The Beacon Drive-in — Restaurant in Spartanburg

After almost 10 years of saying that I'd never go back, I gave them another chance. Wrong choice.

Ordered a cheeseburger LTM, fries, and a large tea... $14. Not a plate, mind you, just given individual items. Kind of surprised it wasn't on a plate with slaw. I guess you have to specify.

Burger was good but bun was squashed, untoasted and not cut all the way through. Lettuce and tomato were cold and fresh. Fries looked unappetizing; dark, limp and greasy. Tasted like they were fried in old grease and definitely undercooked. The onion rings, I saw in the pick up window, looked the same way and very greasy, no crisp. Although they hold records for tea sales, it had a funny flavor with a weird aftertaste. They were pouring out of gallons that most likely had to be used because they packaged too many. This is NOT your true, southern style, sweet tea.

Staff was nice enough, but most acted like they didn't want to be there. The dining room was okay. Being a past restaurant division manager, I also recognized a few health code violations such as uncovered tea urns on the main floor, lack of sanitizer buckets for wiping towels, and bathrooms that were in need of attention. The one thing that really stuck out was a manager type (blue shirts) on the cook line wearing gloves and then coming out from the kitchen and touching non kitchen things with his gloves. He continued to wear them for my entire visit and wipe them on his pants rather than wash or change them, hence cross contamination everywhere.

If you're looking for a step back in time, this place is full of nostalgia. I'm sure the locals reminisce about all the great High School times they spent there. Unfortunately, as times have changed, this facility has not. It could use some attention to detail, a good deep cleaning and updating to the 2020's.

As a historical location, I wish them continued success. I just know I won't be part of that.

I'll be at 'The Shrine on...

This place is a very unique experience. The menu is on the wall at the entrance. There’s a lot to choose from, and it doesn’t all match the online menu. So beware that and don’t fret. Just do your best. The guy at the beginning of the counter, they call him the caller, will barely be understandable. He’ll know if you’re a first-timer by how you act. He’ll ask if you want it there or to go. You’ll tell him your order. He’ll holler out what the cooks should put on the grill. Then you’ll proceed to grab a drink, tell the platers what sides you got and what you got on your sandwiches, and you’ll proceed to the checkout. There you can pay with card or cash. Note that the tea is a lemony flavor you may not like if you don’t like Arnold Palmers (tea and lemonade mixed). The a-plenty simply means you get a plate or fries and onion rings. A family member told me the whole plate would be covered in grease. My father and I didn’t find that to be the case. It’s not healthy food, but the fries and onion rings we got were pretty well-drained. The onion rings just aren’t crispy, so don’t expect the best onion rings you’ve had in your life. The burger was tender beef, and the chili is beefy with just a little seasoning. The onions on the burger are whole slices. I don’t prefer that and won’t get them again. I like chopped onions on all sandwiches. There’s a ton of seating and a ton of parking. It’s clean but not frilly and fancy. This is a post-World War II icon that you should experience if you’re in Spartanburg, but know that everything will be different from most...

My parents have both been here and recommended this place on different occasions when we would pass through town. I finally got to try and and lord have mercy was it deliciously scrumptious. The parking lot and inside seating is fairly big and there wasn't a wait when we stopped in on a Thursday afternoon. Menus are to the left of the order line. After we decided what we wanted we walked up to the gentleman at the end of the counter and he yelled the order to the servers which I have to say was pretty fun to hear and watch everyone in action. As we moved down the line with our empty trays we were tempted with homemade pies and cobbler. The woman in front of us had ordered 3 servings of their famous peach cobbler. It must be good! We didn't have enough room to try it because the food we ordered was so filling! I ordered the chicken tenders, sweet potato fries, and macaroni and cheese. The chicken was lightly breaded and didn't taste heavily fried. They weren't heavily seasoned and made for a very light and juicy taste. The sweet potato fries were sprinkled with brown sugar cinnamon and what tasted of honey and butter. The macaroni and cheese was my favorite as it tasted like southern homemade mac n cheese. The kind you eat at holidays and special occassions when families gather. If I had anything negative to say the only thing I would change is the dining area as it could use some restoration. Other than that this place is top notch in my book. We'll be...