Freddys: The location could have been better for a student in a rush as it takes more than 10 minutes to get there from the school. On top of the poor location, service was subpar at best, with unprofessionalism and a lack of enthusiasm among employees. “The food was prepared quickly, in less than five minutes, which keeps the food quality high for students already in a rush”. The quality was mediocre, with the burger seemingly thrown together with little thought. Toppings were evenly distributed, although mustard and pickles overpowered most of the flavors. Cost-wise it is rather expensive at $7.91 for a burger alone. Overall considering the poor location and the questionable quality, Freddy’s rates around a three out of five.
McDonalds: The fan-favorite restaurant was next in line. The location can not be beaten in comparison to other places visited, as it is less than five minutes away from school. Service was minimal, as expected when at McDonalds. When ordering the food, the cashier greeted us with a warm smile. The time between ordering and receiving our food was astonishing with less than a three-minute wait. Quality was as expected with the burger being warm and well-distributed toppings. The flavors meshed together well with nothing too strong. At McDonald’s, the prices can not be beaten with the burger only costing $3.99 providing a great bang for your buck. In review location and quality McDonald’s is at three and a half out of five.
Sonic: Third, we visited the controversial South Sonic because the closer location was temporarily shut down, causing a major detour. Usually during school hours, north Sonic is a much more reasonable option during lunch. Service was minimal yet professional as our carhop was very straight to the point. After ordering, it took nearly seven minutes for our food to arrive, compared to the five-minute average at other locations. The experience started great, with exceptional presentation, but when we started eating, we realized the presentation had fooled us– the food was cold, the toppings were overbearing, and the only bearable item was their sauce. At $7.91, with a poor location and even worse, Sonic came in at a very disappointing one and a half out of five.
Burger Garage: A newcomer to Newton was last on our list. The restaurant starts immediately disadvantaged seeming rather tucked away and unknown to most students. Service was okay, our cashier even mentioned being exhausted after starting at 8 a.m. that morning. Food was prepared quickly taking roughly 15 minutes after waiting in line for 10 of those minutes. The burger was good, with the patty cooked well and toppings spread well throughout. However, it was similar to Freddy’s as the mustard and pickles were very prominent whilst tasting. Burgers were inconsistent with toppings varying between orders. Overall, at $8.56, Burger Garage provides a well-rounded burger and a new diner-esque ambiance for Newton, earning a four out of five rating.
