Sonic Drive In is in rarity, one of the fast food restaurants whose entire menu is available all day. They have a breakfast menu and an All-day menu which essentially means either Lunch or Dinner Menu.
The All-day menu is available from when they open till close. Sonic Operation hours may vary from location to location therefore it is best to call beforehand for confirmation on the hours.
However, if you are craving a Sonic Cheeseburger at 9 AM, you can have one right away!
Read my hacks on Sonic Happy Hour prices all day here.
What Time Does Sonic Start Serving Lunch
Sonic doesn’t have any specific breakfast and lunch hours. They serve all menus all day unlike other fast food chains, i:e: McDonald’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, Chick Fil A, etc.
The restaurant was initially known as Top Hat but rebranded to Sonic in 1959. During these formative years, the restaurant primarily focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and root beer. It had an intercom system in place which allowed customers to order food from their car and have it delivered to them.
Currently, its menu has expanded making the restaurant famous for menu items such as toasted sandwiches and extra-long coneys as well as freshly made meals and the famous carhop service. As of the 1950s, while the restaurant was still selling hamburgers and making profits, they did not have a standardized menu or any operating requirements yet.
Through the 1950s and 60s, the Sonic brand grew and included local businessmen from the local communities which meant they had a say in what the menu included and the food pricing.
The menu, therefore, includes what they liked and what the community liked. As early as 1968, the restaurant started serving Fried pickles, which they named Pickle-O’s. This item was removed from the menu and introduced in 2003, during Sonic’s 50th birthday.
The Pickle-O’s became a recurring item moving forward. During the 1980s, menus differed from store to store. Slaw dogs were served in Carolinas and Pickle-O’s in Oklahoma. Sonic then developed a five-year plan to help unify all the stores and come up with new menu items.
The most notable menu expansion happened in 2005 when the sales skyrocketed, thanks to the new menu items. They included burgers, fries, onion rings, extra-long cheese coneys, Tater tots, salads such as the Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad, chicken wraps, and sandwiches.
The menu has since improved to include more combo meals and drinks. The lunch menu is the same as the dinner menu and is available as long as the restaurant is open.
In 2010, Sonic announced that they would be switching to cage-free eggs, chickens killed in stunning methods, and gestation crate-free pork, which is meant to have been fully operational by 2022.
Sonic Lunch Menu
Sonic menu prices may vary from one location to another.
| Item | Price USD ($) | Combo Meal Price USD ($) | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Cheeseburger | 3.89 | 5.99 | 580-710 cal. |
| Supersonic Double Cheeseburger | 4.99 | 6.99 | 860 cal. |
| Jr. Burger | 3.39 | - | 330 cal. |
| Jr. Deluxe Burger | 1.39 | - | 420 cal. |
| Supersonic Bacon Double Cheeseburger | 5.49 | 7.89 | 1030 cal. |
| Classic Chicken Sandwich(Crispy or Grilled) | 4.49 | 6.79 | 470-550 cal. |
| Bacon Cheeseburger TOASTER | 4.99 | 6.99 | 570 cal. |
| Chicken Club TOASTER | 5.09 | 7.29 | - |
| Chicago Dog | 2.39 | 5.19 | 400 cal. |
| New York Dog | 1.99 | 4.99 | 400 cal. |
| Chilli Cheese Coney | 1.99 | 4.99 | 470 cal. |
| All American Dog | 1.99 | 4.99 | 410 cal. |
| Footlong Quarter Pound Coney | 3.69 | 5.99 | 790 cal. |
| Jumbo Popcorn Sandwich(Medium) | 3.99 | 5.89 | 330-750 cal. |
| Jumbo Popcorn Sandwich(Large) | 4.99 | 6.89 | 330-750 cal. |
| Super Crunch Chicken Strips(3pc) | 3.49 | 5.79 | - |
| Chicken Strips 2pc | 3.59 | - | 200 cal. |
| Chicken Strip Sandwich | 1.49 | - | 470-550 cal. |
| Corn Dog | 3.39 | - | 230 cal. |
| Premium Beef Hot Dog | 3.99 | - | 320 cal. |
| Chicken Wrap(Crispy or Grilled) | 8.49 | - | - |
| Chicken Slinger | 3.25 | - | 350 cal. |
| Crispy Chicken tenders | 4.79 | - | 260-430 cal. |
| Beef Hot Dog | 3.39 | - | 320 cal. |
| Grilled Cheese | 2.99 | - | 410 cal. |
| Tots or fries(small) | 1.19 | - | 220 cal. |
Pros Of Sonic Lunch Hours
If you have been wanting to try a meal at Sonic Drive-in restaurant, but are not sure whether it is any good. Other than the relatively obvious; quick, readily available, and convenient, here are some other reasons why Sonic’s lunch is worth a try.
