Outdoor seating
Yes
A&W Restaurant in Cortland
Categories
Location on the map
Cortland, Cortland County, New York, US
Service options
Kerbside pickup
Yes
Drive-through
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Delivery
No
Highlights
Fast service
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Yes
Offerings
Coffee
Yes
Kids' menu
Yes
Late-night food
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
High chairs
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Phone: +1 607-756-2021
Site: https://www.awrestaurants.com/
Site: https://www.awrestaurants.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:10:30AM–10PM
- Tuesday:10:30AM–10PM
- Wednesday:10:30AM–10PM
- Thursday:10:30AM–10PM
- Friday:10:30AM–10PM
- Saturday:10:30AM–10PM
- Sunday:10:30AM–10PM
A&W Restaurant in other cities:
Comments (199)
This restaurant is great. Yeah it is fast food but it is great fast food. The staff is polite and they still have the old fashioned drive up service and when you dine in, you order through a phone at the table. We stop here anytime that we are in or around Cortland.
Driving from my nephews graduation, decided to stop here on the way back to the airport. What a great decision that turned out to be! This place took me back to my childhood, back when you could get a fast food burger that didnt taste like it was built in a lab. The prices were very reasonable and the quality of the food was excellent.I ordered a Papa burger, Coney cheese and root beer float; the meal hit the spot and then some. Im jealous of the locals that can take this place for granted!
What an amazing experience! I haven’t seen a hop in a very long time. The wait staff was very friendly and quick! Food was delicious! Fries had a unique crisp. Burgers were spot on perfect!
I havent been here in a while but I was just craving some of their food, especially the root beer floats. They took my order quickly and brought it out to me less than 5 minutes, my hotdog with cheese and chili was hot and perfect even my root beer float was topped right. Excellent service from the lady who served me too.
Absolute worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. Upon walking into the building the cashier walked away from the register. No one acknowledged us at the counter. At least 4 employees saw us standing there and no one said a word. We waited patiently at the counter when finally another employee asked if we had been helped yet. We advised that we had not and she said she would be right with us. We then stood there for a few more minutes while this employee did not come over to help us. After a few more moments the cashier came back to the counter and proceeded to tell us that we needed to move to the side so she could help other customers. We stepped aside and advised that we had not been taken care of yet. She then apologized, when we went to place the order she asked after starting if we were going to be staying or leaving. We advised staying, she then told us that we had to sit down to place our order. We advised that we would like to place the order at the counter incase we wanted to leave (we had a 4 year old with us). The cashier then started having attitude about it, we asked to have lettuce added to a burger, she advised we could not. We asked if we could have a side of lettuce then. The cashier asked another worker who then advised she needed to ask the cook. The cashier just rolled her eyes and stood there until we advised we would get it without lettuce. After sitting to wait for our food we could over hear the workers talking negatively about us. Making comments about how they were not going to get a tip, and how they couldn’t control us sitting down at a table. This is something that we do every time we come and have always left a tip. Regardless if we do or not the poor customer service and comments were certainly not necessary.Upon asking to speak to a manager, the manager advised his worker that he was to busy to come to the counter to speak about the issue.
One of my favorite places to go when I visit my family in Cortland, NY. The food was awesome as usual, service was quick and friendly.
The poppa burger is one of the best cheeseburgers that I have ever eaten. Along with good onion rings, a root beer float, and car hops this is a trip back in time. Well worth the stop!
I live in Cortland NY A&W has fortunately been here all my life (Im 60) although some of the architecture has changed a little and the roller skating carhops are gone. The quality and food selections are outstanding and remain consistent . A&W has more of a home made quality and flavor . Every menu item is delicious also usually not available anywhere else .. and of course the A&W root beer and root beer floats are untouchable in A&W flavor..
Food is good but the customer service for take out is terrible!! The woman who took my order looked like she was angry. I tried to get her to smile but nope, she wasnt having it. She snatched the money out of my hand and practically threw my change at me.
We went for the nostalgic experience. Food was good and correct as ordered. Service was friendly. Facility outside a little dated and could use a little TLC. Overall satisfied.
For great nostalgia (and some good fast food) use the drive-in service and order from your car. Foot-long chili cheese dog basket cant be beat. Oh, and add a root beer float to that!
Wow food was just amazing and such nostalgia and a great time eating here definitely will be back
It was the dive in A&W in Courtland, NY. Wife had a burger and I had a coney with cheese and onions. Both were Awesome
Classic dining experience, built just like a Sonic. Best root beer float Ive ever had, and the old school ordering is very unique!
Twelve years after my last visit and its the same A&W. Great root beer. Good food. I recommend the Papa burger and the fried cheese curds. Some of the best French fries around.
One of Cortlands landmarks, & the best fast food family restaurant around. Go to mini golf in the summer months. Cheeseburger Wednesdays. The best root beer. Cash only, but theres an ATM inside now. Never disappointed.
