Last time I came here I didn't leave a great review do to the service but this visit they reappy have stepped up their game. Used the drive through the lady running it was very patient and helpful. Yes the food takes a bit longer but I consider the few extra minutes a fair trade for hot just cooked better tasting food a fair trade 😁. Thanks a&w!

Typical fast food burger and fries. They were fresh and good though. The staff and the atmosphere is what made this place 5 stars. All the cool nostalgic memorabilia and the staff was friendly.

It's always an awesome experience when I have my a&w Root beer float. You can't go wrong with the atmosphere the people the service the food may not be that great but everything else makes it a five on my chart best place for your Root beer floats or other beverages containing. Root beer... Lol

The Root Beer is the best. I ordered the bargain meal small fries medium Drink and a single cheese burger.

We loved it!

A&w in Lodi is one of my favorite lunch spots. Very clean atmosphere, friendly people and the food is decent for fast food I go here or to In-N-Out Burger only.

I read an article about this establishment's collection of A&W memorabilia, and that A&W is the oldest franchised chain. In a serendipitous chain of events I stumbled upon this place while passing through Lodi. I highly recommend patronizing this historical establishment with a root beer freeze and a burger and taking a look at all the wonderful memorabilia.

Five stars all the way! Excellent food, excellent service! So good!

Great service and food - glad we stopped off at the original and were able to check out their collectibles too!

This is where it all began for A&W Root Beer well over 100 years ago, in Lodi, California. I’ve visited before the pandemic and again recently. There was plenty of friendly and helpful people to take and make my simple order. And they have the frosty mugs back, which is my preferred way to enjoy A&W root beer and their dessert floats. The floats are more impressive, so always go for that. I will definitely be making my way back again before another three plus years. The root beer is cold and delicious. I like their freshly made onion rings too.

Always a pleasure to visit this classic American favorite. The food is fresh and delicious every time and you just can’t beat the Rootbeer! A&W is sure to please the whole family, you will not be disappointed.

It's the 1st of the fast food changes. Sometimes if feels like they have your order ready before you can get your wallet out. It's not expensive but good food is not free either. Starting in Lodi California, they were the first to get a great meal out the car. And since WWI, they have always taken care of our vets. Plus a signature root beer float. Their root beer is still a well kept secret. And they are not given into changing the menu between visits. Bonn Appetite!

First ever A&W . Loved the history and collectables on display. Love the 1/2 gallon jug of Root Beer you can take home.

Great food fast service and friendly staff spacious drive through indoor takeout available has onion rings

Remember how good drive in burgers tasted as a kid? This is the place that will bring those delicious memories back to life. I can never eat a double cheese burger but I could not stop eating this one. How do so many fast food restaurants mess up a burger? The ingredients are fairly simple. THIS A&W has held fast to what makes one extraordinarily delicious. I just truly cannot forget how great it was. Fries are also good and crispy and hold their crunch for a long time. A true valley gem. You will NOT be disappointed.

This location has a large display of vintage A&W memorabilia. Very nostalgic. Service is excellent always, as is the food. I've eaten here, over the past few years, probably fifty times. Never have I had an unsatisfactory experience. Always excellent. Family friendly, of course.

This place has consistently beat any other location because I think it might be the only A&W that's by itself. Family owned in Lodi a lot longer than I've been alive. I was a Boy Scout for the Guinness world book of records root beer float they made. I didn't get to taste it, but I handed out hundreds of cups :)

A&W was my grandpa's favorite. It always brings back so memories when we eat here. The food is so good. It's fast food but it feels somehow made just for you. It's a classic place, full of nostalgia and I'm so glad it's still here after so many years.

We ordered 2 onion mushroom melt burgers, fries, onion rings, tea and a mug of A&W homemade root beer. The mushroom burgers were beyond our expectations, as well as the fries, onion rings and root beer. We just found another go to burger! The staff was so courteous and thanked us on our way out the door.

The food is great, and the staff are super friendly. Overall experience was wonderful.

The best Papa burger! Everytime I order here my order is correct, food is cooked perfectly and tast delicious. I love the chili cheese fries, they are soooo good! If you are looking for a refreshing rootbeer float, this is your place.

The papa burger is a very good burger. The special on Tuesdays are great, I like to save money. The root beer goes great with the burger. The fries are not bad. I would like them to be cooked a little longer. I would say that this is one of the best burger places in Lodi. It is worth the wait.

We were greeted, fast service when ordering, efficient preparing and serving meal. Employees we encountered with gave great customer service. We hadn't had a A&W float in years. It brought back good memories. :)

Probably the best A&W I've ever been to. This is the real deal, not one of those KFC co-branded locations. Just a classic A&W drive-in with delicious All American Food and authentic root beer floats served in a frosty glass mug.

