Clarence's Drive In — Restaurant in Erwin

Drove approx 30 minutes to enjoy this local mom n pop as I had several times before. I sat and waited to be seated as standing sign suggested. Two couples came in and ignored sign selecting choice tables. I stood up and informed cashier that i needed a table and had lost my place in line. She pointed to a table directly in front of her and front resturant window. "Go sit there" she barked. I said the sun would blind us. She then said " well go sit in the parking lot". I said excuse me. She then said, "Im kidding, find yourself a seat, any seat". Perturbed, I found a seat. I turned to see this cashier discussing me with another server. I then returned to the cashier and advised i thought she could improve on her professionalism and etiquacy in the resturant business. She laughed at me and again said she was kidding and I could leave as she wasnt going to argue. I told her i would attempt to advise the owner, she them exclaimed she was the owner. No attempt was made to apologize My last of several trips to Clarence Drivein ! In this mom n pop business... if the said cashier is truly the owner... rudeness and lack of interest should serve to erase this long standing family resturant from longevity going forward.

Sad that even in our small communities, hate seems to be growing...

My wife and her parents ate at Clarence's on 11/13/20. We drove from Greeneville to Erwin to hopefully enjoy a cheese burger and fries at Clarence's. We had visited Clarence's a few times previously and had really enjoyed fresh hot burgers on soft buns with generous portions of fries. Not sure what has happened in the past few months, but on this visit we were told it would be 20-25 minutes which was ok because we were expecting a good meal. When we received our order I asked for extra ketchup and was told there was"plenty" in the bag which equals a single pack per order of fries. The burgers appeared to have been made some time before and redheaded in a clamshell griddle and then the toppings thrown at it. The burgers ended up looking like something out of yesterday's leftovers and the fries were barely warm to boot. I don't know if they have been bought out or they're living on their old reputation but it is clear they don't care about quality anymore. Eat there at your own discretion, but you have...

What a gem!!! The epitome of down-home! We were driving down I-26 toward Atlanta and saw the sign for Clarences. Let's give it a try. We're glad we did. First thing you notice - the place is jammed with locals. Always a good sign. Second, nice, friendly people. Third, a really hefty menu. We wanted to try everything. Tough choices. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus. Everything from Catfish to Reubens to cheeseburgers and on. So we tried the hot dog (because I was in the mood for a dog, okay?). Average. They should use a better dog, in my a opinion, and char it a bit. French fries: crinkle cut; good but not quite crispy enough. Chuckwagon sandwich - awesome! The veal was tender and the sandwich was well-balanced. Turkey Club - another winner, and an ample portion. Warning: this is NOT a fast-food drive-through, but the wait (15 minutes) is well worth it. I noticed that some regulars call in their orders and then just swoop in! Next time: the Reuben and...