Why dont they come out and get your bags ? Food is okay for fast food. Cheese curds very expensive. They used to come out and get your tray, covid no trays, but still, please come get stuff.
Really great food that is cooked well and organized perfectly. Absolutely love the hamburger, the fries and the vanilla milkshake as always, but their corn dog nuggets are the main highlight to me. Highly recommend this place if you want a good bite to eat. Its well worth your time.
Not a bad experience. My wife and I got our food very quickly, especially considering how busy they were.The fries were fine, as was my chicken. My wife liked her burger and onion rings.My only issue was that the food wasnt really seasoned. Only thing I could taste was salt on the chicken and that was only in the last bite. Last time we got food here, it was better. Maybe it was due to being so busy
WORST EXPERIENCE!! Root beer float was flat and nasty!! Called in to let them know, didn’t even care about getting a new one, and the man on the phone copped a serious attitude and hung up on me. Will never go to a place where customers are treated like dirt!
Super cool place! Eating at a drive up is just always fun and different. The car hops are always friendly, polite, and quick with your order. The A&W food is delicious and you can enjoy a root beer float while playing some mini golf right next door.Whenever I am passing through I make sure to take the time to stop and grab some lunch here.
Had a great time with my partner and son. Food was amazing
Had an enjoyable meal of chili dogs and root beer floats with my son for Mothers Day! Remembering my mom in heaven at her favorite place 💖
Greeted as soon as you walk in the door by lots of friendly smiles, followed by great service that was really quick. The food was awesome. The prices are a bit high, but worth it. You can order to go as soon as you walk in or go sit down. There are menus at each booth. If you sit in a booth the waitress/waiter does not bother you at all and when your ready to order you pick up the phone press the button and it rings out back and they pick up and take your order and if you need anything else you pick up the phone again and tell them what you need or want. The outside car hop works the same way. You dont even have to exit your vehicle if you dont want too, just pull into one of the parking spaces under the car port area and be serviced in your vehicle. The tables in the middle of the restaurant are a different story they are full service from the get go as they do not have phones. This is an awesome establishment and well worth the stop if you live in the area or just passing through.
Love eating here the papa burger is delicious they have some of the best burgers around my husband drives 1 1/2 to stop there and eat.
Some of the best burgers. All around the best onion rings for miles. No better, ice cold root beer anywhere.
Havent been here in years...love the nostalgia but food was basic..not the greatest!
Pretty good food for a fast food place, and good service - Perfect place to eat after mini golf next door
Love the food there, used to go with my parents and when my children from wee little to adult.
Always has good food :) Definitely recommend!
CASH ONLY. they do have an ATM. Just like when you were a child. Quicker delivery of than most fast food delivered to a booth or table. They also have the old-school outdoor runner system from back in the day. Great place.
A classic establishment. An eatery from the past. Good prices. Friendly staff. Fresh root beer from the tap!
I dine there often especially when doing other shopping in town. Usually do outside with car hops but occasionally in the restaurant inside. Quick service usually prompt car hops and for fast food very good. Especially like the Root beer and or floats to top off lunch.
Shorter review for me, as being a nastalgic place, those reviews are in the list of reviews below. For me, I drive up from Syracuse, Specifically to go to A&W, no, I need to go on trips of this nature at least 3 reasons to justify said trip, so reason 1, A&W, their daily deals are posted on a large enough board at the curb, are they good 👍 choices, Yes! No second hand slow sellers to get moving, are the deals of a monatary discount? Again no fooling, they are. These items coinside to either a specific days National significance, or a traditional family days rememberance..
The food there is excellent. Best part, A&W is frozen in time inside & out. Its a perfect escape from the chaotic 21st century.
Just as good now as it was 30+ years ago when my Grandma would take me here.Every American should visit this restaurant.
Good solid fast food! Fast and friendly service.
I love how much this place has retained its retro charm. The service was friendly & quick, prices were reasonable, and the food was about as good as you can expect from fast food. We’ll definitely be coming back.
Food was great, staff friendly. Only issue I had was the root beer jug was not sealed and split on the floor.
Great service and food. I can see why they remain open!
A&W has always been my favorite place to go. Remind me of the good old days. I remember the Syracuse location that I frequent it as a child with memories of my Grandmother who loved root beer floats. I always stop here when passing through Cortland, but this time in particular I forgot cash and didnt have a card I could draw from and the manager let me and my son have our meals that were ordered which was fantastic of him to save me the embarrassment. Great food, great prices, great management!
This drive in restaurant is one of the nicer chains I occasionally visit. Its nice if youre on the go you can order from your car, eat, and go. The location is sometimes tricky with it being near an intersection. All the food items Ive ordered came quickly and were fresh.
Always good food and great price. Old fashioned A&W rootbeer served.
Went here before graduation at SUNY Cortland, everything was good, the order came out fast and was all correct, we had a pretty big order. This inside of this A&W is like no other! I love ordering over the phone at the table, how neat.
