I love this place! In our home, all of the adults are assigned a night when they have to prepare dinner. My night is Thursday. After working Summer School today from 7:30 to 4pm, I really was NOT feeling standing in front of a stove. I had a taste for a chili dog , so I headed straight to Carlson's Drive In when I got off work. I ordered 6 Chicago Dogs, 4 Chili Dogs with extra onions (I had one brought to me while I waited for my order), a cheeseburger with everything (one daughter doesn't like hotdogs) and a grilled cheese sandwich (her daughter doesn't either). I also had a frosty cold mug of root beer . The fact that most of the wait staff and some of the kitchen staff are MCHS students was an added bonus. I was confident that I would be taken care of. When I got home, the family tore into that food like a school of piranha . Carlson's Drive In got high marks from my family today! They ALWAYS get high marks from me! read more

Fun place, old time hot dog stand, sat at the picnic tables and food was brought right out. Kind of odd the coney dog had no mustard but ok. My fault for not asking. Home made root beer was a treat. read more

Sometimes all you need in life is some good ole fashioned American drive in food, and Carlson's really hits the spot. (They've been doing it since 1947 after all!). I got the chili dog, fries and bug mug of root beer, and it was incredibly delicious, and what's best is the prices seem to be immune to inflation. The vibes of the area are your classic drive in style (we chose to sit at tables outside as opposed to stay in car though). I also nibbled on my family's burger, hot dogs, and chicken strips--all incredibly tasty. The service was timely, kind, and welcoming. read more

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Great hot dogs especially the chili dog. Root beer floats were good also. Carhop service adds to the charm. ENJOY. I had to pay for pickle spears though. Bummer read more

I'm visiting from out of town and I learn of a hot dog drive-in diner-style place? Yes, please! Plenty of parking in a big lot (sit in your car to order) but also an order window and a dozen picnic tables if you want to sit outside. After chatting with my friendly server about what she liked on the menu, I ended up getting a chicken sandwich, diet root beer, and fried mushrooms. Also, since I travel with my dog, a plain hot dog for him. One really cool thing is they give dogs a free hot dog! (It is cold, but my dog doesn't care!) The root beer was tasty. The chicken sandwich looked good and tasted ok; it wasn't anything amazing. (I know, I should have had a hot dog, but I've been on a chicken sandwich kick recently ...) The fried mushrooms were not homemade, but they were good. My dog thoroughly enjoyed his hot dog (although it was a little weird looking, color-wise, so I'm assuming was the cooked leftovers that they put back in the freezer or something) -- but he loved it. All in all, it wasn't amazing, but it was worth the experience. They didn't have desserts, but there is an ice cream shop literally across the street, so we did that as well and it made for a little fun evening. #yum #ReviewsByRL read more

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Groovy and unique experience, delicious chili cheese, dogs, and ice cold root beer in a mug

Got a quick lunch! Easy place to get good fast food. They have their own homemade root beer. They have really good barbecue. The ambience is very old school and the service is great! Make sure to tip them! read more

Carlson's Drive In - Waiting for our food! - Burgers Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

The chili dogs were great!! More like a coney dog and not a chili dog.... Perfect!!! The Onion Rings were AWFUL..... I told the waitress when she brought them that they were burnt..... they were burnt and laden with grease read more

Carlson's Drive In - Onion rings... burnt - Burgers Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

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We were looking for a quick meal on the way home from the dunes and Carlson's hit the spot! They have a large drive in lot and a couple outdoor picnic tables, though it seemed like most people were just grabbing food to go. Unfortunately their patio is not dog friendly, but the super sweet server brought our pup a couple free hot dogs so he was very pleased :) We each had a frosty mug of their delicious home brewed root beer to start. The corn dog was pretty good, but the cheeseburger was absolutely the winner here! It was nothing fancy, just simple and perfectly made. I'd compare it to the burgers at Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago. I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but definitely a good little road trip spot! read more

I love going to Carlson's. It brings back so many memories of when I was younger to that good old drive-in! To me, I enjoy the beef sandwiches the mushrooms that the onion rings. The barbecue sandwiches are really good too. My family has enjoyed the hamburgers that they say are really, really good. It just is a very charming little place. I recommend to anyone looking for a quick bite and to feel that nostalgic feeling again. read more

My wife is from Michigan City and Carson's is a summer must stop for us! The root beer here is a MUST! I have never had such good root beer. It's a drive up location; eat in the car or eat at a bench and the service is amazing! They come up to you car and write what you need and the food is out quickly. The burgers are perfect sized the onion rings are great my wife always get a Chicago dog with fries and nobody is unhappy. It's a cool spot and a great place to visit on your way to the beach or on your way back. It's a fun place that to me looks like something straight out of a movie. read more

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This is a cute spot with burgers & hotdogs. It's a drive in so you can order food at your car window and they clip a tray on the window or you can sit outside with a few picnic tables. I had an excellent chicago dog. My son's corndog was super tasty, the cornbread was one of the best I've had. The girls working here are very nice and good with the orders. Get the root beer float! read more

Fun, old fashioned drive in. Curb hops were very friendly and patient while we made up our minds. Loved the root beer and hot dogs.

