Sonic Drive-in - Jacksonville

It feels odd to rate such a local favorite so poorly, but I believe this restaurant is no longer sustainable. I visited today and found that the service was much slower than at other dine-in options. The food was poorly prepared (as seen in the photos — it's mostly breading and could potentially break your teeth), making it a regrettable waste of time and money. I hesitantly requested a remake since my son couldn't eat his meal, but after waiting an additional 20 minutes, they never sent out the replacement order; it seems they simply forgot.

I had high hopes for this Sonic since it has nearly 4 stars, but I was let down. The popcorn chicken tasted as if it had been sitting out all day—dry and hard. The mozzarella sticks were cold and seemed undercooked, or maybe they too had been left out too long. The cookie dough blast tasted freezer-burnt, and the cookie dough had an off flavor. I feel nauseous after eating that "food." I will not be returning here again. I understand that many of the workers are probably young and inexperienced, and it’s not entirely their fault. The managers really need to improve and do their jobs! If my experience today is indicative of their usual standards, those nearly 4 stars are going to drop quickly.

I cannot recommend this location. They seem to be either severely understaffed or poorly managed. My drive-thru order took 45 minutes today. I almost left, but I was curious to see how long it would actually take. It was just a terrible experience.

I waited five minutes in the drive-thru while my car was parked for food. I thought the car ahead of me had moved up because the intercom wasn’t responding, so I proceeded to move forward. Then, about 45 seconds later, the car behind me moved up as well! I got out and asked the driver if they had spoken to someone on the intercom, and she said yes. It seems like the person operating the intercom can only handle one order at a time. At that point, I decided to go inside and place my order.

What’s even more disappointing is the way the employees and management responded when I brought up the errors. Instead of understanding, I was met with hostility when simply requesting a correction. I don’t need to know the specifics of how the mistakes occurred, but it would be professional to rectify them without any attitude. It's frustrating to see so many complaints go unanswered, leaving customers feeling ignored and upset. It simply doesn’t make sense to keep supporting a place that shows no interest in properly training its staff and management. Lastly, I want to clarify that this isn't about trying to get something for free—it's an opportunity for improvement in customer service. Sonic, you really need to do better.