The only reason I'm giving 3 stars is because of the milkshakes. We went here because of the positive reviews and we wanted some fast food. We both got burgers and a vanilla milkshake and an Oreo milkshake. The food was really disappointing considering the hype. read more

Way too hyped up for the quality of the service. They forgot my milkshake and put mustard on my burger when I asked without. Didn't have enough time to sit and wait for another burger to be made. (Waited 30 minutes for the food in the first place) read more

First visit had a regular cheeseburger, meh, I've had better at McDonalds. The onion rings an milkshake were good though. So we went again and tried a chili, onion burger. Barely edible! The cheapest canned chili, etc. the onion rings were also terrible, very greasy & flat tasting. Milkshake was still good. Stick to the ice cream, skip the food! read more

I go because I'm American, and this place is a bit of Americana. The food is average, but the place is fun. Avoid crowded times--- the charm quickly wears off. read more

First and only trip. Food was not fresh and brought to the table almost cold. Chicken was over cooked and dry and the onion rings didn't seem to be recently fried. read more

I had the pleasure of visiting this fine establishment on quite a few occasions. If given the chance to, I would visit there daily. I fell in love with their double cheeseburger, and fries. I don't give many compliments on hamburgers, or cheeseburgers for that matter, but they do it right. I haven't sampled the rest of the menu as I do not fix things that aren't broken. For dessert I had the banana milkshake (made with real bananas). The best milkshake I have ever had in my life, seriously. I give them a lot of praise. I have dined inside, and also outside. The only bad thing that has happened on any of my visits was when the waitress was almost back to my car with my large banana shake, she accidentally dropped it on the ground. Another was made immediately. :) Thank You! I would recommend this establishment to anyone with a sense of taste and atmosphere. read more

I am giving Cardinal two stars because I think the folks who work there are very nice and the ice cream and shakes are very good. The burgers are a different story. They are absolutely Horrid. read more

Cardinal has been here since 1976. They must be doing it right! Service was quick and I enjoyed my chili dog and chocolate shake.

I grew up with this place, and it is really something that brings back home memories when we come back into town! The milkshakes are GREAT- the pineapple one is the best ;) BUT, the chili dogs are where it is at for us! It is also one of the few places you can order a grilled cheese- and sometimes you just want the simple comfort food to take ya back. read more

If you grew-up in Transylvania county,NC after 1980, your familiar with Cardinals. It's one of those places that helps define a small town like Brevard. If your wanting fast food better than what comes from the "burger boys," this is it. They're good at making good old fashioned American comfort food. Great milkshakes, great car shows, great piece of Americana! It's worth a stop. ( one of the few places you can get food after 10pm in Brevard) read more

Stopped in for late lunch, soooo glad we did! Fantastic milkshakes, big ol onion rings and good burgers! A real throwback, old school, would recommend to anyone while in Brevard! Americana is making a comeback! read more

Cardinal Drive-In - Cardinal Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Brevard, North Carolina

I don't know what's wrong with Amy's tastebuds but our milkshakes were wonderful! I got an orange cream and it tastes like I'm drinking a Creamsicle. read more

We used to love to eat at Cardinal, but sadly it's went downhill. I understand we are in the midst of unprecedented times, but the failures we experienced aren't related in their entirety to Covid. First I want to start by saying we have been visiting Cardinal for over 15 years and it was always great food and great service, but alas those days are long gone. The last 3 times we have went it was because it was our daughter's turn to choose and she loves the hot dogs and tots. The past two times I ordered chicken tender plates, and both times they tasted like week old oil and everything that had been cooked in it. It had a really fishy taste to it to be honest. Tonight was my daughter's choice again and she once again chose Cardinal. I ordered a Spicy Chicken Sandwich for myself, Burger for the hubby, Hot Dog & Tots for our daughter and 3 Hot Fudge Cakes. Simple enough I thought. I wrong. Upon my husband arriving at home with our food we noticed the hot dog was missing, my daughter was upset, so the hubby heads back to get it. I text him to let him know that we only have 2 Hot Fudge Cakes as well. He gets the hot dog, and when he mentions the cake, they tell him, "we only charged you for two". Oddly enough there was enough plasticware for 3 cakes, but they didn't even offer to ring up another or even entertain the thought they could have left one off. So he left rather mad and probably had some choice words for them. To top the evening off he gets back and I have waited for him to crack open my sandwich and eat. When I open my sandwich to my chagrin there is brown gooey chopped lettuce right up against my spicy chicken- appetite is totally gone by this point. So tonight will be my daughter's last time choosing Cardinal. I hate to leave bad reviews, I honestly do, unless they are warranted. This one was. I have worked in food service and retail in Gatlinburg & Pigeon Forge in a former life and I can understand forgetting an item, and I can understand being busy. I can't understand taking being hateful about a missing cake or feeding someone such nasty lettuce that I wouldn't even feed it to my guinea pigs. It was nice run while it lasted. Sorry we won't be back, but 3 strikes is 2 too many in my book. read more

