Minnetonka Drive In

What a marvelous piece of American nostalgia this place is! After the Minnesota Twins game, I went chasing after "Prince history" and purified myself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka. Before that, I stumbled upon this spot. I had the fried chicken dinner with fries and slaw and I absolutely loved it. The chicken is great! You'll have to wait a bit, but wait and enjoy this treasure.

This is one of those places... that needs to be around for many more years to come! Vintage atmosphere & classic drive-in treats & homemade root beer!

The A&W Root Beer, it is really awesome from the A&W Drive-in. It comes with soft frothy ice floating in the mug that when you take a sip it collides with your mouth and slurps right up so fresh feeling. The food is quite good too. Probably the best cheese curds in my opinion, the salty kind! They also have something called a "pizza burger," I am not sure why they call it that. It is super good but doesn't look or taste like pizza besides some cheese hiding in there.

Great afternoon to bike to the Drive-Inn with my daughter. Had the Minnetonka Twin and fries; my daughter had a regular burger and fries. Both of us got the Root Beer…it is homemade and really good. And I’m a self-proclaimed Root Beer expert, so take my word for it!

I just happened to me nearby viewing an apartment and decided to stop here for lunch. I love dining at these dinosaur establishments all over the twin cities. This place had a good burger, it was pricey for the size by which I mean you could go to McDonald’s/ Wendy’s for the same price and get a bigger burger and whole meal. But the burger and fries were good. I would visit again if I was in the area. If you eat on their picnic tables you get a nice view of the lake.

surprise date night turned into absolute joy when we pulled up to the minnetonka drive in! transport yourself back to an easier time when you could order good food at a very decent price from the comfort of your car. the california supreme was tops! i am still thinking about this burger this morning. it was full of flavor! the bun seemed bakery made and did not overpower the ingredients. a basket of fries is plenty for two! crinkle cuts are my fav! all was ordered and out to the car within minutes, but did not have that gross fast food vibe! will be back❣️

Original, tasty and pleasant place to take some time with family and friends in the end of the day! Specially on Thursdays when we have old cars demo.

This place is a throwback to another era -- a step back in time while enjoying a classic burger, fries and a milkshake from the comfort of your own vehicle or a picnic table. Also a great place for class car spotting during the summer!

This place is like driving back in time without a Delorian. Everything looks old and original but that's why we loved it. Their record player that plays the music even skipped at one point and it brought me back to old times. It wasn't very busy at lunch on a Saturday. I wish it was busier for the businesses sake but it was nice not having to fight a crowd. We all enjoyed our delicious food and ate at a bench near the drive in spot. There are plenty of parking spaces if you don't want to order through the drive in but we liked that nostalgia. We will definitely be back next time we are in the area.

We were on our way to the brewery across the street on a Saturday around noon, and decided to stop here! You can order inside or at one of the many "drive up" stations. I'll be honest, we were too intimidated to use the drive up stations hahaha. We ordered two "pizza burgers", fries and a drink. To our surprise, the pizza burgers were just cheese stuffed chicken patties haha. Maybe we're uncultured, but that was surprising haha. Nonetheless they were pretty tasty but nothing to write home about. Prices were fine, but definitely not "a bargin". The staff was all young and a bit overwhelmed, but it didn't take too long to get our food. We sat at a picnic table which got a little cold haha, but otherwise enjoyable. Overall it's cool to see that one of these still exists. I probably won't be back, but it's worth a visit if you're in the area.

This is the cutest drive-in! They have their own homemade root beer, too! We brought the kids and couldn't believe how reasonable the price was for kids meals! $7 for a cheeseburger, fries or onion rings, a drink, and an ice cream cone! We definitely will be back. You can choose to order and eat in your car or you can order inside and eat at one of their picnic tables. Super casual, next to the biking and walking path, across from the lake! Service was fast as well

Cute idea and was Super busy! But kind of disorganized and expensive. $25 for two burgers and cheese curds. But tasted great

The food was ok at best. I felt it was over priced for what I ordered. I asked for cheese on my sandwiched I was charged but never received it. This was my first time here. I don't think I'll return.

