Whitey's Jolly Kone Keeps the West Sacramento Drive-In Spirit Alive

At Whitey's Jolly Kone, a burger can arrive with a soft bun, a juicy patty, crisp bacon and a pile of fresh tomato, lettuce and onion, followed by a shake that may be banana, Oreo, chocolate, vanilla or, in summer, peach. It is a straightforward pleasure, served in the same broad drive-in tradition Whitey's has brought to West Sacramento since 1963.

This is a walk-up burger stand rather than a sit-down restaurant. You order at the service window, wait for your name or order to be called over the intercom, and carry the meal out to a picnic table. The format is simple, but it gives an ordinary lunch or ice-cream run a little more character than a stop inside a chain dining room.

The seating is outdoors, spread among picnic tables with umbrellas over some of them. String lights give the patio an extra bit of evening sparkle, and a water-misting feature has helped take the edge off hot Sacramento-weather afternoons.

Music from the 1950s and 1960s plays in the background, fitting the roadside stand's vintage personality without turning lunch into a concert. Families, nearby residents and passing drivers all have an easy reason to pull in, especially when the choice is between a full meal and nothing more complicated than a cone.

Because every table is outside, the weather matters here. On a warm day, an umbrella-covered spot and a cold shake can make a fine combination; at busy meal periods, the patio can be more of a lively gathering place than a quiet retreat.

The Whitey's Special is the burger to notice first. It has appeared in several combinations, including bacon and cheese, tomato and mayonnaise, and additions such as grilled onions, peppers or an egg. One especially hearty version is a double bacon cheeseburger dressed with tomato and mayonnaise.

That flexibility is useful when a group has different ideas about what a proper old-school burger should include. A diner can keep things close to a classic cheeseburger or start building toward a more elaborate stack with bacon, egg and grilled vegetables.

The supporting ingredients get their share of attention. The tomatoes, lettuce and onions have a fresh, substantial presence rather than merely serving as decorative burger filler, while crisp bacon adds the salty counterpoint that makes a big burger feel complete.

Chunky steak fries are the substantial side for people who want something heartier than a few thin fries in the bottom of a basket. They are golden, generously portioned and large enough to make sharing a sensible move if burgers and shakes are both on the agenda.

Onion rings bring a crisp, well-battered coating and are worth considering when the table wants a second side with more crunch. Chili cheese fries offer another route entirely: messier, richer and built for fork work rather than neat car-snacking.

Whitey's menu is not restricted to the burger stand greatest hits. Corn dogs provide a fairground-style bite with a crisp exterior around the hot-dog center, and a deep-fried burrito makes an unexpectedly fitting choice on a menu that also includes Mexican-inspired fare.

The ground-beef taco is another uncomplicated, filling option. It has the size to stand in for a meal for some diners, which makes it more than a minor side note for someone in the group who has already had enough burgers for the week.

Whitey's is as much an ice-cream stop as it is a lunch stop. Soft-serve cones, ice cream cones and sundaes make it easy to come by simply for dessert, perhaps after dinner elsewhere or during an afternoon walk-up visit when a burger sounds like too much.

The shake list includes dependable favorites such as chocolate, vanilla, Oreo and banana. The banana shake has been made with real banana and chocolate ice cream, a combination that gives it more personality than a standard banana-flavored drink.

Then there is the peach shake, the seasonal favorite that turns up in summer. A large is notably substantial, and peach devotees have even asked for double peach. That sort of customization is worth inquiring about at the window rather than counting on as a standard menu option.

Peach-shake timing can vary from season to season. It is associated with the stretch after the Fourth of July and into late August, but anyone making a special trip for one should confirm that it is currently available.

A Whitey's visit works nicely at two speeds. One is the full order: a Whitey's Special, steak fries or rings, and a shake at the table. The other is a much quicker neighborhood-style stop for a cone, sundae or cold drink of ice cream.

The staff has a reputation for a friendly, welcoming manner that suits the family-owned character of the place. With walk-up ordering, there is no lengthy table-service routine between you and the food; once the order is ready, the patio is yours.

Service speed depends on the crowd. Some visits move along quickly, while lunch, weekends and peak summer shake weather can mean a line at the window and a longer wait after ordering. Outside the busiest periods, the same setup can be considerably quieter.

There is a free parking lot, with ample parking reported on many visits, though spaces can naturally be tighter when the lunch crowd or summer dessert crowd is in full swing.

The umbrellas cover some tables rather than the entire patio, so shade is not a fixed feature of every seat. Still, the outdoor arrangement, oldies soundtrack and occasional intercom call give Whitey's the pleasant feeling of a place where a burger, a corn dog and a peach shake all belong on the same afternoon.