So unfortunate that I have to go from a 5 star to a 2 star review, but this Sonic has proved itself to be awful after two follow up visits. 1. It's overpriced. I don't think a hot dog, tater tots, and milkshake should cost $10 from a place with a drive thru. 2. The food is always served cold. Both times since my first visit, at least one of my items has been ice cold (and no, it wasn't a milkshake). 3. The feeling of cheer and mirth from my first visit is gone, and I'm left with the empty shells of bitter fast food workers. read more

Randomly stumbling upon this Sonic in Chicago was a bit like finding a red herring. You see commercials for Sonic here everyday, yet this is their one location in Chicago? They're not setting a great standard for themselves here. I came at about 7pm on a Wednesday night, the place was empty except for some colorful characters by the street. We pressed the button and were informed someone would take our order in a second. Five minutes passed and I got impatient so I went inside and couldn't find a soul. A few shadows in the back told me someone had to be working here. Someone eventually took my order, begrudgingly, after emerging like I just walked uninvited into her home. I told her I'd be waiting in my car for my order. I had to describe my vehicle even though we were the only ones there. While waiting I saw two employees hanging around the back and they were soon joined by a third who stepped out yelling about how nasty a new product of theirs is. I had to ask what that product was in case I ordered it, but he assured me it wasn't ready for public consumption. They all wandered to the back of the dumpster, none of them carrying trash. So if you show up here and it's as empty as I found it, now you know they're all by the dumpster. Food was ok, but the atmosphere killed it. I'll save my Sonic stops for out of state trips to preserve the novelty I usually associate with this brand. read more

As someone who has had Sonic available to them for the past 7-10 years, I wasn't clambering to be the first to "try" it. My boyfriend, on the other had, was. Since he grew up in Chicago, Sonic was not available to him in the city. We went on the soft opening night, the Thursday night before their Tuesday Grand Opening. We pulled into a carport to order around 8pm. Hit the button to order, ordered our food and then waited..... and waited.... and waited.... and waited.......... At about 8:45pm I had my boyfriend push the button so we could see where our order was. Turns out, it was never made!! I understand it was the first night and they were very busy, but to completely lose our order?! We had to re-order our meal and then wait again. Fortunately, the wait was only 15 minutes this time around. They were very nice and apologetic about it, but rather than giving us our meal for free or some other kind of comparable compensation, we got a coupon for one free cherry limeade. Ooooohhh.... big whoop. Sorry, again, I've been to Sonic before, the food is okay and the service is always mediocre no matter the location. Whether in Uptown or across the county in my home town not worth it IMO. read more

Ok, I see things adding up here. This place is fairly new, therefore, having lack of hiring experience and getting used to the set-up. It was very busy, because, hey, this place has a lot of local customers that haven't had a new big name restaurant come by in a while! They want to try it out all in a few weeks! Now, I come by after it has settled down and hired some decent workers, and it turned out just fine. What I liked? The drive-thru was quick. Lady was nice. She couldn't hear me because I was pulled back a bit. Lol Food was goood. That crispy chicken sandwich had some good flavor for my hungry self. Disliked? The milkshake took longer than it should have, but that's probably just because it was so thick! Either they need bigger straws or I should have asked for two. read more

Honestly, I wasn't impressed. The employees acted like they couldn't care less. The food was ok. The music inside was so loud that the cashier and I had a hard time hearing each other. I did like the outside seating area and all the landscaping was a much needed improvement to the area Whatever the excuses they need to get their act together. This can be a rough location as across the street many have tried and failed (ie, Burger King, Mexican Grill and a few more). I don't know if anyone from Sonic cares about mine or the comments from others. But I'm sure that if it fails someone else will be blamed for the stores problems. read more

The reviews are correct...It took FOREVER to get my food AND it was served cold! I went through the drive thru around 10pm and ordered a cheeseburger, fries and slushee. There weren't any cars in front of me or behind me; however, I waited over 10 minutes at the drive thru window for my order. Once I got my food, the young girl at the window did sincerely apologize for the wait. After leaving the drive thru and sooooo ready to tear into my bag of food, I was disppointed AND pissed off that my cheeseburger AND fries were COLD- I don't mean warm, they were actally cold. Why did I wait 10 minutes just to be given cold food??!! I immediately called and spoke to the manager, Patricia. She was very professional, took accountability and apologized for the wait and the cold food. She offered me another meal at no charge, so I will give Sonic another try. I hope they get it right the next time! read more

