Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurants

Stopped in for dinner. Probably should have re-​thought the decision. Although it was clean and we were seated quickly, the food… well, that is what we go for, the food was a real meh.
I ordered a pork tenderloin and I swear the oil used to fry this bad boy must have been at least 2 weeks old. I struggled to get past half of the sandwich. The balance of our party ordered the following:
BLT — completely fell apart. Bread was over toasted, there was just no cohesion with this sandwich.
Turkey Wrap… let’s just put this in paper it came in and return it to the sender.
Overall, not a great experience.

I stopped by the Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurant while in Richmond for seminary graduation and needed a quick lunch between events.
I have this very romanticized view of Frisch’s that comes courtesy of regular stops at a Frisch’s location when I was a child on my way to and from a camp for folks with disabilities. Frisch’s became a cherished memory and I try to stop at one whenever I get the chance. They seem to focus on smaller cities and less urban areas, so living in Indianapolis means I don’t often get to one as much (though I do know there’s one not too far away). Of course, I know this perception isn’t entirely accurate as I know they are a popular Cincinnati option. The company’s strategy has worked as it’s a consistently profitable and popular restaurant. They’re a regional chain with locations in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
They are most famous for their «Big Boy,» a double-​decker burger with their special tartar sauce. They are a full-​service, family style restaurant and this particular location looks bright and shiny and was definitely comfortable. They have only a couple of accessible parking spots, but the interior is very wheelchair friendly. I was surprised to have a host take me to the smallish table and ask «do you want me to move the chair?» Um, no, I thought I’d just lean my wheelchair over it. Isn’t that really kind of a no brainer?
They also offer a full menu beyond their signature burgers. This particular location feels like a cross between an old 50s diner and a Denny’s. The servers definitely have this sort of 50s feel to them and I kind of wish they’d go that direction.
While I’ve been avoiding read meat for the most part, I decided the combo of celebrating graduation and being at Frisch’s was cause for a bit of a splurge. Rather than a Big Boy, I opted for a simple cheeseburger with fries along with my usual unsweet iced tea.
If I were rating this location on the meal alone, it would easily be a 2-​star rating. The meal was incredibly disappointing for my memories and simply as a meal. The burger felt like nothing more than a frozen patty and was surprising in its lack of flavor. The special sauce added a little kick to it, but not enough to redeem it. The french fries are thin-​cut and lack any kind of spark. The iced tea is fine, but nothing special. I did get my usual refill to go, though I got in a rush leaving and left on the table.
I’m kicking Frisch’s up a notch on the basis of service, which was consistent if not particularly inviting. I was checked in with regularly, service was friendly, and the iced tea refill was appreciated. While it wasn’t the kind of service that made me feel compelled to return despite my reservations with the meal, it was the kind of service that can allow me to move this from a 2 to a 3-​star review. You should know that there’s a counter where you pay rather than paying at your table, another similar to the Denny’s routine.
I have no idea how late Frisch’s is open, but it seems like the kind of spot where you’d hang out visiting with friends or family. The décor is warm and inviting and I really wish I’d had more time to just chill out.
I won’t be rushing back to this location of Frisch’s, though my seminary days are done and I really won’t have much of a reason for that to be an issue. I also wouldn’t really avoid it, though I sure wouldn’t waste a dietary splurge on a burger that simply wasn’t that great.
I suppose this means that sometimes a great memory is best left in the past.

Didn’t take a long time to be seated. Some dust on the window seal and the lamp shade above the booth. My waiter is very friendly and is executing his job very well. The food is good, but the Big Boy burger tastes similar to a McDonald’s Big Mac. Definitely could improve on food.
Decided to order dessert and got the cheesecake. I was slightly shocked when my waiter told me the strawberry cheesecake didn’t have the actual strawberries portrayed in the photo on the dessert menu. I think we can call false advertisement by the chain. Other than that, the cheesecake is amazing!
Food-​3
Service-​5
Dining room cleanliness-​4.

