Bill's Drive-In — Restaurant in Evanston Township

Just moved to the area and I stopped here for the first time. Initial impression of the building was I’m going to like this place. First indication of trouble may have been the $100,000 + Mercedes Benz in the parking lot indicating to me that it was not an old timey family business. Second indication of trouble was the sign on the window saying 25 cents extra for grilled onions. I went ahead and ordered a single, no cheese, and fries. The fries were great and I ate a bunch at the picnic tables out back. However, the burger was very small, very thin, and way overcooked. I paid over $8.00 for the two items. I’ll try them again to be fair, but plenty of other options out there to get a much better burger at the same. I did talk to another customer who said that there were new owners and prices went up way more than expected and quality of the food did not seem the same. Ok, stopped again to be fair. Impressions…Almost $8 for a dog & fries, very disinterested employees, the order waiting area was filthy, the eating counter was sticky and stained, garbage cans were overfilled and there was waste blowing in the wind, and the hot dogs are NOT VIENNA…and they taste like store bought Ballpark wieners. I will not return. Try it for yourself. I see a lot of the reviews that are about nostalgia. Nostalgia is...

Bills has a new owner. They had a new owner around 10 to 15 years ago. The previous owner kept the staff so they knew what to do. Not so this time. Ive been coming here since late 60s with my dad. I placed a large order on the telephone for pick up waited 10 mins in the car then went in. 1st no total quoted on the phone. 2nd the cook didn't realize I was there to pick up my order. Prices are a bit higher point of sale system has been updated. The food. Double cheese with everything, fries. Strawberry malt. Chocolate malt. Very disappointed in the burger and that is what bills is all about. Burger was overcooked to the point that the edges were crispy mo balance to the topping a little too much of everything obscured the cheese. The bun was old or at least it was left out. It wasn't soft it wasn't fresh as their buns always were. Fries were overcooked, hard not fresh. Anytime I've ever done a large order everything was fresh. Sadly I think Bills might be no more. They don't understand, they arent competing against anyone else. They are competing against Bills and the restaurants history, taste and service. I'm not sure I'd go back. Too bad sorry...

Okay, so we lived in this area for years before we found Bill's, driving past it on Asbury hundreds of times, but eventually we saw it reviewed on some TV show when someone we actually knew was interviewed there. Then we checked it out, and have returned ever since when we have wanted a taste of old school drive-in good grease. There are the smallish, thin burgers usually served as doubles or more, hot dogs, Polish sausage, real ice cream shakes, and FRENCH FRIES. Why do I shout about the fries? The thick cut frozen fries? Because if you know to order them "extra crispy" then those ordinary fries will be dropped into the oil while you watch and turned into something sublime... beyond potatoes. But you must begin eating them quickly because they wait for no one, and no ride. So here is the downside:. Bill's is take out only, no place to eat in. In nice weather you will see folks eating in the parking lot, but mostly you see folks running to their cars and scooting on out of there. This is only an occasional indulgence, but for old school (I have heard the number 50 years tossed around) they have been doing...