Always delicious! Take a trip back in time to great food, giod service and cold rootbeer! Very first A&W, not the original location but thats ok. Not to be confused for the KFC A&W combo resturant, its just not the same. This A&W gets it right. Highly recommended. Get the bacon double as pictured and some cheese curds.

A true tribute to past Americana. The root beer was as cold and good as I remembered it as a child.

This place is the best. Love going to where it all started. Highly recommend the rootbeer freeze. Amazing staff.

Best place to go to in Lodi. Love the food and the environment. People are great there

Love A&W! This original location is great! Lots of memorabilia and the food is terrific. They serve the root beer floats in big, frosty mugs and they're so delicious. Long live A&W!

Very tasty. This is the original restaurant well before it was a chain. Their coney dogs and fries are amazing, and who doesn't love a root beer float? will return for sure.

My favorite. During this Covid, the drive up service is quick friendly and efficient by their employees. Food is great and ROOT BEER is the best!

Always a treat! Love the root beer float. Was very surprised about how good the fish and chip basket is! I will be back for that!

I only had a small rootbeer float. It was the absolute best rootbeer float ever. The food looked and smelled amazing. Next visit, I'm having a burger.

Amazing service, great food, and the best you root beer floats in this side of the planet.

The place is excellent, clean ,roomy,and a great staff from the first time I went they know and remember my name and they know my dogs name and heck they bring his order before anything he goes all hyper watches the back door for them to bring the shorty special (strawberry sundae) I have nothing but good to say it feels good when a fast food restaurant greet you by saying hi Bill my hats off to Pete and his staff .

OK, I'm breaking my rule for this one. This is a chain but the person at the register was sharp, spoke clearly and politely, and truly helped us work out our order. This location specifically is like stepping back in time 40-50 years. We enjoyed root beer floats in original style A&W glass mugs. There are lots of collectables decorating the dinning area. The food was really good and tasted very fresh compared to typical fast food in my experience. In the future, we will be making this a special stop when we are in the area.

Was completely unaware of this even being the founding restaurant, just figured all the memorabilia was historic or for show. Staff was very friendly and quick to help. 2 for $6 deal was very good, hope it's still around next time I pass by :)

If every A&W was like this one, I wouldn't eat anywhere else. Amazing food, service, and atmosphere!

I ordered the 3 piece chicken tender meal. I used the drive through and it was the first time I had seen a drive through like this where there isn't a window, but they come outside to take your money, and they run out your food. I waited probably 5 to 7 minutes, which is totally cool. Because my food, both chicken and fries were fresh out of the fryer. The root beer was perfect, and they actually gave me easy ice like I asked. She gave me 2 ranch cups, which was awesome. It was $14 for this meal, which I feel is a little steep but for the location I guess it's understandable. I also do not have A&W restaurants in my state, so I'm not familiar with their regular pricing. The young lady who took my order and gave me my food was very friendly and pleasant.

I always drive through. The drive through is adorable with its little statues. This is one of my favorite places to get a burger. The food is tasty, the service is friendly and quick. I always expect to see someone roller skating to my window with my food…it just gives that vibe.

Absolutely the best customer service at the freshest food I had from an a&w restaurant. I love how they still make their root beer in house and it tastes way better than any other Root beer you will buy anywhere else. My kids love coming here and looking at all the memorabilia so bring the family

Friendly service, good food, good value

I need to say that in all the years of going to fast food,my hats off to Pete and his#1 staff . It is a very rewarding experience I drive thru now but I'm always addressed by my name and what a great feeling it is . I drive up and they know who I am by my voice I order and Pete you need to add to your order , is a Shorty Special cause that's what I say and the girls n guys all know what I ordered and they all race to the fountain to make a strawberry Sunday my little guy sits as soon as I hit lodi st he is on the lookout he watches the back door for the girls to come out n he hangs out just so happy n is eating that Sunday before I even can take it Pete your crew are a group to be proud of I go at least 3 times a week . The crew make you smile what service !!!

Overall the vibe of the place was Amazing! While the food is kinda average, all the memorabilia around the place makes it come to life. Definitely recommend

Rootbeer from my childhood and Vegan dinner. One of the few places we can get a burger and fries. And soooo good to. Staff is very friendly

The original A & W. Awesome place.

