Carl’s Drive-In — Restaurant in Brentwood

A classic drive in with TWO indoor counters (not a car hop).

All the cooking is in the middle so whichever side (east or west) you enter is where you'll sit. There is a patio table on the eastern side and maybe another round back. Parking on three sides I believe. Newly paved, and the exterior looks fresh too. Classic worn laminate diner counter with clean red counter stools. On the east side a stool can move and should be accessible for a wheelchair to pull up.

I've seen parents split a double burger with their toddler which makes sense as kiddos eat only a little. And a double is a good sized burger. (Or between a pair of kiddos. Bigger kids will likely want their own single.)

When we order for two it's about the same as our total at McDonalds. Fries and onion rings with 2 double cheese burgers (plus our favorite toppings) and a root beer float we split, with tip is about $30.

Burger is a fresh smashed ground beef patty dressed with onion, pickle, and something else. They also usually have some chips and they're known for there milkshakes and floats.

Obviously a better experience than McDonalds, service is so fast, servers are always super nice here and we almost always share a laugh with them or another customer which is nice.

Try to seat yourself from the wall in so if another party enters there's no gaps or need to scoot. Coat hooks for the winter. Great place to go, always...

I visited Carl’s for the first time today during COVID, so I’ll have to go back once things are back to normal and actually dine in. During COVID, you pull up and call the number posted on the door to place your order, then they bring it out to your car and you pay with cash.

My wife and I ordered a triple cheeseburger, a double hamburger, and an order of large fries to share. It was about $17, so I gave a $20 and we went to eat at a nearby park.

My triple cheeseburger was very good. Some have claimed that Carl’s has the best burger in St. Louis, but I consider Shake Shack, Mac’s, and Hi-Pointe to all be superior. Still, it’s a great burger for fans of smashburgers.

The large fries were disappointing. The bag, which wasn’t very big to begin with, was half full (see photo). They were decent, but very plain – think McDonald’s fries without the salt. My wife had ketchup with her fries and thought the ketchup tasted off – more acidic than the Heinz we usually eat.

Anyway, like I said, the burger was very good and I look forward to returning once I can dine in and get a famous frothy mug of root beer to go along with my burger. I’ll definitely get cheese fries next time as well to liven...

OK,,,,,,,,,,, it just doesn’t get better than Carl’s. I started going to Carl’s when I was 12 years old (nearly 60 years ago). My first job was across the street at a Baptist recreation center. Every night, after getting off work, I used to go to Carl’s for a burger and fries. Carl, the owner then, would ask me if I wanted a “Beer”. (Not a real beer, obviously, but a cold IBC Root Beer in a cold frosted mug. DELICIOUS!!!! Carl knew how to cater to the kids of the neighborhood. Just by simply calling a Root Beer a “Beer”. The food today, in 2021, is just as delicious. Everything is cooked to order, right in front of you. (At least it was before Covid 19). Now you can order by calling their phone number and they will bring it out to your car. It’s incredible how an extremely small family owned restaurant can survive for all of these years. It’s because they take pride in their history and have a passion of serving their customers. On historic Route 66, this has to be on your radar when in St. Louis. LOVE IT!! I now live in Central Missouri (3 hours away), but always include a stop at Carl’s when traveling...