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    Charlie's Drive In

    4.3 (26 reviews)
    InexpensiveFast Food, American, Burgers
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Charlie's Drive In Photos

    Business Info

    CHARLIE'S DRIVE IN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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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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    18 years ago

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    3 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Helpful 6
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    11 days ago

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    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
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    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
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    19 years ago

    Helpful 3
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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

    Helpful 1
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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
    Fazoli's

    Fazoli's

    3.6
    (31 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $

    It's been four years since my last visit to Fazoli's. So I decided to come back to celebrate,…read moreNational Spaghetti Day on the 4th of January. Since my last visit, I've learned the Fazoli's is a franchise and is black and woman owned. To celebrate Spaghetti Day, I went with a Marinara and Meat Sauce. However, the kid in me really wanted the Meatballs. The portion was a hearty size and was more than enough. It came with a side of Breadsticks. They were the perfect accompaniment. The young man working as a cashier was very professional and friendly. My food runner was equally friendly and when I finished my meal and was still sitting at the table, she offered to take the empty dishes away. If you are dining in, they use real plates and flatware. That's a nice touch. I went at lunchtime and was surprised how busy and full the dining room was. I was also surprised to see diners leaving a couple of dollars on the table as they left. I wonder if the food runner gets all of them or if they split them with all on duty. I'll be back and I wont wait four years or a for pasta holiday. When: January 4, 2026 Why: National Spaghetti Day

    Haven't had fazolis since college and my partner really missed it. We got a 5$ off an order over…read more10$ coupon and decided to try it out again. We ordered 5 regular wings (9.99) and the crispy chicken bacon ranch salad which came with bread sticks (8.99). The wings were good but overpriced for the size. The salad had pepperoni chips (probably like 40 over them), crispy chicken, iceberg, fries breadstick croutons, bacon and cheese. This is a salad for people that don't like salad, not so much a salad for people who enjoy salad. Wouldn't order again but if you like all those toppings go for it- food was fresh. The breadsticks are terrible for you and frickin incredible. Service was great! Woman working the drive thru was excellent. Order took a long time but I guess that was cause of the wings?

    Photos
    Spices on Table
    Spices on Table
    Breadsticks
    Breadsticks
    Building

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    Building

    Charlie's Drive In - hotdogs - Updated July 2026

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