Sonic Drive-In has been around since the 1950s, serving burgers and shakes to millions of customers across nearly 3,500 locations. But lately, something’s been going wrong at America’s favorite drive-in. Online reviews are filled with complaints about everything from weird-tasting burgers to watered-down drinks. Even longtime fans admit the chain isn’t what it used to be. Some blame the franchise model, while others point to the 2018 acquisition by Inspire Brands. Whatever the reason, people are speaking up about their bad experiences, and the issues keep piling up.
The burger patties smell and taste weird
When you order a burger at a fast food place, you expect it to smell like grilled meat. At Sonic, that’s not always the case anymore. Customers have been complaining about a strange odor coming from their burgers, and the taste doesn’t match what beef should taste like either. Some people describe it as an almost fishy smell, making them wonder if the grill is being shared with other menu items. Others say the patties just don’t taste like real meat anymore, period.
There’s been talk online about Sonic adding mushrooms to their beef patties back in 2018, though those special burgers are no longer on the menu. The website now says their classic burgers use 100% pure beef, but customers aren’t buying it based on what they’re tasting. Some folks have sworn off the burgers completely after getting one that smelled so bad they couldn’t finish it. When your signature menu item starts driving people away instead of bringing them in, that’s a serious problem that needs fixing.
The drinks taste watered down or worse
Sonic built its reputation on having amazing drinks with endless combinations. People would stop by just for a cherry limeade or one of their famous slushes. But that reliable quality seems to be slipping away. Customers report getting sodas that taste like plain water with a hint of syrup, or worse, drinks that have a greasy aftertaste. One person ordered a strawberry drink and said it tasted like water, while their cherry limeade was missing either the cherry or the fizz from the soda.
The problem might come down to dirty equipment that isn’t getting cleaned properly. Some customers say their drinks tasted moldy, which points to machines that haven’t been maintained. A 2020 health inspection at one location found dead bugs under the drink machine and buildup all over the equipment. When the thing you’re known for starts going downhill, customers notice right away. Nobody wants to pay for a drink that’s mostly ice and water when they were expecting that perfect mix of sweet and tangy.
Wait times are getting out of control
Fast food is supposed to be fast, but Sonic customers are sitting in their cars for what feels like forever. People have reported waiting 15 minutes just to get a simple drink order, watching employees run around confused while orders get mixed up. The drive-thru lines move slowly, and even the classic drive-in stalls aren’t any better. One customer waited 40 minutes just for someone to take their order over the speaker, and on their next visit, they gave up after 20 minutes.
The intercom system seems to be part of the problem at some locations. Customers will sit at a stall thinking their order is being prepared, only to realize nobody knows they’re there. Not every Sonic has this issue though. Some people say their local employees practically run to the car, and a three-minute wait is considered long. But when enough locations have problems, it starts to hurt the whole chain’s reputation. People stop trusting that they’ll get quick service, which defeats the entire purpose of choosing fast food.
Milkshakes come out watery and poorly mixed
A good milkshake should be thick, creamy, and smooth all the way through. Sonic’s shakes used to hit that mark consistently, but now customers are getting drinks that look and taste like they’ve been sitting out in the sun. People describe receiving shakes that are thin and watery, with chunks of ice mixed throughout. One customer said their shake literally looked like it had melted and been sitting on the counter before being handed over.
The worst part is when employees refuse to fix the problem or offer refunds. Someone posted about getting what they called the worst milkshake of their life, with a texture like water and whipped cream mixed together. When they complained, the staff wouldn’t make it right. Sonic offers different types of shakes, from classic vanilla to ones with cookie pieces mixed in, so the texture should vary depending on what you order. But nobody expects their shake to be watery regardless of the type, and that’s becoming way too common.
The switch to Groovy Fries backfired
In spring 2024, Sonic decided to completely replace their regular fries with a new crinkle-cut version called Groovy Fries. They didn’t add these as an option or let customers choose between old and new. They just got rid of the original fries that had been working fine for decades. Fans were divided before they even tried them, with some excited about the change and others already annoyed that their favorite wasn’t going to be available anymore.
