I visited a classic Seattle burger chain that's a hit with locals. I liked the shake, but the signature burger and fries were disappointing.
Sarah Jackson
A person walks past the Dick's Drive-In in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Seattle.Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
- I visited beloved Seattle burger chain Dick's Drive-In on a recent trip.
- The service was great and the food was affordable.
Dick's Drive-In is a Seattle burger spot beloved by locals.
Brian Snyder/Reuters
The 67-year-old fast food chain is well-known for giving its workers more pay and benefits than fast food employees typically receive.
In this April 17, 2014 photo, Ryan Peterson prepares French fries at a Dick's Drive-In restaurant in Seattle.
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
In September, the chain raised its minimum wage to $19 an hour.
In this April 17, 2014 photo, Ryan Peterson prepares burgers at a Dick's Drive-In restaurant in Seattle.
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
Dick's also reduced its eligibility requirements for employees to access funds for childcare and scholarships and started paying out overtime for work exceeding 32 hours a week.
In this April 17, 2014 photo, Stephanie Antioquia takes money from a customer at a Dick's Drive-In restaurant in Seattle.
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
The changes came as the family-owned chain was trying to fill three times more roles than usual in the midst of a labor crunch that has hit the restaurant industry particularly hard.
Of course, Dick's is also praised for its food: burgers, fries, and shakes.
Dick's Drive-in, iconic local landmark hamburger joint, Seattle, Washington.
Kevin Schafer / Contributor via Getty Images
On a recent trip to Seattle, I visited a Dick's Drive-In to see how the burger joint stacks up to the hype surrounding it.
A person walks past the Dick's Drive-In in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Seattle.
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
Dick's has seven locations. I visited the one in Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood.
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The location had a classic, traditional look, which I liked.
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There were two lines, with around 10 people waiting in each one.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
Since Dick's was conceived of as a drive-in and not a sit-down restaurant, customers typically grab a bite to go. There was, however, a small counter separating the two lines that serves as an eating area.
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It had a sign noting it was closed, presumably due to COVID-19.
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The line moved pretty quickly, and the cashiers were friendly and very fast in taking our orders, getting our food, and handling our payments.
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Here's a closer look at the main menu...
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(The last three items on the left side of the menu are a bit harder to read because of the glare, but they're a plain cheeseburger, a hamburger, and a plain hamburger, respectively.)
...and here's the list of shakes and other drinks.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
They also sold ice cream, which can be ordered as cones or sundaes. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of ice cream flavors available, especially considering most fast food chains that sell ice cream stick to the standard vanilla.
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Among the many signs on the window was one saying Dick's prices have gone up due to the cost of ingredients and labor.
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Another sign explained that, due to a shortage of coins in circulation, customers paying in cash need to have exact change or round up to the nearest dollar for charity. Alternatively, customers can pay with card or mobile pay.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
Dick's had also posted a hiring notice.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
The sign mentions benefits like health insurance, 50% employer matching on a 401k, and up to three weeks of paid vacation.
I ended up ordering a deluxe burger, fries, and a strawberry shake. As I was leaving with my food, I noticed a nice mural of the Seattle skyline on the side of the building.
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It was a bit tricky to take a photo of the mural head-on since it was in the parking lot, and there were a lot of cars obscuring it, but here's a closer look at it.
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On the other side of the building was another image of the Dick's logo.
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After leaving Dick's, it took me 30 minutes to get to my destination, where I finally tried the food.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
The grease from the food really started to seep into the paper bag in that half hour.
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Some of the food was noticeably affected by the fact that so much time had passed between when I bought the food and when I tried it.
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The shake became runny but held up relatively well considering the time that had passed. I tried this first; it ended up being my favorite part of the meal. It was really flavorful but not too sweet.
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The fries lost all semblance of crispiness and became soggy from the condensation in the bag. They were cold but tasted decent.
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From there, it was onto the burger.
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The foil fortunately seemed to preserve it pretty well; I didn't think its taste or texture was noticeably affected by my delay in eating it.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
The deluxe burger comes with two 1/8-pound beef patties, cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise and pickle relish. One half of the burger looked like this, with few visible signs of the cheese, lettuce, and relish.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
The other half of the burger, though, was practically oozing out the cheese, lettuce, and relish.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
I took a bite and, with all the praise surrounding the chain's burgers, I expected to be blown away.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
I ended up being pretty disappointed, though. I personally thought the burger was alright but nothing really out of the ordinary.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
There was also a bit too much relish and mayonnaise on the burger for my taste.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
All in all, I thought the service was fast and friendly, and the food was affordable and a good portion for the price.
Sarah Jackson/Insider
Taste-wise, I thought the burger and fries were just average, and the shake was the only part of the meal that stood out. The delay between when I received the food and when I tried it could have affected my opinion, but since Dick's operates on a takeout model, the food likely sits for a while before consumption for any customer anyway.
If I ever go back to Dick's Drive-In, I'll probably get a shake again — but pass on the burger and fries.
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