You can get almost anything at the Beacon. Chili Cheese was my go to when younger, but in my old age I go a little healthier with a Worlds Fair (Ham and Turkey) or a sliced pork with heavy red sauce. I love the onion rings, and this is the only place where I still drink sweet tea. The people are always nice too. read more

Been on my radar for years and taking a trip to Chareston Sc was my chance to side trip to Spartanburg sc and to see this historic eatery. The typical double burger takes on a new definition it's not one Burger with two patties it's two cheeseburgers piled on top of each other what a meal and a half. To be around as long as they have you know they're doing something right and you just have to stop in and try it and you'll see how everything is done right. The service is on spot from the man who for decades have repeated your order to the staff behind them and they get it right I was totally Blown Away and I eat at a lot of restaurants and I've had in 72 years a lot of hamburgers and this is the first one that just totally put me in my place. read more

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Greasy flavorless food. It was better back in the day but now it's only if you have the taste for it. Or like it

asked for a lunch special and got a damn "A plenty" ended up being 20 bucks burger was horrible ketchup was watery only thing good was the tea I wouldn't recommend to eat here unless you have a horrible taste and a pocket full of money. listening skills 0/10 Cooking 0/10 service horrible lower than 0 read more

Awesome Veggies plate staff friendly restaurant is very clean tables & restrooms read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

Food, fantastic! The burger was overwhelming & definitely a plenty. My husband finished it, but regretted his life choices after it put him in a sleep coma. My fish was seasoned perfectly & the coleslaw was homemade. The green beans had chunks of ham in it & was greasy with ham juice, so you know big mama cooked that. The beans tasted just like ham. The service was funny. There's a guy that takes your order by screaming it to the back. Then you're told to grab a tray & go on down the line. They get your food out pretty quick, but it's fresh. The ambiance is to be desired, but it's definitely a greasy spoon spot but definitely worth it. read more

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The Beacon is Spartanburg's gem. It's diner style and super local. Yes, the food is greasy. That's the point. You get a heaping pile of onion rings. Way too many to eat! The burger had too many little chewy pieces (you know those pieces you spit back out) that I didn't love but the taste was still good. Fries were fine. The servers/cooks were all so nice. You order down a line and take a lunch tray. I had no idea what to do and they helped direct me. Lots of local decor and seating (indoor and outdoor). read more

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Waited 20 years to visit. It was worth the wait. True South Carolina hospitality. Service was quick. Cheeeseburger was good but Mac and cheese tasted like mama's. A-plenty on one plate will feed two people. It was a blast from the past. read more

This place is a classic. Inside and how the whole set up is just exactly how you picture it. You order what you want and they yell it across the restaurant. You go down like a cafeteria and wait on your food. The portions are huge. Not healthy whatsoever but its ok if it's not all the time. Burgers with chili and onion rings are a must. Lots of places to sit. Plenty of parking. You won't regret it! read more

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When I walk in and look at all the nasty finger prints all over the doors it triggers me to look everywhere. Someone send the health department asap! read more