A few Saturdays ago my wife and I arrived around 2:30, about 10 vehicles were there, very well staffed for a seasonal drive-in, long time owner Dave and his family are great friendly people, we ordered 1 double cheeseburger, 1 order of onion rings and 2 shakes to split, total was $33 or so, we left a $5 tip in the bucket but we did have a sticker price reality check and we sat down and ate at a very sticky picnic table, all in all you're trying to enjoy the experience but this sort of failed as we pondered future visits

The food came out quick. Service was friendly. Everything was perfect as ordered, onion rings were highlight of the meal. Burgers are solid and fries are piping hot. Their ice cream is not too sweet perfect after the meal. Seating outside was plenty and it's dog friendly . Definitely will be back .

Absolutely a gem of a place! Best onion rings and root beer in the state! Burgers are solid, sundaes are top shelf and service is always good! A just hit in the summer!

Old school service with excellent food! I'll be back! Great place to hang out after a nice bike ride or just passing through.

FAVORITE PLACE!!! The Minnetonka drive in has been recognized throughout Minnesota, and for a good reason! They have quite a few homemade items such as onion rings, root beer, chili (seasonal), coleslaw, bbq sauce, creamy sriracha sauce, and house made shakes/malts! Their fried chicken is amazing paired with French fries, coleslaw, and toast. I truly love everything from the Minnetonka Drive in. My favorite "not so typical" meal is the gyro (you can even sub chicken if you don't like beef/lamb). The servers are young, but this provides for a lively and nice experience. You can sit in your car and order, sit at a picnic table, or drive through. My favorite time to get a burger and fries is in the middle of a lake day. Grab some food and head right back out to the lake! THURSDAY NIGHTS: hot rod night! Get a root beer, fries, and burger (either California or Minnetonka twin) for a set price. Walk around and look at all the cool cars. If you are lucky you might get to talk to Dave or Deb the owners!

Amazing fried chicken. Fun place to take the family and I wish it was open all year round.

Very good food! Awesome pizza burgers. Very nice place to eat in the summer. Car shows every Thursday night. Nice employees. Good service. Eat in your car or outside. You're average drive in.

This Drive-In has been own by the same family since day One. My mom was the 1st cook and My Grandpa made all the Root Beer no premade. They take PRIDE in making fresh food. I use to help slice, separate and bread the onion rings! Their Chicken is to die for...So much flavor!!! My Granddaughter will be the 5th Generation of Our Family to Work for The Bennehoff Family Ohhhh DON'T FORGET THURSDAYS Everyone with Older Cars hang out there. They Love Talking About Their Cars!

I love this place! Being from Iowa, I am always on the prowl for a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich - and the Drive-In delivers! I always get a tenderloin, homemade onion rings, and a homemade root beer float. You can either eat in your car there, or take your food to-go to one of the nearby picnic areas on the lake. Such a fun place for people of al ages!

After pontooning allllllllllll day on Lake Minnetonka, my crew and I were in dire need of some grub! My friends requested "something greesy" so Minnetonka Drive-in was suggested. This is your typical Drive-In with burgers, fries, cheese curds, onion rings, shakes, etc. Our group ordered EVERYTHING. I'm talking everything I listed above and then some. In addition, I also ordered the "fish n chips." This is where the disappointment came in. I was expecting to receive a few pieces of fried cod tenders (I believe that's what they are called ) However, I received fish sticks . There wasn't anything crazy exciting about this place. I'm thinking locals venture to have the drive-in experience. There's nothing negative to say about Minnetonka Drive-In but there's not anything too exciting to comment on either.

There is a lot of cool stuff about this very run down old fashioned place, but the food is just meh, the food app sucks, and it is just seems like a three star place. Pros: * real 1950s Drive-in diner. * tons of picnic tables and you. An even order from them. * online ordering form (this is also a con, see below) * a favorite stop after your kids sports games, during boating, etc. I have been here so many times over decades it seems. * affordable * fast, friendly service * it just looks cool, from the signs to drive in. * cool cars parked around * anyone over 21 can walk across the street to Back Channe Brewing and enjoy some of the best craft beer in the Twin Cities. For real. Cons: * food is just meh. The group of five 14 year old girls in my boat ordered corn dogs, burgers and onion rings. * onion rings are awful. Greasy undercooked artery cloggers. My 14 year old is an onion ring aholic, but just one, shoved it away. Dad had to pay for it. So I begrudgingly ate them all, taking breaks not to puke. Hey, I was hungry and I took my cholesterol pill today. I think. Uh oh. ??! * the online app sucks and is unreliable. We have had to call them to confirm orders. Service seems slow when ordering online. Much faster there. I would just go there and order, not mess with the app. * the place is kind of dumpy.