Always a great place to stop for fast meal Im a fan of the chili dogs
Fast service, great tasting food.Servers seem miserable
Visit was ok. Food was okay. Mainly burgers hot dogs and fries.....and think shrimp.Food order is made over phone each table. Purchases are CASH ONLY...atm in venue.....cards NOT ACCEPTED by waitstaff....so make sure to bring actual money if eat there.One small gripe....the waitresses working there never came to seat me or acknowledge me prior to ordering...all standing around the front counter talking. I realize probably mostly car hops waiting for their outside orders....but still been nice to have someone watching the dining area and greeting you in their establishment. The one that brought me food was ok...but left me lacking in overall dining experience. They handled things overall better in the old days....shame theyve lost that in todays world.
Clean dining room. Fast service. Hot food. Great waitress!
Amazing food!!! Each time we visit we try something new. Weve enjoyed almost everything on the menu. We have not once been disappointed. We receive quick and excellent service.
Wonderfully nostalgic. Not bad on price, for the quality of food, which was very good. Years ago, had visited a highway-side location with best friend, and we drank from the bottomless tapped-root fountain, till we were silly. Not having the luxury this time, I gasped when I noticed after we made our order, to add the Gallon to go.
Burger was amazing. Good prices also. Definitely recommend.
Got 2 papa burgers and a kids meal. Onion rings and cheese curds. Everything was hot and prepared correctly. The server came out to the car and was very friendly. Hardly a wait for our food too, they werent slammed but were defiently busy. Cant wait to go back. My husband loved the root beer too.
Watch out for being overcharged when you order their daily special. Girls have serious problems with addition/subtraction. Example your bill is 13.50 you give them 23.50, they wont know how much change to give you
A nostalgic blast from the past. Drive service, only missing the Rolla skates. Great root beer floats. Didnt get a chance to try the food but if the floats are this good then food cant be bad. Either way. Youll definitely have a good time.
Old school car delivery experience.However, they only take cash.Waitress we had was incredibly rude.Food was fairly standard fast food, but root beer milkshakes are very good.
Awesome fast service.. love ordering
The fries were delicious as were the shakes. Food was priced very competitively. I fed two people for under $16.00. Chicken was a little tough though and the business is cash only.
I always get fresh, hot food with consistent quality every time I visit this location. I love the Mozza Burger and can only get it at this location. So yummy!!
Great food, great throwback and great prices! Just bring cash as they do not take cards but do offer an ATM in house.
We dont eat here much but when we do its great. Lots of history to this A&W. Staff was great
Truly a delight to eat there and experience a bit of nostalgiaStaff is friendly, courteous,and efficient. Food is delivered quickly and is much better than other fast food joints. We drive 60 miles just to enjoy it :)
Love A&W food always is the best. Prompt service.
Quick service, good food, cheap prices but cash only
Asked no ice, got ice , was told the 1/2,gallon root beer to go was only regular no diet because the jug wouldnt fit under the spout!!!!!!!!
Never been to a drive in dinner before. It was really fun for all of us! The food was amazing also! I wish there was one of these closer to me!
So freaking good. I got a crunch burger basket or something like that? Would die for it. It came with the burger, fries, and a side of coleslaw that I was not expecting. All of it was a 10/10.
I havent been to an A&W since I was a kid. My hubby treated me to a root beer float and it was soooo good. I felt like a kid again!! Great service and fast with how busy they were.
I love this place. Root beer floats are the best.
Food is decent, Service was very good.
Nostalgic experience of the 1950s driving diner. Great burgers, fish sandwiches and deep fried cheese curds. Its was neither oily or child like many fast food joints. The kids even received decent gifts in their kids meals. Rather than cheap useless plastic toys, they receivedplaying cards for those rainy days they are stuck inside.
Super fast service and tasty food. Bring cash!
Awesome trip back in time! Very cool to pull in and order and they walk it out to you! Great food, fair pricing, best rootbeer floats!
Always a friendly face asking to promptly ask for your order who then hangs your order in the kitchen window just like waitresses in diners do for their cooks. Then you can watch the kitchen staff prepare the best food in the fast food business exactly how you order it. Their chili dogs are the best youll find anywhere! The hidden gem is their chubby chicken... you can order a 2 or three piece meal or if you prefer family sizes you can get it in 9,15,and 21 piece buckets! And by the way, I personally believe their chicken kicks KFCs a**!! P.S. Their coleslaw is made daily starting by shredding each and every head if cabbage and maintains that fresh creamy taste. Even the chili is made from scratch!! This is all made possible by the Souza family whos owned and operated the Cortland location for 50+ years now!!
Great food, terrific daily specials
Seriously some of the best food, the best service, the cleanest environment I have had in two decades! I mean this sincerely. I will travel from Utica to experience this again and play miniature golf! Gosh a root beer float of my dreams!!
Quick friendly service, food was out fast. Price not bad. $28 for two adults and three kids.