We go to the Beacon every year for our anniversary. We got married in Spartanburg a month prior to our religious wedding. I had to go to work so we stopped at the beacon for food. 14 years and still going. Chili cheese aplenty is a staple. The lemonade is good as well. We got the bbq mixed plate also this year. I wasn't as impressed with it. The meat was dry. I love the slaw!! Great tasting and sweet. Know what you want before you step up for them to "call it". Everyone is friendly and fast service even when busy. Saturdays are packed for lunch but there are lots of dining rooms. Extra ice and tea are in each room. Also condiments and plastic ware. Try the ice cream sundae!! You can't go wrong!! Next time I'm trying the chicken stew because I hear it's great. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Double chili cheeseburger mixed bbq plate on the left. "aplenty" = half fries and onion rings. Pecan pie - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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A Retro Trip Back in Time Walking into this spot that originally opened in 1946 feels like stepping straight into a time machine--right back to the diners of the 1950s and '60s, before fast food chains popped up on every corner. The place oozes simple nostalgic charm. The menu has the classics: burgers, hot dogs, chili, fries, onion rings, grilled cheese, and chicken fingers. Think greasy spoon fare--simple, unpretentious, and definitely not for the health-conscious. The burgers are not grass-fed gourmet beef- more likely frozen patties, thin and lightly (if at all) seasoned. It's the kind of food that tastes like it came straight out of a different era. The decor is retro fun, with tiny orange fiberglass booths that harken back to a time when seating was built for slim silhouettes. We ended up at a table with a red-and-white checkered tablecloth. The air conditioning was refreshing on a 96 degree summer day. What really stood out was the service. The staff was friendly, helpful, and impressively fast. They added warmth to the overall experience and made us feel welcome. Would we go back? Probably not--but we're glad we tried it. It's more of a quirky, nostalgic detour than a go-to dining spot, but if you're in the mood for a greasy trip down memory lane, it's definitely worth a visit. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Beacon cheeseburgers "a plenty" with slaw on the burger, fries, onion rings piled high - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

Absolutely nothing like it. as a n NY native, this place is a gem. I love how they take the orders and the food was amazing. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - The menu - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

The food was delicious and the customer service was amazing. You cannot leave without getting some ice cream. I had the cheeseburger , Mac and cheese and tater tots. Yes a weird combo but wanted to try some favorites locals told me about. The place is nicely decorated and has some hometown charm to it. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

What an experience. This place is truly an icon in this area. The building looks like it is six Wendy's put together. We entered and looked down the LONGGGG serving line. Jerry (I think that's right) took our order and shouted it to the back. We weren't sure what all we were supposed to tell Jerry and he didn't ask many questions so we just went with it. You grab a tray and start the journey to the register. The next step is dessert options. Then your order is filled and placed on your tray...kinda. There were quite a few mistakes on the order before mine so that lead to yelling up and down the order line for clarification. Again, an experience to be sure. Next is drinks. We weren't sure if you just grabbed one or ordered one. Apparently if you want tea or lemonade you just take one. Finally you pay. There are lots of different seating areas. We settled in with our hot dogs a-plenty. We both ordered our dogs with chili and mustard but one of them had onions on them. The hot dogs were good. It's a drier chili so kinda seasoned ground beef but it had good flavor. Let's talk about the fried things. For me, both the onion rings and fries that came with the a-plenty were super undercooked. While plentiful, they lacked any crunch and just were dripping in oil. My friend and I both remarked that we would have loved half as many fries/o-rings if they could have been cooked twice as long. Did we still each most of them? Sure. But it was a major gut bomb even though we split the order. I'd bring someone here just so they could say they've done it. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Can't miss it. - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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Places like this are part of why I'm alive. These are the places that don't just feed your tummy, they feed your soul! Daaaamn this was amazing. No exaggeration, one of the best burgers I've ever had in my life, and buried in homemade onion rings and fries "a-plenty" (with just the right amount of grease). Don't even get me rambling on the peach cobbler and sweet tea ... pretty sure I just saw Jesus behind the counter and put on 15 lbs. If you're anywhere near Spartanburg, SC and you don't stop here? Then man you're just not doing life right. I literally had to go behind the counter to shake Jesse's hand. This is a must have, 10 outta 10, highly recommend. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - JC Burger A-Plenty, large Beacon Tea, pork cracklins, Cup Peach Cobbler. - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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I am hoping this place was better when Guy Fieri was there. The cheeseburger was over cooked, the onion rings and fries were undercooked and it smelled like dirty moldy stagnant water. The tea was even overdone. Not sure how people can even eat this stuff. Too many other good places to try. Don't waste your time. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

We stopped here for a quick lunch/pit stop. I had actually never been here before but had ordered before when visiting family. It was an amazing experience. The staff were so personable and kind. I also loved that their kids meals came with a token they could have turn in for an ice cream. We didn't take advantage of that this time, but thought it was a nice touch. It definitely gives you that old school diner feel, and the food was very fresh and got great reviews all around. Definitely a spot you don't want to miss out on if you're passing through! read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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Food was awful. Had the Beacon burger. Just a nasty frozen patty with cheese and coleslaw. Wife hate her plain burger with just cheese. Just bad bad quality of food. read more

