Carr's Drive In

6/14/25 I never give five stars, especially at a diner or drive in but here I must make an exception and here's why. Nostalgia, on a hot summer evening it's perfect. Let's go to the drive in. It was clean at 2:30 in the afternoon and they get business, today's Saturday. The bathroom was clean, which is hard to find these days, I mean really clean. Here is a big one, no flies. I don't put this in my rating factor but the your gal working here is drop dead beautiful which brings back the nostalgia thing. Oh to be young again. The prices are great, the food good and hot. I'll be back soon for it all. A must if you are on a river run.

Great roadside spot. Cheap and friendly service. Tried the new Korean chicken bites and they were delish! Not too much breading on them! Cant beat any of these prices in Forestville.

If ever there was an excellent reason to carry cash around with me, it would be so that I could come here whenever the mood strikes... which is nearly every time I drive by. So maybe it's better that I don't, cuz man o man are the burgers here top shelf! I LOVE small town single shop locations like this. I will hand over my hard earned dollars all day vs chain restaurants. There's just no comparison, and I think it might make the food taste better knowing I am supporting a truly local business. Regardless, burgers here are amazing, and I think I might have to go to the ATM more often.

Love this place for a classic, yummy, no frills burger and fries. Onion rings also hit the spot. Super good and we ate outside during sunset. The staff was so friendly and accommodating. The coffee shake was great!

Perfectly cooked Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Boneless chicken (breast?) with fries, and fish and chips came with 2 pieces of fish (not sure if we could've gotten more pieces or not), Strawberry Milkshakes were awesome, and chocolate ice cream cone was decent sized! Plenty for 2 people to share or 2 kids. Fries were crinkle cut and yummy. No flavor of old oil or burned oil. They have seating and outdoor window access, as well as picnic table seating. Easy to spot on the corners and easy to pull into from either street. Food took Maybe 15 minutes and was piping hot. They Do Accept Card!!

Great burgers and shakes, my daughter loves the soft serve. Only thing I don't recommend are the fries. They are just frozen crinkle cut from a bag.

AFFORDABLE, FRIENDLY, GOOD EATS! So I'm not really a strawberry shake kind of person. BUT!!! For this place I drink one any day.

Great prices for a hamburger place .They were very busy milkshakes were pretty good and there cheese burger was pretty good as well will be back to try there fish and chips

Food was delicious! Had the quarter pound with cheese, onion rings, fries and lrg dr p. Food was fast. Girls working the counter was so sweet, multitasked very well and courteous! I will be back again.

Favorite burger joint and a must if you're visiting or driving by this cute little town. We love Carr's and have been coming almost a decade. Family owned and operated. The 1/4 cheeseburgers are phenomenal. Fries are always made perfectly golden and slightly crisp. The Korean strawberry milk is insanely good but if they don't have it then try a milk shake. Cute spot to eat outside too! They're always busy but service is quick and friendly. I have a Carrs craving that goes nicely with a tall iced Dr. Pepper. It's not all the time but when I do, it's giving the perfect happy meal.

Good food, great service. What else can I say. We come here for the delicious fries and soft serve and are always happy with the friendly staff. The prices are quite reasonable and you get more than you get what you pay for. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you are in the area

Solid greasy spoon comfort food. Popped in for a quick dinner before driving home from a day of wine tastings and was searching for something easy and filling. Carr's drive in hit the mark! Ordered a cheeseburger, French dip & fries with a butterscotch milkshake to share. The fries were undercooked and needed salt, but everything else was on point! The milkshake was perhaps the best surprise. I am not usually one for sweets, but the creaminess of the shake was what made it delicious. The prices are very reasonable for the area. Just make sure you bring cash as they are CASH ONLY! Would return next time I'm in area.

