Wayne's Drive-In — Restaurant in Town of Cedarburg

The manager contacted me and offered to discuss the problems I encountered on my first visit to Wayne's this year. I didn't respond because I wasn't looking for a gift or to complain. My review was pretty thorough and I'm sure they were able to address the issues just by using that review.

Today (June 23rd), I returned for the first time since that review. It was very busy, probably with overflow from Cedarburg's Strawberry Fest going on just down the road. The line moved quickly and efficiently and in surprising time my order was ready to be taken by the experienced cashier. But she excused herself to go "talk to the kitchen." Uh-oh. The lady from my previous bad experience came over but went to the register to my left and began taking an order for "the next person in line." I was relieved instead of insulted that I was waiting for my order to be taken. I noted she did well with the customer and had mastered the entry of orders quite well. A young woman came over and took my order kind and polite and very efficiently.

I chose to wait outside for my order and was happily announced in less than ten minutes that my order was ready. Everything was prepared to special order. Though the taste wasn't what Wayne's had in the past (I'm not sure why, the fried onions still didn't taste buttery but more watery, but thank goodness no chemical taste), they are still a cut or two above fast service burger joints. My hot fudge malt was delectable and perfectly made. The "soda-jerk" (I use that term affectionately for a bygone era) who came over while I was paying for my order stated, "That's a first for me, a hot fudge malt!" She made possibly the best one I've ever had - and believe me, it is nothing like a chocolate malt. So much better!

I ordered a kids meal with a plain burger, tater tots, and chocolate milk. The burger was good (I took a taste), the tater tots were average (but okay for kids), and the chocolate milk was rich and tasty.

I've upped my rating two points to four stars. I'm glad I didn't contact the manager because I feel I would have been doing it for the wrong reason. This way they improved based on good management skills.

I still need to follow my own recommendation and order my burger with a raw onion rather than fried. And, yes, I will be returning!

Review from April 27th, 2019:

It was our first time here for the 2019 season. I'm not sure what is going on, but the experience was NOT what I've come to expect of Wayne's.

The older woman who tried to take my order could not take it correctly. She started over three times (as she did for two older ladies who had been in front of me). Ordering a Wayne's burger with no tomato, add pickles and fried onions seems like a no-brainer but she couldn't do it. I hoped she would ask the woman who had worked there for a long time who was making drinks, but she didn't. She never figured out how to put pickles onto the order and said she would "just tell" the kitchen to put them on. When she immediately began taking the order of the folks behind me, I knew that burger wasn't coming with pickles.

I ordered a hot fudge malt (my receipt does say, "1 MALT FUDGE") but what I received was a shake with very little hot fudge. Disappointment again.

The white cheddar cheese nuggets were horribly greasy. Not like in years past.

The fried onions on my burger and my wife's double cheeseburger had a weird taste that hangs with you (unfortunately).

The buns on the burgers were great. The fries were good. The chili was good.

I love Wayne's Drive-in. But the service today was horrible. The food was, at best, mediocre. This may be my last visit. For the price ($34.48) it isn't exactly cheap. I don't mind paying those prices if the service and food are at their former high standards. Today, sadly, was bad.

And, no, I did not go back in to tell them. It wouldn't be worth the wait and I couldn't complain to the woman who was part of the problem.

My advice, speak up kindly at the moment you experience the problem at the register. Ask the woman to get assistance. Maybe...

Food has taken a steep dive lately. One bad service, fine. Two, maybe they had a rough run. But then three is where I typically say something. I wrote in to their email line to share an experience a couple weeks ago with photos and no one bothered to reply. I don't write bad reviews and typically bring it to attention with the managers so things can be corrected, but seeing as they seem not to care here we go.

Ordered for my store staff which is typically 6-7 people to order for. Note we work across the street from this place. Food across the board was messed up to some degree, not a single thing was correct. Missing condiments, under cooked, too much salt or a combo of all those things.

The most notable things were the Cajun chicken sandwitch that had mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion added. No mayo, the lettuce was literally brown and my favorite was the onion which wasn't onion, it was the root end of the onion slice, literally with the roots on it. Bun looked like it got run under the kitchen sink it was so soggy. Yummy.

Then the seasoned tate tots. Seasoned was an understatement. Literally black with seasoning that even a malnourished teenager wouldn't eat because they were so heavily seasoned. You could literally feel the brine on the roof of your mouth.

Mushroom swiss burger was almost like a slice of boiled meat with some brown gravy like substance on top which is typically less than appetizing.

We used to order here at least once a month for the group, not including multiple individual visits from staff. Needless to say, unless things do a 180 flip here, we won't be back anytime soon, especially when I try and bring it to attention and we're ignored....

We stopped by Wayne’s Drive-In for the first time on a Saturday afternoon on our way to go apple picking. The food was delicious and well-priced, and the atmosphere was exactly what one would expect for a nostalgic 50’s-style diner.

The ordering process was quick and easy, and our food came out in a short amount of time. I went for the Mushroom Swiss Burger and my significant other chose the Double Cheeseburger. We ordered a side of fries and a side of tater tots to try them both, as well as a peanut butter milkshake.

The food was all delicious and definitely hit the spot. Normally I would be a little disappointed the mushrooms on my burger were canned and not fresh, but with the brown gravy and the swiss cheese melting everywhere it was hard to complain. I tried a bite of the double cheeseburger, which was delicious as well, especially with the fried onions. The burgers were both cooked perfectly. The tots were good but we both agreed the fries were better; perfectly golden and buttery. The shake was fantastic, and with the food was a good size to split.

We enjoyed our visit to Wayne’s and would definitely come back the next time we’re in the...