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    Charlie's Drive In

    4.4 (25 reviews)
    InexpensiveFast Food, American, Burgers
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Charlie's Drive In Photos

    Business Info

    CHARLIE'S DRIVE IN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Charlie's Drive In

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    Reviews With Photos - Charlie's Drive In

    Tina R.

    Charlie's is like going back in time. Great food. Friendly service. Truly an awesome experience. The root beer is the best. Try the Pizza Burger, Cheddar Balls, Onion Rings, French Fries... it's all good.

    Stemp A.

    Ths place has been here since the 50s when my parents went to wood river high school. Rootbeer floats are great. If you find yourseld in Wood River IL between April and Oct 31st make sure you stop in ar Chatlies. It is a cash only place keep that in mind.

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    2 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    19 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    10 years ago

    I tried stopping by on a recent business trip to STL and found it was closed on a Tuesday around 5pm. What? Maybe next time!

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    15 years ago

    Helpful 1
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    12 years ago

    Truly a Wood River tradition a bit pricey but the food is great, service is friendly, and it's a fun blast from the past.

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

    My Mom went here in the 70s, and I've been going since the early 90s... Best rootbeer and sliders around.

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    18 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

    I grew up on Charlie's, and it's definitely my favorite place to go for an amazing root beer. Everyone is always super nice too

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    14 years ago

    A good drive in, every eawr student remembers this place fondly, I strongly advise trying.

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    Ask the Community - Charlie's Drive In

    Review Highlights - Charlie's Drive In

    Known for their homemade freshly brewed root beer and sliders, there's really more to the menu than these two tasty items.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

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    King Louie's Drive-In

    King Louie's Drive-In

    4.1
    (90 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $

    King Louie's Drive-In is a good old fashioned Root Beer Stand. What? Give me a break, I am old and…read morethat is what we use to call them when I was a little person. It's a restaurant that makes its own Root Beer and serves burgers. The King is not in my immediate area and it's not even in one of my regular driving routes. So I don't think of him that often. I need to change that, because the short out of the way drive is so worth it. I haven't used the car-hop service, but there are always lots of cars with the cute little tray attached to their drivers side window. So, I have it on my bucket list to try on a future visit. Perhaps, I'll bring my fur child to enjoy a plain burger. Since I don't use the car-hop, I go inside to order and eat in the small dining room. Yesterday, it was full of workers from the refinery and other local businesses. Lucky for me after ordering at the counter, I was able to snag a two top table to enjoy my meal. I normally get the Lion Tamer which has jalapeños on it, but today I went with a King Louie. It's a single smash burger and I added cheese. My topping were only pickles, lettuce, onion and a smear of mayo. I had them hold the tomato. I'm not a fan of mayo, but for some reason I like it on my burgers here at King Louie. The edges of my burger were crisp, it had an odd shape so you know it was hand pressed. It explodes with flavor, just like an old time 50's drive-in. The fries are equally impressive. They are super crispy and done to order, no fries sitting under a hot light waiting to be served. What impresses me is they are fries that still have their skins on. For me, that just adds flavor. Of course, the main attraction next to their amazing burgers is the refreshing homemade, Root Beer. It is always the perfect accompaniment to a burger and fries. Next visit, I having a Root Beer Float and really have a flashback to my childhood.

    I just went there for my first time today. Kind of unsure what to order, I went with the old school…read moresteakburger as it comes. It was pretty much perfect. Fries are crisp and delicious too! Service took a bit, but that's because it was decently busy when we arrived. I honestly didn't expect the flavor I got with the price I paid. Some say it's overpriced, but this is a local mom and pop place, so you know what kind of quality you're going to get. I definitely recommend this place! Loved it and I will go back.

    Photos
    Dine-In order counter
    Dine-In order counter
    King Louie
    King Louie
    Simple and Cool Decor

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    Simple and Cool Decor
    The Pump House Bar and Grill

    The Pump House Bar and Grill

    4.0
    (154 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    I am so proud of myself. Today, I went to The Pump House and I did not order chicken wings. It was…read morea struggle, but I forced myself to order something else off the menu and I am glad that I did. Instead of my typical order of wings and fries, I got the Pump Jack Burger. It's made with Angus beef topped with Pepper Jack cheese, Grilled Balsamic Onions, Mild Banana Pepper Rings with a Sweet and Spicy Sauce, all served on a Onion Roll. It was served with a side of Fries. I was impressed by the size of the burger and that it was hand pressed. A hand pressed burger always tastes better to me. I requested that it be prepared medium rare and it was done perfectly. The fries were soft, I'd prefer mine a little crispier, but they were seasoned well. I got a giggle from their ketchup bottle, it said it was "Fancy". They have an impressive variety of beers. They offer draft, bottle and canned. I personally always go with one of the many craft beers they have on the menu. When dining alone, I always sit at the bar. The bartenders are typically female and are friendly. I am fan of hooks under a bar and Pump House takes it even a step further. They also offer, outlets. If your phone needs a charge and you've got a cord, you are set to go. Offering outlets under a bar, is top notch customer service. Now that I know they have great burgers as well as their wings, I'll have to rotate between the two when coming to dine.

