Sonic Drive-In — Restaurant in Athens

Usual service is slow but acceptable. However my most recent visit (Thurs 9/1/22) was ridiculous. Carhops were very lacking in customer service and not taking any initiative or responsibility. I ordered thru the app. Pulled into stall 16. After checking in on the app, we overheard someone having to press the red button to get straws for their drinks. An employee answered it'd be a few mins since they're short staffed and backed up. For straws? 🤨 I felt that was kinda rude and ridiculous. Should have been my warning I guess. 🤦 When I was brought an order, the drinks were right but food was wrong. Carhop took food back but never came back. We flagged down another carhop and then even the same original carhop with no results. They both just told us "Someone is working on it. They're super busy and backed up. We're short staffed. Other people are slacking and not paying attention". Not once did someone apologize or say they would personally check on it. Also, every carhop we saw was just moseying along - no hustle, like they had no care in the world, even though they were busy and backed up. 🙄 Finally after having been there almost an hour, I pressed the red button, just to be told that someone will have to remake the order. The original carhop girl then came out and I told her if they couldn't get the order to me in the next few minutes, then to cancel the order. She said she'd let them know. I waited 5 more minutes, no food and no one else told me anything, so I had had enough and left. I've worked in customer service and fast food service, so I'm usually very patient and understanding. I don't yell or cuss at service people. But I was highly disappointed and pretty mad when I left. I originally submitted my order at 5:25p and I left at 6:10p. I called the corporate customer satisfaction number when I got home later and got a refund for my order. But it'll be a good bit before I will go back to this location again (Athens TN)....

service was quick and employee was very friendly. We ordered 2 large Cokes but the drinks very flat and seemed to be watered down. Not cool at all Sonic. Sonic Drive -In is really going down hill fast. This specific location on Hwy 30 Athens, TN is pretty run down looking. Several of the drive in menu screens don't work and are missing parts of the screen, others look almost like they've been broken into. Many don't even have numbers on them so you can tell which stall number you are in. Come on now Sonic corporation, you can do better than this. I wish id taken pictures of all the things I'm taking about but I didn't realize the last straw would be the watery flat Cokes that would tip the scales enough to edit my earlier review. I'm upset that the last few times I've eaten at one of your Drive-ins the food was less than appetizing, appealing and most times inedible. I've called a couple times to complain about my order and to tell them they need to change the oil in the deep fryer or to tell them the ice cream is lumpy and tastes almost spoiled or they forgot to make my cheeseburger, plain with cheese only, and the reply almost always is you need to bring the food back and we will remake... Or some other nonsense answer. I buy the food then drive home to eat it so I don't want to get back out and run out gas just to get disappointed yet again. I never asked for anything I just wanted them to know what they wrong so the could fix it. It doesn't seem like any of the Sonic drive in restaurants care about quality anymore so I reckon I'll just take my business elsewhere . Sonic, your only saving grace is some of your friendly car hops... They are the only thing that I find positive about...

I go there every night after work, and order a double bacon cheeseburger, and ask for no lettuce and tomato everytime. Sometimes they'll get it right, sometimes they'll give me pickles and onions, which I'm not sure anymore if it comes on it or not or if I should always request to have no pickle and onions too, I tried saying no vegetables, so they didn't add onions pickle or tomato that time, still got lettuce for some reason on it. So I went again and same order, with no lettuce or tomato requested, everything was great, except my double bacon cheeseburger received no bacon at all this time. I dunno, I guess it depends on who's cooking that night, cause I don't know what goes on it or what counts as vegetables anymore, the times I come in are between 10-11pm usually, rarely busy those hours, so only explanation for the inconsistencies is probably the cook(s) that day. So I give it 3/5 mostly cause I can't give a 2.5 but if I had to choose, my experiences have been more positive than negative despite my rant, I just wish my food was made the same consistently, cause it's good, just always a mystery meal when I get it. Last thing, for some reason I ordered a foot long chili cheese dog, and got no chili or cheese, and a bunch of onions, relish, etc, checked my receipt, was charged as said chili dog, why didn't I look before I drove off? I dunno, I guess I thought I could trust people to make my order right after I pay them for it, that's my bad I guess, anyways, still 3/5, Food good when made right, service depends on night, but regardless, food is still made pretty quickly, maybe sometimes double check orders before sending out but that'd be like me not checking the bag before leaving...