Mike’s Drive-In — Restaurant in Tigard

Been wanting to try this place for so long bc I've heard great things. Boy, first impressions do matter. Probably one of the worst customer service experiences ever. We went up to the window outside and took some time reading the menu. My boyfriend and I were waiting to be helped along with a woman and her 2 little boys. Finally someone approached the window and told us that they were changing the tills, so it would be a while before we could all order, unless we wanted to go inside and be helped faster. The woman with the 2 little boys was disappointed because she wanted her boys to experience the walk up counter. My partner and I went inside to order. When we got inside, we were told we would have to wait a few because they were changing tills lol. So, when we finally ordered, the gentleman at the counter had no idea how to describe the potato salad. I simply asked what kind of potato salad base it was and he said he had no idea and had never tried it but said it was "normal " (by the way, it isn't. It's a mustard base). The employee then tells us we have to go outside to wait for our food. We go outside and wait, along with the mother. We were the only ones there at that time. A couple minutes later, an older gentleman opened up the window and asked "who ordered the cod?" My partner said us and went up to the window. The older man just stared at him when he approached the window like we were stupid and then awkwardly asked us if we got the cones we ordered (obviously not since we weren't holding anything). Then the gentleman came outside and got mad at everyone waiting outside for standing in line the wrong way. Everyone just sort of looked at each other as if we all couldn't believe what was going on and what does it matter? The guy inside told us they were short staffed, which I understand since I work in food service too. But.... we waited 20 minutes for our 3 piece cod meal. All of the customers inside could see there were atleast 4 employees inside that were standing around talking. One of them kept hiding behind the soda machine inside and just stared at the customers. The woman and her 2 little boys left so sad, disappointed and flabbergasted at the level of horrid service. I felt bad for her and the little boys. She tried creating a nice memory for them and instead, was crapped all over. The only positive thing I can say was that the soft serve cone was delicious, but at what cost? I have such a bad taste in my mouth with the overall experience, I don't know if I could...

The first time I met Jordan was only my second visit to this place. She was very engaging and happy to be there which says a lot about a place of business. When I met the manager Ky she had the same positive welcoming vibe. Every time I have some bucks to eat out I have been working my way thru the menu. So far I have to mention the burgers are great, the classic diner burger big and very real tasting. If you have never had the pleasure of eating a mom n pop owned diner style burger, do yourself a favor! Don't go to fake fast food places next time you want a burger! You will never eat a better burger. They pay attention to my picky tastes and made my fries crispy delicious. AND THEY MAKE THEIR OWN DRESSINGS AND DIPS! This is HUGE for me because I am a BIG DIPPER! I love thousand Island and fry sauce and ranch and I use A LOT OF IT, and then I use some more. They make it delicious and thick which is tricky. It is better for me but worse for me because I have to buy so many because I can pile so much dip on a dip! But so far the most amazing meal, I think I would go as far to say one of the best I've ever tasted in my 43 years of living.... I had a BLT and they put a bunch of mayo on it like I asked. Very accommodating when I asked them to make me crispy crunchy bacon. Crisp was perfection and served with a smile! But the sourdough bread was my big WOW. PERFECTLY GOLDEN BROWN. I cannot describe the perfection effectively. So very buttery and I want to keep working thru the menu but I just want a BLT! It has been such a difficult choice since then, because I want to try everything but I can't eat a BLT with everything too! That's just too much! Oh yeah and I've been on a cole slaw kick lately. This place has it and their mix lives up to the quality I am getting to know at this spot. Right now I'm sitting here listening to some Prince which is also a big FLEX on this spot. They got the JAMS playing on the speakers every time I've been here! So...

First visit:

Order: 2x cod 1x chicken strips chipotle mayo + some other sauce i forget oreo shake

Today's a Sunday, middle of the day, tables were full with a 6ish party line to order

Wait time was prob in the 20ish minutes?

Cons: too expensive by about 25-33% chicken was too mushy/mealy and sinewy their operations are kind of a mess, how the staff prioritize what they cook/prep/etc i see is clearly leading to a lot of the negative reviews about cold things being served warm and hot things soggy etc. It's just a little disjunct. They could take a note from in n out, shake shack, or other regional fast food titans it's very clear all the food is frozen. The chicken only looks/feels as it does when it's got saline in it then frozen.

Pros: food wasn't super greasy sauces and sides are pretty generous in their portion the sauces are really, really good. I'd come here just to pick some up tbh. tasted like food was sourced reasonably respectably. I don't feel like I'm gonna get sick for 3 days like with typical fast food the cod is pretty good. Like yeah it's frozen, but it was cooked well and sourced well so it still had good taste and texture staff are kind, just skittish the shake was pretty good. Tasted and felt like actual ice cream, and there's clear chunks of cookie. Taste is as expected which is good in my book :)

I'm taking the perspective of this being a fast food joint:

No, it's not incredibly flavorful but it's definitely a step up from burgerville et al, and yes for the amount of time it takes and what you're getting it is just a little too expensive.

I just think the owner has never been to a modern fast food brand and assumes we're still in the 90s because this is fast food. It's good for fast food, but it's rough around the edges.

I'd prob come back in a year or so to see what's up, though. Could be a nice stop home...