What an absolutely fantastic place! If you are looking to a place to go after a day at the beach, visit Carlsons. Not only do they have an outdoor seating area but you can have the food delivered to you in your car. They have fantastic food, with the highlight being their Hotdogs.Carlsons also serves Sausages, Corndogs, Hamburgers, and Italian Beef. However, the real star of the show is their Homemade Root Beer. If you only stop by for the Root Beer the trip will be worth it! Served in a chilled mug and ice cold their homemade Root Beer has a delicious sweetness with a bite at the end! The best part is you can take home a full or half gallon! Carlsons has been serving the Michigan City community for 77 years, and I hope will continue for many more! Their wonderful staff, tasty food, and delicious Root Beer make it a wonderful summertime experience. read more

Carlson's is another staple in MC. Serving up Exkrich dogs, It has stood the test of time and has always been better than Morrison's. Their root beer is excellent and I always go for the diet version. My only complaint is the cost. $3 for a dog on a bun seems steep for MC. I am no Joey Chestnut but feeding a party of four opens up a lot of competitive options. While the fries are good, for the same money, I just get a corn dog. read more

Hotdogs are good! Fried veggies great too! Root beer is excellent Sometimes I wish the hotdogs came out A LOT HOTTER, sometimes the temperature is hot enough!!!!! read more

Good food, great service, good alternative when The Port in Chesterton is closed. We will return!

This charming and once much beloved place was run so much better with the previous owner. Since the new ownership, prices have skyrocketed for the mediocre food that is offered. Cleanliness has also taken a major dive as the outside tables are always needing to be cleaned before you even sit down. Also, they nickel and dime you now so be prepared to pay extra for ketchup and even for cups to drink out of! I'll still go to support local but don't go nearly as often as with the previous owner. New owners are clearly looking to retire early on the dime of the locals who they claim to want to support. Best part of Carlson's is the gals serving the food who work their butts off. read more

Carlson's Drive In - Burgers Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

food and service was amazing! the root beer is fantastic! i recommend the corn dogs and the chicken strips!!

FIX YOUR HOURS! we got here at 7pm and they were already closed and said "they can't fix their hours online". rude. bye

Am I partial to this place? Yes. Does my family also absolutely adore this place? Yes. It is a great throw back to the 50's drive-in restaurant. You can either sit in your car or go up to the window to order. The food is great, and a must is a root-beer from them with a polish sausage. The service is fast and it is a very casual dining experience. read more

Went to Carlsons with the fam, my kids have never been to a drive in hot dog stand before. They weren't interested in staying in the car (that's the whole experience!). Our server was great, fast and friendly. The kids both ordered corn dogs, my mother and I ordered burgers, and my father ordered chili cheese dogs. We also ordered fried cauliflower, and fries. The corn dogs looked perfectly cooked, but the batter inside was raw. The burgers were very thin- and not in a good crispy steak burger way, just thin almost non existent. I had more bun, lettuce and tomato than burger. The cauliflower was great and hit the spot. Next time I'll just get a hot dog, and skip the corn dogs and the burgers read more

Nice staff. Quick workers. Good food, Chilly is the kind that is sweet. Good grilled cheese. Good sides. Good atmosphere of a small town root beer stand. Recommend. read more

Our corn dogs were undercooked and mushy which was disappointing but everything else was so amazing it made up for the entire experience! Great root beer. read more

Came for a quick bite, ended up spending $30+ on Frozen Gordons food, canned cheese, and cold soggy french fries. Not to mention pulled pork was portioned for that of a newborn child (a grown adult could take two bites and be done). Tipping was not optional. Very disappointed, used to be much better. read more

We ate here and we loved it and food and service was great drinks also good. The service at the window of the car was cool also and the girls working are very nice and attentive to the customers for sure. Will definitely stop again if we are around this area again. read more

