Drive up service?? YES PLEASE!! Great place and very nostalgic. Milkshakes are great!

I didn't grow up in the 50's I was a little bit after that, but I do remember when I was a kid sitting in the old school diners they had back in the day. Every time I go to this place it takes me back man, the fact you order your food on a telephone is just so wild! I love it. The food is always great, the staff is always friendly, the atmosphere I've already told you is so retro and wonderful, and the fact they have little Cadillac's for the kids meals that they eat out of is just too much! I will never stop coming to this place! read more

What a gem! My wife and I recently took a Saturday afternoon drive through beautiful, rural Virginia to give this place a try and boy, are we glad we did! We loved everything about this place; the nostalgic drive-in ordering, the friendly employees and owners, and oh yeah - the food! This place was awesome all around. Do you folks know how hard it is to find a real corn dog these days?! My wife had a mushroom & Swiss burger that was greasy nirvana... and after stuffing yourself with made to order burgers and crinkle cut fries, don't dare leave without topping off your meal with a "Wrights Wheelie" dessert...A glazed donut topped with ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate fudge!! Look, I don't care that this lunch probably shaved a few months off my life span; I feel like I already died and went to heaven! Worth the drive from Reston? Hell yeah! read more

The carhop lives! You don't see too many of these around anymore, but there is one in Staunton. You can either stay in your car or go in the restaurant Either way you order via phone. They have the traditional hamburgers (normal sized like McDonalds, not supersized like a gourmet restaurant) and hot dogs and other sandwiches. We were really impressed by the sides - potato tots, onion rings, and even the crinkle cut fries. I usually don't like crinkle cut fries because some places don't get them crispy enough but these were good. Everything was fried to perfection which is bad for your arteries but good for your tastebuds. I'm glad I got to try this place out! It made me think of the A&W Root Beer drive thrus we have in MN...but this is more authentic. The prices are very reasonable and the service was good. Bonus for moms - they have changing tables. This has become a new criteria for me after changing the baby on a bench. read more

I stopped here with my family on a road trip to Smith Mountain Lake. Approximately 5 minutes from Route 81 - It's a fifties-style soda shop/diner. They offer both curb-side & dine-in service. The staff is friendly & the restaurant is clean. We enjoyed a patty melt, Monster burger (Wright's original), bacon cheeseburger, Tater tots & a Wright's special beef sub. Everything was very good but the tots were outstanding - maybe the best I've ever had! Further, we had a root beer float, raspberry milkshake & chocolate milkshake - all exceptional. My husband says the root beer float made him sad when it was over. :) If you're looking for a fun place to stop along Route 81, stop here. Enjoy the jukebox, burgers, tots & shakes! read more

Three cars in the parking lot today at lunchtime. We all tried repeatedly to order but....hello? Nobody was home. We all finally left even though their website says they are open on Monday's. We are visiting from out of town, got here around 2:15pm Sunday and it's been a struggle to find somewhere to grab some food...on a Sunday after 2:00 and on a Monday. Frustrating. read more

In the 4 years since my initial review - I have been back several times. My family enjoys eating here and a lot has changed. The manager who seems to always be there (this guy has to work 60 hours a week) is fantastic. He does so much and you can tell. He cares and works hard. The atmosphere is so much better and the cleanliness too. I stand by my 1 star review from several years ago. However, for me they have turned it around tremendously. That manager has been key for Wright's. He definitely needs and deserves recognition from owner. read more

I really love Wright's Dairy Rite. I've only been there once, a year ago, on a visit from Charlottesville. My wife and got a hot dog, a cheeseburger with the works, fries, and a couple of iced teas. It was a wholly satisfying trip and meal. The order-by-telephone schtick is fun, the service prompt, the prices great, the food wonderfully greasy. (We walked in and got a table, rather than pulling up and ordering from the car.) The other customers were friendly, the staff happy to see us, the place was clean. Man, just writing about this place makes me want to hop in the car and drive the 45 minutes to return. I can't think of a fifties-style burger joint that I've enjoyed more. read more

