Home

Family News

Favorite Recipes

Restaurant Reviews

Back to Placer County Restaurants

Email Eric 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around six months ago, with little fuss or fanfare, Amy's Drive Thru opened their doors to a unique "fast food" dining concept for Placer County:  A restaurant that serves healthy, delicious organic cuisine, with a menu unlike any other fast food restaurant that I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.

As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.

Photo:  It's Wednesday, September 14, 2022, and I've arrived at Amy's Drive Thru just before the 10:30 morning opening time.  I'd been walking by this restaurant for the last six months or so and it had made me very curious, as I'd peeked inside and looked on their website, as I'd never heard of organic "fast food" before, much less tried it. Today, I was in for a pleasant, organic surprise!

The landscaping is well maintained and beautiful, in keeping with the "eco-friendly" mission of the restaurants. How many restaurants have grass, bushes and flowers growing on their roof?

Besides the location in Roseville, Amy's Drive Thru has three other stores - as of this writing - all located in the Bay Area.  All are organic and very similar, and the location at SFO actually serves breakfast.

Photo:  As the name implies, Amy's Drive Thru has a large drive-thru, that includes a cover, which must be nice during the scorchingly-hot Roseville summers, or during rainy weather.  The restaurant hadn't opened when the photo was taken, and there were barriers in place, but were quickly removed when the restaurant opened.  I noted there were a couple staff members outside with Wi-Fi devices processing orders, in the style of Chick-fil-A.

Photo:  A very "green" and retired 1970 280z serves as a very unique planter in front of the restaurant.  There are parking spaces reserved for electric vehicles, along with a couple charging stations.  Note the attractive and well-maintained landscaping.

Photo:  As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice the order counter to the rear, along with the menu.  The serve-yourself soda machine is to right of the counter, along with the ketchup/mustard station.

The dining room is quite large, and quite sparsely decorated, as promotional posters are the primary wall decoration.  The colors are very pleasant, as they contrast between very neutral colors to those somewhat on the eccentric side.

Photo:  The dining room is very spacious and well-lit, thanks to the many windows which let in sunlight.  The furniture is evenly divided between tables and booths, with a few potted plants near the windows.  The rear of the dining room looks outside to the very attractive patio.  I absolutely LOVE a dining room illuminated with natural lighting, as it makes for good photos.

The ceiling is very "rustic" as wood beams are exposed, along with hanging lamps.  The dining room is spotlessly clean and very inviting.

Photo:  Like most fast food restaurants, at Amy's Drive Thru, when you're dining "in," you make your selection from the menu posted above the counter, pay for it, and you'll receive a small, electronic device that will let you know when your order is ready.  You choose any open table, and wait for your order to be ready, which will only be a few minutes.  You won't miss your order, as the device jumps, vibrates and squawks!  Your order will be given to you by the friendly counter staff, and then it's time to enjoy your meal enjoy your meal.

Amy's is super "high-tech" as besides the "beepers," all orders are taken and processed by handheld touchscreen devices, and there are computer monitors everywhere behind the counter and in the kitchen.  Wi-Fi is "king," as I noted all devices are connected in that manner.

If you look closely, you can catch a small peek into the kitchen.

Photo:  The order is posted above the order counter, and is truly not your typical "fast food" menu, as everything on the menu is organic and vegetarian, and most menu listings offer a vegan option.  There are printed menus that you can take home with you, and, naturally, you can order by phone, or online using Amy's website.

Photo:  The patio is attractive, comfortable and includes both covered, and completely open, outside dining.  Like the rest of the location, it's spotlessly clean and beautifully landscaped.  I like the sign that reads, "Hey Roseville! Organic looks good on you!"

Photo:  There is a serve-yourself that offers "organic ketchup" along with commercial Dijon mustard.  I should have tried some of the ketchup on my fries, but my hostess provided me with enough dipping sauce to keep my going through the whole order of fries.

Photo:  Meet Gina, my amazingly friendly hostess, who greeted me, and all diners, with a smile.  She didn't seem to think that I was serious about taking her photo, as she seemed a little surprised!  My order was served with a smile.

