You've probably seen the iconic Sonic Drive-In at least once on a road trip.
"Welcome to Sonic, may I take your order?"
"One Crave Cheeseburger!" "I'm on it!"...
You've also probably seen the huge menu and felt overwhelmed by all of the choices. To make it
easier for your next outing, here are some of Sonic's signature items, ranked worst to best.
If there's one popular Sonic menu item you should steer clear of, it's the Chicken Slinger.
There are so many other chicken sandwich options that this one is better left ignored.
To be fair, the Chicken Slinger on the Sonic menu certainly looks appetizing.
But looks can be deceiving, and this sandwich is the perfect example of that.
This version has two faults. One, It's less than half the size of a regular chicken sandwich. And
two? It's made of meat that's not on-par with the rest of Sonic's chicken products.
The chicken in the Chicken Slinger can best be described as an oversized,
under-seasoned chicken nugget, and not in a good way. The rest of the sandwich is also
pretty mediocre, and you're better off ordering another from the menu.
For starters, anyone who is from the south, or Texas in particular,
will tell you that the Breakfast Burritos at Sonic aren't the best breakfast burritos out there.
To say they aren't authentic would be an understatement. After all, a real breakfast
burrito from a well-known, real Mexican food restaurant wouldn't be made with tater tots.
Also, the burritos at Sonic are all typically stuffed with more eggs than anything else,
as eggs are a lot cheaper than the meat that's supposed to be in the burrito. But taste,
authenticity, and egg ratios aside, the breakfast burritos at Sonic are also seriously unhealthy.
According to Eat This, Not That!, the Ultimate Meat & Cheese Breakfast Burrito is one of the
worst things you can order off the Sonic menu. Not only does the burrito have over 2,000 milligrams
of sodium, but it also has 0.5 grams of trans fat, both of which are terrible for your heart.
So really, trust us and your heart on this one and don't waste your time with this item.
Just like the hamburger, French fries are a classic fast-food item. And when you think of
Sonic Drive-In, you might just assume that their French Fries are good, because why wouldn't they
be? After all, most fast food joints have good, if not great, French fries. Right?
Wrong. Even Thrillist ranked the French fries at Sonic pretty low, noting that they were
bland and boring, adding the fast food chain had better offerings than the limpy fried potato.
While you might think that French fries are the best side dish to go
with a hamburger or just a delicious snack to enjoy alongside a soda,
at Sonic they're actually pretty bad. Go ahead and skip out on them for something else less bland.
With such a huge menu, it's understandable that some of the most popular Sonic Drive-In
ordering options wouldn't be as memorable as others. And
their Grilled Chicken Sandwich is about as boring as it gets at the fast-food chain.
Honestly, the only good thing about the Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich is that it has a
brioche bun. Other than that, the lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise are all pretty basic,
and the grilled chicken itself is also super bland.
I mean, let's be real. With all the delicious other options at Sonic, why would you get a
sandwich with little to no flavor, no texture, and nothing different to set it apart?
Though the sandwich does offer a healthier alternative to some other Sonic menu items,
with only 490 calories and 0 grams of trans fat. So, if you're watching your waist,
it may be a good option. But that's the only good thing about it.
Perhaps one of the most popular items at Sonic that really shouldn't be that popular
is the Popcorn Chicken. Even if you're the world's biggest chicken nugget
or popcorn chicken fan, don't waste your time with this menu item.
The plain popcorn chicken and its two sauced alternatives,
with either buffalo or honey BBQ sauce, is, well, mediocre. The chicken itself is fine,
but the breading on it is far too thick, and doesn't really have much flavor.
In fact, one online review of the Jumbo Popcorn Chicken at Sonic describes the
menu item as pretty bland, dry, and not very crispy but with too much breading.
Sure, you can add one of the two sauces for an extra kick,
but it's still not going to have a great texture. The only good thing about the popcorn chicken
at Sonic is that it's dippable and easy to eat while driving. Other than that, it's pretty blah.
Sonic's hot dogs are exactly in the middle. They're not too great,
but they're also not too bad.
To be fair, the hot dogs at Sonic actually have pretty good flavor. In fact, Insider ranked
them as the best fast-food hot dogs out there compared to Five Guys, Checkers, and Dairy Queen.
The only reason they're rated lower on this list is because there are so many other
delicious menu items on the Sonic menu, and hot dogs in general are, well, pretty basic.
Unless you're the kind of person who gets the Chili Cheese or All-American Dog,
in which case, you up the ante.
One of the best items on the Sonic breakfast menu are the French Toast Sticks. They're delicious,
filling, and a great on-the-go breakfast when you're craving something sweet.
Online reviews of the French Toast Sticks at Sonic give the menu item plenty of props,
and that's for a reason: They are exactly what you would expect.
They come piping hot with a packet of maple syrup for dipping, and are decadent when you dip them.
This is one of the better items at Sonic, and if you're a breakfast person,
you should definitely try these delicious sticks.
As previously mentioned, the French fries at Sonic Drive-In aren't the best. But,
if you want to jazz up your Sonic French fries, then the chili cheese
topping they offer is actually pretty good. The chili is perfectly spicy,
and the cheese gives just the right amount of savory creaminess to balance it all out.
Whether you want a classic hamburger or something with a twist like the Bacon Double Cheeseburger,
Sonic is the place to go. Their Burgers are surprisingly yummy,
and for the low price? They're totally worth it.
"This Cheeseburger & Shake for 3.99 might be the best deal ever"
"Next time I'm buying!" "Okay, let's shake on it."
