Restaurant Review


I’m a sucker for a classic drive in.  I love going to Dicks in Seattle – the throngs of people, the limited menu – just what a drive in burger place should be.  In Tacoma, Frisko Freeze (1201 Division Ave, Tacoma WA) has been delivering on the promise of cheap and tasty burgers, fries and shakes since the 50’s.  The burgers are juicy, the fries crispy (unlike Dicks, which is hit and miss – mostly miss – with the fries), and they have blackberry shakes, the crown jewel of all possible shake flavors.  I like that they don’t stretch themselves with the menu – it is burgers, fried foods (chicken strips, fishwich, corndog), fries, onion rings, drinks, and a few ice cream options.  And you can be picky with your order, but you’re just wasting your time.  A bud in high school always asked for his burger without onions, they always said OK, and it always came with onions.  I like that in a restaurant.  You order a burger, they make the burger, you eat the burger.  No messing around with sauce selection and how the meat is cooked and can I have a few extra pickles.  Just eat the burger.  One down side to Frisko Freeze it that it is often packed and quite slow with your order.  Either order ahead or just understand that you’ll be hanging out there for a bit – so bring a book or some friends and enjoy some down time; wherever you are rushing to can wait.  They have a couple benches you can sit on to wait, but no tables.  There is technically a drive up window, but it is a bit silly.  They serve one car at a time – take the order, take the money, serve the food, next car.  It is so far from efficient that I love it in spite of myself.  But I’ve never used it.  At the walk up window, it is usually a 10 or 15 minute wait for the food, and sitting on the bench and people watching the slice of Tacoma flowing through Frisko Freeze is reward unto itself.  While the burgers and fries are satisfying, we’re not talking about healthy food in any way, shape or form.  Luckily, if that double cheeseburger was one unhealthy calorie too many, you’re just a stone’s throw from the Emergency Room at Tacoma General.  You can’t plan it better than that.  Anyway, if you have a late night urge for a snack, I’d recommend a trip to Frisko Freeze – you’ll leave satisfied.

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