I had my first onion ring as a young kid at Carr's in 1986 and they became my preference over fries ever since. Today for the first time in many years I decided it was too hot to cook at my house so I took a short detour thru Forestville and went to Carr's. I ordered a double cheeseburger well done with grilled onions. An order of onion rings and a orange soda. It was just under $17 after putting $2 in the tip jar. The onion rings were better than any fast food joint and while I don't think they are the handmade kind, they were tasty and consistent. I ate them as I drove home, by the time time I hit green valley road they were gone and didn't require any sauce. The soda was ok, not quite as sweet as I would have preferred but I like my soda sweet and can taste when the syrup isn't putting out full volume. But I drank most of and I liked the cup and real straw. The burger I ate after I made it over Harrison grade and then my street. I sat in my car in the A/c with the heat out at a very uncommon 95 and it was fantastic. It's 8 miles to my house on slow roads and it was still really great. I am very glad I went. I've been on a budget to save for some medical stuff and the inevitable time off while inflation is crazy high. So when I eat out I know it's not gonna be the prices of yesterday, but a lot of places make you regret it with sub par food and lack luster service. Carr's tonight left me thinking that I am gonna start driving thru Forestville instead of Graton more often. I will say this, it was comically hot inside and all around the the place. A mini split system for the inside would made it way more inviting and comfortable. I would have eaten there and probably bought some desert. There are old ones at my work I would give them one just to help keep this multi generational gem around. I think this place should attract hungry river tourists and locals alike during the super hot days like today was. I'm going to go again next week and see what else they have on the menu that's on my comfort food wheelhouse. Sorry there are no pictures. But this review was written a hour after I ate and it wasn't till now after sitting in my east chair satisfied and grateful for the good experience in a slightly less hot house that I realized I should share my experience.

A staple in downtown Forestville. Stop by for your standard far for a greasy spoon, drive-in restaurant. French fries are a must, as is the soft serve!

Best burgers and milkshakes in Northern California!! Seriously if you are looking for truly classic american food Carr's is it. The family is so genuine and sweet and clearly work so hard for their family business! Must visit if you are in Forestville!

Still love Carr's, and my new favorite is there a fish sandwich? I love the way they wrap the sandwiches ready to take on the road! It's awesome.

I love this place. I recently moved to forestville and always want to grab some food either after work or on the weekends but there new hours are terrible. I really would eat here all the time if they didn't close so early. Only thing in town is a pizza place that isn't very good

Excellent service, good food (and decent menu selection), and clean dining area. So glad we found this place. We'll be back!

Best burger place ever. I love the service me and all the kids at school love joe and all the workers. Fairly cheap we love Carr's no matter how old we get we will always come by and get my usual, specialty fry's and a good al large lemonade, and sometimes a cookies and cream shake if you don't like Carr's there is something wrong with you.

Best burger ever, hands down! My friend and I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and shared some cheese fries. We asked if they had jalapeños and they were able to accommodate. The burgers had that awesome charbroiled flavor and texture. We talked about how great the burger was for a couple of days. In our humble opinion, we think the fries could be cooked a little longer. I like them a little crispier. Service was great. Young lady working there on Sunday was amazing. Never saw anybody work so hard. That place was so clean and everything in its place. We sat outside, since it was such a nice day, we never went inside. I would definitely go back again. I can't wait to go back again to get another burger.

Just what we needed. Friendly helpful people serving delicious food from a simple menu. Such a nice break from the rain.

Before we had fast food we had places like this. Roadside burgerstands just like this old school classic place ! The nostalgic aspect is mostly why I'm writing a review. There were sort of healthy options like chicken breast burgers, and salmon burger. Forestville is a tiny town, very fitting. I needed a quick lunch and this was perfect. I would have given a 5 Star review except for the fact that I asked if the salmon was fresh and the person said Yes, it was a salmon patty lol! It was actually good. Thumbs up!

Really great burgers (and many other non-burger options)! So good! Kids loved the soft serve! Cash only when we went there so be prepared.

This is a bit weird but we have stopped in at Carr's on three different occasions but have only had their soft serve ice cream. It was always after having lunch elsewhere, maybe next time Anyway the soft serve is just the normal stuff you get all around the Country but guess what. It's cold, creamy, flavorful and simply hits the spot. Add in that a "small" swirled cone of vanilla and chocolate is $2.00 and a "medium" is $2.50 (both are pretty large) and it's also a good value. Always friendly service and with the pandemic all the employees had masks and gloves and outdoor tables had good spacing. Next time it's food and ice cream Lol.

Stepping in to Carr's is like taking a step back in time. It's amazing to find an established with decent food at a great value. You won't find a $14 grass fed burger on that menu but you will see a variety of classic options: burgers, fries, hot dogs, Ruben sandwiches and tuna melts to name a few. While taking a bike ride on the county trails, my group and I decided to pop in for a little mid ride treat. We ordered: 3 cheese burgers with bacon which were pretty darn tasty, fries and 3 "small" cones all for $28; What a bargain! This is a no frills dinning experience but the burgers , fries and cones are a nice treat if you find yourself in forestville. Bring cash as they are old fashioned and do not accept plastic payment.