Great service along way that's all I guess because there was so much on the menu to pick from so when people go in there like overwhelmed by the great selection? The wait was long but I still don't know where the bathroom is?! read more

Wish I could give this place zero stars. Just got back home from going through the drive thru. WORST customer service I've ever had and my order was entirely wrong. She basically just threw our food in the car window. No hello, no goodbye, wrong order, broken screen at drive thru, and we waited 15min at the window for a hot dog and chicken sandwich. I really hope they start to take some pride in training their staff one day. read more

I don't normally write reviews for fast food chains nor do we eat out at fast food places all that often, but everything was just awful! I thought there was some good hype around sonic but I guess I shoulda looked at yelp first. We wanted to try a little bit of everything so we got a coney dog, a New York dog, a jr. Double, spicy crunch chicken strips, fries, tots and onion rings. The best thing out of all the above would have been the jr. double cheese burger... And by best, I mean decent/edible. The hot dogs were tough and dry. chicken strips also the same...as if they had been sitting out for a few hours. Fries were pathetic...they seemed to have gone stale pretty quickly and tasted dry and shriveled. Tots were whatever. Onion rings were the worst I've had - tough and dry. It was just overall majorly disappointing. Would have rather gone to the mcdonalds next door. read more

Wow. Ok. I'm writing this review from a carport ordering bay at this Sonic. I should begin with the fact that I grew up in Oklahoma, where Sonic is king. This Sonic has the worst service that I have ever experienced. It took them three tries to get my burger order correct, all the while the carhop was interrupting me, trying correct me on what I WANTED. Not what I SAID. Keep in mind, this is at 10:45 a.m. on a Wednesday while I was the only customer. read more

I have been waiting for this sonic to open and it did NOT disappoint !! My only complaint is the crowd but that's to be expected !! Poor little mcdonalds next door is surely in trouble !! Because now that this sonic has opened I And I'm sure a slew of others won't be back !!! Inside neat and clean Servers and cashiers very nice this will totally be my summer hang out spot if for nothing but the delicious drinks and shakes !!! Welcome to uptown sonic !!! We are certainly glad to have you !!!! read more

I was really excited to see a Sonic finally show up in Chicago and even better, it's close to home. My boyfriend and I decided to give it a try on a Sunday morning, since I am a major fan of breakfast. I'm pretty sure it was just a week or so after the restaurant was open for business, but I guess I really shouldn't give this an excuse to our poor service. First we tried the drive up service. Hit the button, waited 5 minutes and then tried again. So we decided to give to still give it a chance and went inside.. There were 3 servers inside who looked like they were bored out of their mind but they proceeded to take our order. This is when the waiting began. I would have to say it probably took over 30 minutes to have our food come out...and this is a fast food service. It so long in fact, that someone in the drive-thru came in to complain about their slow service in the drive-thru. When our food came out, we questioned the supposed "supervisor" at the counter who's only response was "no one came in." It's not Sunday at the crack of dawn, it's Sunday at around 8:30 - 9 am, when most fast food places get their breakfast business. Our food was pretty good though, but the slow service brings the restaurant down. Giving this location the benefit of the doubt, my boyfriend and I went a second time for breakfast on a Sunday. This time, a faster response time for our food to come out (we didn't even want to try the drive up service) but not nearly as fast as your regular fast food service response. I want to say it probably took 7 minutes this time for our food to come out. The only thing I could say is this - People are going to be excited when a new fast food joint opens. If you expect to make business, you better be fully staffed. This Sonic is located right next to a McDonalds, that has been giving fast food service for years. I'll give Sonic another shot most likely, because I haven't tried their slushy or non-breakfast options. But so far, for the 2 times I have been there, I can't give this place a decent review because of the mediocre fast-food turnaround. read more

