Rocky Mountain Drive Inn is a mixed bag, but its scones hit the spot
Burgers and English-style chips at Rocky Mountain Drive In in Provo.
A blackberry shake, clockwise from center, egg nog shake and rocky road shake at Rocky Mountain Drive Inn.
An order of scones at Rocky Mountain Drive Inn.
I’m trying to become more experienced when it comes to drive-ins. Last month I reviewed Ripple’s Drive-In, a fantastic Provo fast food joint that’s been around for 60 years. But Ripple’s isn’t the only Drive-In in Provo. There’s also Rocky Mountain Drive Inn, right off Center and State.
In the interest of equal coverage, I went to Rocky Mountain Drive Inn this week for dinner.
I don’t know how long Rocky Mountain has been around these parts, but from the looks of the restaurant’s décor, it’s at least 30 or 40 years. The menu boasts typical drive-in fare: burgers, sandwiches, fries, onions rings, shakes, etc. Rocky Mountain also serves scones, which multiple people insisted I sample — I get the sense that scones are Rocky Mountain’s bread and butter, both literally and figuratively. I’ve never turned down a scone. And I have no intention of starting now.
We mostly stuck with the classics, ordering a few different burgers, sides and shakes, as well as those scones. This review will follow a con-pro format, since I believe in saving the best for last.
So, the con: the burgers. Rocky Mountain had some good burger options, and we opted for the Guacamole and Swiss Burger, Bacon Cheeseburger and Pastrami Burger. The toppings were fine. The actual burger patties, though, didn’t have much going for them. It took more work than it should have to chew these. They just seemed overcooked and fairly flavorless. As I worked through my burger, I looked up at the front counter, which had a large sign hanging overhead. It read: “We ONLY use Fresh Meat. Sorry, but Fresh Food Takes Longer.”
Strangest of all, this sign had a sizable “Siberian Chill” logo on it. Siberian Chill makes Slushee-type drinks — they have nothing to do with meat. If you do have a sign about fresh meat, it sort of undercuts your message to have it sponsored by a company called Siberian Chill. I’ll reserve my skepticism on this one.
So yeah, I probably wouldn’t have their burgers again. But everything else we got was tasty. Our onion rings and English style chips were well executed. With onion rings, you never know what you’re going to get. These rings were perfectly battered and crispy. They also weren’t too greasy. If you like onion rings that are more on the crunchy side, you’ll probably like these.
Rocky Mountain Drive Inn has a bevy of options when it comes to shakes and malts. We went with the blackberry shake, the egg nog shake and the rocky road shake. No complaints here. They were just the right thickness. Not out-of-this-world spectacular or anything, but reliably good and without offense.
Lastly, those much-hyped scones. With powdered sugar on top and a container of gooey, buttery icing on the side, I was eyeing these flaky pastries our entire meal. Never mind that I’d already eaten a burger, shake, onion rings and chips before getting to them.
Actually, I should have minded that. If memory serves me, I ate two or three of these. (We had an order of four.) I loved every minute of it. Afterward, though, it hit me. The 80-hour work week I had just completed may have contributed, but after our meal I needed some serious couch time. I pre-gamed with a 30-minute power nap, then retired to bed for the earliest bedtime I’ve had in years. Deep slumber ensued.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN DRIVE INN
Where: 43 S. 500 West, Provo
Prices: $2-$8
Hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sundays
Info: (801) 373-2699, “Rocky Mountain Drive-In Restaurant” on Facebook