Its a little under an hour away from Syracuse but definitely worth the trip to eat there and experience a bit of nostalgia. I grew up eating at A&W Restaurants as a teen. Great service, good food at a reasonable price and fresh root beer 👍.
An old-school relic of days gone by. The place still has an old drive-in style with carhops. Going to Cortland tends to put one in a time warp to yesteryear to begin with.. They also have daily specials where fast food is right-priced.
Delicious fast food with an old timey drive-in feel. I like the burgers and the cheese curds (basically motzarella sticks), and the root beer freezes (blended root beer float).Be aware that this is a cash only restaurant. They do have an ATM on site.
Brought back wonderful memories of days gone by,my grandmother would take my brother and I there every so often. Had the Poppa Burger because it was too large for me as a child. Used the car hop, no longer are the trays used,the food and atmosphere is still memories waiting to be made.
Fun step back in time..The root beer is still great, the food better than you would hope for.The fun of the drive in service with car hops, is still worth the ride and the daily specials are priced right.
Amazing food at a fair price with quite a bit of variety. From fried shrimp to cheese curds, it is nice to get more than a burger or chicken strips.Pricing is not bad either about $10 a meal, supposing you are not getting a rootbl beer float.This has that old time drive in, not drive through style, its pretty cool.That drive in style does make it take a bit longer to get food though, so expect about 5 to 10 min after you order to get your food, as apposed to a drive through with 2 to 6 minutes.
Always pleased when we go here. Food and service is always good.
I personally didnt like the service I was given but its a great place for family time
A&W always takes me back to days when I was a kid. Servers coming out to the car and bringing root beer floats and burgers!!!!
The reason they got one star is our food was cold and old! The French fries were not even luke warm. The hotdog and the cheese were cold. The only thing was was decent in the whole meal was my soda and cheese curds. That is ALL! It was the same for everyone at the table. We will not go back. The same thing happened the last time we came here several months ago and we decided to give them another chance. Gross. Too expensive to pay for a bad meal.
Fish sandwich was surprisingly good, especially on a Friday for $2.39!!
I love this place. I especially love their Rootbeer. The food is excellent
Great Americana, the food is awesome and the root beer on tap is not to be missed. The drive in reminds me of years past.
The root beer floats r so delicious but a lot of older people tend to inhabit this area. So, if you don’t like the elderly i suggest going somewhere else for din din 😊
It was so yummy! And their menu has a lot of different options. And fried cheese curds! So delicious!! And super fast service. Oh, and root beer floats.
Footlong Hot dogs and root beers! C’mon!
The food is great! But very disappointed with the half gallon Root Beer I got today. If you want customers to pay $4 for the damn thing. Fill it all the way up.
Quick service, inexpensive, good food. Young daughter LOVED the drive-up experience for the first time. Pretty cool place!
Food is good.. root beer is the best.. the floats are awesome. And you can still enjoy while in your car
Great food and quick service! Been here a few times now and its always excellent! Cant beat the prices and the quality of the food! Recommend the papa burger and the fried cheese curds! My personal favorites!
I absolutely love A&W. I grew up in the 80s with this restaurant and it was a nice surprise to see it while visiting this town. I still remember ordering root beer float as a treat when I was doing well in school.
They have the same fries as McDonalds if you like the skinny ones (Not my favorite). Burger was OK, nothing special but no complaints. Honestly one of the more forgettable places Ive been. Wasnt good but wasnt bad either. A true 3 star middle of the pack food joint if you ask me.
This is still one of the old fashion ones. They take cash only. Food was good, and if you arent too full, you can go mini golfing afterwards!
Good was good for what it is. Honestly I just went for the float.
Call me a dinosaur but I love this place. It brings back memories of my childhood when a burger and an A&W root beer was a big deal. There daily specials are always a good value. Not health food, but good comfort food.
First time to visit and was not pleased. I tried the fish sandwich, it was dry and not much flavor. Frys were nothing special. For a drive up speaker menu to order and than the waitress brings it out grabs your money and takes off I didnt even get to check the bag to make sure it was correct. I would not ever go back to that one again.
So I go rolling in at 9pm tonight (12/23/20). Take my sweet time with the family deciding what we want before finally pushing the button. I place my order. My daughter goes in to use the bathroom and comes back out. The order comes out, I pay, I get my change. Then all the lights go out. Like what the hell? Look A&W up on Google. They closed at 8:30. And they STILL took my order, and got it right without a single complaint. Give tonights crew a bonus because they alone made me a return customer.
Great flavor & fast table service.
Great place to eat. Burgers and root beer
Not as much fun as when they used to hang a tray on your window. They just kind of toss a box meal at you know. Food service, restaurant a little sad.
Just a great old school place to pull up your car and have a decent quality fast food burger. Young lady who served us was great. Thank You for serving the community.
I love the bacon burger, chili dog, and root beer float!