There food is pretty fire if you want a good burger head here instead of McDonald's my only complaint would be the price

Still tasty. Quick service. Daughter was disappointed because pizza burger was deceiving. It was a deep fried pork patty with cheese in the middle.

I was wanting to get out of the house today and happened to Google my way to Minnetonka Drive In. I ordered online to save a little time. I ordered a double hamburger with bacon, fries, and a root beer. I'm not sure how much time the online order saved- it still took a while for the food to arrive. But, once it arrived, I was hooked! My burger was perfectly cooked, the fries were perfectly crisp on the outside but still soft on the inside. The barbecue sauce was delicious (I wanted something other than ketchup for my fries). Not sure if it was house-made or not. The prices were very reasonable. I liked that they offered parking spots to sit at a table along with eating at the drive up spot. It was worth the drive. I would definitely go back.

I stopped there on a bike ride today with two friends. We had barely settled in at our table when our meal was delivered. Everything was hot off the grill delicious, the burger was awesome as were the fries. The entire staff from the young women who took our order to the young man who delivered our meals were delightful and very courteous. I'll definitely be back!!

Come here for the novelty value of the experience as you ride your bike on the trail besides. Or pop in and be served from your car. Fair prices.

If you're old enough to remember the 50s, or young enough to want to experience a unique era in American teenage culture, take a drive around Lake Minnetonka to Spring Park and the Minnetonka Drive-In --preferably in a chopped and channelled convertible with dual Hollywood glaspacs. There aren't too many drive-in restaurants (and even fewer drive-in movie theatres) around anymore. When we arrived, the parking lot was almost empty (a telling sign). While the sign on the menu says they've been serving great food for over 50 years, I'm sorry to say that is no longer the case. The young voice that squawked out of the speaker next to our car was not friendly. Not even bored. Just kind of rude, as though she really didn't want to be there. The same was true of the server. She just "dumped" our food on the tray and left. When we pressed the button to request napkins (none were provided with our order), there was no acknowledgement. Someone just showed up with a handful of napkins. The root beer float was made with soft-serve, not ice cream, and served not in a frosty mug, but a styrofoam cup. The burger was limp and, along with the fries, greasy --which may very well be just like the burgers that were served 50 years ago. But when you're 17, you don't know any better, and don't care. Perhaps the memories of the drive-in era are best left as just that, memories.

BEES ! Swarmed by Yellow Jackets while we were trying to eat - getting in our food, floats & landing repeatedly on us . As we made our way to the car they followed us & several got in the car. My husband was stung. Will try again next season!

I just love coming here for the Minnetonka Twin burger! Look forward to their opening every spring! My son loves their Fried Chicken Dinners and the wife is all about their pork tenderloin.

very good food for price, better than culvers down the road and access to bike path, buns are toasted better in my opinion

One of my favorite drive ins! I absolutely LOVE the chicken... if they were open all year, I would be there all the time.

With another snow storm on the horizon, I've been reminiscing about long, warm summer days hoping that with enough focused visualization, we'll finally get above 50. For me, I know summer has finally arrived when the Minnetonka Drive -In Restaurant starts hosting the "hot rod" nights. Muscle car collectors and other fancy automobile junkies flock to this Lake Minnetonka burger joint to show off their beauties. But the real beauties are the burgers, onion rings, and root beer floats. Unlike "I'm O", I've never had an off night here, but then again, I'm not a regular....I'm probably here 1 to 2 times a year. For those who dream of recreating scenes from Grease, you'd love it here.

Best FRIED chicken in MN. Really. Dave B. , owner is a local treasure! Thursday nights you can't drive in,, it classic car night. Just park across the street and walk in, seating at picnic tables and enjoy the cars,, and great food.

