A&W Restaurant — Restaurant in Lodi

It's no different from the A&W Location in most parts of the Country, which is Unkool because it's in Lodi, California the town that is the starting place for Roy Allen's Rootbeer stand in 1919. They DON'T seem to care about being the best location, just the most modern money driven one. If you call them, they won't answer but put you on voice mail so they can supposedly "call you back". I was really hoping they would be PACKED like IN-N-OUT to NOT answer my phone calls after three times, but they weren't. I've worked at a MUCH BETTER AND BUSIER Diner where we didn't get the phone ring without answering it, EVEN during a RUSH or HOLIDAY CROWD when we were understaffed! So there's no EXUSES for them from me. They employees seem to all be dragging there Butts around unhappy which makes there costumer service poor because they aren't exited to be in the town where A&W started from give anyone mediocre service as they go through the motions to get your order and on to the next person. I learned from the Manager as well that this location as I seen on Google maps WAS, let me say that again WAS an A&W Drive-in hop restaurant. BUT the now current owner changed the hops into a solar panel Drive thru and car port. Now here's the thing out the Drive thru, if you look at the pictures I have up. You will see that it's not like other "fast food" Drive thrus, you go around the solar panels port to a menu board and speaker like usual, BUT once you place your order, you pull off closer to the building where you WAIT in your CAR for them to do a carry out FOR YOU to your car as they COME from the BACK door. Sound a lot similar to a DRIVE-IN Resturant to me EXCEPT you drive off once you get you food, BUT WAIT you can do they SAME after you order from a CAR HOP at the DRIVE-IN! they reason some so hacked is because it's HARD TO FIND stand ALONE A&W joints, then Put on top of that an original A&W DRIVE-IN! Why can't they have kept the spots where cars park NOW as Drive-in hops? Then you have the best of both worlds and DON'T throw away American tradition?? Or Just have it where you take down two Drive-in hop spots so there can be a Drive-Thru? Either way, it's the ONLY A&W in Lodi because Roy Allen's Rootbeer stand is GONE so it leaves this joint to uphold the standard for what you see in A&W. The reason they Took away a DRIVE-IN is because "times are changing and they need to keep up with the days now of business and get more money" so forget that it's HARD to find an A&W in a building BY ITS SELF now-a-days, FORGET that's Drive-in Resturant are an AMERICAN TRADITION, Forget that A&W business is doing good because they have MANY other locations but COULDN'T KEEP THIS ONE TRADITIONAL because they WANT MORE MONEY. A&W SHOULD have keep this a Drive-in Resturant with a new Drive thru, and they SHOULD have SAVED Roy Allen's Rootbeer stand on Pine St. I would only say that this location is good for looking at how GREAT A&W once WAS but NO LONGER IS. I didn't want any food here because for some reason A&W is notorious for putting hair in my food almost every time I order it. But for my cousin EVERYTIME at any location for some NASTY...

update: Thursday, July 31, 2025 PM

If it wasn’t the memorabilia and the root beer it would just be another hamburger joint. Certainly nothing different or unique about the food. Pretty much the same menu as you can get it any other burger joint. The root beer was good. And kudos to Vanessa. She actually seemed like she was happy to be there and provided good customer service. Thanks Vanessa! Not sure I would make a special trip to go back here. Maybe if I was shopping across the street and was hungry it might work out. ———————— This is the response I received from the owner of A&W in Lodi a couple of days after I posted my review of our visit there. I need to refute a couple of his statements!

Response from the owner 13 hours ago: “Thank you for posting the nice photos. Your comment about a BOGO offer is way off base. There are no A&W’s offering currently a Buy one get one free Papa combo special. Anywhere. Diet Root Beer tastes fine to us and the many crew people and customers who sampled it today. Bun to meat ratio depends on the sandwiches purchased. If you order a single meat patty burger your experience will be less than if you purchase a double burger (Which we recommend). Ideal bun to meat ratio. FyI our coney cheese dog is served with a knife and fork because we pile on the chili, cheese and onions. Don't know why you chose to get your hands in it.” My reply…… Considering the papa burger offer…you have a prominent sign on the counter that acknowledges that you do not participate in that offer so obviously you’re aware of it. Otherwise, there would not be a sign on your counter! Don’t tell me how the diet A&W tasted. I’ve been drinking soda for many decades and I’m aware of how soda tastes. That particular batch tasted, the best I can describe, like some kind of petroleum product or chemical. It definitely was not normal. If your employees consider that as .tasting fine. there’s something wrong! As far as eating a hotdog with a knife and fork… normal people pick up a hotdog and eat it. I don’t use a knife and fork for either a hotdog or hamburger. It was a total disaster that didn’t taste that great. And the bun to meat ratio issue. Of course the more meat you add proportionally the bun becomes less of the total. Lol Just accept that your operation is not perfect and it has its downfalls.

————————- WARNING: Do not order the diet root beer. It was terrible! Tastes like paint thinner!

They do NOT participate in the Tuesday Bogo, buy a papa burger combo , get one free. That’s the only reason we went there tonight. I don’t think we’re going to be back. Not impressed with the food. Average at best. The fries were OK and the root beer was OK. The hotdog smother in cheese and chili was a mess to eat. I had to wash my hands off in the bathroom when I was finished eating. Way too much bun in proportion to the rest of the hamburger. It says A&W on the sign. I don’t know how they’re all connected. If it’s A&W they should honor the promotions...

This place was a bit unusual. It was a half car hop service that was, like I said, unusual. We had a gentleman behind us that ordered a couple of milkshakes. He was stuck behind us in line. I figured that would happen, so I moved up and parked in one of the available spots. No way I'd let that guy sit there for my 20 minute to make order. I pulled up and not even 4 minutes later his drinks were there. I thought, "Well jeez, I'm glad I moved my car so he can get out."

I am 100% certain that noone ever lets anyone out. That seems like a pretty quick honking match that I'm not up for. Best to move out of line and park, so others can get out. Poor drive-thru design in my honest opinion.

I got the bacon burger.. it was a bacon burger...

They should just have people pull up out of the way. I can see why it wasn't as busy as I'm sure it should have been. A hot dog, bacon burger, double cheese burger, 3 rootbeer floats and 3 drinks, and chillie fries.. came out to about $60. Usual.

I'd go inside to eat if they allow it. They are still on some strict pandemic thinking at the moment and will use a bucket to collect your money but deliver your food by hand. Unusual? I don't know.

If you do stop here for a few drinks, expect to be stopped up in line for a good 30 to 40 minutes if someone is...