This is a drive-in car type of food chain from Akron. If you're in Akron, it's five star excellent if you come to New Albany Ohio it's hit or miss and often just meh I just returned to town after being out of state for about a week craving one of their special soda drinks. They take Gingerale and add either cherry grape or orange flavoring to it to create their Ohio, Californian, or Florida drink. I was going to get a Cali boy and some loaded tots as well. I pulled into the lot right in front of the car door in the car. Hop must've been eating. He was hunched over so all you could see is his rear end and his back. He wasn't looking out the windows or anything. He was looking towards the floor facing the kitchen. There he stayed for at least two or three minutes. I decided it wasn't worth waiting and didn't feel like beeping my horn so I went to Wendy's I swear the district manager needs to surprise their staff on a regular basis because there is a disconnect from corporate policies down here they walk to the cars rarely run and they just don't pay attention to their lot... And they wonder why their lot is consistently empty This is why On a rear occasion, you will get a really great carhop that's working along with a good kitchen manager and the food is spot on, but unfortunately, it's usually staffed by lazy people who messed up the orders leave out things or flat out. Just don't even care to work like this one did. If you're looking for Swensons, I'd say stick to the Akron based area and avoid all the Columbus locations because rumor has it the staff rotates throughout all of the different locations versus having a regular staff. I think that's part of the problem. It's just really weird how bad it often is and it's disappointing just as often . I should've given it one star But I just really love Swensons and just couldn't do it. read more

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Last night, Grant took my order. He promised there was crackers in the bag for my chili, even it says, still on the receipt however, it was forgotten, bummer for me. But I have to say that was possibly the absolute worst chili I've had in my entire existence, it was like it said at the bottom of a cooker burning all day. Literally, it was horrible!!!! so my craving for chili still hasn't been satisfied therefore tonight I'm getting Wendy's. Lol Make burger tasted fantastic however I can't understand while it is a junior size, but a full price? A price of $6.29 for a tiny burnt chili is just being greedy. As you can see in the past, I have given great reviews, but I think this time they've lost me. Sorry guys. read more

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Food was fresh and delicious! Menu options for everyone. Tastiest fast food ever! Everything I ordered was first class. You can't beat the quality and taste at this price point. Not just nostalgia (it delivers on that) but food that will leave you planning your next visit. Service was excellent. Casual ambiance... after all, you eat in your car or carry out. Outstanding all around! read more

Tried the Cowboy burger (I think that's what it was called) with the bbq and tarter. It was good but VERY sweet. Not my thang

First time trying this yesterday and it was a good experience! Upon pulling into a spot an attendant was at my window within 2-3 minutes. He asked if I was ready to order or if I would like a menu to review. I of course needed a few minutes so he politely told me to turn my headlights off, take my time and when I'm ready to just turn the lights back on and he will be back. They were quick about returning to take my order after I turned my headlights back on and after completeing it they brought my order within 10 minutes. Everything was very hot and fresh and my GOD it was all delicious. I had a Galley-boy burger, Hotdog w/chili and grilled onions and some friend mushrooms. The burger honestly was the best burger I have ever had in my life. They have two special sauces on it, which I later found out is their custom barbecue sauce and tartar sauce I would have never ordered it had I know it had tartar sauce on it because the thought just grosses me out, but knowing after I tasted it, the fact doesn't bother me because the flavor WORKS AND WORKS WELL! the hot dog and coney sauce was just as wonderful, their chili is slightly sweet and completly delicious. The mushrooms were good; they didn't taste special or homemade particularly but they were fresh and good! I will certainly be back and it will be soon! read more

I ate there once and never went back. I ordered a fish sandwich and it was not good. The drive thru is never busy. Take that as a hint.