This is a cute stop along the Dakota regional trail with good fries and unique onion rings, however the burgers were underwhelming with a dry bun and lack of flavor. Once was good, I wouldn't go back for the food.... maybe for ice cream if out on the trail again.

Lots of issues at this dive. First, $26 for two people for the equivalent quality of fair food. Second, ordered a chili dog with onions and pickle. It came with no onions and no pickle. Third, ordered a root beer and diet Dr Pepper. We asked which was which and the answer we got was "good question, it's anybody's guess". They screwed up again and gave us two diet Dr Peppers. The only slightly decent food: fries and rings. Don't bother with this place.

Oh, man! This place is nearly identical to the last remaining 50s-era drive-in in St. Paul where I worked as a carhop and ate as a teen back in the early 80s, except this doesn't have the Italian food. Even the menu boards are the same, although the menu is slightly different. The better part about Mtka. is they have what was an off-menu item at the other place. Nobody but these drive-ins knows how to make a legitimate "freeze", which is soda pop blended with ice cream. They think you mean slush. Nope. Uh-uh. If you've never had one, you're missing out. The onion rings are phenomenal, and the burgers have such a unique, delicious flavor you don't want to top them with ketchup or mustard. Honestly, one of the best drive-in experiences I've had in decades!

Ok food, but way over priced. A burger, fries, chicken strip basket and couple of root beers shouldn't cost $20 plus dollars.

Great service and food the only downside to this is they are only open late spring to early fall.

The service is just awful regardless of timing! The only great thing are the drummies and root beer floats, however our last couple of emails here weren't great at all. Hopefully next season they will change their tune - either that or continue to go downhill. Hopefully not though!

I discovered this place last year, I had no idea that a place like this still was around. Takes me back to the old days of the drive-ins i used to go to when I was a kid. Thursday night's car night, and I discovered most of my old friends are here which is amazing. The food is good typical driving food shakes, burgers, corn dogs, and chili. It's a lot that you would expect at a drive-in like A&W. The owners are super friendly service is great I am just so happy to discover this old drive-in experience again!

This was a lot of fun and great burgers. It was our first time and will definitely be going back. Have to find a way to get pick up access while on the boat

Right on the Dakota Rail Trail. Classic 50's drive-in. Good burgers and fries. Made a malt custom to our specifications. Friendly people, enjoyable stopover.

So here's the thing we have been customers a while now. No, the burgers are not the best , but it's the drive in atmosphere great floats. We are a family of 5 just got back from our vacay to Hawaii, where there everyone is nice and greets you with warmth at their business. We got off plane, drove home, I called in a burger order. Starving. Drove to the " call in window" as I have before to pick up call ins many times. ( never told I was doing it wrong. There is even a sign on window " this window for call in orders only") I sit there a few, no biggie. A lady then begrudgingly opens window who's this? She says. " hi I have a call in for ####" Lady: " just so you know this is not where you go to pick up, you will be sitting here a while if you don't go there first, as we won't see you" No... Hi, can I help you, or by the way next time... Etc.. Even with a mean look. Not joking. Again kinda set back. I was thrown off. She literally just opened this window to a paying customer ( large order) and bitched at me. Luckily I was still in my Hawaii mood or my NY roots might have shown. I gave her my Amex, she looks at it " we don't take Amex" I didn't say anything, handed her my debit, grabbed my food and left. I have not had this type of rudeness in forever. So I have to say goodbye to the Minnetonka Drive in along with my family and now some other customers that I have spread word to. What a shame. Bad customer service. This wasn't a young kid either. I don't know if she was the owner ( I hope not) or someone just pissed to have to deal with customers at 7 pm. Very sad that customer service has come down to this. ( been in customer service my whole life) I'm sorry I made you open the window and let off steam you had built up. This place wasn't packed either, so it's not like my " mistake" held anyone up. My 13 year old even said geez that was rude. Maybe label the place better. I don't know. I will share on other sights. Just so maybe others will see how to not be. Maybe put some Aloha in your day. No Mahala to you. You just cost your workplace quite a few customers. :-/ **** Update**** Owner contacted me and apologized. Issued a refund of my meal. Thx.

