It was the early '90s, and I was living and working in Columbia, South Carolina. Being right out of college, I was eager to devour the world. At that point, finances would dictate that I would be devouring the world one fast food meal at a time for the most part, but that was OK. Exploring fast food is still a way of exploring a culture (if you don't believe me, sit in a fast food place for a day...you'll get some insight into the bowels of a culture alright). And there was a world of fast food joints in Columbia that I had not ever seen in my part of the New Jersey.
I recall, fondly, my first visits to Popeyes and Bojangles' Chicken. My first visit to Sonic, however, I do not recall, although I'm pretty sure I went.
My second trip to Sonic, this time in North Jersey, 17 years later, as an older, wealthier, much fatter man, was about as memorable.
There's really not much to say, other than this burger isn't exceptional in the least. I don't see much difference between this little patty of beef, and the one they serve at Wendy's. The tater tots could not have possibly been made from potatoes. They tasted like cardboard. Perhaps if they had been soaked in the high fructose corn syrup sweetness of ketchup, they would have been edible, but I was in the car (Sonic, apparently, doesn't have a dining room), and didn't want to mess with packets of the stuff.
The frenzy caused by the opening of the Sonics in North Jersey was borderline absurd. I think we all need to take a step back and put the Sonics and Five Guy's and In-n-Outs of our culture in perspective. They are decent enough for a quick meal on the run, but these sandwiches just don't have what it takes to be exceptional in any way, shape, or form.
The end.