There milkshakes are amazinggggg, and usually when I order chicken tenders from somewhere, they’re good out you can tell they’re processed, but theirs, it’s real chicken. Amazing flavor. My new favorite restaurant.
I have been here many times for birthdays, while just passing through, and for just a Sunday treat. It is also conveniently placed right next to a mini golf course that is great. It still has the drive up ordering where you can eat in your car and have the window food tray. Its a blast from the past and fun for the whole family.
We traveled 45 minutes just to have lunch here today, And like always. Our food was fresh, hot, and delicious! Our order was perfect to the tiniest detail. And we got more food to go!!! Absolutely amazing Every single time!!!!! Drove 45 minutes home, and food was still hot after arriving home.
Excellent as always. I live 40 miles away so when I am in the area this is on my list to stop at.
The food is amazingly good and fresh. It is truly budget friendly. It is easy to order and the food comes out quickly. There is either dine in service or drive up outside, order, and they bring it out. It is cash only with ATM on site. Their desserts are original and reasonably priced as well. Best place to get a root beer float.
Very good daily specials. Chili Dogs on Tuesdays and Fried Chicken with Fries on Thursdays. Cash only. Could use a Drive Through, but counter service is very fast. Nice family owned venue.
We always enjoy lunch . I dont think we ever had anything bad here. We really like the root beer floats. Yummy. Theres a adorable kids menu. Each day theres a special. I like the fact that its a drive in . Very fun
Prices keep going up. (As with everything else). Some days the chicken is nice and juicy and others are on the drier side. Same with the Cole slaw.
**update**What a difference in customer service. Covid-19 is here and I have a medical exemption from wearing a mask. I opened the door to the restaurant and before I could even step in, a young man literally screamed at me to get out. Mind you, we were traveling in an RV and could not fit under the canopy. And phone calls to the restaurant to place an order were not answered. I just wanted to ask if someone could take our very large order from our RV window. Anyway, this young man very rudely screamed at me from behind the counter Get out! I started to explain that I cannot wear a mask and that I just want someone to take our order. He interrupted me and starting screaming at me again to get the heck out of his restaurant and said some other things but I was already out the door. Completely humiliated me in front of other customers. I was embarrassed and bummed. There were many other ways that young man could have handled the situation. So, we took our business down the road to Dougs Fish Fry. Who kindly let me know when I called that I could pickup at their window and my medical exemption was just fine. They got our $300 business that day. Unfortunately, I will never return to A&W. I have been a loyal customer for almost 40 years, not including when my parents took me as a child. That young man should be ashamed of himself and needs some customer relations training.I love this restaurant. It hasnt changed since I was a kid.. and thats good. The service is always on point and they have the best chicken tenders around.
It was fun! Burgers and chicken and fish sandwiches. They also have coleslaw and awesome root beer. Kids had chicken nuggets which were very good. I had chicken sandwich. Fries are great. The only issue i had was the kid taking my order through the microphone could have been a little friendlier.
Omg, everything was just so amazing. Didnt have time to TAKE pix, we were too busy stuffing our faces! We sat at the drive up speaker eating
The food was amazing and the fresh rootbeer cant be beat.The car hops are very friendly and quick.The food at the window service was less than three minutes with an order for two.We will absolutely be going back!
A&W has hands down the best bacon cheeseburgers!! There also so nice and sweet when we go there! They have mini golf that’s also so fun! There little diner area is also always so clean! I definitely recommend!
Our family visits this restaurant as many times as possible on the way to Syracuse, NY. Great service and food. Extremely fast.
Love this old fashion style restaurant. I love their cheeseburgers with extra pickle and onion. The cheese curds are delicious!!!
I had the double bacon cheeseburger and it was fantastic. Cheese chili Tater tots were also very tasty and an excellent A&W root beer. Great service!
Awesome food had the fish sandwich that was only 2.69 and was totally worth every penny and more love this place. Also had a root beer float freeze was to die for!!
Great food. Awesome atmosphere. Just as good as when I was a kid.
Most of the time I take my mom to her doctor appointment in Syracuse, she has me stop here to eat. Never had a bad experience, good food, friendly staff. Reason for 4 starts, dont take card. There is an ATM, but Im not spending more money when I usually only spend about $5 and I dont always have cash. I can understand some businesses dont have a card system.
It can be busy, yet fast. Our order was filled quickly and correctly. Food good and hot on arrival to our car. Server polite and helpful. We will go again and again.
Chicken tender dinner is absolutely garbage. Milkshake was like a freeze from wendys. Worst 12.00 ever spent on food. Wont be back.
Decent Food, excellent Root Beer. If you want delicious Root Beer floats, this is the place to go. The meals are cheap here and its one of the only places in the area where you can order your meal and have it brought out to your car.Its looking a bit worn down and clearly past its prime, but this is still a nice place to stop and grab a bite to eat when you dont feel like getting out.
Ordered the crispy chicken sandwich, all i can say is one of the best in town!
I love this restaurant! Ive been going here since I was a kid and its very nostalgic! Ordering on the phone is a great perk!