I went to Swensons tonight and asked for my burger WELL DONE and this is what I got halfway into eating it. I felt nausea immediately. There were only 3 vehicles, and I was one of the 3, so why rush??? read more

Swensons Drive-In - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

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Ella, you did amazing tonight!! Fast friendly service and she checked on us halfway to make sure our meal was delicious. Food was even tastier than normal. This is one of our go-to Columbus Swenson locations. Thank you again read more

Swensons Drive-In - Waiting for his doggie hamburger - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

We were visiting from Las Vegas and a friend of mine said this place was very cool. We went and it was the night of Morgan Wallen so it was super busy and only one kid working. He was running his butt off. The food was good a little greasy hamburger and fries was pretty good especially for the price. I would like to go back and try a few other things so we will be back. read more

For decades I've heard from Cleveland area transplants how good Swensons is. So, I was excited the first time I went to the Polaris location. And I was severely disappointed. The experience was poor. So, we stayed away for a year until this location opened, and boy am I glad we did! The burgers are decent, the Onion Rings are delectable, and the milkshakes!! I can't wait have another one! The curbside service is friendly, efficient, and fast! 4 stars here. 3 for the burgers, add a star for the service and onion rings! read more

New burger joint in town? I'm there. I hear nothing but rave reviews about Swensons and I'm here to to tell you -- she ain't all that. This is a new location, maybe about a month old? We wanted to give it some time to get into the flow of things before stopping by. The concept is neat enough, similar to sonic, you pull up in your car and they come to your window to take your order / deliver food. Lights on for service. The employees were all polite and seemed to know what they were doing. We ordered 2 Galley Boys, potato puffs, onion rings, and potato twisters (jalapeño poppers) to go. From order to delivery the process took 15 minutes. I'm not sure if thats average or slow/ fast for a typical Swenson's order so all I have to compare it to is other restaurants. If i'm going to an establishment like this I want to be in and out, so unfortunately 15 minutes is kind of a bummer. But Stephanie, its made fresh. So is five guys and it is made in far less time. As for the food everything was pretty good. The burgers were fine, nothing to go out of your way for but satisfying. We did, however, miss the signature olives on our burgers. Not sure if they were out or if they forgot. The star of the show was the sides. Definitely unique and not something you can get at just any drive through. On another note, their ranch was good! In total we spent $15 and 15 minutes on what we could have gotten elsewhere for less time and money. Wouldn't write it off completely but definitely not on the top of my list. read more

Swensons Drive-In - Menu - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

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Fun little retro drive-in, fast service, friendly staff. I'd definitely try it again next time I get a chance.

Delicious! A very unique restaurant with "bell hops", great staff, delicious food, and decent prices! The burgers are absolutely delicious!

Charlie is an incredibly hardworking individual. He told me that he's been managing all the orders by himself while only having two people in the kitchen. I really want to give credit to all three of them because I know it's not an easy task. This was my first time at Swensons, and I was a little confused at first when I saw him running back and forth, but after talking to him, I can tell he's a really great guy. read more

I consider myself to be a Swenson's connoisseur as my childhood home was walking distance from the original Swenson's Drive-In. To be fair, all of the Swenson's have changed their recipes and the burgers are as thin as a dime. The flavor is still pretty good. I gave this particular restaurant two stars because of the poor service over multiple visits. I would never want to bash a hometown face, especially after yearning for them to come to Columbus for decades. The first time we came, we waited over an hour for our food to come to our car. The second time we came, we only ordered a mint whip and milkshakes; they arrived 45 minutes later and they were melted. We thought the service was so slow due to short staffing during the pandemic. We ordered ahead via telephone for our third visit. When we got home, we found we were missing a sandwich and fries. Finally, today we ordered via the mobile app, sure enough, our galley boy was missing the signature olive (but at least it wasn't dry as usual) and my daughter's hamburger was missing the bun. I give up! The next time I get a craving for Swenson's, I'll drive to another restaurant. read more

Good food, good service, always a delight to stop by. Try the onion rings, special burger, or shake. read more

Had a great experience at Swenson's today. Upon arriving at Swenson's, you pull into a spot and leave your lights on to indicate that you would like to order. A worker came out immediately to take our order. The workers move very fast and often run to their destination. I will note that it takes a little bit longer than your typical drive through fast food for the food to come out (~10-15 minutes with only a few other cars in the parking lot). I wouldn't stop here if I was trying to get in and out quickly. Go in with the expectation that it may take some time for the food to come out. I got the onion rings and a hamburg with mustard, onion, pickles, and tartar sauce. The total came out to be around $5. The food came out very hot and fresh. The onion rings were delicious and huge (see picture). They have a nice crunch and the onion center does not fall out when you bite them. The burger was also great. I'm glad I tried the tartar sauce on the burger, it was a different but nice addition! Overall, I will be back for the quality of food and service. I feel like Swenson's is a step up from normal drive through fast food and is more like restaurant quality food. read more

