Adam & Eats: Reed’s Twin Burger Drive-In

 

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for almost nine years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree.

This week I thought that we needed something a little more obscure, something a little off of the beaten path. A place that has been around for a long time and hasn’t wavered in their dedication to serving consistently decent food. I have just the place in mind.

Located on the corner of South 24th and Tulsa Streets, is the quietly famous Reed’s Twin Burger Drive-In. They have been slinging simple drive-in fare in these parts for more than 24 years.

By the look of the place, you can kind of tell. The tiny red-painted wood building looks like it has seen its fair share of Arkansas’s brutal hail storms. The wooden picnic tables around the building, the ones that are ridiculously low to the ground, have seen better days as well. Despite Reed’s weathered appearance, the place doesn’t look worn down. What I’m trying to say is that the place looks more wizened than haggard (more like Gandalf the White than like Gandalf the Grey).

Er, right. Moving on. I’m not going to lie, the food isn’t amazing, but it’s fast, cheap, and really not bad.

Recommendations? Hmm, let me see. I would definitely say try the pizza burger. Very few places serve these anymore, so give it a try. It could probably use a slice of mozzarella and a little red sauce, but overall it’s pretty good.

The chili cheeseburger will have you puzzled as to how the combination of dill pickle and chili, which sounds so wrong, can taste so good.

As far as sides go, I would suggest ordering either the onion rings or the tater tots. They are both crispy, greasy perfection. The fries aren’t bad, but they will probably leave you feeling a little underwhelmed.

One nice thing about Reed’s is that they have continued the drive-in tradition of allowing customers to add cherry and vanilla to their drinks. Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper? Don’t mind if I do.

What meal would be complete without dessert? So, finish off your gut bomb meal with a soft serve ice cream cone.

Overall, I wouldn’t say Reed’s is a diamond in the rough. It’s more like a cubic zirconia in the rough. If you have never eaten there, and you’re in the mood for cheap burgers and fried veggies, try Reed’s sometime.

Until next week, good eating to you and yours.

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