Location Southwest Spartanburg Atmosphere Historic restaurant-established 1946 Service Menu on the wall, service at the counter. Friendly staff. First order food, then drinks, then pay- seating after Seating Outside tables, inside booths and tables-4 areas plus outside. Food and beverage Tea, sweet tea, lemonade. Wide variety of meats, fish, sides, sandwiches, salads. "A-plenty" is two handful's of fries and onion rings piled on top of whatever is ordered. Also saw "a-plenty" with fish and chicken fingers on top. We had the catfish-ordered 2 piece but got 3 with green beans, cole slaw-garnished with a slice of tomato and a side of okra(could've been warmer). The fish was whole fish friend- not heavily breaded-very tasty-cooked perfectly. The green beans definitely are well seasoned-so good. The coleslaw is not creamy-fyi. Beverages-tea, sweet tea, lemonade, Tiger Woods ( aka Arnold Palmer) Summary Historic Spartanville establishment. Fried food, great burgers and a-plenty-fries/onion rings on the side. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Catfish x 3, green besns, Cole Slaw - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

Aplenty! Yeah aplenty of greasy grease on everything. Greased up handrails and tables and chairs.

Visiting from California my brother & I were greeted warmly by Steve as we placed our order. He continued to make sure we were well taken care of all the way to the ice cream bar. A very friendly face made the best hot fudge sundae ever. Thank you Beacon for a memorable visit. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Beacon Hospitality - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

So this is my first visit to an iconic location that was featured on Triple D (Diners, Drive-In's, and Dives for the uncultured, lol)! Ok, so a piece of honesty, this place is not for the faint of heart...or the bougie. This is not any type of 5 star meal experience. This place is grimey! So upon entering, there is a seating area to your right, an iced cream area, then to your immediate left is the menu on the board. There is a gentleman who you will see at the counter and as you tell him your order, he yells it out to the cooks! My homegirl and I was scared, lol! They were so super nice! We didn't know how things worked in here. A man in line in front of us paid for our food because we were so green and that was funny to us but very welcomed. We ordered chili cheese burgers and I got fries and she got the "plenty" and boy is it plenty. It is fries and onion rings mixed together. A greasy mess! We ordered two Arnold Palmers and headed to the car after checking out. Their sweet tea and lemonade was sooo good! The food was very good. Again, the onion rings are greasy!!!!! I mean greereeaaaaasssssyyyyy! The whole place is greasy but the food was good. Nothing more to say on that! We also ordered some chicken stew. It wasn't my speed but I heard plenty of people order it. If you are every in the mood for some good greasy food, swing by here. They also sell seafood as well. Delicious burgers! Yummy fries! Great drinks! Great service! Don't let it fool you! read more

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One of those places You must experience at least once. Service with a smile and hot fresh food. Seating areas could use an update yet it is part of the drive in experience. read more

I don't know what to say. $32 for 2 people and the food was nasty. What are the burgers made of? Onion rings and fries greasy and limp. Totally inedible. Think goodness for ketchup that let us get a few bites down. The food looked good and staff was friendly. read more

How could I not? The tail end of my 1800 road trip, I stopped here for a burger and was completely satisfied. The Beacon probably hasn't changed much in fifty years. They accept credit cards and they have plastic trays with styrofoam plates. And that's probably the only modern enhancements in the 21st century. Enter from the left, place your order, receive your order, pay for your order, find a seat. It's not hard. They don't quite have coronavirus precautions here (most customers wearing masks, staff wearing masks, limited separation in queue, as of July 2020) but they have marked off half of the tables and removed the stock from the condiment stations. So keep that in mind if you're headed out. I decided to go all in with wrecking my keto diet and got a chili cheeseburger and onion rings. It was delicious. Absolutely nothing fancy here. Griller burger with a slice of cheese and a mess of chili on a plain bun. Onion rings were a hit - these are real hand-battered onion rings and no messing about. Perfect in their imperfections. Overall, a delicious meal that was quite inexpensive and enjoyable. I'd just prefer they tighten up on the COVID stuff. [Review 13642 overall, 961 of 2020, round number 600 in South Carolina.] read more