I have never been here before took my children to get lunch! Prices were great and service was excellent! We will be returning in the future.
A favorite place to go on a road tripFast and friendly and accurate
A great sit-down burger joint for the whole family. Great atmosphere, you order on phones from your table and are served by actual waitresses. Good food as far as burgers and fried goes. Prices are quite reasonable (me and my child ate for less than 12 dollars). Love their drive in style car seating. You pull up in a spot and order and eat right in your car.One thing i notice when i go is that people dont leave a tip, which i feel is necessary since you are being served your food.Dont miss out on mini-golf right next door which is open for the season now.
Had the old time nostalgic feeling. Strawberry milkshake had an after taste. Food was ok. They do have real beef burgers.
Hot dogs are amazing! At a $1.09 for a hot dog with relish and mustard (Saturday special) how can you possibly go wrong? Couple that with a cold, sweet root beer and youre in culinary heaven! I highly recommend! One other comment though: bring cash as no credit/debit is accepted. Otherwise five stars for what it is.
The food was good especially the cheese curds but the place is cash only. For a chain fast food restaurant that came in as a surprise and I had to use an ATM which turned out to charge me about 1.75 on their end and also my bank charged me 2.50 which is annoying since I was the only one eating.The service was quick but you have to order through a phone on the table which was pretty silly at first!
Always great food,. service and nostalgic. I brought my 12yr old daughter and I didnt have cash and they only take cash.My ATM card didnt work as I forgot my pin#. They told me I could send the money for the bill in mail when I get home. The Honor system. What a great experience. I was about to be embarrassed in front of my but I was spared and explained to my daughter no business I know of except this business but A&W does. Fantastic day gave me great pleasure and memories ❤️ with my daughter 😄. I will always will return to this place for York or please because of this one experience..🇱🇷
Food is always delicious no matter what I choose to order. Plus the service is super quick. Want to eat in your car, they will bring you your food. Inside you get to order on a phone which is a fun, unique experience. My favorite food item is the crunch burger. Its huge and topped with lots of goodness. Cheese, onion rings, BBQ sauce. I love their fries, onion rings, and cheese curds as well. I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich the last time I went and it was a great choice. Lastly, the root beer is a must. Fresh out of the tap, get it in a float and you are set.
Great deal daily special was very reasonably priced only bad thing is cash only, but good food great service and ice cold root beer!!
Great service good food.
First time visiting. Really enjoyed it
Good burgers, tasty root beer shake. Nice fries, probably in my top 3 fast food places thus far.
We had a very good meal
Not as good as I remembered. My kids didnt like the burgers or the chicken tenders which one came out soggy. Root beer is always good just taste better than any other root beer. I had the fish sandwich minus the tartar sauce (not a fan of any tartar sauce) and the fish was really good!!!!
Great root beer float, great childhood memories as well. A true, old fashioned, drive in food establishment, their signature root beer ( made in to my favorite float, with yummy vanilla ice Cream), checked all the right boxes. Worth the visit!
We love love AW but shocked after our recent experience. While waiting in drive thru we observed a man who kept pulling his mask down while by the food. He then touched the food with his bare hands as well. Other employees without gloves touching fries and lids on cups/straws. I had to decline our food and leave with sad kids. It was awful and we wont be returning sadly for quite some time. Even if there wasnt a pandemic going in..where gloves :(
We were in Cortland visiting a family member in hospital. We wanted A & W Root beer and a burger to go. When it was our turn to place our order, the woman at the register, was not very friendly...her demeanor seemed like she didnt want another customer. No smile, no welcoming tone. We placed our order, but didnt see the sign cash only, we were not standing in front of the register. We didnt have cash. She could have said cash only in a friendly way.I asked to talk with the manager and they directed me to her, this same woman. Seriously? Those poor employees! I get the feeling we would have gotten a nicer, friendly reception if we had dined in or ordered from our car. This is my first experience but my husband remembered the same service a couple of years ago, from the same woman. It all came back.
Great place with mini golf right next door. Price is fair and foot is decent. If ya want great root beer-they have it! Plenty of places to sit inside outside or drive up and eat in the car. Very friendly staff
Really fun place to take kids for an old timey experience. You can drive up to the drive through, order by phone and have someone bring food out to you or have a dine in experience and order by phone. Classic basic food. Two must try items are their friend cheese curds and their classic root beer float! A&W root beer floats will charm any child into a lifelong lover of this classic treat or bring an adult back to their childhood with the nostalgic classic taste of a summertime favorite. Theres a great mini-golf course right next door for a full family fun day.
Total flashback restaurant. Good food or as my 10 year old said amazing hamburgers we ate inside and the kids talked about having to use the phone to place their order. Miniature golf next door is just as good and again flashback old fashioned. Both were reasonably priced but cash only.
