The Beacon

I have known about the Beacon Drive In almost as long as I have lived in South Carolina, but I have never found the time to get over there.

The Beacon is a famous landmark in Spartanburg, SC. They serve burgers, chili, hot dogs, sliced pork, and more. The food is good, but even better is the experience of having eaten at the Beacon.

The night before we went, we reviewed the menu so we would know what we wanted before arriving. This saved us some time once we arrived because when it is your turn to order you better know what you want or get out of line. Sure enough, there was a group huddled up near the door reviewing the menu when we walked in. My friend Jack, guided me passed the group and up to the counter, telling me that the mass of people weren't in line because they hadn't decided.

A man stands at the beginning of the counter waiting for your order. "Beacon burger a-plenty", I tell him. He shouts my order to the cooks and tells me to move down the line. By the time I walk down the counter with a tray, another man puts an overflowing plate of food onto my tray. I have a huge burger on a plate piled with fries and onion rings. Only about a minute has passed since I have ordered. I grab a glass of sweet tea, pay at the end of the counter and find a seat. The tea is another thing to experience at the Beacon. They claim to serve more tea than any other restaurant in the US. This one restaurant uses 3,000 lbs of sugar each week and will make more than 62,500 gallons of tea in a year!

The food is good and the price is fair but part of eating at the Beacon is enjoying the experience and the history of this sixty year old restaurant. Its partly being able to say, "I've eaten at the Beacon."