Photo:  I'm a happy diner, as I prepare to enjoy my "The Amy" veggie burger, along with an order of "Amy's Fries."

Amy's doesn't serve alcohol, so when asked what I wanted to drink, I simply requested ice water.  I was given a cup and told that I could choose from sparkling water, mineral water or simply chilled water from their soft drink machine.  Amy's Drive Thru is a very generous restaurant to include sparkling water, on the house!  

Photo:  From the "Organic Burgers" section of the menu I started at the "top," and went with "The Amy," which is the signature choice of the menu.  A order of "Amy's Fries" made my lunch complete.  My super friendly hostess included three little cups of vegan sauce, along with a cup of plain ranch dressing.

The menu describes "The Amy" as, "Double veggie patty, double cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, Fred Sr.'s "Secret Sauce," regular or spicy."  I went with the regular variety of sauce, but one of the cups of sauce that Gina gave me included the spicy version, and I didn't think it was particularly spicy. That said, everybody has a different taste and "spice level."

When you order "The Amy," you can go completely vegan if you want, as vegan cheese and a gluten free bun are menu options, and you can choose your onion uncooked or grilled.  Lettuce instead of a bun?  No problem!  You say you don't like onions?  Just mention that to your hostess and the staff will prepare your burger sans onions.  At Amy's Drive Thru, you get your "The Amy" the way you want it.

I'm not a lover of vegan cheese, so I went with regular cheese, and my onion uncooked.

Today was the first time in my life that I've had the pleasure to enjoy a "Organic Burger," and I loved it!  The veggie patties were grilled, seasoned, and had nearly the same consistency as grilled beef.  The cheese was melted perfectly on the patties, and Amy gives you two slices, which is nice.  The bun was soft and tender, with the perfect veggie patty-to-bun ratio, which is a benchmark in any burger... Amy "nailed" that burger benchmark.  The lettuce, tomato, and onion were crispy and fresh, and the pickles were hamburger sliced dills.  Fred Sr.'s "Secret Sauce" was delicious, with a definite "tang" to it, and rounded out the burger.

"Amy's Fries" were crispy on the outside, cut to a regular size, and perfectly deep fried.  They were good, but I have one minor critique:  They were WAY too salty!  I was surprised, as everything on the menu is organic, and excess salt doesn't seem fit well the restaurant's mission.

So... what did I think about "The Amy?"  It was good... very good, and if I ever had the desire to become a vegetarian, it would fit right in.  It tasted SIMILAR to beef, but with a difference that I could taste, but I had no idea what the difference was.  The veggie patties didn't replicate beef patties, but in their own way, they were delicious.  I am truly of fan of the "Organic Burgers" served at Amy's Drive Thru.

Photo:  I hold my "The Amy" veggie burger, and by comparing it to my hand, you can see that it's about the size of a "Big Mac," but worlds apart in every way.  The burger came wrapped in paper and in a small cardboard box.  I noted at Amy's Drive Thru the only plastic used were the small cups the sauce came in, as Amy's prides itself on being "green friendly."

Photo:  Here's my "The Amy" veggie burger, which is the "flagship" selection of the menu and listed as the first choice.  Note the perfectly melted cheese on the veggie patties, which made for great taste.

Photo:  My order of "Amy's Fries," along with the three "vegan" cups of sauce, and the cup of regular ranch dressing. I suspect two of them were Frank Sr.'s "Secret Sauce," one regular and one spicy.  Rather than going with the "organic ketchup," from the ketchup/mustard station, I used the cups of sauce to dip my fries in, which helped to reduce the saltiness and enhanced the great taste.

My lunch was simply delicious, satisfying and vegan, and I really enjoyed my dining experience at this friendly restaurant.  When you're in the mood to enjoy a different dining experience, in a clean, friendly restaurant, pay a visit to Amy's Drive Thru, located in Roseville, CA.

Amy's Drive Thru
1119 Galleria Blvd.
Roseville, CA 95678
916 957-5868
https://amysdrivethru.com


Copyright(c) 2022 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.