Sparky's Drive Inn — Restaurant in Tuscumbia

This really is nearly bottom of the barrel for the Shoals. I dont know of a place that hits lower. If you need sustinance on the cheap, you'll be okay here. That said... It really isnt what old man Sparky set out to create. This business has been run into the ground.

Hamburgers taste like the rubber burgers we used ot get in highschool, i think one time i saw them using a george foreman to cook them. Last time tasted like it had been boiled. Definitely frozen patties without seasoning and someone's idea of lettuce on top.

The fries are overly greasy with an oily flavor and no salt or seasoning.

Ordered tea one time and it had an off flavor. Not good.

Hours of operation are inconsistent at times. There are weekends you'd expect it to be open only to be closed.

The interior is thankfully air conditioned, but it feels like walking into a shower stall or bathroom.

Only reason i can think of that the people of the area even like it is the price point and the history of the place.

I keep checking them out occasionally to see if anything improves or...

I stopped by after first visiting 3 years ago in the drive thru. The teenage girl was nice taking my order. I ordered two footlong slaw dogs and a Pepsi. Order took about five minutes and then I handed her my debit card in which she stated that the machine asks for a tip. I found this to be very awkward and disrespectful for a drive thru order, especially when you haven't handed me my food but I told her to add a two dollar tip. She processed the order and another worker handed me my food and I was on my way.

I thought I had Covid because I could not smell my food or taste it. The two hotdogs were so bland, no seasoning. It was like toilet paper in the buns. The slaw had no flavor or what looked like chili the same. I stopped by this place in January of 2020 when I was a contractor for Comcast from DC and one of my customers recommended this place for lunch and it was bland back then but I thought maybe they would have changed the recipe. Not! Total waste of time and money and I tipped for nothing. The worst slaw dogs...

Sparkys was known for one thing, footlong chili slaw dogs. They've enlarged the menu, possibly to the detriment of their best known item. They are using extremely cheap hotdogs, 2, to make a footlong. No effort to acquire proper, good quality, actual footlong sausages (a "hotdog" is actually a sausage). They have eliminated the celery seed in the slaw which is essential to the original. The chili, straight out of a can into a warmer, no effort to add to it to at least give it a little flavor. This IS NOT the original Sparkys, same location, phoned in lackluster food, they are surviving off of it's legacy. Won't be back, it's a faint shadow of itself and not what it could, should be, but I guess it's good enough for the area but no longer a destination, drove from Huntsville, never again, not what it was when I grew up and went here. Last decent one, late '80's, stops since...