Double quarter pounder was mediocre. Side dish (onion rings) was poor quality and (thankfully?) very small portion. Asked for a soda refill and was asked for $0.50 (it's cash only - and I had given all my change in tips, and there's no notice about the refill cost). Much options elsewhere. Avoid.

Cheeseburger with mushrooms, chocolate shake, DOES NOT include French fries. $14. Ouch. It's worth driving elsewhere. About the food, hamburgers OK frozen patty thin layer of mushrooms nothing to write home about. The $4 chocolate shake? Tasted like sweetened thick milk and the reason for one star. You charge $4 for a chocolate shake how about making it with chocolate ice cream, or at least a quality facsimile! We've been coming here often on since 1999, we won't be going back.

Nice cheap place to eat!! My family and I LOVED their hamburgers and milkshakes! Don't skip the shakes! I had the banana milkshake, they used a real banana! Would eat here again!

This place is exactly right. It's cheap Americana, served mostly by high school kids. The prices are right, the vibe is right, the malted milkshakes are effing delicious. If you want something fancy, go to some farm to table joint and pay $25 for burger. If you want to taste America, come to Carr's.

The food is ok, similar to Burger King but slightly better. The only problem they ONLY take cash... which is honestly ridiculous and was a huge inconvenience for everyone. I mean what kind of restaurant only takes cash? Speaks volumes for the type of business it is.

The best since I was a baby thirty years later and I still love this place ! Nice people , yummy food !!

Three stars for food. Four stars for service. We were passing through town looking for a quick bite to go as we had our dog. Two nearby cafe's were closed so we ended up at Carr's. There are several booths inside as well as a handful of picnic tables under the covered patio. We picked a corner table to be out of the way so the pup could be with us. I appreciated this option and that the tables had enough space to accommodate without impacting other guests who may not want to be near a dog. We ordered a mushroom burger, bacon burger and side of fries. The burgers were freshly made with crisp, fresh produce. The bacon burger arrived dry while the mushroom burger had a small squirt of "thousand island" dressing on the bottom bun. There was probably one button mushroom sliced and cooked on the flat top. So technically it was a mushroom burger but wasn't impressive. The regular sized fries - shoestring, arrived plentiful and hot. I appreciated how the paper wrapper was folded to hold the heat. After bringing our food out, the employee asked to pet the dog. He did, then immediately went inside and washed his hands. Kudos! Yes, it's basic safety and sanitation, and this demonstrates he is practicing good skills. We should all appreciate that such a small, casual establishment is maintaining sanitary standards. Overall, lunch for 2 was $16, food was equivalent of fast food burger joint, however your supporting a local family business.

Cash Only. I like going here mainly because it reminds me of being a kid. It really hasn't changed since I was a kid 40 years ago. Burgers are basic drive-in classic style. Nothing special. Just nostalgic.

Alright, so I usually don't leave a review unless it's above three stars just because I don't want to bring down the restaurant in any way. I know how hard it is to work in the food industry. But I've tried this place many times throughout the last few years since I live down the street practically. Everytime I go I expect this juicy burger but it never is, it's always a dry burger with a huge lettuce slab and a few tomatoes. I want to like it since it's the only quick food place around really but I'm always a little disappointed.

This review may be wine aided...but I was impressed! After some wine tasting at Iron Horse, I was hungry and needing a quick bite. Carr's is down the street (once you get to the main drag). I know this place has been here for YEARS, but the last time I had been here was about 10 years ago. I got a double cheese (1/4 burger), while my wife got a regular cheese. Patties are small, thus two patties equaled a quarter pound burger. My burger was delicious, very flavorful. We shared a bag of fries between the two of us, good fries as well. A bag was enough for the both of us. The interior hasn't been changed in maybe a couple / three decades. No need to update, it works for the place. It's a small town burger joint, that's no frills. You don't need anything else. Service was great too. For both of us to grab a quick bite to eat; $15. I'd probably spend more at a local / franchise fast food joint...that I'd hate afterward. This was very good. I'd like to say I'd be back, but I live in Santa Rosa and can't remember the last time I drove through Forestville (maybe 10 years ago when I was last here at Carr's). Good burger joint. Even after wine tasting!