Swensons Drive-In - Onion Rings - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

Swensons onion rings & shakes are amazing!!!! I had the Gallery boy & onion rings with a caramel hot fudge shake. The burger was tasty but the burger looked smooshed & the bun was a tad crusty. Wonder if they make the burgers fresh because it tasted questionable. But I'd certainly will go again!! The runners were very nice & helpful!!! read more

Swensons Drive-In - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

I thought this place was delicious fast food, way better than your nationwide drive up chain that is in every town in the U.S. I was surprised to see all the waiters running to your car to get your order and running to bring your food. They also do laps around the building to see if any new cars have pulled in. I give this place 5 stars for the amazing customer service and tasty food. I had the Fried Bologna Sandwich at the suggestion of our waitress and was not disappointed. We also shared a serving of the fries between two adults and still had left overs. read more

Swensons Drive-In - Fried Bologna Sandwich with Grilled onions - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

Edit: now that this location has been open a few years, I have some additional thoughts. They are constantly short staffed and out of certain products. Tonight, I waited in my car for over 10 min and no one came to take my order. When I called inside, the employee said he was alone and had a lot of orders to get to. Not his fault, but where is the manager to help?? read more

I always get their signature burger - Gallery boy, along with the big onion rings. The burger was very juicy, and the onion rings were well fried. Sometimes I just drove to Swensons for their milkshakes. Their regular flavor and speciality flavors all sounded great. This time, I customized my own flavors (pineapple + orange), and it turned out great. The service was quick and nice. Only thing I would say is that I wish the milkshake straw was wider since there were fruit in the milkshake, and it was a little hard to drink. read more

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Food was made to order. Not under a warmer waiting to be ordered. I ordered the Famous Galley Boy, because my other location visit was a custom burger. "No Olive". He runs away. Lights on. "Can I help you sir?" I ask for cajun spice added to my sandwich I just ordered. He runs away. When the food arrives after about 3 songs. I pay and leave. Sure enough. Olive and no cajun spice. The bun was crispy from grilling and the meat kind of slid around with the 2 sauces and cheese. I personally felt it was lacking toppings. Lettuce. Tomato. Onion. Pickle. All were available for additional costs. Maybe I just haven't found the right menu item to rave to the world about. read more

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Got a rare burger, it was the best damm burger of my life fuck those well done burgers, I like my meat pink and juicy. #justice for Blaize

Okay, so I'm relatively new to the whole Swensons thing. My husband is a native Akronite (that's a word, right?) so he introduced me to Swensons and changed my life. The downside is that we spend much more time in the Columbus area than the Cleveland area so I've been so excited to see Swensons expanding down this way. I was especially impressed with this Swensons because when we went we had orders for 4 adults and 3 kids to keep straight (don't ask how we got that many people in one car lol) they were amazing, and somehow still managed to be so-Swensons-fast! Will definitely be returning to this location read more

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Jordan is such an upbeat, friendly young man! He came out, full of energy, with a HUGE genuine smile. It made my night, which after a 50+ hour work week, is saying a lot! Food was ready on time & delicious as always! read more

Waited for ten mins to be acknowledged and your surly employee first takes someone's order who just pulled up. Then she delivers a giant tray of food to the last car that arrived? Why did I sit for over 45 mins waiting for a sloppy Joe, onion rings and a shake? As I finally had enough and pulled away I see another employee walking out with my order??? Where was this employee the entire time? Why do I want food that's been sitting around for how long? I was working in my car and didn't notice how much unecessary time had passed. It's 2024. You should hire competent, friendly people who treat everyone the same. The way she treated me is entirely different than the way she treated the cars around me. Never ever again. read more

It's Swenson's. Why hasn't DDD been here yet?! Best burgers in the US of A!! Love the old school service!!