This is the original A and W. Yes, they actually were originally a few blocks away. They have a great memorabilia exhibit there. Worth going to see

This is the original and best A&W restaurant with classic menu and rootbeer that is the absolute best

Amazing service and it’s a great place to go when you stop by at Lodi especially since this is the original A&W

Just had a root beer float, so can't speak for the food, but I don't really need to for a fast food chain anyway. The memorabilia adds a nice touch that makes it worth checking out.

This is the original A&W restaurant. The floats are awesome. The Burgers are great. The Cheese Vurds are Squeaky (iykyk)😁

Love being able to come to A&W #1. I grew up around here, and it always brings back those nostalgic moments for me.

Very good! Bacon burger was good. Fish and chips were surprisingly good for a burger joint. Love the root bet float in an ice cold mug!! That was the best 👌 Yum 😋 Happy 100 years!

The root beer float and the milkshakes are great. It’s like a museum. It’s amazing that it’s not crowded and that A&W is more than a hundred years old.

This place has very good old fashion burgers.

Classic A&W rootbeer float is the best on this location not to mention all the memorabilia displayed creates a nice ambiance while dining. Service personnel are always helpful and courteous specially if one cannot make up their mind of what to order... and oh yeah, cheese curds.... deep fried cheesy bites of awesomeness- you're welcome!

This is the OG A&W and it is amazing. When you dine in you get the best root beer ever in a frosted glass. The staff here is super friendly and the food is great but I was a little tiny bit disappointed because back in the day the A&W I went to had crinkly fries. But no worries this place rocks and it's like a museum. If you are in Lodi, CA it's a must go even if it's just for a frosted mug of root beer 🍺 😋 👍👍

+3

Bryan Hill

A very historic restaurant. This is the very first A&W Restaurant in the U.S. I haven’t had A&W food for several years and it was AWESOME. The staff were super friendly. Clean place with LOTS of cool vintage A&W memorabilia on display.

Bruce Freedle

Cute & Nostalgic place with lots of memorabilia. We went there for the Lodi Restaurant Week Special. The Double Bacon Cheeseburger, Cheese Curds, Diet Root Beer, & Carmel Sundae were all really good that we had and service was friendly & efficient. It was a great fast food experience!

Dai Dang

Visiting the Lodi A&W feels like a culinary pilgrimage, as this site marks the historic first-ever location of the storied brand. I was genuinely surprised to find that the establishment wasn't packed to capacity. The menu features burgers that are consistently tasty and seasoned well. Accompanying the mains are the crunchy fries, which provide a perfectly crisp texture. Of course, their famous root beer float, a signature item that demands your full attention. Served in their iconic, heavy-duty big glass mugs. The carbonation is remarkably lively, causing the foam to erupt from the mug like a volcano if you aren't ready to catch it. You would be wise to keep a stack of napkins within reach, as that "volcano" effect can quickly lead to a sticky cleanup mission. Despite the potential mess, the creamy blend of soft serve and spiced root beer remains an unparalleled treat. It is a rare delight to experience a piece of food history that still delivers on its original promises of quality and charm. For anyone passing through Lodi, this location is an essential stop for a legendary frosty mug.

+1

Elsa V

Love this place, great customer service! Hot food, delicious. Fast service at drive thru and dine in! Friendly staff.

Greg D

Top shelf original location with friendly staff. The owner was great fun to talk to and the memorabilia collection is probably the best one in the entire world.

Brian Mulligan

We went through the drive-thru while they were doing construction and tree trimming so we couldn't hear the person taking our order and they couldn't hear us. We pulled around to clarify our order and they are very gracious and the service was really fast and by the time we got it back to the hotel 10 minutes later it was still hot and still good. highly recommend this a&w. oops, those pics were from another hamburger joint. I deleted them. Still, I'd go back to this A&W anytime I'm in Lodi. Thanks!

Gabriel Pargeter

A&W Micro Museum… It was fun. Cute place to come get a float and a snack.

Karen Teague

'25/7 1st time customer this location: >> This Lodi, CA location is the original A&W (founded 1919 by 2 men bearing their last initials). << -- Very easy to find (on main road) & park. -- 5 Star for a fast food, nostalgic, chain restaurant. MANY display cases & framed print of said memorabilia. Root bear still served in frosted glass mugs. -- Food & service consistent with brand name. -- Bottom line: Worthy the visit to experience the original location architecture, layout, & old-school vibe.

Emily Milligan

I haven't been to A&W for awhile and am so glad I did! Ethan took our order and brought it to our table. He is so friendly and efficient! He knew the menu inside and out and answered all our questions. The value meals were delicious, old fashioned root beer in a chilled mug, not overly carbonated, and perfectly golden crispy fries are one of life's simple pleasures.

