Beer Garden @ Bart's Drive-In Restaurant — Restaurant in Windsor

I recently had a lunch date with my wife at Barts (her favorite burger place growing up) and I would like to share my thoughts with others who are considering doing business with them.

They must be under new ownership as there were several red flags. Barts has been known to be a local's spot to grab a hotdog or burger for a quick lunch break. We were surprised to learn that they did not have burgers, and had to get a hot dog, philly cheese steak, and fries which all had their own issues.

First, they gave us a fish sandwich in which we did not order and then returned the toppings to the trays and returned the bun to the pack which were the first concerning things I noticed. When we got our food after the 30+ minute ordeal we found that the hot dog was not cooked (they also added topping that were unrequested then scrapped back into the trays), philly cheese steak did not have enough meat/peppers & onions to even cover the bread when fully spread out, and the fries were barely warm with no seasoning. One bite of each was enough as it wasn't worth getting sick over having a second. Food = 0/5

Secondly when we were going to check out, they were trying to charge us more than what the posted prices were and stated that those were the old prices. NOWHERE on the menu board do they note that they have changed the prices.

Finally, when we were able to get them to agree to charge us the posted prices, then they proceeded to charge our credit cards 5x times and not provide a single receipt. And they could not provide a refund as they didn't know how to. Price per person = $43.05 (based on being charge 5x)

I hate to see a historical business like this fail. My family will never eat at...

UPDATE: barts is under new ownership. And the new owners are making all the wrong choices. The food is disgustingly bad, the service is clueless, and honestly, at my visit yesterday I was served mayo that had gone so off it looked like Vaseline, and ketchup that had solidified. I honestly think these might have been left from the old owners.

My two bites of my burger and fries were subpar, cafeteria quality garbage. And I didn't even finish the meal for fear of what besides the condiments was out of date.

Sadly, it looks like this long time staple has finally entered its death spiral.

It is unfortunate that barts just isn't as good as it once was. They try, but ultimately fail to harken back to the raging popularity in enjoyed until about 10 years ago. The place has been in business since the 50's, and if I had to guess I'd say some of the cooking equipment might just be original, made to last. The counter serve greasy food aesthetic is still there, and arguably what always made this place the go to spot for burgers and hotdogs, but it's just gone down hill. The burgers aren't hand packed anymore, the onion rings are frozen, and the chili comes out of a bag, and the ice cream fountain has been neglected. This place still hosts carwashes, sockhops and car shows all summer, so there's plenty to see here, and the view right on the river isn't bad. But I live within walking distance and just don't come here for food. 2 hotdogs, 2 sodas and a mediocre chili cheese fry set me back 25 bucks recently, and honestly, for that money, I'll take my business someplace...

BART’s is back!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I first tried Bart’s with the new ownership last week, 8/29/24. For those that don’t know Barts has been sort of a fiasco. The mayor of Windsor sold the business to someone that didn’t care about the people, the history, the food. They ruined the business and sold it to someone new, now beer garden at Bart’s.

All I have to say is the owner, Jennifer, and her daughter have brought this business back from the dead and restored its glory. From the hot dogs and milk shakes to the burgers. I was instantly transported back to the 80’s and 90’s when it was owned by the Dillon’s. She has done such an amazing job restoring my faith in this restaurant as I’m sure everyone else’s. It’s not very often you can take a bite of a hot dog or a sip of a milk shake and instantly be be transported back to your childhood days of enjoying food with all your friends from school. That is exactly what they have accomplished here.

Again, THANK YOU!!!!! You have restored my faith in Bart’s and you’re doing it your way. My wife and I love you and will continue to support you. I once again can recommend Bart’s as the place to be for hot dogs, burgers, and fries! Don’t forget...