This is a good place to go for a fast food meal. The prices are fair and the burgers (doubles are better), onion rings and milk shakes are delicious. read more

My son and I were visiting family in Brevard this past weekend, and we decided to eat at Cardinal. My son accidentally left his retainers on a tray, and they were inadvertently thrown in the trash. We did not realize this until almost 2 hours after we left the restaurant. I called Cardinal and spoke with the owner, who told me they had just thrown the trash out in the dumpster behind the building. I asked if she minded if we came to look in the trash because the retainers cost $600. They were closing up for the evening, but she told me that would be fine. When my son and I arrived at Cardinal, I saw that the owner had pulled a couple of bags out from the dumpster, and she had already found my son's retainers. I couldn't believe that she did that for us! I tried to give her money, but she refused to accept it. I was so very impressed with her kindness!!! I enjoyed the food at Cardinal, especially the onion rings, but more importantly, the kindness we were shown earned my respect. Even though I live in California, I will make it a point to visit Cardinal every time I return to the Brevard area. read more

We are milkshake connoisseurs of sorts... Someone told us that this place had the best milkshakes- and we were not disappointed! Easily some of the best ones we've ever had- we came back for a second chocolate peanut butter shake another day because it was so good! read more

One of our favorite places since the day they opened. If you haven't found the food that you enjoy at Cardinal, keep sampling the items until you hit on the right meal. Their BLT is the absolute best I've ever had, the grilled cheese, made with the traditional white bread, tastes like the ones I had as a child, and the ice cream desserts are as tasty, and better-priced than most of the ice cream servers in the county. I've driven the ten miles from my home, passing the "other" drive-in on the way, just to get the hot fudge cake. Ooh, right now I found myself wanting tater tots and ketchup, a Pepsi, and the hot fudge cake - yeah! (Don't forget to tip the gals who serve you promptly and cheerfully.) read more

We had high hopes for this old fashioned drive in. The milkshakes were good and the hamburger was okay. But the onion rings were flavorless and the chili dog was not good either. Unless you want a milkshake I would eat somewhere else. read more

We visited a couple weeks ago while touring the region on a long weekend. The atmosphere and indoor seating area were entirely authentic - we felt as though we'd stepped back in time to another era! The indoor seating booths came with clunky red phones with which to 'call in' your order from your booth. That part was definitely pretty neat. We were quite disappointed with the food though. KT had a cheeseburger and I had a hot dog and we split a sweet tea and a basket of fries. Honestly, we were disappointed in both of our meals. Her burger was nothing to write home about and my hot dog looked barely palatable. We were glad to stop, because of the fun the experience, but we left hungry and sorry for subjecting ourselves to the food. Final verdict: skip the food next time and save the Cardinal Drive-In for one of the desserts mentioned in the other reviews. read more

About a month ago, I paid $14.12 for 2 fried chicken dinners. They were completely INEDIBLE!! The fried chicken was SO hard you could have played a full game of baseball with one piece! I WAITED, and waited and waited, close to thirty mins., if not more! Then when I got home, the meal, which, too, was extremely OVER-PRICED, was not something my husband nor I could eat. It was AWFUL! I will admit to it being a bit nostalgic, but I was NOT there to revisit "Happy Days". This place is the ONLY negative thing I can say about Brevard, NC. read more