Sonic still booming across country on 50th anniversary

By ROBERT MEDLEY NewsOK.com - 11/4/2009




Bob Blackburn’s book “Sonic: The History of America’s Drive- In” is on sale for $39.95 at Oklahoma History Center or online at tulsaworld.com/sonichistory.





OKLAHOMA CITY — He was 15 1/2 years old and had a learner's permit to drive his parents' 1964 Chevrolet station wagon.

She was 16 and had her driver's license.

Bob Blackburn could legally drive with his girlfriend sitting in the front seat in 1967. For his first date, he went to a Sonic Drive-In. For his 19th book, he went back.

Blackburn, 58, a historian and author, has collected stories of drive-in culture, jukeboxes, outdoor record-players, carhops on roller skates, fast food, car culture, recreational eating, neon signs and speakers mounted near diagonally parked cars sporting tailfins.

Click here to read the complete article at NewsOK.com.





rmedley@opubco.com


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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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Daven, Tulsa (11/4/2009 8:32:25 AM)
Sonic is great. I saw a fist fight between two female employees while I waited at the drive thru window. I asked if I was expected to pay more for the entertainment.

Dobrescu, Tulsa, OK (11/5/2009 1:15:49 AM)
Sonic food is great, but eating it on a steady basis will cause Sonic to lose some customers. Lose customers to like the to the morgue! Wish they would hire a nutritionist to at least have some healthier items on the menu. And yes, sometime you have to wait what seems like forever to get your order.

Mar, Tulsa (11/4/2009 11:32:51 AM)
My first time eating at a Sonic Drive-In, was around 1964 when the first Sonic opened up in my hometown (pop. 18,000 at the time). I loved their coneys and onion rings. I still eat at the Sonic every so often, mainly due to being unemployed and they are pretty cheap eats. About 10 or 15 years ago I noticed they had changed their chili, don't like it, so I don't order their coneys anymore. Their hamburgers are ok, but I prefer Webers, Wendys, Goldies, Ron's and Brownies and burgers at restaurants such as Chili's, Applebees, etc. Also, Sonic discontinued their fish sandwich which was good. I prefer their tator tots or onion rings over the fries. Unfortunately, the majority of the food choices at Sonic are high fat, high salt, deep fried unless you just order a salad. I do love their chocolate Cokes, I've been drinking those since the 1960's. :)

Few Clothes, America (11/5/2009 2:23:51 PM)
I do like the drinks there and happy hour from 2-4 is really a money saver.

my view, Sand Springs (11/4/2009 11:18:02 AM)
Sonic makes a good burger, but Webber's is the best.

Peter D, Tulsa (11/4/2009 10:04:49 AM)
Chili dog, tots and a cherry limeade!! And the house music is great too!

Justun, tulsa (11/4/2009 8:03:15 AM)
I like sonic...Got one of their cards...put $25 on it and get a free hamburger. Can't beat that. Come between 2-4pm and get half price drinks. As good as any hamburger I've eaten.

lucky girl, mine (11/4/2009 9:57:50 AM)
Everyone loves sonic!

SoonerDJ, Lisbon, Portugal (11/5/2009 9:10:19 AM)
I'm of two minds when it comes to fast food: I love Sonic and a lot of joints that remind me of Tulsa. Taco Bueno, QT, Mazzios, and Braums all come to mind. When I lived in San Diego I would drive the hour and a half round trip every once in awhile to El Centro because that was the closest Sonics. Now, as I've gotten a bit older I have to watch what I eat. A typical meal at any fast food join you will get at least half of your daily allotted caloric intake. Of course if you exercise on a regular basis you can eat more. But yeah, I love Sonics and I miss the Cherry Lime-aids and onion rings.

iflyfast, At an airport somewhere in the Tulsa area (11/4/2009 9:26:21 AM)
Food is great but MAN, they are slow most of the time. Spent 20 minutes waiting for our food Sunday morning, and we were one of 4 cars.

Ric, Broken Arrow (11/4/2009 10:55:54 AM)
Can I get a number 1 with mustard and some meat.

Barleybaby, Tulsa (11/4/2009 11:08:58 AM)
The super sonic breakfast burrito is the bomb! But, beware that sucker will clean you out.

shaw411, Scottsdale, AZ (11/4/2009 9:46:20 AM)
The one I go to here in Phoenix is great......99 cent drinks all the time! I prefer the tots over the fries anytime....

effing hickster, (11/4/2009 10:43:17 PM)
The 2 sonics in the city I live in are so bad. Both owned by the same family. Why can't Sonic have some standards for the franchises that use their name?

dustyoutlaw, Tulsa (11/4/2009 10:00:51 AM)
I like Sonic but my diet doesn't. So Sonic hit the bricks. Sad day really.

SS_Hippy, Tulsa (11/4/2009 9:23:20 AM)
My wife told me recently: You big dummy, the carhops haven't worn roller skates in years! or put trays on the windows!

SS_Hippy, Tulsa (11/5/2009 10:32:32 AM)
But what do i know: Yes the Sonic by Wal Mart on 81st is really clean and ran very well. My wife can't drive by it without stopping and getting a Route 66 Cherry Limeaid.

forkandknife, Tulsa (11/4/2009 9:30:29 AM)
I love Sonic.

Terree, Tulsa (11/4/2009 8:39:49 PM)
i love Sonic...when i went to cali to visit my mom, they didnt have any there. so u know it when i got back home i had to have a sonic cheese burger...and the onion rings are good if their not over cooked....

Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/4/2009 9:48:55 PM)
I'm going to have a Sonic hamburger for lunch tomorrow to celebrate the anniversery.

2ndjoyce, BA (11/4/2009 8:39:17 AM)
I love Sonic ice but they have the worst fries in town...so ..we always order tots instead

Jacky, small town Oklahoma (11/4/2009 10:32:58 AM)
SS-Hippy - Some of the Sonic carhops wear skates. I was at one not too long ago - it might have been the one by the big Wal-Mart at Glenpool - and was surprised to see the carhop on skates. It's pretty cool to watch how fast they can move around when they do. One of the very few places our little town has to eat is Sonic. My son has moved to a larger town now, but still remains a tried and true Sonic fan - and my grandchildren are growing up in the Sonic tradition as well. Can't say they are the best hamburgers, in my opinion, but a lot of their other stuff is pretty good. My only grumble is the person who runs the one in our town is well known as an old grouch - I've seen his help in tears before as a result. It is refreshing to go to one in another town and see how friendly people can be.

Arbythree, Tulsa (11/4/2009 12:18:23 PM)
Love the headline. "Sonic Booming", very clever.

Jules09A, Sapulpa (11/4/2009 1:07:14 PM)
I LOVED Sonic in college, but the one near my job (39th & Harvard) is disgusting. Please please clean the place up so I can start eating there again!!!

But What Do I Know?, (11/4/2009 4:34:12 PM)
If you want great service and food try the Sonic at 81st and Lewis. My wife's daughter is manager and she does things right. With her employees it's her way or the hwy. She maintains great quality and serves on time! Her mystery shopper scores are always at the top. She's in the profit sharing program, not all managers are, so she has incentive. And of course the "family discounts" are nice too.


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