Wright's Dairy Rite

Carmen
Carmen
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
2
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6
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Editor Pick

Wrights Dairy Rite

  • March 7, 2007
  • Rated 4 of 5 by zabelle from Portland, Connecticut
Wrights Dairy Rite

If you have a hankering for a return to the '50s and '60s, think Arnold’s on Happy Days, then Wrights Dairy Rite is going to be just the place to satisfy your craving. Open since 1952, this classic drive-in restaurant has had car hop service since its inception. The booths are red and white leatherette seats on the booths, tables with Formica tops and the chairs are chrome. There is a shiny red vintage jukebox on one wall. This restaurant will appeal to everyone. It was a weekday lunch time and certainly most of the people were working people and families with children too young to be in school.

What is really fun is that there is a white phone on the wall at every booth and when you are ready to order you call in your order. Now it took us a while to figure this out but once we did it was great fun.

The food is then delivered to your table on a red tray wrapped to go. Everything is cooked to order, this is not fast food and they tell you that up front. Your drinks are however delivered to you as fast as possible. We ordered two pattie melts, an order of french fries and an order of coleslaw. A pattie melt is made just like a grilled cheese but with grilled rye bread, it has a burger with Swiss and American cheese and sauteed onions. It was very good, cooked perfectly and served hot and fresh. The french fries were very ordinary and so was the coleslaw but the pattie melt was stellar.

The prices here are not quite 1950s but there is nothing more expensive than $7.99 offered.

The menu has pretty much everything that you would expect from a drive-in, burgers, hot dogs, bit even these come in some interesting varieties such as the Carolina Burger which adds a couple of unique toppings, chili and slaw to normal cheeseburger and sliced onions. Their dogs come in regular size and also Dogzilla, a 1/3 pound dog served on a sub bun. You can top them with kraut, chili, coleslaw and cheddar cheese sauce. They also offer chicken salad, fried scrimp baskets, homemade soups, subs, pulled pork, fish sandwiches and Rubens, club and grilled sandwiches. Nothing fancy just good down-home food.

Wrights is also an ice cream bar so you can get thick shakes in the regular flavors and some not so regular like banana, butterscotch, cherry and pineapple, with or without malt.

For dessert they offer regular ice cream and yogurt in cones, floats, sundaes, and cups. They even do a flurry.

It isn’t all about the '50s here. They offer WIFI. To find out more about them check out their website at www.dairy-rite.com.

Jane & Michael Stern wrote about them in Roadfood so you can be sure it’s worth a stop. www.roadfood.com

From journal Finding Shakespeare in Staunton

Editor Pick

Wright's Dairy Rite

  • July 7, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Carmen from Fairfax, Virginia
Wright's Dairy Rite

When you pull up to the "Servus Fone" at this 50s-throwback diner with curbside service, you can easily imagine yourself sitting in a '57 Chevy with the radio playing "All Shook Up."

Just push the button, and out pops one of the many area teenagers that are employed at Wrights Dairy Rite. (As a matter of fact, when I was growing up in Stauton, if you had to get a job, this was one of the more acceptable form of employment - as far as "coolness" factor goes.) Place your order, and about 10 minutes later your food arrives and is set up for you on the window of your car. If curbside service makes you worry about your nice leather interior, no fear. Just park and go inside the diner. The dining room was redone in the early 1990s, but kept the 50s retro feel - jukebox and all. The walls are decorated with pictures of famous folks that have been in the establishment, including local heroes, The Statler Brothers. (see entry for Statler Brothers Museum ) Each summer, the nostalgia gets even stronger, as Wright's hosts Cruise Ins, where classic car owners (and modern hot-rod owners) can drive into the parking lot and show of their rides. There are contests, prizes, games, etc. It's quite the local draw.

But let's get to the heart of the matter. You want to know about food. If greasy spoons are your thing (as they are mine) you'll love it. My favorite thing is a burger (leave the pickles off please) and the thick crinkle fries. (Make sure to order them EXTRA crispy.) Top that off with a thick vanilla shake, and I'm in heartburn heaven. Other choices include foot-long hot dogs, chicken breast filet, pulled pork BBQ sandwich (topped with slaw), subs and more. There's a low-fat menu as well, but come on, you're in the south! If you want healthy, keep driving. :)

I'd say that a person could eat here for $5 or less, unless you go all out with the fried chicken dinners. The food is great, and it's just what you'd expect from a 50's dinner. So put a quarter in the jukebox, pick an Elvis song (or the Statler Brothers) and enjoy your trip back in time.

From journal Staunton, Virginia - A Small-Town Treasure

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