I'm pregnant and hungry, and all I want is a Sonic burger and a shake, is it really too much to ask? There were 4 people eating inside, one car parked in the drive in option, and we were the only car at the drive through window tonight. The guy tells us it will be a minute, fine, ok at least he know we're there. Ten minutes later, no one has taken our order and as we're driving away without my craving (so infuriating), two workers inside are chatting and laughing, having a grand old time not working. Just go to Diner Grill on Irving, the milkshakes are better anyway. read more

So. Darn. Slow. Seriously. How does ice cream take so long?!?! I've been to a lot of Sonic's over the years but this one takes the cake for the slowest. The food is standard fast-food joint stuff, but I do enjoy all the slushie flavors and half-price happy hour is a good perk. If you're in Uptown and want something FAST, this is not your place. If you want fast food and are willing to wait, then give it a shot. read more

So i read all the reviews about the slow service. I've been here a few times the last few weeks (stop judging) and I've never had an issue with the service, so perhaps they've gotten that together in the past year or so. It's a fast food joint so I don't expect miracles. Prefer it to McDonalds. Also the shakes are superb. If i just rated on the shakes this would be a 5 star experience. My food wasn't cold but i certainly wouldn't define it as hot and that's a little disappointing. Overall it's fine. read more

Food = Sonic. Service = Beyond bad. A long wait for stale fries, lemonade made with carbonated water, and constant yelling in the kitchen that makes the place sound like a riot scene from a women's prison movie. I'm sure it will do fine. There seem to be enough out of state transplants that have fond memories of sonic past to keep the traffic. I won't be back. There a hundred other places to find burgers and fries within a mile of this location. I would recommend choosing any of those instead. read more

I'm from Texas where Sonic is everywhere. Love their ice and mozzarella sticks among other things. This place is about two miles from me yet I'm much more likely to go when I'm in Texas, Oklahoma, anywhere. Happened to be in Uptown today around lunchtime so walked over. As a total aside, I interviewed a nursing student years ago whose name is Sonica. Her dad was a Sonic franchise owner. It's not clear why we have to ring a bell at the counter. I'm not sure I've ever been to a fast food place where there wasn't someone at the counter. Why are they hiding? Do the counter people also cook? If they do, not sure how sanitary that is. While I usually do the drive in thing at every other Sonic, I've been inside a couple with the traditional fast food open kitchen. Just a meh experience. Nothing great (except my large unsweet tea) and nothing terrible. Service okay. If I happen to be in Uptown again, might go by. More likely that I'll go somewhere else. read more

The wait time here is horrible. Evrytime I've come here, I've had to wait at least 3 minutes if not more just for someone to come out to the register and take my order read more

In general, I have not had a bad experience here (apart from long lines) since it opened. Today, though, the women at the drive thru were above and beyond the needed level of courtesy and friendliness. It was a great way to start my morning. Plus, as always, they got the order right :) read more

Only been on a few occasions but who doesn't love a good drive in reminiscent of the A&W Root beer Stand from years past. My son is playing football at Montrose Harbor for the next several months and this will be a requisite stop post game. I threw the option to him when we pulled up, eat in Vs. curbside and there was no hesitation. Curbside w food brought to your car via servers on skates. Hard to beat the concept for a 9 y.o.tbh. And the food is just fine. He a Jr. Bacon Burger combo w upgraded Razzzbery drink, me Chicago Dog w some Mozz sticks and Poppers. Crazy bad for you but it doesn't occur often and it makes for great memories. [x] Do it ....if nothing else, for posterity's sake. read more

Update: I don't know why I even bother with this place. It takes 20-30 minutes to get your food. Just go to the McDonald's next door.

I have been stalking and waiting for this place to open, yes seriously. Having lived in Texas for quite a few years I became used to having Sonic's on every corner and actually miss those slushes! Went the weekend it opened, it was very busy and they were pretty slow but I understand when a business opens and a new concept style it's going to be slow, everything was good and the only thing they forgot were our straws. Not awful :) read more

Service appears to be slow consistently. Wait times tend to me long, so this is not a grab and go place if you're in a hurry.