I generally try to avoid stopping at chain restaurants when I'm traveling, so I can check out more interesting places instead, but Interstate 81 in Virginia is a pretty brutal stretch of road to try to find a local spot. This place definitely satisfied my urge to go somewhere interesting, but the food was pretty lacking. First of all, I noticed that it's a drive-in. I don't understand drive-ins. They provide literally no benefit over a drive-thru, only you feel as if you have to tip. It was insanely cold out, so I was prepared to continue my (seemingly futile) search for somewhere to check out in Staunton. Then, I saw that you could go inside, and I was sold. Once inside, you notice that there are phones by every table, with instructions for how to order your food with the phone. We figured that there was no way the food was actually ordered this way, so we sat around for 5 minutes with our menus closed waiting for someone to come take our order. Other tables appeared to have waitresses. Nope, you actually are supposed to use the phone, and once you've done that, you acquire your waitress. I don't know why they do it this way at all, but it's sort of quaint that apparently they've done it the same way since 1952. Apparently the place has had the same menu in the exact same location for almost 60 years now, and I certainly appreciate that. The issue is that the food is no better than McDonald's or Wendy's. Of course, due to the quaint location, it's much more pleasant to be in Dairy Rite than a fast food spot, but the food is fast food quality. The good news is that it's fast food priced as well, though. The burger I got that tasted literally exactly the same as a Big Mac was 3 bucks, as was the footlong chili dog with slaw I ordered. Fries and onion rings were cheap, but not good. My girlfriend fashions herself an onion ring connoisseur and felt pretty sick after eating theirs - "way too greasy." The chili dog with slaw was actually pretty damn good, and if I lived around the corner, I would eat them fairly often, I imagine, but the rest of the stuff? No. Anyway, I'm glad I went once but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to come here again. ...Staunton is pretty out of my way. read more

Love the dinner! Cute and timely, love the authentic feel! Wish there were more old fashioned restaurants like this around! Food was very good. LOVE the hot fudge cake! Only problem I had was my waiter hit on me a bit too much. Slid me his number without asking if I wanted it. But this certainly won't keep me from going back! Such a great place :) read more

Stopped in for a milkshake after dinner in the town and it was wonderful. Milkshake made it to the car in maybe a minute. Very cute place, will definitely come back next time I am around. read more

This place is like stepping into the past!! Founded in 1952 and not changed at all! We sat in the section where you used a phone to call in your order. Hubby had a double cheeseburger with crispy crinkle cut fries which he enjoyed. I ordered a club which was good as well. Mostly we enjoyed the unique ordering, old menus, and the feel of the 50s! We would stop here again! read more

Great burgers and tots. What a fun blast to the past, calling in your order with a diner vibe.

My son was thrilled with his chicken tender kids meal that arrived in a Carolina blue Thunderbird car. The grilled cheese sandwich with good is that remembered it was a child. My mom had a bacon Swiss burger and said it was delicious. read more

Wright's Dairy Rite - Wright's...it's what's for lunch. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Staunton, Virginia

This place is crazy good and unique. It was Swell in the 50s cool and out of sight in the 60s Rad and Boss in the 70s and is currently stuck in some sort of DR. Who time warp you will enjoy plus that the food is really good. read more

Very good hamburger Swiss mushroom, very good service highly recommend, some menu items maybe not available but all the food is good.

The place has gone downhill FAST. Food portions are way smaller than they used to be as the prices just skyrocket.

Wright's dairy rite is a beautiful original drive up restaurant which I believe contains the worlds best sliders. It is like petting a cat on a rainy fall day or drinking lemonade on a hot summer evening. You add those two amazing feelings together and multiply it by 100 and that is what it's like to visit Wright's dairy rite. read more

Me and my son had 2 super burgers fries,and two chocolate shakes. Everything was excellent. Service was excellent as well. Will be back!

Great place! Inexpensive old fashioned food. Orders made in house, with fresh ingredients. Crinkle cut fries, real fruit in milkshakes. Good customer service. Only complaint is the chocolate syrup in the chocolate milk shake but everything else was great! read more

I felt like I was sitting in the diner from Back to the Future. Burger was awesome, shake was awesome, and can't beat the experience. Keep these places alive! read more

Our granddaughters love to eat here. The food is always good and consistent. It is a fun atmosphere and there is a lot of variety on their menu, a little something for everyone. Picking up a "phone" and pushing buttons to dial in your order is a foreign concept for Gen Z'ers. read more

There is something special about Wrights, the food is amazing. I have eaten there a few dozen times and almost everything I have tried was good. If you want somewhere to take your family or even just a date it is not only reasonable but the atmosphere makes you take a step back. Be sure to soak it all in and enjoy yourself. read more

Great place. Stumbled upon it on a Saturday afternoon when they were having a car show with examples from every era. Even with the 100 or so cars and all the fans, the diner still served great food, well cooked, as quickly as could be expected. Definitely worth a try. read more

One of the best places you can eat! The burgers are fantastic, all the sides are amazing, and the sweet tea and milkshakes are out of this world! Some of my favorites are the onion rings, tater tots, and hot dogs all the way. The service is also super fast. Definitely give this place a try if you're ever passing through! read more

One of the last Diners. I hope this place is here forever. Less hippie- more regular population crowd. Must see.