This is still the best place to get a real burger, cooked as you like it, without giving up and arm and a leg to pay for it. Stopped thee because I was early picking up the pups at Scissorhands, so why not? What a relief to be able to get one's mouth around the classic bun with the classic patty and a slice of cheese if you ask for it. Cooked just right and not at all greasy. Have not had their milkshake, but would be surprised if they DID NOT use ice cream. However,Hunt's Creamery in Hayward, where I grew up, refused to use because it made such a thin shake. Hunt's used ice milk (guess that would be slow churned these days) and everything came out fine and thick. If Mike Ks shake seemed thin, it is probably because Carrs DOES use real ice cream. Anyway, cannot have dogs groomed more than every 6 weeks, but never miss that excuse to indulge in a Carr's.

First off, the burgers are tiny. Not bad tasting, but very small. I called ahead to order lunch for my construction crew one day based on the prices they listed on yelp under the "explore the menu" option, in reality, they are wildly more expensive. I ended up paying almost $100 for a lunch that should've cost me more like $75 for 10 or 11 people. Even the price they have listed on the menu in person. Is different than the one they actually charge. I don't mind that they only accept cash... A classic Forestville joint, sure, but keep som minimum standards.

My husband and I live down the street so when we want a burger, this is our go-to!! I might be a little picky when it comes to a burger to be honest and don't eat much red meat at all. Carr's burgers are thin and well done, they are excellent! It is a simple, satisfying burger that really hits the spot. Something about shredded lettuce always makes a difference to me. The food always comes out hot and we are always impressed. I've branched out a bit on the menu but I have to say, a cheese burger and fries wins. Their swirl cone is a real winner too.

Everything here is a complete disappointment. Even their milkshake is thin and tastes artificial. I'd really like to like this place but it's just a step above burger King and that's probably being kind.

$23 for a single chocolate malt & 2 fish sandwiches. The $6 malt was an inch under the top of the cup; sandwiches were missing specifically requested cheese, pickles & onion but we were charged extra for those items. Unfortunately we noticed these errors when we were already home. Lucky for Carr's they are the only drive-in within a 10 mile radius.

This place is great! I have been here several times. The grilled chicken sandwich is my favorite. The kids get hamburgers and the corn dogs. It's a casual diner style environment. A great place to pop in for a family meal

I grew up in beautiful Forestville and would come to Carr's everyday after school to meet my older brother and wait for our mom to pick us up. This was the after school spot for most my friends as well and for that I will always have a soft spot for the nostalgia alone. All and all this place has been consistent the last 25 years I've been stopping by. Great fries, great burgers and the cones are very generous in size and flavor! Look you're not at some hip pretentious burger joint, this is small town comfort food. Keep that in mind and I doubt you'll be disappointed. We came her the day after the wildfires had started, most places in Santa Rosa were closed or inaccessible. The staff was hard at work while the rest of us shared our stories and traded any up to date information we had. We really appreciated them being open that day and providing some respite during a stressful time.

We are driving along through the woods and through the quaint little town of Forestville. And we see this great old hamburger place that's been there forever. I remember having burgers there a few years ago - great people and great food. Well - all of that is gone. Someone bought it out, an asian family. I've had some wonderful american style food from Asian families that put their heart into it - just not here. The man at the counter was upset with my request that was different than the menu. Please put mayo on both sides of the bun 'He, said - can't you just have it the way it comes'? ahhhh, yeah, I could but then I wouldn't be -getting it my way - and that is a small request. So got back in the car, they didn't do the mayo on both sides for my friend and in fact the burgers had no seasoning, over cooked and dry. The fries were thrown away that were that bad. Hopefully someone else will come along and want to buy this place and make it great again. Right now it's not good - keep driving.

Good home made burgers not fan of their chilli but service and burgers were great. Nice place to stop by after visiting russian River.

Super tasty cheeseburger - nicely seasoned and stellar customer service! Excited to try their shakes and other sandwiches!

