Yelp Cleveland’s Night at the Drive-In

This April, Yelpers gathered at Swensons in Avon for a Night at the Drive-In. Swensons Drive-In was founded in 1934 by the Swensons family. They aim to make the freshest hamburgs with fresh beef, ground in-house and fresh buns baked daily. What makes Swensons unique? Not only have they upheld the standards of old-fashioned drive-ins, but they are known for the Galley Boy – a double cheesburg with 2 secret sauces, a toasted bun and garnished with a green olive. A typical visit to one of their locations starts by turning on your lights from service. Then, a smiling server runs to your car faster than you can say “hamburg.” Once you order, you can expect that your food will be brought out quickly and it will always be made to order. At Yelp’s Night at the Drive-In, two groups experienced the Swensons tradition.

Yelpers relaxed in their cars as Swensons treated them to whatever they liked from the menu. Tiffany, Swensons manager, welcomed each car to the event with a Swen Swag Bag including Gold Coin gift certificates and a welcome letter explaining the history of Swensons, what makes them special and what they’d experience during their visit.

To kick the evening off, Yelpers were greeted by enthusiastic servers. This team of local servers offered suggestions about the menu and the Swensons tradition. Their unparalleled service didn’t go unnoticed. As Yelp Elite Evan F. wrote about the service, “The staff and management at the Avon Swensons was top notch, taking extra good care of each and every one of us, with both a cornucopia of food and a bag of swag as well!” Every car turned off their headlights as they contemplated the delicious choices ahead. Soon, headlights lit up again as Yelpers prepared to order.

Yelpers ordered items such as the Galley Boy, crispy extras like Potato Teezers or fried mushrooms, milkshakes, or a specialty soft drink like the California (grape), Ohio (cherry) or Florida (orange). We even saw some vegetarian Yelpers munching on the Salad Boy, a delicious veggie burger with two special sauces. Not only is Swensons vegetarian-friendly, they’re also happy to accommodate other dietary restrictions. Yelp Elite Miranda C. had a first-hand experience with this, writing, “My friend has some dietary restrictions that they were more than happy to accommodate. Did you know you can order a hamburg/cheeseburg wrapped in lettuce instead of a bun? This is great for those folks that are gluten intolerant or keto folks, too!”

The vintage food and experience was the true highlight of the night. Yelp Elite and self-proclaimed Swenatic, Danielle B., showed her love, writing “I ordered a double cheeseburg with everything, teezers, onion rings, and a hot fudge and peanut butter milkshake. It was everything I wanted and more.” The evening went above and beyond on food, service and experience. Check out the outstanding event reviews and photos here. For more information about the Yelp Cleveland Elite Squad, visit yelp.com/elite.

Special thanks to our sponsors: Swensons Drive-In • Elizabeth Sturm Photography