Stu Pidasso

Love this place! Burgers are really good I recommend getting a double because the single is a little thin. Always warm and fresh. Obviously when you’re here, you have to try the root beer too. It’s to die for. Good location, nice clean restaurant. Can’t go wrong.

Travis Quinn

Visiting the original A&W stand in Lodi, CA, was such a treat! I loved seeing all the memorabilia on display, it’s like stepping back in time. The food is classic comfort fare, with lots of fried options that are absolutely delicious and served piping hot. It’s a must stop if you’re in Lodi, whether you’re a history buff or just craving some great eats. Don’t miss out on this iconic spot!

+1

Eric

We had a great experience at A&W! The customer service was great everyone was so friendly! The food was hot, fresh, and came out quickly. The root beer float was delicious, and we loved that they brought everything to our table. We'll definitely be back when in the area.

Misses Sanchez

If you are wanting a huge two patty burger that is juicy and flavorful then the papa burger with grilled onions is the best bet. A and W has delicious burgers, and the rootbeer float leaves you satisfied. The chili cheese fries are always fresh and full of flavor. The service is always quick and correct. I have eaten here numerous times and have always had my order correct.

Terrence Put

Staffs are well trained with courtesy. The COD and Chips is fresh made so it is hot and crunchy. Root Beer float is world-class, and I can guarantee the root bear has been fresh-made daily.

Donna Chau (Donna)

I came here because I loved root beer when I was a kid. To hear there's a restaurant with memorabilia... I knew I had to visit. We came right when it opened and ordered a root beer float. I loved looking at all the throwback items they had in the display case. There's also a bell on your way out the door, don't forget to ring it for good service ;)

+1

bartellj

This is not the original A&w Location but it’s not far from where it all started Down the road on 1919. This restaurant is extremely clean and very family friendly. The classic root beer float is amazing! Not many places give it to you in a cold glass mug. The staff is extremely friendly and the service was great and quick. Check out the original restaurant location on Sacramento Street

+21

Chef Robert Olivares

On the way home from a king overdue vacation my wife and I stopped at A&W. As long time Root beer fanatics we were excited to stop by one our way home. The place has awesome cool eclectic decorations everywhere. You can buy huge bottles of Root Beer. So understand that when you order a root beer float it’s gonna be an experience. I went with the double bacon burger and regular fries. My wife went with the chili cheese dog and chili cheese fries. Everything we got was perfect and the topper was that huge root beer float in a chilled mug. This place is a must try.

+18

Rick Parsons

The staff were very knowledgeable regarding the history of this iconic location, and there was some amazing memorabilia in the dining room. The food was tasty and hot. Staff were friendly, and lots of parking.

+6

I'm always surprised with how great the service is here. They hire teenagers like any other fast food place, but they're off a higher caliber here. Plus, this isn't just a regular A&W, it's an original location with root beer brewed on site. The flavor is great. Much less carbonated than canned root beer.

The root beer here is unlike anything you'll get anywhere else. It tastes nothing like the commercialized version of A&W Root Beer. They make it fresh in house and is stupid good. The burgers are surprisingly good as well however the cheese curds and fries were warm, not hot - which made the meal less appealing

Such an awkward drive thru. Right after ordering, I drive and there's no windows to pay or any employees. But the two cars ahead of me were parked at the finish line of the drive thru. So I park right behind them. A girl comes out of the side door and had a little tap to pay handheld for me to pay on. Then about 5 minutes later another girl with my food.. Lovely young ladies, very friendly and welcoming. The burger was off the hook! So much flavor and I ate it while driving. Lol completely made up for that hideous drive thru concept. It's like it almost didn't even happen. That's how delicious that burger was. I'm getting myself hungry for one right now!

Sorry, wrong pics on this one. The service was excellent, and I loved the pumpkin pie shake.

xee xiong

Clean and quiet. Came during their last hour, used kiosk to order. This was our first time trying this chain. With all the upgrades it came to about $20 per person, quite pricey for fast food. Everything came out fairly quickly, hot and delicious!

