Fifties Grill & Dairy — Restaurant in Town of Busti

Fifties Grill and Dairy has two locations in New York. The one we visited is located in the city of Lakewood. Their locations have a drive-through available as well as indoor and outdoor seating. The atmosphere is a fifties diner remake with red and white classic seating with throwback prints of fifties culture posted on the walls. They even play a 50's radio station as background music! They serve burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, fried pickles, onion rings, shakes and more! Everything you can expect to order as if you were living in that time. The food was good but it could have been a bit better. The service was counter service but wasn't very friendly. When we came here, I thought we were coming to an old classic that has been here for a while but it seems to be a modern business trying to look classic which is fine and I dig it but it was just something I discovered. Overall, I would recommend trying their food but maybe go through the drive-through instead.

My wife and I shared the loaded french fries and onion rings. The loaded fries had nacho cheese, bacon and ranch on top. We really liked the sides and we don't really have anything bad to say about them except I wish the onion rings came with ranch and I didn't have to pay extra for it. I got the Double Backyard Burger Deluxe which had two thin beef patties, cheddar cheese, bbq sauce, onion rings, bacon, tomato, lettuce and red onion. My wife got the classic Fifties Burger which is a bacon cheeseburger with thousand island dressing, lettuce, tomato, and onion. Her burger was good and cooked well and was served with a sesame bun. She had plenty of sauce and I always love burgers with thousand island so it was a home run for the both of us. My burger, however, was good but was lacking sauce. I had a hint of bbq in the beginning but was nowhere to be found throughout. I also like the onion rings but I feel as though it should be raw onions or onion rings but not both. It was slightly overpowering with onion flavor. Onion strings are my personal favorite for a burger but the size of their rings worked out for the burger. I did like how they served my burger on a Kaiser roll. That was different and tasty.

It was good food but my burger just needed more sauce. The service was taken in a polite manor but when we entered the restaurant and started looking at the menu the cashier just walked up and stared at us the whole time and didn't say anything to us or smile. Greeting your guests is always a good idea towards positive customer service. We ate outside, but inside near the restroom there was a huge leak in the ceiling as you can see in the pictures. The inside wasn't super clean and the trash was overflowing yet there was nobody in the restaurant when we arrived. My wife also tried to use the restroom and was waiting because three of the employees were in there together and left after a few minutes of being in there. If you want to do a drug deal, do it in your car and not the restaurant restroom that customers are using.

Food - 4.5 ⭐ Service - 3 ⭐ Atmosphere - 2 ⭐ Overall - 3 ⭐

Follow me for more reviews across America 😎🍔🍕🍨🍦🦖🔧

Like this review if you found...

Fast food restaurants are a dime a dozen and often lack any real character or quality to differentiate themselves. The Fifties Grill has both. As convenient and tasty as some chains are, like Five Guys or Chick-fil-A, I always like to support small chains or independent businesses that deserve it. Despite being a small restaurant with only two locations in the Chautauqua area, they have a sizable menu with good variety. Burgers, chicken, deluxe sandwiches, side, and plenty of ice cream and milkshake flavors!

I've been here a few times over the years and tend to order a made-to-order burger, fries, and a new milkshake flavor each time. The burger isn't too big, but is good and hot. The only downside for me was the lettuce was more on the hard, white side instead of a nice green leaf like a prefer. And no Heinz ketchup which is big for us Pittsburghers, haha! But that's nitpicking of course. The fries are crispy, not floppy or over salted like some chains. The milkshakes are great and use Upstate Farms soft serve that can be combined with many flavors. I've tried chocolate, coffee, and this time fudge brownie which didn't disappoint. I can't comprehend it, but my brother loves the bubblegum flavor, noooo thank you I'll stick with the dessert ones. The prices are very reasonable too which is a relief in this day and age. It hits the 50s burger joint vibe just right with a red and white tiled interior and 50s music playing softly over the speakers. Even the styling of the menus and seating fits the theme well without feeling too over the top or cheesy. My only other gripes were the seating area could have used a quick cleanup of the tables and a few random cups other customers left behind. Service was courteous and food came out surprisingly fast. It was a weekday evening with only one other family inside and numerous cars using the drive thru. My cousins and I like stopping here when coming from Panama Rocks or shopping around Lakewood, and we'll continue to...

I would consider this a step above fast food as far as quality and service. I ordered online and when I arrived 20 minutes later, they were still working on my order and I had to wait an additional 15 minutes, but I can’t be upset with them because not only was the lobby busy when I arrived, their drive through was literally spilling out of their lot and into the street. They were very friendly even though it looked as though they were in the midst of the mother of all rushes. I came back a few weeks later and got the same order- jalapeño pepper jack grilled cheese, fries, and mozzarella sticks. They were far less busy at this time, service was still friendly and waited far less time for my food. Both times my food was the same. The sandwich was excellent along with my mozzarella sticks. Unfortunately my fries left a lot to be desired. They were cooked well and had good texture and perfect golden brown color, but they had no seasoning at all. Overall, this is one of my go to spots when I’m in town and I know I will return time...