A fun spot to go with the kids for lunch. It's a little pricey for what you get but well worth it for the overall experience. The Chicago dogs were good (a little too much celery salt) and my son loved his pulled pork sandwich and root-beer float. We will definitely be back. read more

I love supporting local economy and will choose small businesses over retail chain store every time. We were drawn to this area while geocaching nearby. We were across the street at the ice cream shop when I noticed this location. It reminded me of the Dog & Suds Diners of yore. I popped open the Yelp app and read through some of the reviews. I appreciate some of the brutality honest opinions in order to develop an expectation. Well the good news is most all forms of payment are now except rather than the cash only statements I have read. The servers are well communicated very attentive. I asked our service provider what is the signature menu items? She replied, " The chili cheese dogs." So we went with the recommendations. They are advertising Eckrich hotdogs. Being a fan of Eckrich products, I knew I was in for a treat. Well that wasn't the case. The dogs weren't what I normally would expect and the chili needs help. You can definitely tell it was canned chili. A couple of bites in and I was done, the weren't very appealing. We ordered a couple of the signature Root Beers. They were good but we have had better. It was odd to have it served without Ice. Fried veggies were good. I will be back when I'm in the area to experience other menu items. read more

Beside the inflated high prices the hotdog and hot fries were great. The root beer is not A&W quality or taste but the food was good. Missed it after 10 years. Went twice on my trip out here from CA. read more

PET UNFRIENDLY. Since YOU MUST KEEP your pet in the car, which is understandable, I asked the waitress for a cup of water for my dog. Me: could I please get a cup of water for my dog. He's quite hot. Waitress: No....... Me: You don't have cups? Waitress: We have cups but we'd have to charge you. Me: For a cup of freaking water? Are you kidding me? Me: What kind of brick runs this place? Me: (as the nasty waitress brings our root beers to the vehicle I pulled away) Unbelievevable. I'll never go there again. Post script: the ladies at Hardees were .ore than happy to give us a large eater for my no hare. charge. read more

absolutely love carlson's! the employees are very fast and a joy. great drive-in food and great prices. they close mid october, see you guys next year! read more

Wait staff was very quick and friendly. I had the polish sausage Chicago style and she had the chili cheese dog. Both had root beers and shares some apple fritters. Less than $15 and it was out very quick, less than 10 minutes. Great sweet root beer!!!! Day-Uhm!!!! Mmmmm! The sport peppers on the sausage were a bit hott but not bad. Great place! Def will be back soon! read more

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Carlson's is a classic summer ideal dinner spot in Michigan City. You could sit on a picnic table and enjoy your food or just enjoy it in the car. They have very basic foods but they are delicious and since the foods are simple it's easier for a person that's picky to find something they enjoy. read more

Cool place, stopped by after a trip to the outlet mall. Had a Chili Cheese Dog and a Cheeseburger both of which were pretty darn good. They weren't life changing or anything but good. Staff is really friendly and quick to take your order, prices are pretty fair for what you get too. I gotta say their Root Beer was absolutely amazing. I can drink that stuff all day long! If you're in the area, I'd swing by just to try the root beer. read more

Carlson's Drive In - $15 done, nuff said. - Burgers Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

$4.05 for one chili cheese dog? my total was gonna be $14 for two chili cheese dogs and a Caul cauliflower without a tip. I couldn't even checkout the price was so high. Good thing for Carlsons that other people don't seem to care about their money. food options are slim pickins in Michigan shitty. R.I.P. America read more

I need the mozzarella stick sauce recipe!! The food is amazing and the root beer is hands down the best around. The service is really great, always nice and friendly. The lot is always very clean. read more

Now 1 star. $3.30 chili cheese dogs with old darkened chili and nearly no cheese unlike the old days. Sad. **Just found out they're under "new ownership." Maybe that explains why they're churning out pure garbage now? read more

Great Hot Dogs and Root Beer Our server Amanda was Awesome Super Friendly and helpful. Good family place. Can't wait to go back. This place has been here for many years. We always stop there when were in Michigan City. Remember though "cash only". read more

Carlson's Drive In - Carlson's Drive In - Burgers Near Me - Michigan City, Indiana

If I could give them a 0 I would. They told me my service dog isn't allowed to be on the lot with me. Even tho according to the ADA she's allowed to go with me because she is not considered a pet. She is considered medical equipment. So don't give this ableist drive in your money! read more

Food is always hot and plentiful, the service is superior. It's always busy but the staff (young ladies) handles the crowd handsomely. We had the fried cauliflower, the Chicago hot dog and a double cheeseburger. We definitely recommend. read more