In a review of the Bacon Double Cheeseburger,
Insider wrote that the burger was, quote, "an upstanding young burger in the prime of
its life — it's the quality burger that Burger King's Whopper wishes it were."
And that description is right on the money. Of course,
the burgers at Sonic might not be made of Wagyu beef or feature restaurant-quality
add-ons like truffles or gouda, but they're still more than adequate.
All in all, a burger from Sonic will far exceed your expectations of what a fast
food burger should be. So, if you're a big burger fan, then definitely give them a try.
Sonic Drive-In might not be beloved for its French fries, but they have another
snack that will steal your heart: The Ched 'R' Peppers. And these are a game changer.
The Ched 'R' Peppers are half a jalapeño loaded and stuffed with cheddar cheese,
deep fried in a crispy coating, and made to be dipped in ranch dressing.
They're one of the most unhealthy menu items at Sonic, but they're also one of the most delicious.
For any corn dog lovers out there, head to your closest Sonic because their corn dogs
are hard to beat. The description of Sonic's Corn Dog is simple but accurate. They call them:
"A delicious beef hot dog wrapped in sweet corn batter and fried to a crispy golden-brown."
As anyone who has had a Sonic corn dog knows, there's a perfection to their simplicity.
Sonic's corn dogs typically only cost 99 cents at most Sonic locations,
and the chain often offers deals where they're only 50 cnts for special days.
"50 cent corn dog alert!"
"Pete fifty cent corn dog day is finally here!" "It's finally here… six corn dogs stat!"
But just what makes them so good?
Well, one online review put it perfectly,
claiming the corn dogs were seriously delicious — and seriously cheap, too:
"A heavenly union of deep fried sweetcorn bread wrapped around a salty wiener.
Mustard and or ketchup not needed. Perfection as is!"
Since the French fries at Sonic Drive-In aren't all that great, you might assume
that the tater tots would be bland, too — but that couldn't be further from the truth.
In fact, the Tots at Sonic are so good that in one online review,
a self-proclaimed tater-tot obsessor ranked them as the best they ever had in their life.
That's a pretty impressive feat, but it also makes sense. Sonic's
tater tots are the perfect combo of salty, crunchy, smooth, and soft.
So, if you ever order a burger or chicken sandwich, hot dog, or anything else from
Sonic and consider just getting the tater tots as your side instead of their super bland
french fries. Seriously, those tots? They're the fried potato side dish of your dreams.
Clearly, if there's one thing that Sonic Drive-In does well,
it's snacks and side dishes. Take, for instance, their Onion Rings.
The onion rings at Sonic are the perfect snack, or perfect addition to your main meal like a
hamburger or hot dog. But, there's a reason why Sonic's onion rings are oh-so special.
A former Sonic employee told PopSugar that most Sonic locations will have an employee
whose main job is to slice fresh onions and hand-bread them in their special batter.
That means the onion rings at Sonic are super fresh and seriously delicious.
"You know I can't believe they still hand-make the onion rings!"
"Oh, then you're gonna love this… It's hand folded."
"Oh it's a swan!" "It's a napkin, dude."
Like their snacks and drinks, Sonic Drive-In is also pretty well-known for their treat options.
Between their frozen slushies that come in a variety of flavors, milkshakes, vanilla
cones and hot fudge sundaes, there are so many delicious desserts at Sonic that it can be hard
to pick just one. But the real treasure at Sonic in terms of sweet treats are the Sonic Blasts.
The Blasts are basically Sonic's version of the Dairy Queen Blizzard, with rich
and creamy vanilla ice cream swirled with your choice of candy or cookie toppings. According
to one review of the Sonic Blasts, the dessert is seriously amazing. A fan raved about them, saying:
"It's rich, full-bodied, and creamy, making it one of America's favorite ice cream choices.
The blend of candies is excellent — you'll likely get at least one bite of candy in each spoonful."
And considering the fact that there are a million ways you can customize the Blast,
it's definitely something you shouldn't miss out on during your next Sonic run.
Obviously, you could stick with the classics like tater tots or a corn dog,
but one of Sonic's best snacks is actually a relatively new menu item, the Soft Pretzel Twist.
"I love these soft pretzel twists."
"There so soft and salty, I'd like to sample them!"
For starters, who doesn't love a warm, soft pretzel? They're cooked perfectly.
They're topped with big flakes of salt to give it plenty of tang.
And the cheese sauce you dip it in? The duo couldn't be more of a perfect pair.
Finally, the best food item you can get at Sonic Drive-In is without a
doubt the mozzarella sticks. MyRecipes ranked the mozzarella
sticks at Sonic as the best fast-food mozzarella sticks around, claiming:
"The cheese can stretch for miles (we exaggerate), but you'll satisfy your
cheese pull itch most certainly. You don't even need the marinara sauce."
If you only get one snack from Sonic, let it be their mozzarella sticks.
If there's one thing that Sonic Drive-In is famous for, it's their seemingly unlimited drink options.
But there's one drink from Sonic that reigns supreme and is a beloved classic for a reason:
The Cherry Limeade. It's the perfect blend of sweet and
tangy, and is the ultimate refreshment for a hot, summer day.
The Sonic website describes the drink as "iconic," and they're not wrong.
It's made with fresh-squeezed lime juice, delicious cherry flavoring,
and of course poured over Sonic's beloved nugget ice.
If you're searching for your new favorite non-alcoholic drink, or just your new favorite
drink in general, then the Sonic Cherry Limeade should be next on your list to try.
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