Bob R.
Yelp
Sonic has been torturing me for years. They've been running TV advertisements in the Chicagoland area as long as I've lived here, but (up until recently) there have only been two Sonics within the 100-mile Chicagoland radius, neither of which were remotely close. The advertisements were always quirky and did a good job of featuring the food, but the star of this show always seemed to be the deserts and specialty drinks.
I should take a moment to clarify, though. I'm no stranger to Sonic. I've had the benefit of living near Sonic Drive-Ins when I lived outside of Chicagoland and had grown to both know and love the half-price-drinks daily happy hour from 2-4. This point only exacerbated my frustration on the constantly running advertisements. I had tasted the goodness that was Sonic previously, but couldn't quench my thirst. I was pretty sure the ad execs at Sonic had it out for me in some sort of Greek God/Tantalus fashion. (Yes, I know I'm reaching with the analogy, but that's what Wikipedia is for). Anyway, Sonic finally provided some relief and opened a new location less than 30 minutes away from me. Score.
Anyway, back to the main points here. Sonic is a drive-in style restaurant reminiscent of the early days of American fast food. Drive to the restaurant. Find a parking sport. Order from your car. Eat in your car courtesy of the friendly service of a car hop who brings your food to you. (No, not on roller skates.)
Overall, the food is decent. Typical burgers, dogs, chicken sandwiches coupled with fries, tots, or onion rings. It's better than typical McBurgertown fast food, but short of fine dining. I would put it on par with a Steak and Shake.
As I mentioned, the drinks really make the difference for me. Yes, typical sodas are offered, but it doesn't stop there. Sonic maintains a good variety of options in the lemonade/limeade department. You also have the option to add flavored syrup to your beverage, leading to such classic combinations as the (not pre-made in the factory) cherry coke, the (not pre-made in the factory) vanilla coke, and my two personal favorites the cherry/vanilla dr. pepper and the cherry limeade.
The best deal in town is from 2-4 when all drinks are half-priced. Go all out and get the Route 44 (44oz) for about $1. You won't be sorry.