Does Sonic Sell Ice? What to Know: Price, If It Comes in Bags, etc

Short Answer

Sonic sells its famous “nugget” ice in either five- or 10-pound bags for about $1.50 to $5 per bag, depending on the location. You may also be able to ask for just a cup of ice, which some locations offer for free. Availability varies by store, so it’s a good idea to call ahead. For more about getting ice from Sonic, see below.

Does Sonic Sell Ice?

Due to the high demand for its ice, many Sonic locations offer bagged nugget ice for customers who want to enjoy it at home. Sonic doesn’t advertise ice on its website or menus, but there are many online discussion boards and social media posts with information about which Sonic locations sell bagged nugget ice.

We contacted Sonic locations in California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, and Texas; most of the locations we spoke with do sell nugget ice, either in five- or 10-pound bags. All of the locations we contacted also offer individual cups of ice.

Availability will vary by store (i.e., some may only offer 10-pound bags) so if you plan to purchase ice, you can call ahead to your intended location to make sure it has the amount of ice you want.

Pricing for Sonic’s Ice

While many Sonic locations sell ice by the bag, the price per bag tends to vary. The approximate price ranges we found are as follows:

• Five-pound bag: About $1.50 to $3
• 10-pound bag: About $2 to $5
• Cup of ice: Free at some locations (with a limit of one or two per person); up to $1 at other locations
  • Some locations also offer a cup of ice for free with the purchase of a Route 44 cup (Sonic’s largest drink size).

Can You Bring Your Own Container to Fill?

While some customers have said they were able to bring their own container and have it filled with Sonic ice, we were unable to find any Sonic locations that explicitly offer this service.

Why Is Sonic’s Ice so Popular?

Sonic doesn’t have typical ice cubes — its ice is nugget-shaped. This ice is much drier and softer than traditional ice, which allows it to absorb the flavor of the drink. Also, while traditional ice is made by freezing water into hard cubes, nugget ice is made by scraping the ice flakes off the inside of a chilled stainless steel cylinder. The texture of this ice blends well with frozen drinks, and many people enjoy it on its own.

Other Ways to Get Sonic-Like Ice

If there are no Sonic locations near you, or if you simply want the convenience of being able to have nugget ice whenever you want, you may want to consider purchasing an ice maker that makes nugget ice. We found a few ice makers that, according to customer reviews, make ice nuggets that are very similar to Sonic’s; they cost anywhere from about $100 to about $500 on Amazon.

To find another brand of ice that is similar to Sonic’s, you can check out other places that sell bagged ice.