Once people actually tasted the new fries, many were disappointed. They’re just regular crinkle-cut fries, nothing special or groovy about them despite the marketing hype. One person described them perfectly as tasting like crispy grease sticks with a hint of potato. Others were frustrated that Sonic replaced something that didn’t need replacing. When a company makes a big change to a menu staple, people expect it to be an improvement. Instead, customers got a downgrade dressed up with a fun name, and they saw right through it.
The pickles don’t taste right anymore
Pickles might seem like a small thing, but they can make or break a burger. Sonic knows people love pickles, which is why they created menu items like the Big Dill Cheeseburger and Pickle Fries back in 2022. But somewhere along the way, the regular sliced pickles that go on their burgers started tasting off. Customers say they don’t complement the rest of the burger anymore and might have been switched from dill to kosher pickles.
Even weirder, some people report that their pickles and onions tasted like they’d been soaked in jalapeño juice. That unexpected heat would definitely throw off anyone expecting a normal burger experience. The menu describes their Pickle Fries as dill, so if they’re only stocking one type of pickle for everything, customers might be onto something about the switch. Small changes like this might not seem like a big deal to corporate, but regular customers notice immediately when their usual order tastes different.
Food arrives cold or room temperature
Nothing ruins a meal faster than getting cold food when you expected it hot and fresh. This is happening way too often at Sonic locations across the country. People wait in long lines, finally get their order, and open the bag to find burgers and onion rings that are barely room temperature. One customer described their food as cold, not even lukewarm, after already dealing with a 20-minute wait on a previous visit.
The burger patties are especially bad when they come out cold because they get hard and unappetizing. You can tell the food has been sitting under a heat lamp too long or wasn’t cooked fresh to begin with. Some customers wonder if their orders were made for someone else who never picked them up, then got handed to the next person in line. When you’re paying fast food prices and waiting forever, the absolute minimum expectation is that the food will be hot. Sonic is failing to meet even that basic standard at too many locations.
The games were always about spectacle over substance
Wait, we’re talking about the video game character now? That’s right. Sonic the Hedgehog games have a similar problem to the restaurant chain. They were created to show off hardware capabilities back in the day, not to deliver deep gameplay. The speed was exciting and new in the 1990s, but once that novelty wore off, people started noticing the games were actually pretty shallow. Most levels follow the same pattern where you run a bit, hit a speed booster, and watch Sonic zoom forward automatically.
The games are typically short and easy, which becomes a problem when there’s not much challenge to balance out the length. Even newer titles like Sonic Colors removed all the extra stuff people complained about but still got criticized for being boring and too simple. The core gameplay was never really loved by everyone, just the thrill of going fast. Once you’ve played through a Sonic game, there’s not much reason to go back because it’s like a rollercoaster ride. Fun the first time, but repetitive after that. The games were meant to be tech demos, not full franchises, and that foundation still shows.
Both Sonics suffer from inconsistent quality
Whether we’re talking about the drive-in or the hedgehog, the same core issue keeps coming up. Things that used to work don’t work as well anymore, and attempts to fix problems just create new ones. The restaurant chain tries to improve by changing fries or adding new drinks, but the basics like hot food and clean equipment get neglected. The video games add new mechanics and characters to freshen things up, but the levels still feel repetitive and scripted.
Fans of both Sonics share similar frustrations. They remember when things were better and keep hoping for a return to form, but each new experience brings disappointment. The drive-in keeps opening new locations despite quality control issues at existing ones. The game series keeps releasing new titles that get mixed reviews at best. Both have loyal fans who want them to succeed, but those fans are getting tired of defending something that keeps letting them down. At some point, nostalgia isn’t enough to overcome consistently mediocre experiences, and both Sonics are reaching that breaking point with their audiences.
Sonic Drive-In and Sonic the Hedgehog both face an uphill battle to win back disappointed customers and fans. The restaurant needs to focus on the basics like food quality, cleanliness, and service speed instead of gimmicky menu changes. Until these core issues get addressed, people will keep sharing their bad experiences online and choosing other options. The name recognition only goes so far when the actual product keeps falling short of expectations.
