieners weren't quite as good, and the clam chowder was a runny mess. The root beer was still spot-on, which is why I went with 3 stars instead of 2. read more

Room temperature root beer, old tasting ketchup, sad excuse for a grilled chicken sandwich. Burgers are eh, fries are just okay, weiners are also lacking...sigh... I recall it was better awhile back, not sure what happened but disapponting. The carhop idea is very oldschool and cool, the prices are decent on daily specials but a bit overpriced for regular menu considering the food quality went downhill. read more

Lunch for two kids (8 and 10) and one adult male for $24? Two chili dogs, one chili cheese fry, one regular fry, one footlong regular dog and three regular root beers for $24. Nothing special and the place needed updating. Staff seemed indifferent, asked if we had coupons - i guess no one would pay full fare for this stuff. Take your kids elsewhere for lunch and it should be better and definitely cheaper. read more

Came here to try the burgers. They are definitely not worth the money or effort. The mushrooms are the squishy canned kind, there were way too many onions, and the burger itself was a flat and sad frozen patty. I tried the fried cheese curds and they were delicious -- the only reason this isn't a one star review, to be honest. I also paid a dollar for a side of chipotle dipping sauce. Literally there were about two tablespoons of sauce in this container. I asked if this was normal, and the girl gave me a condescending look and answered yes. She mentioned she could give me more, but she'd have to charge me. Are you kidding? No thanks. I won't be back for sure. read more

I really like this A & W. The root beer is made fresh here daily. I love the weiners, onion rings and cheese curds here. Great place for fast food. read more

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The only old fashioned "car-hop" restaurant around here (that I know of). You pull up, and a waitress comes to your car, takes your order, then brings back a tray which hangs on your window. There's also a small area of outside seating. I was kind of unimpressed pulling into the lot. This location is quite dated, and in need of serious updating in my opinion. Typical fast food. Burgers, dogs, chicken, fries. Root beer is "made onsite" which is kinda neat. Overall, not a place I'd go out of my way to get to, but if I was in the area and looking for fast food, I'd consider it along with the typical competitors. read more

So I first want to say I know this isn't a fine dining establishment and just a fast food joint. With that being said it shouldn't be over 20 bucks for 2 people. And if I wanted to spend the money on a tip I would have went to a actual restaurant. However we just wanted something quick and cheap . I've been here a ton of times , but not in the last year or so and its changed ....the little picnic tables on the right now have waitresses that take your order and walk about 2 feet to bring it to you . This was all really weird and awkward to me. Why ? It makes no sense. I can order my food and stand and wait for it and seat myself ( there are 3 tables ) . I just wanted a quick CHEAP bite with no frills. So my friend gets a burger n fries . I get 2 hot dogs n fries . We both get root beer floats. This is fast food , I don't care if there is a " waitress " it's still fast food and shouldn't be over 20 bucks for 2 people. Anyway .. food comes . my friends burger has a nice rotten tomato in it as well as a hair . The buns for my hot dogs are stale and hard as a rock. The fries were cold n not cooked in the middle. So I know again you get what you pay for but A&W you have charging def not fast food prices , wanting to be a actual restaurant and now the food is gross. Please A&W decide what you want to Be. Not much of my food was touched. And my friend picked at his as well. The bill was around 23 bucks n change ! So we leave n I think now I have to tip.? (I have friends n my BF that are in the food industry and am always a very good tiper) when the food was gross and overpriced ,I wasn't even expecting a waitress and ....I still had to go up to the counter for a plastic fork n ketchup . We also dumped our own trash n brought the tray back up ..So we only have 25 bucks between us in cash . So we leave that . ( and of course they don't take debit/credit ) and leave still hungry . As we are driving off I hear the waitress yell at us in sarcasm " THANKS A LOT ". Oh but the root beer float was ok lol read more

A&W is a place I haven't been to in a longgggg time, so bumping into this place while on an RI trip looking for a quick lunch was a nice surprise. I got myself a Papa Burger with Onion Rings and q classic Root Beer. The on draft root beer was pretty damn good; I remmeber not quite caring for the bottled stuff, and while I don't know how much this differs, there is a noticeable difference that just makes it delicious qnd I slurped it down faster than Id like to admit. The burger was quite... alright. It was a better burger than Sonic or Dairy Queen but it definetly felt really sloppy eating it... like I get all Fast Food is junk but I feel like if I'm gonna eat a load of crap calories, I'd rather it be just a little better. The onion rings and even some of the fries I tried were quite good. I would definetly want to go to an A&W a few more times in the relatively near future, particularly to try a hot dog or root bear float again, but it's still mildly decent fast food at the end of the day that's definetly not worth driving out 30 minutes most of the time. read more

Visited two years ago. Food was overpriced, not particularly good, and it took forever. Went back today to try again. Sat in the parking lot for 15 minutes as a server repeatedly walked by, ignoring me. Left without ordering. Will never try again. read more

Been here numerous times.food is nothing special and not the quickest.cheese curds are good.i normally come for a half gallon of root beer. Little expensive at $5+ but for some reason it has a flavor that you can't get in any other fountain,bottle or can. Old school car hop service is available and they do classic car nights. read more

What's up with the baby cone sizes as a medium? And no chocolate ice cream? Very over priced. And hello ice in a root beer float. Cheap.

Hate to write this review. I grew up on Upstate, NY where A&W is a staple and the food and desserts were amazing. This location does not live up to that memory or standards. Small portions at high prices. Food lacks flavor and is often over or undercooked. I have a feeling Sonic will put them our of business soon. Also, who doesn't take debit or credit cards these days?!? read more

Just called to ask a question about their classic car shows. The woman on the phone was barely listening to what I was saying then went on to say "I'm kind of a busy here." All I needed was 30 seconds of her time but I guess servicing customers is not a priority. I have been a customer of A&W for many years and do not plan on returning anytime soon. read more