Retro fast food at Nip N Sip

The Lansing area doesn’t have any Sonic restaurants, but the next best thing is Nip N Sip Drive In on the city’s north side. Like Sonic, it’s a drive-in establishment where you can park and order through a speaker.

Nip N Sip is certainly one of the oldest businesses in the Lansing area, having been around since the 1940s. It’s hard to believe that such a small establishment could have lasted this long, especially when there isn’t indoor eating, Then again, as long as the drive-in experience takes them back to a simpler time of burgers and malts, people don’t seem to mind eating in their car or at one of the nearby picnic tables. Just don’t expect the servers to roller-skate out to your car like they did in the old days — I’m sure only theme park restaurants are that committed to being so retro.

Nip N Sip serves standard American fast food: burgers, chili dogs, fries, onion rings, milkshakes, malts and ice cream floats. The prices are surprisingly reasonable for this day and age, so it’s a great option if you’re on a budget. Unfortunately, it’s only open on weekdays. I found that out the hard way when my mother and I tried to swing by on a Saturday, only to see that it was closed.

When I finally had enough time after work to visit during business hours, I was ready to go all out. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with sides of fries and onion rings. My dad couldn’t stop raving about the chocolate shake, so I decided to try one of those as well.

I didn’t have to wait long for my food. The service was fast and friendly, despite how busy it was that day. The grilled version of the chicken sandwich, along with being healthier than its fried counterpart, was topped with my preferred ranch dressing instead of mayo. The fries were thin and crispy, just the way I like them. The onion rings, on the other hand, were more breading than actual onion, not quite the right balance between the two. And what of the much-hyped chocolate shake? Well, it wasn’t exactly on par with Sonic’s famous shakes, but it definitely had plenty of chocolate.

Perhaps someday we will get a Sonic in Lansing. Yet even if we do, Nip N Sip won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. With its reasonable prices and deep-rooted history in the area, it will remain a nostalgic staple for residents in the years to come.