I was really excited and really wanted to give this place a good review. I also really wanted it to be good because it's right down the street from my new job and I was hoping for a go-to place.. But alas, it didn't even live up to my lowest fast food expectations (and I eat at taco bell). Starting with the positives, the guy who took my order was AWESOME. Literally one of these stars is for him. And the wait wasn't that bad. That being said, my order was wrong, but I didn't look until I got back to work. Then both my fries (that I didn't want) and my chicken were stale and kinda cold (it's a 2 block walk in 86 degree weather, so that's not my fault). I dunno, I was just not impressed. I'll give it another shot at some point, but it can't suck any more than it did today. read more

Let me just say that the only reason I give them 1 star is because the Slushy was very good. However, the rest of the experience here was, and isn't, worth an additional visit. 1. The customer service here is sub par, at best! I understand that it is a fast food restaurant, but that doesn't mean that professionalism is thrown out the window. The staff there are completely unprofessional, ignorant and lack any kind of respect for their job and the customers. They just don't care! They don't know who ordered what, whose food is where - they actually came to the counter and asked "Is this your order?" WOW! 2. We order several items such as bacon double cheeseburgers, hot dogs, fries, tater tots, onion rings and chili cheese fries. This has got to be the WORSE burger I've ever had! The burger tasted like dehydrated cafeteria pattie that had been our for awhile and then they decided to throw it on the grill. I could have purchased better fries and tater tots at Jewels and fried them myself. And I have never had onion rings like this - they tasted like that had been dipped in funnel cake batter and deep fried! THEY WERE SWEET AS HELL, and completely killed the taste of the actually onion. The chili fries looked like cat food! The only good thing, allegedly, was the hot dog. Even though it was good, my friend has no desire to venture back and try another one. 3. And let's talk about the price. I spend $30.00 on crappiest meal ever! Nothing that I purchased was worth even half of what I paid. Overpriced and underwhelming. The Uptown residents were so excited that Sonic was coming to add revenue, jobs and a little something different. But this was a huge mistake and disappointment! Crappy food with crappy service - not worth the money or the time. read more

I wanted this place to do well so bad but it just doesn't meet the Sonic standards. Whomever owns this franchise needs to take a little more pride in the brand. Visited there today to give it another shot and this is what we got... A long line due to one person on the register. Out of chicken strips at 1pm. Who does the ordering for this place? 15 minute wait for our food. Chewy grilled chicken sandwich I had to naw apart. Gang Banger sleeping at a table with his pants at mid thigh. A homeless guy (though nice enough) hanging out without ordering food. We ate and bolted out of there fast. read more

I was forced to try Sonic because I had never been to one before. Where do I start ?? 1st of all this place was not clean. We walked in and the 1st thing I noticed was that the floors were not clean. In fact the restaurant was in disarray, I was immediately turned off but I didn't want to come off as stuck up, So I went with the flow. We ordered a chili dog, a burger and some boneless wings. The guy taking our orders didn't seem that enthusiastic about his job, he has zero regard for customers. The food was just that, I took one bite of that chili dog without chili lol and it was the end for me. The wings were alright, the potatoes saved the day lol. This location ruined any chances of me ever going back to a sonic restaurants. I thought the food would be good. read more

Sonic Drive-In - No - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Terrible service. No one here. No one to take order. Extremely, extremely slow for fast food- this is the rule, not an exception. I've come here 5 times since its down the street from where I live and each time I'm reminded why I hate this place and never come. read more

Sonic Drive-In - Junior breakfast burrito. Looks appetizing huh - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Did the drive up option where they bring the food out to you and I pressed the button three times only to watch it stop blinking each time. The drive thru then proceeded to get backed up to the point where some folks couldn't get out of their stalls to leave. Not once did anyone come out to explain what was going on or even call over the intercom to say they would be with me. I finally gave up and left. I am disappointed for two main reasons: First, I went there before on a Sunday night and had amazing service. I have no idea why this night was so different, but it was a huge turn off that no one even spoke to me. Second, I've always loved Sonic and held it in very high regard. When I learned that one was coming to Chicago, I was excited. However, this one has driven off the rails for some reason and can't seem to recover. I encourage folks to give their headquarters a call or submit an online complaint because that may change management/help bolster the need for more staff there. I know they can do better and hope they will seek to change. Otherwise, my Sonic fix will just have to be tabled for road trips out of the city. read more

Another day, another wreck. It's unfortunate that the only thing consistent at this place is the fact that they'll f$&k up your order and everything will be soggy. I don't know how you manage to make tater tots as soggy as they do. This place really needs to hire someone to give them some business/restaurant advice. read more

