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…