+11

One of our burgers was really dry. Coney cheese dog was great. Pride were pretty good too. The double burger was excellent.

update: Thursday, July 31, 2025 PM If it wasn’t the memorabilia and the root beer it would just be another hamburger joint. Certainly nothing different or unique about the food. Pretty much the same menu as you can get it any other burger joint. The root beer was good. And kudos to Vanessa. She actually seemed like she was happy to be there and provided good customer service. Thanks Vanessa! Not sure I would make a special trip to go back here. Maybe if I was shopping across the street and was hungry it might work out. ———————— This is the response I received from the owner of A&W in Lodi a couple of days after I posted my review of our visit there. I need to refute a couple of his statements! Response from the owner 13 hours ago: “Thank you for posting the nice photos. Your comment about a BOGO offer is way off base. There are no A&W’s offering currently a Buy one get one free Papa combo special. Anywhere. Diet Root Beer tastes fine to us and the many crew people and customers who sampled it today. Bun to meat ratio depends on the sandwiches purchased. If you order a single meat patty burger your experience will be less than if you purchase a double burger (Which we recommend). Ideal bun to meat ratio. FyI our coney cheese dog is served with a knife and fork because we pile on the chili, cheese and onions. Don't know why you chose to get your hands in it.” My reply…… Considering the papa burger offer…you have a prominent sign on the counter that acknowledges that you do not participate in that offer so obviously you’re aware of it. Otherwise, there would not be a sign on your counter! Don’t tell me how the diet A&W tasted. I’ve been drinking soda for many decades and I’m aware of how soda tastes. That particular batch tasted, the best I can describe, like some kind of petroleum product or chemical. It definitely was not normal. If your employees consider that as .tasting fine. there’s something wrong! As far as eating a hotdog with a knife and fork… normal people pick up a hotdog and eat it. I don’t use a knife and fork for either a hotdog or hamburger. It was a total disaster that didn’t taste that great. And the bun to meat ratio issue. Of course the more meat you add proportionally the bun becomes less of the total. Lol Just accept that your operation is not perfect and it has its downfalls. ————————- WARNING: Do not order the diet root beer. It was terrible! Tastes like paint thinner! They do NOT participate in the Tuesday Bogo, buy a papa burger combo , get one free. That’s the only reason we went there tonight. I don’t think we’re going to be back. Not impressed with the food. Average at best. The fries were OK and the root beer was OK. The hotdog smother in cheese and chili was a mess to eat. I had to wash my hands off in the bathroom when I was finished eating. Way too much bun in proportion to the rest of the hamburger. It says A&W on the sign. I don’t know how they’re all connected. If it’s A&W they should honor the promotions that are on TV.

This A&W is an original one, it has the now unused station stalls in the rear parking lot, when many many years ago, people could drive up and order their meals and a car hop would bring it to you! This is a service I well remember as a kid. When I went there July 11, 2017, I had my 91 yr old mother in law with me, post appointment and it was 100*F out. The place was PACKED!! Did not see any hired people over age 30. It was disorganized and tables were sticky from previous customers. Both front counters needed wiping. I ordered 2 root beer floats. One young girl poured root beer continuously, not making eye contact, did not see a hint of a smile, and courtesy on the 3 workers I personally had spoken to were busy, probably understaffed. I understand that if 10 people give orders for meals with their root beers, that the root beers would be poured along WITH the meals. (I was a waitress b4 I was an RN)- but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE if someone orders 2 drinks ONLY, it would be nice to not have to wait over 30 minutes!!! The staff needs training in being organized, and maybe courtesy lessons.....I WILL go back, but not at 4pm with a diabetic 91 yr old. Sorry A&W....

Staff was very inviting, service was great. The cheesy Coney dog , was not so good , but I love their french fries

Kevin Gaines

Old skool restaurant, in the middle of a "downtown" district of a rundown ag town. The trophy case has hundreds of articles of A&W paraphernalia, including limited edition souvenir mugs, labeled by year. There's a drive thru and a drive-up (don't know if it operates like Arnold's from Happy Days, but it's skating waitress-ready.

Had a Chaseburger Combo. Not very good. The quality of the food at A&W is Nowhere as good as they were some years back. Disappointing But I do still love the root air floats

The reason why I'm giving it two stars is because the last four times I've been there I specifically ask for raw onions no tomatoes no pickles, and when I get my food there's always pickles and no onion

Waited 25 min for two swirls, a cheeseburger and fries with only two cars in the drive thru as well as a near empty lobby. Car that arrived after us got their order first. Customer service was almost non existent. The 2 for 6 cheeseburger was a simple patty, bun and pickle with some ketchup. Overall pretty disappointed after being excited to try the place for the first time.

If I spend $14.06 on a meal can I at least have fresh fries? And if you're gonna make me buy a drink since the shrimp basket is now only combo, can I at least have a straw. And I would have liked tarter sauce not cocktail sauce, would have been nice if you asked. Very disappointed!

This place now symbolizes America for what it is. A over priced, messy, money grab. The burgers are typical slop fast food. The float was soft serve inside of scooped. The place was dirty. Service was slow with all 3 people eating there. It was truly disappointing, considering this was an American icon at some point.