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Ever since Pam and I moved to Oregon, we’ve been bombarded with advertising from Sonic: America’s Drive Thru. Their commercials are pretty funny, often depicting two people sitting in their car bantering back and forth about the food they’re eating. But what really makes me drool (literally) is the splash images of their famous shakes, slushes, and other frozen desserts.
Every time I’ve seen a Sonic commercial over the past 9 years, I’ve lamented the fact that there were no Sonics in Oregon. Well, now there are! Hilsboro, Grants Pass, Central Point, and now SALEM are proud owners of the distinguished franchise.
The lure of Sonic for me is so great that I think I’m going to have try it, even though I know it’s totally unhealthy. Just look at those numbers for the things that attract me the most.
Salem’s Sonic opened on Thursday last week. My mom and the kids and I drove by it while we were out and about around dinner time. From the looks of it, they’re going to be just fine. The left turn lane to get into the place was about 20 cars long and the right turn lane was at least twice as long. I wanted to eat there, but not that badly. I’ll wait for the hype to die down and who knows, maybe by then my desire will go away as well.
J.D.
26 responses so far ↓
1 Amber // Apr 21, 2008 at 8:13 am
Good luck resisting.
My favorite thing about Sonic is happy hour. Between 2 and 4 they have half-priced drinks. Their fountain sodas are seriously the best. Seriously.
2 Charles // Apr 21, 2008 at 8:36 am
It’s possible to eat healthily even at fast food places like Sonic. Try the grilled chicken wrap.
3 Red // Apr 21, 2008 at 8:43 am
I certainly enjoy the commercials, they employ talented actors and have decent writing.
However, fast food joints have lost their allure altogether. There’s always some dive mexican food place with Real food that’s just as cheap, and I’d rather head there.
But a 20 car line? Kind of reminds me when Krispy Kreme came to northern california.
PS Hello to Grants Pass, I have family & friends there.
4 macdaddy // Apr 21, 2008 at 8:57 am
5 Gooniette // Apr 21, 2008 at 9:01 am
Sorry to disappoint, but I don’t think I’ve ever had anything good from Sonic.
I’ve been through the drive through and by the time I get home, whatever I ordered is just a soggy mess, usually to the point of inedibility
I’m sure you’ll have better luck with the milkshakes though.
6 Joe // Apr 21, 2008 at 9:39 am
The burgers are nothing to brag about, but they have pretty darn good onion rings.
7 Andrew is getting fit // Apr 21, 2008 at 10:31 am
Just avoid the place. Honestly, going there won’t make you feel better.
8 mamacita // Apr 21, 2008 at 10:50 am
I love love love the diet Cherry Limeade; the large only has 20 calories. You could also try a Vanilla diet Coke. Definitely go during the Half-Price Happy Hour. Their food is kinda meh, so don’t worry that you’re missing anything there.
9 Leslie // Apr 21, 2008 at 12:19 pm
We have a sonic in our very small town in NC. When it first opened you could not get in to the place. We tried to go sometime the first week it was open and couldn’t get in. It has been open for years now and is easily within walking distance of my house (I walk past it often in fact) and I still have yet to go there…
10 Peter // Apr 21, 2008 at 1:12 pm
I’d have to agree that the food can be okay, but just not worth it most of the time. I’ve pretty much kicked my soda habit due to the HFCS content and generally don’t want a milkshake or something similar from there. The burgers are okay, but I’d prefer them only on Tuesdays after 5 when they’re BOGO. Otherwise, they’re a little expensive for what you actually get (IMO). The onion rings are pretty good, but not so much that I’d stop there just for that.
If your goal is to get fit, I’d just give it a pass overall. There are better choices for your money and they’ll taste just about as good.
11 Adam // Apr 21, 2008 at 1:57 pm
When I went to school in Tulsa I loved Sonic.
Sonic has been advertising in Oregon for years and years without a place to go satisfy the desire they’ve been building. The ‘hype’ or ‘buzz’ has been around for a long time. a twenty car wait doesn’t sound like that long to get rid of that 9 year craving they’ve been building…
But it’s still fast food. Don’t go overboard and make yourself sick Mac.
12 MizFit // Apr 21, 2008 at 2:05 pm
I went to a sonic ONCE (moved to TX. hadnt had em where I came from) to snag some tater tots for my toddler.
I was utterly icked out by how greasy they were (and this from a woman who likes McD’s fries!) and so was my toddler (much to my shock)
13 The real Mr. Funk // Apr 21, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Krispy Kreme is *horrible*! Who would ruin a perfectly good donut by covering it with sugar glaze instead of cinnamon the way god intended?
14 kazari // Apr 21, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Here’s a thought about junk food cravings. Take a really good look at the menu, and figure out what it is you’d like to order (onion rings? chocolate sundae?)
then, before you go off to pig out, try making it at home. none of those pretend-sugar lo-cal version either. make it with as much taste and pizzazz as you can, then present it like a michelin 3 star restaurant. excellent!
now, if, the next week, you’re still craving the fast food version - go buy it! i dare you! you will be completely grossed out and unimpressed. I’ll bet you dollars to donuts that your version was better, cheaper, and had less weird chemical additives.
you will never crave the drive through again.
