Linda-Mar Drive In — Restaurant in Tulsa

I hate having to write a review like this but tonight the wife, 4 year old autistic son, and I went in to Linda-Mar tonight and sadly to say it will be the last time that we go in here... Speak with your money I say...

All three of us went in and approached the counter... The wife and I ordered $25 worth of food for ourselves and then a kids chicken basket seeing as chicken is one of the few food items he will actually eat... He has a very limited amount of food he will eat, i.e. chicken nuggets/tenders/bites, Mac and cheese, fresh fruit and very little else he will eat... We were informed that the kids chicken is a "dine-in only" item.... Nothing else on the menu is dine-in only....

When we inquired as to why the girl behind the counter just smugly smiled at us and said, "I don't know it is just the only item on the menu that is dine-in only" No explanation as to why? I could understand if it was to insure that a kid was getting it you would want to see the kid, or something... But he was right there... This makes me wonder what happens if you dine in and your child can't focus and only eats one or two bites? Can you take the leftovers home or do you have to give the chicken back to be thrown away and too bad so sad you spent your money and that's what you got???

Dining in isn't always a good option for a child with autism due to the loud noises of a working kitchen, and this is a small building with cramped quarters... Autistic children don't always deal well with new people so that is another challenge... The picnic tables out front were not a good idea due to the loud traffic noises from the highway directly behind the building...

April is Autism Acceptance and awareness month so maybe the owners need to gain a little awareness for Autistic people and the challenges they may face... Everyone doesn't fit into a nice neat little box and we shouldn't be punishing kids with challenges that they didn't choose... I hope the owner reads this and can gain a small bit of perspective into the issue...

We ended up cancelling our entire order and going down the road to Arnold's where everything on the menu was for sale dine-in and to go... We will not be back and will be telling every single person we know how our family and child was treated... Maybe if there was understanding or even explanation from the employees other that a smug grin and a shoulder shrug, I would not be writing this review... Do better Linda-Mar... Everyone is not out to cheat a restaurant out of their kids meals... Sometimes the kids just have a challenge to face and you may not understand...

I love this place when the elderly lady (short gray hair) is working the window, she is a peach and so kind and pleasant. Every time I go there is a line during the lunch hour, which is a good thing as you can tell it has good food, I'm fine with waiting because the lady is so sweet (and I mean busy as 3 cars waiting in front of us for their food and 3 cars behind me in line waiting to place their order).......BUT today I went and experienced a dark hair elderly lady who was so rude at the drive through window, I was shocked and put off, I could absolutely not believe how rude she was, I'll explain. I pull up to the window (remind you not a single car in the drive through no one waiting in front of us or behind us in line) and now I know why, because she was working.. But anyways I pull up she asked be to wait one minute to place my order, I kindly respond " not problem at all, take your time". I order a cheese burger combo and a jalapeno chicken basket. I pull up to the window to pay and the window is wide open, which is ok, I wait 5 minutes for her to come get get money, no problem on the time, but when she comes I ask her for hot sauce, she says we don't have any grabs my card from my hand and slams the window, then when she comes back with my receipt to sign on a clip board, I said "when I come they always give me a small cup of hot sauce", she proceeds to close the window again on me while I'm talking, I sign the receipt while I wait for her to come back to get it and she opens quickly grabs the clipboard, and I said excuse me, and she cracks the window and looks at me with one eye through the crack and I repeated "they normally give me a small cup of hot sauce when I ask for it" and she still looking at me through a one inch crack and looks at me as if she is scared or I'm dumb.. I just cant believe how rude she was.. I will go back but only when the elderly gray haired lady is working, I will be calling ahead before driving that way.. I have never been treated so poorly and I still killed her with kindness, I was so mad I almost cried lol because if you are in customer service you need to do better.. you were not that busy has no one else was in line but a woman who is older than you can run circles around you and be polite while doing it.. If the owner sees this, please please please take her off of your drive through... go read your reviews and I guarantee she is why your customer service ratings are...

After over 15 years of seeing this place almost daily, I’d never once considered stopping in. No idea why it never piqued my curiosity. Recently, though, I started looking at it differently. I've been expanding my burger horizons because my two boys are burger enthusiasts, and we always try to find a good spot. To my surprise, this restaurant has been around for over 50 years! And there were more surprises, but I’ll get to those in a moment.

The parking lot was packed, so I ended up in an overflow area—a muddy, empty lot next door. Little did I know things would only get “muddier” inside…

As soon as I walked in, I got the “hole-in-the-wall” vibe. The kind of place where things are forgiven simply because it's old and nostalgic, like how we let certain things slide with an elderly relative. At over 50 years old, it seems the rules of hygiene and upkeep just... don’t apply here.

Now, call me picky, but a grimy bathroom with minimal sanitation options for employees is where I draw the line. Nostalgia is one thing, but basic cleanliness is non-negotiable! After seeing that, I couldn’t fully enjoy the burger I’d just bought. I kept imagining scenarios where cooks and customers were all cramming into this tiny restroom, practically adjacent to the kitchen. Picture a tight, cramped space where the line between the restroom and the kitchen is far too close for comfort—it’s hard not to let that ruin the meal.

I debated whether to even mention this, but you know what? Just because something’s “been there forever” doesn’t mean it gets a free pass on basics like hygiene. And to be honest, the burger was nothing special anyway. It reminded me of something from Sonic. Sure, I paid less here than I would have at Sonic, but it wasn’t anything memorable. Maybe the only “unique” thing about this place is its longevity, but certainly not its flavor.

One last note: ease up on the salt in those fries. Mine were loaded.

I know this review might get some backlash, but I have standards, and I paid for this meal. I’ve tried it, so I don’t need to go back.

This was not meant to disrespect the owners or staff I am just simply reacting to...