A & W Restaurant

The one star is for the rootbeer that my fiancé enjoyed. The service was absolute crap, super expensive and the food was bleh. Will not be back. Shout out to the unfriendly blonde at the register. You clearly LOVE your job.

This A&W location is one hell of a depressing site. It all started once a buddy of mine and I walked in. There were two women at the counter that seemed to care less about the presence of their customers on account of the fact that they didn’t acknowledge us right away. They weren’t busy or anything. They just took their sweet time to care that there are people waiting by the register. When one of the women finally acknowledged our presence, she gave us a stare that pretty much indicated that she didn’t want us there. She took our order anyways but with such attitude. All was well once we sat down with our food. Although the food wasn’t something to go crazy over, it wasn’t bad neither.
As far as atmosphere goes, this place needs a DESPERATE makeover. You cannot eat outside on account of the fact that it’s covered in garbage. Also, the drive thru area could use a makeover as well. The drive thru area looks as if it’s been abandoned since the ‘80s, but rest assured that it still being used.
Bottom line: The nasty girls behind the counter win. I’m never coming back to this location.

Ok, so I have to work on a Saturday and needed a good burger/​fries combo. I wanted to go to In and Out but they were swamped and I didn’t want to wait. McDonald’s and Carls were a consideration, but I was hoping for something different. Saw A and W and remembered as a kid how they were pretty good. So walk in to this place an all the windows have menu items plastered over every window. Can’t see out. The booths are worn out and sticky. You place your order then the girl with most annoying voice who shouts the order to cook behind the scenes. looks like a bunch of undisciplined high school kids in charge.
The drive though makes a bell noise and the order from the customer is heard throughout the place. The server shouts back to them.
I order the Papa Burger, fries and a rootbeer float. She takes my name. When the order is ready, she shouts my name as if I’m in trouble with my mom. I start eating the Papa Burger and notice that it has no real taste. The fries were unsalted and taste like they have been cooked in the same fish and chip oil. The float was satisfying as it was a warm day, can’t screw that up too bad… I had to go get a couple of packets of salt for the burger and fries. The burger dripped of grease and was very bland.
So, I’m confident that because of this unpleasant experience, I may choose a reputable restaurant with quality control if I decide to poison myself with fast, greasy, tasteless food.
I can’t see how A and W stays in business.

Love the burgers and root beer but try again on the chicken. It seemed grisley and not very flavorful and unfortunate choice on the lettuce. Everything else met our expectations and we rang the bell.

Loooooooooong drive through waiting…
I just wanted one root beer… but had to wait in the line for more than 10 minutes.

I have been meaning to write a review for A&W since over a month ago! Back in July my boyfriend and I decided to try out their root beer freeze drinks and holy cow they were amazing! We also ordered some chicken strips, fries, and my boyfriend tried their new bacon burger. Everything tasted so good and the lady inside was very friendly. I would highly recommend eating here if you are in Atascadero.

They have the absolute best chicken tenders and if you have not tried cheese curds before, ohh are you missing out. These are my favs and I can be quiet a picky eater but so far everything I have tried here I love.
The service has always been good. I feel like I’m visiting friends. They even took my cardigan out to my car when I forgot it inside once!
The 4 star is that the inside NEEDS to be updated. It is strait out of the 80’s and not as well maintained as it should be. A face lift would earn a 5 star for a fast food joint.

One star at best when it comes to customer service. Too much personal conversation up front.

Love this location! Chili dog is so yummy. Onion rings have nice taste for fast food chain. Root beer on tap is plus! Chicken tenders are one of the best. Sauces they offer are good. Go A&W one of few companies who serve great old American food!

It’s always a bit sad in here. There’s usually a fly or two buzzing about.
But the depressed staff and almost too quite to hear music all make this little spot one you’d typically avoid.
That being said. The root beer is soooo good.
So…there’s that.
The burgers are nothing extraordinary but not terrible by any stretch. I am not a fan of the fries, they’re a bit too thin and short.
I come for the root beer. Which is fantastic.

The person taking my order looked like she would rather be ANYWHERE else than there. She had such a angry disposition. I kept smiling and saying «sorry» for the ever so slight stall in my order, while I asked my kids to confirm what they wanted. She kept her sour puss face consistent from beginning to end.
The wait time was reasonable. The burgers are «ok» — definitely on the greasy side. My daughter hated the hamburger buns. (She is usually a fan of ALL carbs).
One of my sons wanted some water, and his older teenage brother stood with him to get a cup for water — the staff never acknowledged them, so they left.
Staff is so rude here! Sunday, August ¹⁰⁄₁₄ is the date of our visit — at 3:16 pm (time on my receipt) ~ in case this helps the management figure out which staff members need a talking to about politeness ;)
Bathrooms are accessed from outside the building and you need to get a key from inside… Just like at a gas station. And, yep, it looks like a dirty, nasty gas station bathroom once inside also. Yuck!
The root beer floats are the highlight. (NOT in the bathroom ;)

I stopped by this place on my way to San Francisco from Orange County earlier today. The service here was excellent. I went through the drive-​thru and had no issues at all. The lady taking my order was very welcoming and did not rush me at all.
I pulled up to the pay/​delivery window and was greeted by a very nice woman. I believe she was the owner or manager. I was so surprised when she gave me my food and told me to have a nice evening. She sounded very sincere about it which made the experience even better. I will definitely be stopping here when driving to the Bay Area.

Was on our way home to Grover Beach and stopped in. Great burger. Good float and fries. We will definitely be coming back.

The Root Beer Floats here are amazing. The floats are made from real authentic root beer soda. Family owned. This place is a great stop when driving up and down CA State Highway 101. I plan on stopping by there very soon on my next road trip to S.L.O. and NorCal.

A definite piece of Americana. A&W root beer is an icon. I come here for the Orange freeze it taste like a 50 50 bar. So if your in the area and have a hankering for a little something sweet treat your self. Still a mom and pops owned business.

The staff and eatery were up to quick-​serve standards– the chicken fingers were surprisingly delish. If I was judging this place by food alone it would get a much higher rating. However…
The bathroom was absolutely disgusting. It looked and felt like a crime scene. If they slapped some paint on the walls, replaced the toilet seat, fixed the toilet so it actually flushes, and replaced the mirror they would have a decent little restaurant. I am surprised that such a large corporate chain has such awful facilities.
Hold it for as long as you can! Go across the street to McDonalds if it is an emergency.

One of the last traditional America style fast food pit stops. Great root beer floats and food to follow.

I read the other reviews and was QUITE a bit hesitant to try this place but, my BF REALLLLLLLY wanted a rootbeer float so… we went.
Let me first say that when we walked in the staff were VERY friendly and helpful. They must have read the earlier reviews and made some changes! I had a problem with my mug and they happily replaced it. This visit turned out to be a VERY positive one to the effect that I even asked for the manager to express how delighted we were with the service. I showed them the other reviews and I told them that I was seriously gonna have to write a great review!

It is a fast food place, and as such … well anyway I have to have one of those A & W Root Beer floats occasionally! So where you gonna go … A & W Of course!

I make a pointy to stop here every time I come up north to visit family. I love the A&W dispenser inside, I enjoy their burgers, fries, and chicken strips in particular. I like that they serve you a frosted glass when dining in, and that I always get a sheet of coupons for my next visit I can leave behind with my sister. I’ve always had perfectly good service there, so not sure what the other reviews are about. Their drive-​thru is the first place I hit when driving to Atascadero, I wish there was an A&W in San Diego!