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I've seen the Beacon featured on Triple D on Television several times but haven't ever had a chance to stop in. Wednesday, coming back from Illinois, we got off of I-26 and had lunch. Weren't sure what to order, but I guess the the Chili Cheeseburger "A-Plenty" is the thing to order ( according to a regular sitting at a table nearby. So I ordered the A-Plenty and my wife just had a chili cheese burger. Basically it's a regular hamburger, cheese, chili on top (not overpowering), on a regular old bun. Then heaped on top of it is French fries and fried onions. The onions looked great. The hamburger was nothing special. Same with the bun...just a flattened old regular white bun. The chili was more like a hot-dog chili without a lot of beans, so it didn't take much away from the burger. The guy serving drinks said they had the World Famous sweet tea....the best. I don't know about that., but it was a good tea. Quite a place...place your order, and the old guy "Holler's" out your order. I guess it's a nostalgia place. They do have a ton of stuff on the menu. I doubt if I'll go back, but if I do I'll probably try some of their fish. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Chili Cheese Burger - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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This restaurant is under new management. Please check out my lunch plate picture! O,My, GOsh! I had a cheeseburger a-plenty and was it huge and delicious! I call this a heart attack on a plate because everything is either fried or deep fried. Healthy? No way! Delicious? Absolutely! Not to mention quite filling!This feast was 12.51 with tea! Not bad when you consider that you don't have to leave a 5 or 10 dollar tip. No tipping here!To the best of my knowledge onion rings like these can't be found around here anywhere! I can't believe I ate the whole thing! I most likely won't have an appetite until sometime tomorrow! I love the Beacon passionately and highly recommend it to anyone who is not concerned about their health! read more

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I saw that this was on Triple D. Well that means nothing. In a wonderful world nice of restaurants to choose from, this place just doesn't stack up. The guy taking orders is as impersonal as a person could be. Other staff was tolerable but not overly friendly. The burger was edible, and that's about all I can say. The onion rings were greasy, limp and borderline inedible. The fries were ok. The establishment was outdated, and overall had a dirty look to the ceiling, windows and vents. If this joint was impressive that ship sailed long ago. The sweet tea was good and I guess that's enough for them to get the one star review. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Sloppy, sub par food. - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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My wife and I were disappointed with the Beacon Drive-In. This was our first visit and we did not know how to order or what to expect. This would help explain the $28.30 bill. My wife ordered a hamburger A-Plenty and I ordered a hamburger with onion rings. My wife got her burger with fries and onion rings while mine included the burger and a double order of onion rings. We are seniors and one of us should have ordered just a burger. The burger tasted OK, but it was nothing memorable. The onion rings were lightly coated and quite mushy while the fries were again, just OK. The workers along the buffet line were friendly and helpful but the seating area was a bit run-down. For my burger dollar, there are better choices than the Beacon Drive-In. read more

Don't believe the hype... very unprofessional restaurant and very dirty.... Food is mid/alright atmosphere is not good either. Half of their restaurant doesn't even have a/c... I spent 60$+ dollars on the meal and I did not enjoy it. Tight seats you cant adjust and everyone has a terrible attitude don't go here terrible experience. read more

This was horrible all around. We should have listened to the horrible yelp rating, the lack of cars in the parking lot on a Saturday night, and even the dirtiness of the restaurant should of turned us away but we were determined to try the place that was once great, and that was on dinners, drive ins and dives. Our food was like warm to cold, nothing we ordered had any flavor at all. The burger was so cold, the cheese was still solid that was on it (my biggest pet peeve. The feeling from the staff was that they were more annoyed we were there. The ambiance was senior citizens galore who couldn't taste if there was flavor in the food or not. read more