Love this place its my favorite cause there isnt many locations. Food is beyond amazing and pricing is extremely fair, staff here are very friendly and service is fast. I highly recommend going here its the best and ordering food is a very rare and different experience youll ever have!
The food was amazing...I purchased it to go & even purchased a gallon of A & W ROOT BEER! I purchased chili dogs, a hamburger with onion only, french fries & onion rings & a root beer float for my daughter who is expecting! My order was ready in less than 10 minutes! They earned that 50% tip!The staff was so happy & smiling!
Best root beer floats around
Very fast, good quality and really good food. Definitely deserves 5 stars!⭐️
They have amazing daily special s so cheep yet so GOOD!! Check them out!! Plus amazing Root beer floats and mini golf right next store!! My kids loved it!!!
Coney cheese dog, bacon cheeseburger and onion rings with a large drink. 14.00 and fast! Good place thats better than McDonalds!
Good food, great root beer, and always good service. Its been this way for a long time even with ownership changes. Always on my list of places to eat when Im in town
Had the Chubby Chicken and was very disappointed. Coating was different than before. Chicken still nice and juicy, but pieces were small. I guess Im back to KFC.
Cash only!! They do have an ATM in the restaurant. Small place, not many tables for how busy it gets. Burgers are good, you can tell they are fresh cooked. Root beer cant be beat. Kids meals come with a root beer lollypop.
Decades ago, when wed visit my sister at college Id beg my parents to take me here. Now, when were driving through, my kids do the same.I cant tell you what it is exactly that they do differently, but no matter what we order, it hits the spot. It aint healthy food, but thats the point. They just make the quick, guilty pleasure food much better than any of the other stops. Pull up, order, they mount a tray on your door, your family stuffs themselves with burgers, fries, slaw and maybe some floats, and you pull away happier than you pulled in. Sure, you can get it to go, but thats not as fun. If youre going to eat in your car anyway, just stay put.Highly recommend if you still have 1.5 to 2+ hours drive to go, because the kids often pass out 10 minutes later from the calorie rush. Its cash only, but they do have an ATM.Limited vegan options; the only ones I can think of are the root beer and napkins. Root beer is really good.
They no longer bring trays out to prop on your window, everythings bagged.CASH ONLY, which isnt convenient, but they have an atm
Ordered 2 rootbeer floats. One diet. They came out to deliver it to the car so fast I didnt have my money out yet. Yummy.
Cute little old fashion drive in restaurant. Be warned...cash only. Food was made fresh, it was hot and hit the spot. Service was warm and inviting. They were even closing and stayed open just so my boys could get a bite to eat after a long drive.
Old time feel and comfort food
Food is always good, bit difficult as cash only and phone system for ordering had some difficulties
Havent eaten there in years.. wish they were closer.. absolutely LOVED MY MEAL!!!.. not a big burger fan.. bit this was just like Mom made.... a long long time ago!❤❤
Great all American place root beer products and food. The staff is quick and friendly. There is even drive up service where you can park your car order and they will run the food to your car. This place is very busy so get there asap.
Really kitchy and cute. You can either order outside or eat in and phone in your order. It is cash only. It is a true blast to the past
I just love the nostalgia of ordering where I park and the food brought out to my car. I miss the tray hanging from my window, but the food is still topnotch!!
This is one of the older diner styles of an A&W restaurant. You have the option of eating inside the restaurant, or eating in your car. Everytime I ate here, I always stayed in the car and ordered and ate. I cant really comment on the interior of the place or the quality of the restrooms, as I never went inside. However, the food has always been delicious and the Root Beer tasty! They have a great selection on the menu. If youre in the area, its a great place to eat lunch or dinner. Parking is free, service is fast, and staff has always been nice.
We loved our food and the service was excellent!!!
Loved this place since a kid. Good daily specials and fast service.
Love A&W been a long time staple since childhood whenever Im in the Cortland area Can never go wrong with chubby chicken an root beer mmmmm sooooo gooooood and the service is amazing and prices are really decent😋😋😋
Nostalgic place. I’ve only had the chicken tenders so far but they were great.
Ive been going there since I was 5 years old! There isnt hardly any A&Ws left & I try to go back when Im in town. Food is excellent & service is top notch! The ladies are beautiful & friendly!
Im sorry that it only put in 1 of the 5 stars I gave you. My phone must have not registered the 5 stars. Always good food and great service. I hope I corrected it.
$$CASH ONLY$$ There is an atm on site with a fee of $1.75 if needed. Staff are incredibly friendly. I got a bacon deluxe burger which was delicious and exactly as ordered, I also had fried cheese curds which, well, they are fried cheese curds so they were amazing. 5 star experience for a fast food establishment -1 star for cash only in 2018
Consistent great quality. Awesome service with a smile. Love mini golf next door, too. Love this place.
This particular A&W is a special location due to it keeping its roots with the traditional drive up and park option in which a waitress/waiter brings your food to your vehicle after you order it threw the original style call box located at every parking spot. They bring your food out on a tray that sits on your window and when your done eating you flick a switch that triggers a red light and your tray is garbage is then taken away. The second option is were you go inside and sit at a table or booth and you use a older style phone to place your order. The service has always been fast and the food has always been great.
