Restaurant Review: Dog 'n Suds Drive-In - Muskegon, Michigan

If you're a fan of the old 50s diner style drive-ins that serve American fare, then you'll love Dog 'n Suds in Muskegon, Michigan. While on vacation in the area, this was a favorite stop for my husband and I between sight-seeing destinations.

They have root beer that's to die for. From the very first sip, I was transported back to the days of old-fashioned soda pop. Here, I share my experience with the food and service at this restaurant that's a fun step back in time.

The Dog 'n Suds owners want to revive the drive-in dining experience. The franchise was started on a small scale in 1953 as a hot dog stand by two Illinois music teachers. By the 1970s, it was hugely successful and had expanded to a full-fledged restaurant and spread to several other states including Michigan.

Apparently, the company experienced a downward spiral once they replaced their trademark "World's Creamiest Root Beer" recipe with a root beer concentrate and after other managerial issues. Sadly, many of the diners closed down.  It appears that the new management of the franchise recognized the potential of the Dog 'n Suds brand and the drive-ins are slowly making a comeback and the famous root beer is back on the menu.

The location in Montague, Michigan, opened in 1963.  New owners took over a few years later and have been running it since.  It's a family run establishment with a strong commitment to keeping the brand alive.

Even after internet research, I'm unsure if the newer Muskegon location is run by the same family, though I assume so because the brochure I have contains both restaurant locations on the menu. They both have old-fashioned drive-ins where the servers come out to your car to take your order. The Muskegon location also has an indoor dining area.

As you might imagine by any 50s-type diner of quality, they serve up their excellent root beer in ice-cold frosty mugs. They also have the typical American diner fare - coney dogs, hamburgers and fries. I had one of their corn dogs on a stick. It had a sweet batter which is my favorite for corn dogs. My husband enjoyed his coney dog.

On another occasion, I had a pulled pork barbecue sandwich and my husband had a hamburger. The food on both occasions was good and served promptly by friendly staff. There are salad selections, fish baskets and old-fashioned shakes, floats, malts and ice cream available, though we didn't stay for dessert. The prices were comparable to fast-food chains and other family dining restaurants like Big Boy or Denny's.

They have bottles of their root beer and other soda for sale. Since there isn't a Dog 'n Suds in our area, we were happy to be able to purchase some to take home.

The restaurant was clean and done up in bright red and yellow which are reminiscent of the old diner style. We ate in a booth, but there is a counter and the waitresses were busy serving up frosty mugs and malts to patrons. If you're looking for a fun family atmosphere with American food and miss the taste of old-fashioned root beer, then give Dog 'n Suds a try.  Most members of the family are bound to find something they will enjoy.

The restaurant in Muskegon is open all year and is located at 4221 Grand Haven Rd. The phone number is (231)798-4976. The Montague restaurant is open seasonally and is located at 4454 Dowling; phone number (231) 894-4991.

To find other Dog 'n Suds locations, visit the official website.

Picture credits: Dog n' Suds root beer bottle by Jonrev at Wikimedia Commons.

Sources:

Dog 'n Suds History. Dog 'n Suds Website. Airline Dog N Suds, 2008.

Dog 'n Suds Brochure dated 2008.