- It is available 24/7
- Sonic’s lunch is delicious
- They have healthy options
- Their menu items are affordable
- They have a very diverse menu
It is available 24/7
Don’t get me wrong, the restaurant is not open 24 hours a day 7 days a week. I mean that you can get any item on the lunch menu and any time of the day, which is pretty awesome, right?
Imagine you are craving a double cheeseburger at 8 AM, and you can just drive to a Sonic near you and get one, for breakfast! Or you are craving a Breakfast Burrito at 9 PM and you can have it.
This is especially great for all night shift workers and anyone really that would like a fast food meal at any time of day. You get to start your day with a Burger, especially if you have had a bad start to the day.
Sonic’s lunch is delicious
The menu items at sonic are to die for. Starting with the cheeseburger to the shakes, all items on the menu are delicious. For instance, the corn dog on the kids’ lunch menu; is a delicious beef hot dog wrapped in sweet corn batter and fried to be crispy.
They are both yummy and affordable, going for only 99 cents and 50 cents on special days. The soft pretzel twist is another great snack, they are crispy on the outside and fluffy and warm on the inside, making the best on-the-go snack. The Sonic burgers will fill you up and are really delicious they will leave you wondering whether they are from a fast food joint.
They have healthy options
Being a fast food restaurant means they are not too focused on how healthy the meals are, however at Sonic Drive-In, they have a pretty wide range of vegan options and generally healthy options.
The Jr. Burger has a total of 320 calories which is pretty low compared to burgers on the menu, such as the Double Cheeseburger which contains 1030 calories.
Other similar options with fewer calories include Mini Popcorn Chicken (190 cal.), Grilled Chicken Wrap (420 cal.), Classic Sonic Signature Slinger (340 cal.), Grilled Chicken Sandwich (480 cal.).
Sonic also has vegan-friendly options such as the onion rings which serve as an excellent side dish, tater tots, pretzel twists, etc.
Their menu items are affordable
Other than the already existing fair prices at Sonic, They also haves deals and offers from time to time. These offers include 50% off cheeseburgers, 50-cent corn dogs, sonic coupons, etc.
They also offer shakes for $1 to $3 and also run a happy hour for 2 hours a day where the drinks are 50% off. While the main meal items may be more expensive in comparison to other fast-food restaurants, they are still pretty affordable.
They have a very diverse menu
Sonic Drive-Inn restaurant has a lunch menu that caters to kids, healthy eaters, and the “normal” eaters. The Jr. Burger which goes for $3.39 is part of the Kids’ lunch meal menu.
Going for lunch with kids can be a nightmare because most restaurants do not have kid-friendly options. Sonic Drive-In, though, has taken account of this, and even though it’s not a wide variety, it exists!
Sonic has outdone themselves with this one. In addition to this, Sonic has a very wide array of items to choose from, it may take you some time before deciding on what you will have.
Cons Of Sonic Lunch Hours
- The menu has unhealthy options
- Their French Fries aren’t too good
- Some of the items may not freshly cooked
The menu has unhealthy options
The cheeseburger has a total of 1240 calories 87 grams of fat, 38 grams of saturated fat, 265 mg of cholesterol, and 1690 mg of sodium.
If you are big on weight watching, you may want to avoid this item completely. You may think that the only important nutritional information important to watch is the calories, and with that, you go for Sonic’s Jumbo popcorn chicken, which contains 640 calories.
The problem with this item though, is that it is very high in sodium. A large serving of this item contains 2140 mg of sodium, the highest amount in any of the items at Sonic.
Their French Fries aren’t too good
It is almost by default to walk into a fast food restaurant and order French fries. The case is not any different at Sonic. However, you may want to stay away from Sonic’s French Fries and order the tater tots instead.
Sonic’s French fries are salty, soggy, unhealthy, and bland. You pretty much need to dip them in something so you can enjoy these French fries. You would rather try other sides on the menu and forget the French fries.
Some of the items may not freshly cooked
Some former employees at Sonic have expressed concern/caution over the Steak or Grilled Chicken. They claimed that the grills used to cook are not cleaned regularly and sometimes the steaks are cooked prior so when you order, they simply bring it to you.
One employee stated that if your order took less than 5 minutes to get to you, then it was precooked. This is because the Grilled Chicken took about 5 minutes to fry. While it may be tasty, you may want to put that into consideration.
Sonic Lunch Hours FAQ
To Sum Up
Sonic drive in restaurants serves lunch menu items all day. You can pull over anytime ask for your favorite sonic breakfast hour menu item or Sonic lunch hour menu item. You don’t need to wonder what time does Sonic start serving lunch.