Love love love this location!!! The staff is always so friendly and kind! The food is always fresh and cooked to perfection! The parking lot is always clean and I'd recommend this location to anyone looking for a quick lunch or a sweet treat! read more

andrew is very accepting of all kinds of people and made me feel welcomed in this establishment. GIVE THIS YOUNG MAN A RAISE!!!!!!! read more

Swensons Drive-In - smile if you like d**ck - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

Fun environment the service was great. The food is really good especially for fast food. I love the chicken sandwich. The fried mushrooms as well. Their tots were amazing too. If your looking for a good milkshake look no further. read more

Swensons Drive-In - Chicken sandwich. - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

First time ever eating there. Thought it would be a good treat.. it honestly was so subpar that I'm extremely disappointed. Paid $17 for a burger, onion rings, a drink, and 6 chicken fingers. The service was so over the top though, that I thought it would be really good. The manager of the store even came out and greeted me, and gave me a free frozen fried cheesecake. I didn't even like it, and I love cheesecake. Onion rings were edible. Burger was REALLY disappointing, I couldn't believe it. So I tried the fingers, and just.. no. They were chewy kind of like rubber and just gross. I really liked the customer service, it was like I was at a fancy restaurant rather than a fast food joint, but it definitely does not make up for the food tasting so gross. I'll never go again and I'm mad that I wasted $17 read more

Swensons is a very unique fast food joint. I find it pretty fun to watch the workers literally run to your car. The service is very fast, as soon as you turn on your headlights which signal the workers that you are ready to be served, there is someone instantly running towards your car. I ordered the potato teezers, chicken sandwich and a chocolate peanut butter banana milkshake. The potato teezers are my favorite part, they are almost like a jalapeño popper tater tot. I highly recommend you get them if you go. The chicken sandwich left much to be desired. The chicken was rubbery and after about two bites I threw it away. The friend that I was with ordered the galley boy and loved it! The milkshake was great, even though they forgot the banana part of it! Overall good experience! read more

Swensons Drive-In - Chicken sandwich - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

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Unsure what about tonight but we ordered the deep fried cheesecake and the chocolate sauce that comes with it was not closed all the way. The chocolate covered all of our food, thankfully our food was fine but the bag was a mess. Not sure how that could have been missed when packaging. Please get it together. read more

Just drove by to see if they were open and was surprised that they were. Wasn't too crowded. Soon as we parked guy coming running to our car and greeted us!! Super fast and we needed a minute. Came back soon as light was turned on. Took out order and we were in and out in no time!! Love the fast service!! Food was Hot and delicious!! So glad it is open now. Keep up the great service!! I've been to other ones and had gotten slow service and not so Hot food. Thank you!! read more

To cut to the chase, I will say I was not blown away by the food at my first visit. Having been on keto most of this year (2019), I have discovered that the tastiness of a burger is paramount when you are ordering it bunless. The beef itself wasn't bad, but I don't feel like it warrants a return visit for us. I would give the beef alone 3 stars. As far as other aspects of our visit went, it was fun. It's a pretty simple concept: You turn on your headlights when you want to place your order or you need something else and someone comes to help very quickly. The servers are amazing, all running around to get and deliver orders. It's not always the same server, but it doesn't matter, all of them were attentive, friendly, and helpful. I give them 5 stars for the concept and quality of servers. I will say their burgers *sound* good from the menu. By default, they normally seem to include some kind of unique sauce that could be very tasty (we avoid those because they most likely include sugar). So perhaps you have to get a burger here as designed to really enjoy it. So based on the great service and the fact that we ordered something non-standard, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and 4 stars. read more

Overpriced for smashed down puny hamburgers. Not crazy about tipping at a fast food restaurant.

This is the worst location. Very slow, poorly managed staff tonight. This has been a consistent occurrence for some time so will not be returning. read more

Super quick good quality drive in fast food. If your a Vegetarian ask about their veggie burger. It's not on the outdoor menu sign but they have it and it's delicious. read more

Swensons Drive-In - Menu - Fast Food Near Me - New Albany, Ohio

Service is awesome always hot the one in Gahanna is the best one to me . Love the onion rings and trying the shake for the first time .

I strongly recommend swensons, everytime i come here i ask for Tristan. He makes my time easy and has a great attitude!