Dick's Drive-In Restaurants

10/16/10

Please don't be misled.

by John Tomblin at Citysearch

Nostalgia, speed, and low prices are the ONLY reasons to go to Dick's. If you see someone saying their food is great please keep in mind they are almost universally comparing it to fast food like McDonald's.

In fact they basically a modern upgrade of the original McDonald's. The very first were almost exactly like Dick's right down to the low prices, near instant food delivery, burgers, fries and mediocre customer service.

The food is.. well.. alright so if McDonald's is low class fast food, and something like Five Guys or In-N-Out is high class fast food then this place is lower middle class. The ingredients all seem quite fresh but they manage to absolutely cremate the paper thin presumably 3oz burgers. I don't mean burnt though, what I mean is that it was so well done that I'd be more inclined to call it overdone because well done doesn't cut it. The fries I had were about as greasy as I've ever had and a little overseasoned. Fries vary quite a lot though so there isn't any guarantee on that end, I'm sure people have had better fries there.

As both a very appreciated yet somewhat negative note the drinks are very appropriately named. I'd guess a small is about 8-12 ounces and with the ice it didn't seem like an especially good value. At the same time I don't agree with the usual small is 16-20 ounces mentality a lot of places have so it's bittersweet.

I perfectly understand their no custom order policy. It increases speed and lets them more accurately guess food costs. At the same time I'm both annoyed and disturbed that they can't manage to put on ketchup and mustard to order. I mean it couldn't take more than a second to put each on. I highly doubt the extra 5 seconds or so would really cause any sort of problem. Obviously with a deluxe you have enough on it that it could take an extra 15-20 seconds which I could see adding up. I honestly do not like mustard very much so the idea that were unable to give me a burger without mustard on it was bothersome. Besides that, that means that the ketchup and mustard are just sitting on the burger for god knows how long ahead of time. I'm sure it's not very long but it's not an appealing thought. I also didn't appreciate the reaction when I asked if I could have a burger with no mustard. He seemed overly annoyed and when I asked for ketchup with the fries he nodded while looking at me but basically ignored me completely.

In terms of price I spent $5 and got a small drink, 3oz burger and fries. I wouldn't do it again. If the fries were made right they would've been pretty good but they didn't look nearly as capable.

I recommend going to Wendy's instead, or if you want to actually get the Dick's experience just go to McDonald's and pretend the ingredients are slightly better. The burger was fairly bad, fries were mediocre and the drink was miniscule if you account for all the ice.

If you want some quality though, find a Five Guys Burgers and Fries, or In-N-Out, and I've heard good things about Burgerville as well. I can't recommend this place to anyone who doesn't happen to be in the area and they need something quick and cheap regardless of quality. Although if that's the case most popular fast food chains would probably be cheaper.

So to sum things up: Great if you don't care about how food tastes and you're boycotting popular fast food chains.

10/25/06

nothing goes better with beer or cola

by binman69 at Citysearch

they have great fries, onion rings and cheap burgers that slide down your throat. when in seattle...have any time of day or night...it's the right thing to do!

04/09/04

Wonderful!!!

by cattycayla at Citysearch

I was visiting Seattle recently and Dick's was right across from my hotel. I can't tell you how good the food is! Nothing fancy but good and cheap!!! Now that I'm back home I find myself wishing for a Dick's cheeseburger at least once a week!!! Every town needs a Dick's!!!

• Pros: Inexpensive, Delicious

04/09/04

Rated #1 - No way

by rcwfoodcritic at Citysearch

Dicks has been up the street from my home for 20 years. I go there for an ice cream cone but rarely for anything else. The food is very predictable - NOT GREAT - and they keep raising prices. The menu is extremely limited - no fish or chicken. You're better off going to Wendy's or McD. They charge you extra for ketchup! What a ripoff!

• Pros: fairly fast service, friendly help, lots of parking
• Cons: , greasy fries, not cheap

02/07/03

the fries deserve sainthood

by ajohnscott at Citysearch

I have been eating at Dick's since the early sixties...the quality has remained top notch and the french fries are and will always be the best in the entire northern hemisphere.

• Pros: inexpensive, great taste, ambiance par excellan
• Cons: NOT NEARLY, ENOUGH, STORES