No. Go elsewhere. We got a lot to try it and was disappointed in all except the chicken stew and Mac and cheese. The beacon burger is huge but not great tasting. No seasoning on the burger. The chili cheeseburger was disgusting. The chili reminded me of dog food. I had 2 bites and was done. The fries and onion rings were soggy. I'm guessing they sat under a heat lamp for a long time. The tiger woods (Arnold Palmer) was very good. For $32 the meal was a terrible waste of money on bad fast food. I tried it, I won't be back. read more

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Service was spectacular. Line of customers but had orders prepared very quickly. Enjoyed some nice comfort food. Burgers lived up to all I have been told. Peach cobbler, peacan pie, and macaroni and cheese all were that made from scratch homemade wonderfully delicious! read more

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Was wonderful. The older gentleman taking the orders made the whole experience. Highly recommend just to hear him and the cooks jatter back and forth. Can't wait to go again read more

I chose the club sandwich that cost $10 and it had market lunch meat I could have bought myself at any grocery store. John White is rolling over in his grave and the once famous restaurant now a Spartanburg joke. The new owners are trying to get rich by sacrificing quality and quantity. I spoke with one of the owners once about my order that was messed up and he did make it right, but he did so while being very rude. I don't go there any longer. read more

3 Stars for the food, 5 Starts for being a really interesting place to visit. 5 Stars for friendly service, 5 Stars for value. Oh boy...where do I actually start? This place has been open since 1946 and is a local/tourist place to visit as you'll see how the food is ordered once you tell the front man what you'd like; he basically calls it out the cook like which somehow understands what was just said and then your food magically gets put together and is waiting for you on the end. If you venture off to check out their posted photos, you'll see how this has been a staple for this town, serving some pretty important people and even a past president. Food quality here is basically a 3, so don't expect any gourmet tasting burger you'd expect from ground short rib meat and prime cuts. This food is sitting on the grill waiting for you to come in and when people do, you'll hear a: "AND THEY KEEP COMING IN" which is code for load up your baskets with onion rings fries and fill up your grill with burger patties. It's something to behold and even if the food here is just mediocre, it's still a fun place to visit while you're in town. 3/5 Double Cheeseburger "A-Plenty" $10.25 I ordered a double cheese burger and it came loaded with fries and onion rings to the point that there's no way 1 person can finish them. It was your typical beef patty which was nothing special really, but just huge. read more

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The employees are 6 star friendly. Very welcoming. Very kind. By far they were the best part of the visit. Beyond that, this place needs a deep, deep, deep clean. Yes, someone was waking around wiping tables, but it would appear that's where the cleaning stops. The windows, doors, floors, public spaces just all look untouched by time - and not in a good way. The food was fine. I wanted to love the onion rings, but there was a strange floury taste to them that I couldn't get past. Also, the general level of filth kind of made me lose my appetite so that could have been it also. Tried a bite of my son's Beacon burger and it was tasty. My club sandwich was fine. Nothing great. I can see if you grew up coming here, the cleanliness and condition of the building might not bother you, but I wouldn't come back. read more

The Beacon Drive-In - Beacon burger - Burgers Near Me - Spartanburg, South Carolina

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Portio. Portion portion! A Spartanburg staple for sure. Must try the Hash-a-plenty We frequently drive up from Atlanta just for The Beacon. And you have to get the sweet tea read more

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You are not officially a Spartanburger ( what people who live in spartanburg are called) till you eat at the Beacon. It is a really cool experience. The service is really nice. You can see them making your food. The dining area still has the original orange booths. I am vegetarian, so I couldn't eat the burgers, but I got fries and onion rings, and they were very good. The onion rings aren't your typical onion rings, but they are still good. For desert, I got a banana split. It was soon good! They have something called pigs food, which is 25 scoops. Looks like death on a plate......... This is a fun place, and everyone in Spartanburg once in their lives. read more