Excellent service. Thanks Nisa! Good food and fairly quick. Great for kids. Breakfast bar had lots to choose from and their classic burger comes with tartar sauce. New to me but yummy. Very economical.

We had one of those Halloween free kids meal coupons so we stopped in for lunch. Our server was really nice and prompt. The prices are really pretty low; pur bill was less than $ 12 for two adults and one freebie kids meal.
The food was just ok. I had a hamburger, which tasted a lot like a JTM (can we say «unappealing»?). It had a little bit of pretty pathetic looking lettuce and a really lonely single pickle. My husband had the country fried steak. It wasn’t bad, but nothing to write home to mom about. Our little girl loved her grilled cheese, though!
So, it’s ok. Friendly folks, clean restaurant and the food is fine. I’m sure we’ll go back at some point.

I had hoped for more, being that this is a large chain, and that Frisch’s has been a long time franchisee of Big Boy. I still remember going to the location on the east side where Ritter’s is now, and the west side location, that had the radios to use to take your order.
I ordered the Swiss Miss (Rye bun, swiss cheese, onions, meat, and their sauce, along with fries, and sweetened iced tea. Both the person who seated me and the waitress were friendly.
I was somewhat surprised that the table was wet on the end but on further inspection, there were rings all over the table, as if it hadn’t been seriously cleaned for years. Other areas looked as though they got the spot treatment too. Why do I mention this? It makes me wonder if their kitchen is equally clean.
The waitress cheerfully brought my iced tea. When I took a drink, my first impression was that they waved a tea bag over some cold water and it was *accidentally dipped* into the water several times.
The food arrived rather quickly, and the fries looked oddly brown-​ish. They had an odd taste, and I later asked what kind of oil was used to cook them, which turned out to be Soybean Oil. (I was afraid that it was peanut oil, since I have an allergy, which makes it difficult to breathe.)
The sandwich looked fine, but I suspect in years past, I asked to not have the special sauce. It was reasonable, with some mayonnaise-​vinegar-​relish mix – essentially Big Boy sauce without ketchup. I got through the sandwich and it wasn’t bad, but the fries had already left a bad taste in my mouth.
$ 7.28, plus tip, is too much to be not what you want. I should have gone to the Big Boy in Eaton, but this was close and I wanted to avoid inebriated drivers on Memorial Day. Do yourself a favor and go to some other location.

Decent food, better than fast food, but I wouldn’t raise expectations too far above the golden arches. We came here for a quick lunch/​brunch option during a break we had on a saturday, the service was quick (for a busy weekend midday) but we had to ask for straws/​napkins/​etc, food was better than fast food, and better than most for buffet-​style brunch bars, but still was vastly over-​greasy and «midwest» in style. I usually don’t go to diners very often, but for a quick stop and fast meal that contained hopefully more actual food products than fast food, it’s A-​OK in my book.

Not the best frisch’s! Staff could work at a truck stop. Food always cold and been setting for awhile. Fries always have to be remade. Management looks like they work 100+ hour weeks… zombies!

I almost skipped eating here after reading the negative reviews, but nostalgia won out.
As soon as I saw the menu and the photos of the food I remembered why I loved this place so much as a kid. I ordered several of my favorites to sample, including onion rings. Excellent food, quick service and friendly and helpful server.

Hands Down worst meal I have had in years. Food was so gross, Sweet Potato French Fries were way over cooked and old, burger was way greasy with a disgusting sauce on it, Macaroni and Cheese was runny and old. GROSS, I remember eating at Big Boys as a kid and enjoyed it, I will never go back to one after my experience here.

I love that they have breakfast, lunch and dinner items. But I would not recommend their pork tenderloin sandwich. It’s small and all you can taste is greesy breading. Where’s the pork? Also don’t ask for hot chocolate made with milk unless you want to pay $ 5 for a small cup made from a packet. You’re better off going to Starbucks for that price. There it would be grade A milk and real chocolate sauce.