There are not many fast food chains that still serve hot dogs, chili dogs or any other variation of dogs these days. One of the few is Sonic Drive-In. That’s appropriate, since Sonic is a bit of a rarity itself. I’m not aware of any other fast food chain which offers this type of curb-side service. Customers pull up and park their car in a long row positioned just in front of the restaurant’s kitchen (there is no public ‘interior’) with each parking spot having a small lighted menu and speaker system to communicate with the employees inside. After you’ve finished browsing the menu, just press a button to place you order, and a voice will greet you.

You are surrounded by people in cars on both sides of you. Folks are eating, music is playing, a couple is making-out in the car to your left, and some kids are screaming and fighting in the car to your right. It’s much like a regular sit-down restaurant, except people are seated at motorized vehicles instead of tables.

Then, a friendly smiling face (known as a “carhop”) comes walking out to your car with your food, at which point you have the option of driving away or staying put and having a mobile-meal. In the latter case, Sonic provides you with a tray device that clips to the window of your car, serving as a temporary perch for your food. It’s a clever invention, and gives easy access while eliminating all the clutter inside your car.

Unfortunately, the previous two paragraphs describing Sonic’s environment is more exciting than their Extra Long Chili Cheese Coney. This item is the definition of bland and generic. Despite the reasonable $3 cost, it’s still over-priced in my opinion.

The bun looks, tastes and feels like a cheap supermarket brand. It’s not toasted, warmed or prepped in any manner. It appears to be straight from a plastic bag. The wiener is “extra long” alright, but length isn’t everything. Sadly this tube of meat is also extra-thin. As you can see from the picture, my finger is thicker than the dog. The taste of the meat is not bad, but it’s bland with no particular spice or flavor jumping out. The chili is decent, and helps give some much needed punch, but still basically tastes like they heated up a can of Wolf Brand, and it’s not enough to save the dog. The cheese was not very “cheesy” tasting, despite making plenty of greasy mess. I think it was cheddar, but honestly it was hard to tell. Considering the nutrition facts (calories, fat, sodium, etc.) this dog should have more flavor.

No matter how I spin this review, it comes out the same way. There is simply nothing particularly good about the Extra Long Chili Cheese Coney from Sonic Drive-In. It’s a completely forgettable, average product. It’s not bad - but it’s just not good enough to recommend to anyone except those with a major case of the chili-dog munchies.

Fast Food Critic Score:3 out of 5 stars.

Nutrition Facts - Sonic Drive-In, Extra Long Chili Cheese Coney.

Calories - 600
Calories from Fat - 290
Total Fat - 33 grams
Carbs - 54 grams
Saturated Fat - 11 grams
Trans Fat - 1 gram
Cholesterol - 75 milligrams
Sodium - 1700 milligrams