Best onion rings I've ever had. My husband likes the Minnetonka Twin and the hot fudge malt. I love the root beer float. I always order a small and it's a pretty big small. The prices are not cheap, but the food tastes great, and there are picnic tables to sit the family down. This place is a staple of our town in the summer.

Great food. They make their own burger, onion rings, coleslaw and root beer. The food is delicious. Deb and Dave are the best, too. Don't drive by. You'll be sorry.

Good old fashioned drive in. Thursday evenings in the summer are back to the 50's car night. Lots of cool vintage cars and hot rods. Food is decent, great root beer floats. Friendly staff. We need to keep places like this around.

Years ago this was an A&W but the owner wisely opted out of the franchise fees. Food can be hit and miss. The onion rings are not to be missed -- handmade with a secret recipe going back several decades. Great for kids and families. Thursday nights they have a classic car gathering that's especially family friendly. BEWARE: If you attend the Thursday night car rally you'll need to park across the street (Shoreline Drive). People on this road either don't grasp the concept of cross walks or are too ignorant to obey this important law. Keep children on a short leash or there's a very real possibility they'll get hit. One would hope the Orono Police would monitor the area but nothing could be further from the truth.

A true classic drive in restaurant with carhops and root beer floats! Drive ins are few and far between. Living in SLP I was well aware of the former Wagners which is now revamped as the Galaxy Drive In. I love to support drive ins so that they may continue to serve future generations. Anyway, a few weeks ago I was driving around Lake Minnetonka on Hwy 15 west of Wayzata and drove by the Minnetonka Drive In located in Spring Park. It looked like the real deal. Flash forward to today - a day to get the mother-out-of-law outside for some recreation, besides she loves burgers. So off to the MDI we went. Burgers were good, not so huge that you feel you just consumed half a cow and were served on a decent old fashioned bun. Fries were average and the O-rings were a crowd pleaser. The malted and the RB float were awesome. The wait time for the food was brief, but they were not filled up either. By the way, the small order of O-rings is plenty for three people, I made the error of ordering a full sized order which we were not able to finish. So if the sun is shining and you feel like a drive around the lake might be in order bring along your appetite and stop in at the MDI!

Wow, that was disappointing. After going here for a few years for ice cream cones, we finally decided to get some food. That was a mistake, in my opinion. I ordered a double hamburger, and it only came with pickles, no ketchup, not mustard, no onions. When I asked them about it, they said its because they have condiments on the counter, which consisted of mustard packets and bottles of chef mark ketchup. It looked like the kind of ketchup you'd buy at Aldi or something. Then I ate my hamburger, it was as if I was eating in a school cafeteria. My wife got a chili dog and that was all their was to it, hotdog with chili on it, nothing else, no onions or anything else. This was the kind of food experience I would expect if I'm paying $1.50 for a burger, but it was $4.59 or something. In my opinion, all the food is way over-priced here. We won't be eating here again. However, they do have good cones, their soft serve is great, puts DQ to shame. I forgot to mention that I waited about 30 minutes for my food. It was hot rod Thursday, but seriously, 30 minutes? Come on!

I'm honestly surprised this place gets four star reviews. While the drive in concept is fun and family friendly, I find the food below average for comparable fast food in the area.

prices are kinda high. Good food. cool concept. just a little expensive.

Excellent service tonight, nice and speedy. Food was delicious as always. Love the Onion rings, shakes, malts, and root beer floats

Minnetonka Drive-In is a fun, nostalgic place. Customers have the choice to order delivery to their car or order via the drive-thru. Both my husband and I loved the fries and the cheese curds- they are absolutely delicious! The burgers were average; the service has been friendly, though our order has been prepared incorrectly on more than one occasion. Overall, if you're craving a burger place, this is one to try, as long as you don't have huge expectations.

Favorite summertime go to restaurant! Food is always consistent. Parking sometimes gets a little hairy! And if you're not into old cars stay away on old car day.

Great burgers, great onion rings, fries are excellent. You can't go wrong here. You can park, order at the speaker and grab a picnic table. The portions are perfect (not too big and not too small). I recommend the California with cheese, onions rings, and a malt.