Disgusting! Ice cold food after waiting for almost an hour. This place needs to be shut down! I understand that it would cost people their jobs, but maybe just maybe they'll learn quality vs quantity, or any type of customer service. Because I know the" company" doesn't teach that. Absolutely disgusting!!!! read more

I don't review fast food often, because who really expects much from a fast food place? Minimally, I think it's fair to expect that fast food be, well...FAST. This place is nearby, so I've been a few times for shakes and snacks, but after the last few attempts I don't even think I'll bother. The service has always been slow, but it's gotten worse lately. Two weeks ago, I waited at the drive in for 20 minutes with only two cars in front of me for my order to be taken. I ended up just driving away, because I had to [insert everything in the world better than sitting in your car]. Today I tried for a quick snack between errands, and sat at the drive through behind one car for 12 minutes. After finally pulling up to the ordering screen, I just sat there for another 5 minutes until I had to leave without ordering. The one time in the last few months I actually managed to complete an order, they asked me to pull over and wait for a fresh burger. I figured out eventually that "fresh" must be code for, "sitting on ice for an hour before being given to you." To be fair, everyone that works there seems really nice, but it's clear they need to hire more employees. read more

Worst sonic I've ever been to. Every time I've ordered either in person or online, the order is ALWAYS wrong. Without fail. Don't waste your money read more

Tonight it's cold, raining and only one car ahead of me. I ordered a large Cherry Limeade, that's all. I waited in line for twenty minutes before the only car in front of me drove off and then sat there another 5 yes I counted minutes waiting for my drink which was 2 ft from me but might as well not been made. The young lady with the mic on with a ponytail looked up at me and proceeded to put together receipts! I blew my horn and she went out of sight so I drove off!! If this is the type of service given for one sandwich and drink? This place won't be here long. Now I know why no one was in line on a Friday night at 8:30 pm. They knew better! read more

The morning staff is super friendly always a pleasure. The breakfast burrito is yummy. Unfortunately that's where the positive review ends. Over the years I have tried sonic for lunch or dinner and every time it ends in disappointment. Overpriced bar food and bad bar food at that. read more

I'm going to be weird and review a fast food joint. I don't have much to contribute though because I don't eat meat. I do eat fries though, and they have the best fries! read more

Everytime I come here in between the hours of 12 and 3 the service is horrible and they take forever. Hire more people.

I had a chicken fingers combo with tator tots and a Dr. Pepper. The chicken was a bit salty, the tots were luck warm yet the meal took a while to receive. I waited for a guy to leave at a spot that had an electrical outlet. I just wanted to charge up my laptop, and read email while eating the meal. A security guard harasses me about plugging my laptop in, but couldn't tell me why it was not permitted. I asked two associates if it was okay, and they said people charge their cell phones all the time there, that he's a nice guy and never says anything. When the security guard returned (I plugged it back in as he walked away), he gave me a look and called the Manager over, who said the policy was not to use the outlet. His reasoning was that he has to pay the electric bills for the restaurant. So I can spend my money there on a lousy meal but can't use the electrical outlet for my short visit? I mean, I was there for a quick meal not to stay for several hours and hangout! I won't be returning. read more

Honestly before when they first opened I never had a problem with them. Now?! This is disgusting. I had ordered a burger with some mozerella sticks so I figured they're going to give me marinara sauce. They did and as soon as I open it I see this gunk in there THIS SAUCE EXPIRED MONTHS AGO I REPEAT MONTHS AGO!!!! And as someone who works for public health better believe they'll see us. This is digusting!!! What is this!!!! read more

Sonic Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I was so excited when they decided to bring Sonic to Chicago a few years ago and finally made it! It's been years since I've been to one and it definitely brought back some nostalgic feelings. I went with the popcorn chicken and I thought it was great! The fries seemed to have changed since my high school days, which was a while ago, and I found they were just mediocre. This particular location keeps their outdoor seating area locked to prevent non-patrons from entering/loitering, but the management was kind enough to come out and unlock the gate so we could eat with our dog outside rather than in the car drive-in style or taking it to go, with was definitely an extra effort that was much appreciated by us! read more