All I wanted was a milkshake... A few years back, when I was playing in a weekend softball tournament in Forestville, I found this place, and it was a delight. Nothing fancy, mind you, but the burgers were tasty and hearty, and the milkshakes....ah, the milkshakes.... Was there for the same reason this past weekend. Stopped by after the day's games for a milkshake. There were several cars in the lot and folks hanging around at the table outside. Went in to the counter. Heard some cleaning noises in the back. No one was watching the front of the house. After a good 5 minutes, an older Asian man stuck he head around the corner and abruptly said "We closed today." Slightly stunned, I walked outside and looked at the hours on the door, which said they were open until 6:45pm on Saturdays. I looked at my watch. 6:25pm. So I say: If they don't want business during their business hours, let's grant them their wish. Find a place--any place--where your business and your money is welcome. Because it's not welcome here.

Cheeseburger & fries with a soda, just what you'd expect from an old style joint. Brought back childhood memories that's why I'm giving it 4 stars. cash only!

Great service and value. I liked the double burger a lot. Will return next time. Thanks

Love this place, been coming here since I was a little kid! I noticed there were no pictures of the menu so I thought I'd add a few!

I went to Carr's on a whim. I was in Forestville looking for lunch and it was so cute. I love diners and drive-ins so I felt the need to try them out. I t was a pretty good call. They have the kind of old school ambience that makes you think of simpler times when gluten free, organic, low card, and all those other options didn't exist. There menu is limited to sandwiches (including hot dogs and several types of burgers), a few sides and dessert. Sometimes, I miss that kind of simplicity. When the cashier asked me if I wanted everything on my burger (of course I wanted a burger, fries too), I knew she meant lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard and ketchup (yes ,please!).. I rounded things out with an orange soda and chili fires. The burger was really good. It was the right size with just the right toppings to meat to bun ratio. Everything was fresh and the burger was right off the grill. The fires we kind of a disappointment though. The ratio of fries to topping was good, but the fries themselves were a bit soggy and the chili on top was really more like beans in sauce. There was no meant and no spice, both of which translated to no flavor. I didn't mind not having the meat, but I really missed the seasoning. Just a little would have gone a long way. We were too full for ice cream, but we saw several soft serve cones go by. They were huge, and they looked creamy and delicious. They offer three sizes of cones, all of which are $2.85 or less. Although I didn't have any, the cones looked well worth the price., They had milkshakes and malts, too. If you are in Forestville, Carr's is definitely worth a stop, Make sure you leave room for ice dessert. And bring cash, because they are cash only.

I love these kinds of places. We drove by it and decided to turn around and grab a bite to eat on a lark. Bad idea. The service was brusque. The food was terrible. I got a hamburger and my wife got the chicken strips and onion rings. We threw most of the food away. It was that bad. The burger meat was tough. Tough hamburger. Not good. Flavor was not there. I'm guessing freezer burn. The chicken strips were way overcooked and dry. The onion rings had very little onion and seemed mealy and gross tasting. I'm sure all of this stuff is brought in frozen, so I'm not sure how it went as wrong as it did. That's saying something for frozen food. Hey, at least the soda was good.

All wrapped up in white paper like a billowy cloud (see photo). After hiking near Russian River we drove in to Carr's Drive In to refuel. There's nothing better than sitting at a picnic table with the golden late afternoon sun on you sipping a malty shake whilst waiting for a piping hot burger and fries to arrive. See, the burgers and fries are made to order. The bathrooms are grody which is why I leave a star off.

Food here is sooo bad :( I ordered a French Dip and it was just horrible. The meat tasted like it was a week old. The French fries are bad also. I guess it's a good stop if it was the last place to eat. No bueno!!

While waiting for my daughters soccer tournament to start, we headed over to the closest place to eat..Carr'a diner. I knew once I smelled the burgers and saw the line that this place was good. I ordered 5 burgers, 5 drinks, and French fries. Inc oiling believe the total was $20. Burgers were BOMB! Service was also super friendly. If you ever find yourself in Forrestville, I highly recommend you visit Carr's.

This place is so good!!! Classic drive-in feel, great prices, great food.. I've been eating here often do to work in the area and have been enjoying the burgers (delicious) and decided to try the French dip.. Off the hook!! Highly recommended..

Driving through trying to find a dog friendly place to eat with outside seating. Carr's was perfect! We had the Reuben sandwich and fries. Great food and awesome service! The server was friendly and kind to our dog. Got a swirl ice cream cone which was yummy! Outside seating was clean and comfortable!

Hands down one of the best burgers I've ever had! Fries were hot and crispy and perfect, and the milkshake was amazing! Only thing that I have to complain about was there was a hair in my fries. But honestly I could care less! Recommend 100%!