    Update Haven't been back here too much but called in for an…read moreorder to go tonight. Pump House! You need new cooks! The ones you have don't know how to cook basic food. Like I said in my first review you need to learn low and slow for a pork steak. Oh we don't have that anymore. Thank goodness. Your pork steak was chewy and not done appropriately. Horrible to try and eat. Tonight one of us got the chipotle chicken sandwich. The chicken was cooked to death. Ugh. Came out like chicken powder, you know the kind they put in your dog's food? Way too dry. Hard to eat. All the menus online are out of date so just about everything we chose we were told oh we don't have that anymore. Not good business practice. Put out a new menu and delete the old ones!! You fit right in with the rest of the crap food we are served in this area. Not a bit better. We won't try again.

    Photos
    The Pump House Bar and Grill
    Deep fried mashed potato balls. Very good.
    Deep fried mashed potato balls. Very good.
    The Pump House Bar and Grill

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    Laux Brickhouse Grille

    Laux Brickhouse Grille

    3.9
    (95 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$

    It was a Friday night, so I considered myself lucky getting a seat at the bar. It was at the very…read morefar end, which meant I only had to worry about someone to my left. I didn't end them, but I bonus was, a hook and outlet was under the bar right in front of my stool. I didn't want the Friday special, even though some Fried Fish was tempting. All I wanted was some of their incredible hand cut and breaded onion rings. I paired them with a 6 piece bone in chicken wings in mild sauce. When served, I was pleased to see my order had equal flats and drums. The wings and rings were very filling. I ended up taking two rings and one flat and one drum home. They re-heated very well for the next days lunch. The service was a little off, but I will admit they were slammed. The bartender was slow on greeting and doing follow-up. It may have helped if they had an extra person behind the bar. Even a bar-back would have helped. They may have lost a star this visit, but I am sure they'll get it back soon.

    Brickhouse has the perfect local dive bar feel but with a really nice setup inside. Huge open…read morespaces, tons of TVs for watching sports, and long tables that make it great for groups and gatherings. The food menu has a lot of solid options, but the wings are easily the best in the area, huge, meaty, and packed with flavor. Great variety of beers on tap too. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you want good food, cold beer, and a relaxed atmosphere.

    Photos
    View from our table
    View from our table
    Marinated porkchop
    Marinated porkchop
    Mini menu

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    Mini menu
    Northside Dairy Haven

    Northside Dairy Haven

    4.3
    (65 reviews)
    7.6 mi
    $

    I've said it before and I'll say it again, a trip to Edwardsville is not complete without a visit…read moreto Northside Dairy Haven. In addition to the sweet treats, one of the highlights of stopping by and even driving by, is reading their marque. The messages are always, witty or supportive of another local business. I love it when local supports local. Recently, I had a Chocolate Covered Strawberry concrete and I liked it more than my typical favorite M&M concrete. The chocolate ice cream with flakes of solid chocolate and pieces of strawberry made my day. I've also enjoyed, chocolate and vanilla twist cones, but the orange sherbet and vanilla is still my favorite. I keep saying, I need to try their burgers, so I'll say it again. I gotta try their burgers. The restaurant has a nostalgic look and feel. The staff is young high school and college students and they're always friendly. They truly hustle and make things happen for their ice cream fans. Next time you're in Edwardsville, be sure to make a stop at Northside Dairy Haven.

    My first stop was a great one. Ordered a char cheese burger which came with fresh LTO and a special…read moresauce (similar to thousand island). I also grabbed a kiddie cone. Burger was excellent for the price. Ice cream was good soft serve. Service was kind and my food came out in about 10min. Kids were running around and family's were happily chowing down. It's a great old fashioned atmosphere. If you drive past this place, it's time to finally make the stop! Little hiccup: kids cone is 1.50 on the board but I was charged 2$. So check your receipt if you're pinching pennies.

    Photos
    M&M's Concrete - Small
    M&M's Concrete - Small
    Pork tenderloin sammich
    Pork tenderloin sammich
    Yes we do!

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    Yes we do!

    Charlie's Drive In - hotdogs - Updated July 2026

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