Awesome local Staunton staple. Everything here is the old school real deal. The food is not the healthiest but tried and true 50s diner food. Good cheap burgers, crispy crinkle fries, and awesome milkshakes. You can eat in your car drive thru style or eat inside in their old school booths and listen to the jukebox. read more

Lived up to the great reviews and the guy at the counter so nice and helpful. I ordered take-out to bring back to our hotel, the Superburger was delicious, and the chili had a lot of chunks of terrific meat, homemade beef vegetable soup for my sick travel partner did the trick. We also tried the freezes made with orange soda and vanilla ice-cream and they did taste just like a creamsicle. They made sure we had all the utensils, etc. included with our order so no worries. read more

This place is good for either driving or sit down their service is not the fastest but their staff is always very friendly and helpful. Sometimes their food is not the most flavorful but it is expensive and the experience makes up for it. Especially for young kids sitting whether you're sitting inside and you get to call in your order on an old telephone or you drive in and have your food brought out to you. read more

Service and funnel cake fries were AWESOME! Ice cream is standard soft serve. I got a peanut butter coated cone. It was okay, but THOSE FUNNEL CAKE FRIES!!!! If the ice cream was a little more "Special" I'd have given it 4. You can get that kind of ice cream at McDonalds, tho. Oh, it appears they use cool whip instead of ready whip. We're not fans of oil, we prefer cream! Those things would have gotten it 5 stars. read more

Really nice diner. Like Leo C. says, it's one of the last original diners in the US. The food was OK but the company and ambience was really cool. read more

If you're looking for a throwback to the 1950s, this is it. A real drive-in with intercoms by the cars and everything! It was too hot to eat outside, so we opted for indoors and enjoyed it just the same. Great burgers (not run of the mill) and crinkle-cut fries. A very fun place with good snack food. read more

Historically important drive-in restaurant, with a decent burger and excellent onion rings. The "Superburger." consisting of two all-beef patties (excellent) special sauce, lettuce and tomato on a seseme seed bun, is said to have been offered here since before McDonalds was even open. We took our little French Bulldog and sat in the outdoor; service was quick but only reasonably friendly. read more

This place is great. They got the 50's and 60's music goin on inside on the jukebox and the people are friendly and helpful and the food is soooo good. I always get the BBQ with slaw and sweet potato fries. read more

For what it is I can't think of how to improve it. Ate here twice and the burgers are perfect as are the tots. Great service as well.

Not worth the hype anymore. Maybe it was something back in the day (1950 something) however they have really gone down hill. Wife ordered the famous Super Burger and to be honest, a Big Mac would have tasted and looked better. I understand a 20 minute wait on freshly prepared food however 45 minutes later (and the only ones in the place) is uncalled for. The charm is that is in the original location, the Statler Brothers once patronized it when they were active in the Country Music World (and they are from Staunton) however the building is really really showing its age. I am sure it is a fun factoid that a teenager working there today could probably say that his grandparents worked their when they were teenagers. Other than that, I'll pass. read more

Completely retro and nostalgic. If you go, you must have a malt, they are amazing. I'm a Mary Baldwin College girl, and when I go back to visit campus, Wright's is a must visit. Their staff is incredibly friendly, too. I recommend going after dark - there is some great neon - the place just glows. Add in the old music and the jukebox, how can you resist? It's been in business since 1952. I'd take this any day over a chain restaurant. This is something really special. I'm glad they're still around! read more

I love this place. Always feel guilty afterwards, but it's such a cool throwback to the 50s, and the food is tasty. Pretty good onion rings!

Classic 50's burger and ice cream shop. Order from your table or car by phone. Technology!!!

This place has been around for decades and is an homage to the way life used to be. I would love it if it was a bit closer to home but the drive it completely worth it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! read more