Tellico Beach Drive-In

Beware. Fries are often served way undercooked and chicken tender orders get no sauces without you paying. Lol! At least Mcds gives them with the order!!! They also botched one of our orders and we were told tough.

Great little gem with great view on river bank. Old fashioned cheese burgers, chili dogs & root beer floats. I mean the kind of chili dog you need 5 napkins for… you know the kind. Not a calorie conscious stop, but great American throwback for inexpensive lunch. FYI cash only, no bathrooms & outside pick nick seating only.

My absolute favorite place to eat back home. My husband and I have moved away (likely for good) and it’s the one place that we really miss. Anytime we visit, we have lunch at the Beach almost every day. The beach burgers are fantastic (and I’m not a big fan of burgers) and I’m forever in love with the cheese munchers. I’ve always hated the parking, but if you park toward the ends, you’ll have much better luck pulling out.

My hubby & his Papaw used to stop by here on their way their favorite hunting spots up in the mountains. I’ve heard about this place for the past 5 years and one afternoon we decided to just ride thru the mountains and check it out.
First off — its cash only. So don’t forget that. Secondly — it’s a burger shack. And thirdly — you simply MUST try this if you’re in/​around the area! I loved my burger! It was juicy, a little messy, had all the right toppings, and the fries were so crunchy! The setting, along the river, surrounded by mountains, is just otherworldly! My husband and I sat on a bench and he reminisced about his hunting trips with Papaw and all the times they stopped here. He’s been going w/​his Papaw for some reason or another for almost 25 years!
So come give it a try. Even if you aren’t in the area, make time to stop by, pick up a great burger and milkshake, and dawdle around the mountains. It’s completely worth it.

My wife and I, as well as our group of friends, always make sure to stop at least once every time we are in the area. Yes, a lot of your fried foods here are frozen, such as fries, onion rings, pepper bites, etc. But the food here is AWESOME! You get your food and sit on the bank of the river and enjoy the view over lunch. We love it. I read in another review that they are not very friendly. You will get an occasional smile but they are focused on working on the orders and not focusing on the customers. It is a bit unpersonal of an experience as far as that goes. One thing I can say is that it does take quiet a bit of time to receive your order. They cook to order and are always packed. In 10 years, with several visits per year, I have never seen this place not busy. So the service and convenience may not be the best, but the food is awesome, as is the view! Also, it is a cash only establishment. Accepts no forms of payment other than cash.

Fun but the Food was Frozen Not Fresh
The concept harks back nostalgically to the old drive-​ins.
Unique setting — on the river with tables on the river bank. No inside seating.
We did it just for fun and to say that we had. We weren’t expecting phenomenal food and that was wise. My hamburger was small and dry. The fries were frozen as were the onion rings my companion ordered. His hot dog was smothered in coleslaw — which is what he ordered; but he just wasn’t expecting so much coleslaw.
The overall experience? Meh. Wish I could be more enthusiastic, but I can’t. So, what I will say is that it seemed to be well patronized by locals. That has to be some sort of endorsement.
Date of Visit: 13Mar14 one very chilly, windy but sunny noontime.

Just good, plain beach food: burgers & fries, hot dogs, ice cream. If you’ve ever been to In-​N-​Out Burger out west, the burgers here will remind you of theirs.
It’s a great place to stop on your way to or from the Cherohala Skyway (or both). In the summer, you can take a dip in the river (it’s pretty narrow and shallow — looks more like a large creek). There are lots of picnic tables on both sides of the building.
The only downside, really, is the parking. It’s roadside, so when you leave, you have to back into the street. Luckily, most people are aware of this place and are watching out for cars doing that very thing.

3 might be a little high. Had the beach burger with bacon and cheese. Beware they use mayo on there burgers. Onion rings were ok. Good brand of frozen. Beer battered. They don’t do soda refill which on this day and age due to the price is a joke. In fact the more I think about it that drop rate down by a star.

For what it is, this place is good. I’ve had the beach burger often and it was awesome every time. But the service sucks and the staff never seems to try being friendly. Maybe they’re victims of their own success. But the food is good and the view is outstanding. Grab a burger or an ice cream and watch the water rush by in the river. Sometimes you’ll even see people using the rope swing to jump into the river. Watch yourself leaving, as cars drive by here very fast. It’s best to park on either end where you can turn around. If you park in the middle you have to back into the road. There are picnic tables around and some are even covered. Motorcycle friendly.

I had always wanted to try the drive in after passing all these years going trout fishing. Well today was finally the day! It’s actually more a walkup than a drive in though. The service was ok but it took foooreeever to get our food. The burgers were pretty good a little too much onion so be aware of that when ordering. Also it is cash only so remember that before going. I would recommend this place if you are around the tellico plains area or driving the skyway!