Sonic Rocks

For years decades Sonic has been flooding our air waves with commercials. And every commercial makes you think "Damn. I really want to go to that restaurant. Where is there one around me?" Then you would go look it up and lo and behold the closest was in New Jersey. WHAT?!? Why would they tempt us so with delicious burgers and tots and slushes just so we can hunger for that which we cannot have? Unfair.

Until this week.

This last Wednesday, the unthinkable happened. Sonic opened a store near my house! WAHOO! This is seriously a big deal. Bigger than when the Five Guys opened in Swampscott. Its is all they talked about on the radio. Sonic - Rte 1 in Saugus!

I had a few hours to myself on Thursday afternoon (!!) so I went over to have a delicious burger. I drove up and down Rte 1 in Saugus. Where is it? I was on the phone with 411 trying to get the address as I was driving into Peabody and hit traffic. Bad traffic. Just as the 411 fella tells me that it is actually in Peabody, I see the cause of the traffic - SONIC!!

Now quick side note: People - Rte 1 is not ALL in Saugus. Nope. Some is in Revere, some is in Peabody, some is actually in Danvers too. It is true. Look it up.

It was Fucking Sonic!! There was one of those huge construction signs that changes telling us Sonic's hours. There was police directing traffic. They had blocked the main entrance into Sonic, because there was even more traffic back up the day before. We had to drive to the road around back to get to the restaurant. So I see this ahead of me:

And this is behind me:

I wait in that line of traffic for about 20 minutes until I get to the actual entrance where I see this:

As I sat in this impossibly long line, I wondered to myself if it was worth it. But I noticed that none of the other cars were leaving. They were committed. Then I began seeing the cars driving away with slushes in their hands. These people were so happy! They looked as if they had just finished a pilgrimage where they had seen the face of God. I would not turn back! I could not turn back!

When I could see Sonic, there were a ton of guys directing cars. Did you want a stall? Wait in this impossibly long line. Did you want drive-thru? Pass by this impossibly long line and go around the building. Drive-thru it was! These are the stalls:

Wicked cool, yes, but not worth the extra hour I would have had to wait. (I would have taken better pictures but I kinda felt like a weirdo.) By this time I have been in line for 45 minutes. Yup, uh huh, 45 minutes.

And it was another 15 or so before I got to the menu board to order. Of course, when I got to the menu board, I had no idea what to order because I didn't know what they had!

Okay, I have been to Sonic before, when I lived in Denver. I remembered that it was delicious, but I could not remember the menu items. Don't judge.

I felt like I had to just pick something quick. Although, in retrospect, nothing happening that day was happening quick, so surely I could have taken my time, but I digress. I order a number 1 with cheese, tots, and a cherry slush. I then wait for my deliciousness.

And then it came! On wheels, nonetheless!

And the birds began singing. And the sun was shining. And the air was crisp and clean. And I had my cherry slush.

And my number 1 with cheese and tots.

After one hour, my journey had ended. I had my food. It was so good and so worth the wait. I wish I had ordered the large. Damn. I drove away munching on my food thinking that all was right in this world.

I am going to wait a while before going back though. I don't know if I could do an hour again.