Excellent... trip back in time. Old style drive up Diner. Prices are reasonable and the food is pretty good. Definitely check this place out if in the area. Its Unique and you probably wont see another one like it ever again.
Fast friendly polite patient while I was trying to get my order for my young children Fresh hot delicious my order was correct as always thank you
Great bacon burgers. Chilly dogs, onion rings, and cheese curds. Dont forget the root beer either.
This place is awesome definitely retro food is excellent cant say enough good about this
YeH that food was real good went with my coach and team not enough ice cream in root bear floats but still everything Ive had has been good
Love this restaurant! Great service and great food...ALWAYS! They dont screw up the orders which is fantastic! Probably one of the best A&Ws ever.
Love the root beer and cheese curd but the fact that you have to have cash is a draw back.
When I was a teenager, I used to eat at the A&W in Ithaca. at that time the servers would roller skate. the A&W in Cortland at the intersection of rt. 13 and rt. 281 brought back memories although the server walked to the car this time onstead of on skates. food was good and reasonably priced. the only problem was that our car window is curved, not straight as they were in the 50s, so the tray was tipped, so that the drink spilled over the top of the glass. I felt very uneasy about the whole tray possibly dumping food and drink into my lap. its located right next to a miniature golf course which is always fun
Total reviews rating 4.5
199 Reviews for A&W Restaurant 2023:
Review №1
2021-11-12Food was good, fresh and hot. It didnt take long to get our food either. Which is a plus if you swinging in on your lunch break.. But the portions were kinda small, and they only EXCEPT CASH. Otherwise your stuck using the ATM provided. It does have the old school charm of a drive in which is why we went. Thanks!
Review №2
2021-12-04You just cant beat the only real actual root beer in the world, washing down a cheeseburger thats easily among the top #1 best burgers Ive ever, ever had!
Review №3
2022-06-29This is by far the best A&W Ive been to. Finally one not coupled with a Long John Silvers because those ones the fries always taste like Fish. But this one is awesome drive up service like in the old days, take out, and even indoor seating. They keep their menu cheap with daily specials. You can buy the big glass mugs to enjoy your sweet Root Beer like a Viking God. Root beer on tap, the best youve ever tasted, you can buy it in the Gallon or 1/2 Gallon to enjoy at home.Definitely worth stopping by even Id its a little off the highway. And dont forget to tip your servers!
Review №4
2022-04-10A drive in! Get a taste of the 60s. Roll down your windows, turn up the radio, roll up your sleeves and bring your appetite. My brother and I have visited a few times now and we are both impressed. Prices are fair, staff and service are excellent and the food is good. That combination is a needle in a haystack these days. If you are in town - do drive in. And save room for a large A & W root beer float! Highly recommended.
Review №5
2022-04-17Delicious food. Fast and friendly service! Cant wait to go back next time we are in the area!
Review №6
2022-02-13Stopped here again today as I usually do when I’m stopping by Cortland. Most underrated hot dogs ever and the cheese curds are amazing. The root beer floats are the best. For fast food a&w is top tier. I wish there were more of them. Especially with the retro feel from ordering inside on the phones at the booths and just the retro decor in general (that wasn’t retro when it was put in lol). It’s nice to go to a fast food restaurant that wasn’t made all gray and boring like all the McDonald’s and other fast food places are nowadays. Been coming here for years and it never disappoints
Review №7
2021-06-12Wow. I loved this experience. You drive up into a spot, look at the menu, and push the button to order when ready. The workers will come out and give you food, and you pay (cash only!) you can leave or enjoy sitting in your car in that spot.The workers were helpful and super nice! Don’t forget to tip!The food… ugh…. So good!!!! Nothing tasted fake. I obviously recommend the cheese curds!We traveled a hour and a half for the experience and will definitely be back!
Review №8
2022-06-08Great food, but we had some difficulty ordering our meal over the phones they have there in the building. We also didn’t have cash and didn’t know it was cash only. Thankfully, there is an ATM on site. Just be aware of the need for cash.Our kids absolutely LOVE the root beer floats and fries.
Review №9
2022-06-01A cozy spot for your typical fast food treats. Depending upon the day and time it can get busy but I feel that the staff does a good job of maintaining the flow.For some reason the soda always seemed to be flat, especially the root beer. Maybe thats how its supposed to be? Not sure but dont love it.The chicken sandwich is happening. The meal which adds fries, coleslaw, and a biscuit makes for a filling meal.
Review №10
2022-02-24Love the food and staff. You can drive up to the sit and eat menus outside or go in, sit down and order your food on the phone they have that ring the staff. The food was perfect but if your hard at hearing let them know before going in because it’s really hard to hear them on the phone. 4/5 stars because they could update the place and phones. I recommend