15 greenman2001 // Apr 22, 2008 at 2:51 am
I followed the link in your post, Mac, and I’m wondering what it is about the slushes that you think are unhealthy? I’m sure there’s a bunch of corn starch based additives in there, but there are no transfats (and no saturated fats either, for that reason), just a lot of sugar. You have a calorie budget: if you want to spend it on frozen sugar water, there’s nothing unhealthy about that (although you might find it tough to go 2 1/2 hours between meals on it without feeling hungry).
There are no Sonics here in Maine and I don’t own a TV, so I’m pretty well immunized against both hype and opportunity, but there are lots of other fast food restaurants around, and when I’m very hungry they’re all very enticing. But that’s not a fast food restaurant problem: it’s a hunger problem, and I address it by eating six meals a day so that I’m not making eating decisions when I’m hungry. If you were driving around hungry at dinnertime, I’d say your plan for managing your hunger still has some holes in it that you might want to address. Standing in front of the menu board at Sonic when you’re not hungry will yield a different outcome than when you are hungry. Among other things, it takes willpower out of the equation.
16 macdaddy // Apr 22, 2008 at 7:22 am
17 elisabeth // Apr 22, 2008 at 7:46 am
Hi. I don’t find the Sonic commercials compelling, but the general situation of getting fixated on “must eat that,” thinking that whatever it is will taste better than it inevitably does is one that everyone can probably relate to. For me, it’s often frozen foods — the box illustrations just seem to promise such a wonderful experience, but, almost every time I try one I think, “fooled again…”
18 greenman2001 // Apr 22, 2008 at 8:06 am
Mac,
Thanks for clarifying. It’s a good decision rule. If you can now support that decision rule with other behaviors (such as carrying some healthy food with you in the car so that you can satisfy your hunger prior to stepping up to the counter at Sonic), you’ll have a system in place that’s truly sustainable.
An exception: if you’re serious about building muscle, you should be drinking a protein shake within 45 minutes of finishing your workout. Feed your muscles, man.
19 Joshua // Apr 22, 2008 at 9:12 am
Its not a matter of eating some carrot sticks before you walk up to the counter so you won’t be hungry. Hunger usually has little to do with these places. Most of the time, we know its too much food, we know the grease will probably make us sick, and we know its all around unhealthy. BUT, we know we want it more than life itself in that moment. If I don’t avoid fast food places, primarily places with fries or pizza, I go extremely overboard.
20 English Major // Apr 22, 2008 at 12:03 pm
How could anything beat a delicious seasonal milkshake from Burgerville?
21 greenman2001 // Apr 22, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Joshua, you’re absolutely right: it’s about more than hunger. But Mac is trying to develop strategies for lifelong healthy eating habits, and at the top of his list is learning to not make eating decisions when he’s hungry. He’s written about the fact that when he’s hungry he can’t control his calorie intake and will eat to the point that his weight loss comes to a stop. So step one is to not let that happen. There are lots and lots of other issues — some of which Mac has written wonderfully here, such as how he eats in response to being stressed by his responsibilities as a Dad — and not setting foot in a fast food joint in the first place is another great strategy.
You can hear the siren call Sonic exerts over Mac though — the clever commercials, the 9 year wait. “The lure of Sonic for me is so great ,” he writes here, “that I think I’m going to have try it.” Sonic knows just who Mac is and how to draw him in. I’m hoping Mac takes one long sip of the Grape Slush, savors it like the nectar of the gods, and throws the rest of it away. That’s when I’ll know that his willpower is up to the task of meeting his desires. Me, I’m not that strong.
22 Cammy // Apr 22, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I used to eat at Sonic 2 or 3 times a month, but I haven’t been there for food in over a year. Well, to *eat* the food. I ordered a Diet Coke and then drooled over the pretty pictures until they brought my beverage. My monthly “splurge meals” are pretty much booked through the end of the year, but I think I’ll add a #1 Sonic Burger with cheese to the list for Feb. or March of next year. Or maybe the chili cheese pie.
23 Kris // Apr 23, 2008 at 6:27 am
I got dragged to the Hillsboro Sonic by a co-worker a few weeks ago (we were waiting to testify) and it was awful! Greasy, tepid, and completely unsatisfying. I have the occasional hankering for fast food, but I won’t be choosing Sonic.
24 J.D. // Apr 23, 2008 at 7:44 am
Wow, is that Kris’ first comment at Get Fit?
25 What Motivates Me To Get Fit // Apr 23, 2008 at 7:58 am
[...] but I have been conscious of what I’ve been putting in my mouth. I haven’t yielded to Sonic’s siren song yet–maybe the desire will fade. Also, I’ve been doing really well with my [...]
26 Heather // Jun 8, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I LOVEEEE SONIC. ONE OF MY FRIENDS MOVED TO CALIFORNIA AND CANNOT STAND BEING AWAY FROM SONIC. WE MET IN VEGAS AND SHE HAD TO GET SONIC AS SOON AS MY PLANE LANDED.
IT WAS FUNNY.
SONIC IS GREASY BUT STILL GOOD. PEOPLE KNOW ITS GREASY SO IF YOU DONT LIKE GREASY FOOD DONT GO THERE.
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