Critic's Review
Sonic as we know it is closed. The restaurant will be the Atlantic Surf Club; Sonic is now a take-out window, operating in the rear of the space that was previously the restaurant. The Atlantic Surf Club is now in the space.
****
Sonic Beach opened in Beach Place plaza to much fanfare and was really hopping when it first opened; it opened over a year late and there was much anticipation.
Sonic is known for their wacky commercials and odd menu items; limeades, "cream" slushes and chili cheese concoctions. This Sonic is unique in another way: they serve wine and beer.
It's a bit different than I expected. I've never been to a Sonic before; I expected there to be a counter like in a fast food place. But this is a sit down restaurant with waitress service. You can also sit at the bar. There's a take out counter in the rear; it was a bit awkward going in because it wasn't entirely clear if you had to be seated by the hostess or you could just sit somewhere, particularly since a lot of the seats are at a counter that faces the beach.
It's sort of a sterile look. Everything is stainless steel and all of the seats are teal. The view from the outer counter seats is certainly a good one.
The place was dead at 2:45 on a Tuesday; there seemed to be only 2 servers in the place; a bartender and a babe on skates. They were blasting bad rap music and it was a completely different atmosphere than the last time I was here when they first opened.
I looked at the menu and realized that they really don't have much of a selection. I don't want to get fast food hamburgers anymore if possible, and I didn't feel like a breakfast burrito. So I went with a foot-long coney; something to tide me over until dinner.
Pretty tasty as chili dogs go; a good value for $3.49. I have to say that service was good. I always expect good service when a place is empty but it rarely plays out that way. But I got everything quickly and he even dug up some fresh lemon for my iced tea.
They have PBR for 1.50; if you're looking for a snack and some beer and to soak up the view, this place is an option. It's kind of creepy with the stupid music and Zero people at the bar. Maybe they'd do better with some Rock and Roll?
Previous Review 11/12/2011
I wanted to try their chili cheese coney, and also the cream slushes. They're pretty flexible with their combo deals, so I ended up getting a 2 dog combo, which includes 2 hot dogs of your choice, a small tots (or fries) and a drink. The bartender was helpful in getting me the best value for what I wanted. You can get any drink you want with a combo and they make the adjustment to the combo price based on what you choose. I opted for an Orange Cream Slush which added 60 cents to the combo.
Some of the servers are on roller skates and some aren't; I suspect that they didn't get enough applicants who can skate. I got some water while I waited; I'd say it was about 10 minutes before it came out. The dogs come in thermal bags.
I tried one of the tater tots; people rave about these things and I can't imagine why, but they're actually pretty good. Better than french fries I think, and you don't need ketchup on them. I unwrapped the dogs and took a look.
They looked pretty well put together. I wasn't expecting a great Chicago dog, and in fact it wasn't that good. Messy, but not the explosive flavors you get with a really good one. The bun was a little stiff like it was a day too old. The Chili Cheese Coney was very good though; not too sloppy with a good tasting chili (much better than Skyline).
The orange cream slush was just ridiculous.
I took a taste of this and I knew I was in big trouble. This is like an Orange Julius with whipped cream. Are you kidding me? I planned on just tasting it, maybe a couple of sips, and I ended up having the whole thing. Now I have to have carrot sticks for dinner, but I might even say it was worth it.
As I was finishing up the chili cheese dog I said to the bartender "Man, I'm glad I don't live down here". Why is that, he asked. "Because I'd be as fat as a house". He thought I meant down here in Florida; but of course I really meant down here at the beach.
The tab for all of this: $7.92.
The first solid addition to the beach since the W Hotel has arrived, and it's pretty darn cool. No more Hooters wings for me for a while. There's a whole menu of weird stuff to try at Sonic Beach.
On a subsequent visit, I left without even being served. The bartender was too busy to take my order, and then he disappeared into the kitchen. I had some other things to do.