Drive-Thru Mission Guide: Cluckin' Bell & Ballas Chase

A Fast Food Ambush

The "Drive-Thru" mission contains one of the most famous cutscenes in all of gaming, featuring Big Smoke's legendary fast-food order. Underneath the comedy, however, lies your first real test in vehicular combat. This mission forces you to act as the getaway driver and the offensive pursuer simultaneously. A strong grasp of the driving physics is mandatory to keep your crew alive.

Start the mission at Sweet's house. The crew decides they are hungry and want to hit up a local fast food spot. Get into Sweet's green Greenwood sedan. Wait for Sweet, Ryder, and Big Smoke to pile into the passenger seats. Once everyone is loaded up, a yellow blip appears on your radar. Drive the crew over to the Cluckin' Bell located in Willowfield.

The Infamous Order

Park your car in the red marker at the drive-thru window. The cutscene plays out where the gang orders their food. As they wait, Ryder spots a purple Voodoo rolling slowly past them. It is a Ballas hit squad, heading straight toward Grove Street. The crew realizes they need to stop the car before it reaches their neighborhood.

As soon as the cutscene ends, you are thrust into a high-speed chase. The Ballas car speeds off down the street. Your objective changes: destroy the enemy vehicle before they reach the Grove Street cul-de-sac.

The Car Chase Mechanics

You are driving. Sweet and Ryder are armed with submachine guns and will handle the shooting. Big Smoke is busy eating his massive meal, providing hilarious commentary but zero combat support. The key to winning this encounter is positioning. Your passengers can only shoot sideways or slightly forward.

If you stay directly behind the enemy car, Sweet and Ryder will not be able to hit the target, but the Ballas enemies leaning out the back window will have a perfect angle to shoot your car. The Greenwood has a visible health bar on your screen. If that bar empties, the car explodes, killing everyone inside. You must avoid absorbing too much gunfire.

Positioning for the Kill

To deal damage, accelerate and pull your car alongside the enemy Voodoo. Match their speed. When you are parallel to them, Sweet and Ryder will automatically lean out the windows and open fire. The longer you hold this parallel position, the faster the enemy car will take damage.

The Ballas driver will not make this easy. He will swerve through traffic, run red lights, and take sharp turns down narrow alleys in Idlewood. Focus heavily on your braking. If you overshoot a turn, you will lose precious time. The chase route is dynamic, often looping around the train tracks and residential blocks.

The PIT Maneuver

A highly effective tactic is the PIT maneuver. Try to clip the rear quarter panel of the enemy car with the front bumper of your car. If done correctly at high speed, this will cause the enemy car to spin out of control. Once they are facing the wrong way or pinned against a wall, pull up right next to them. Your passengers will unleash a barrage of bullets, quickly setting the enemy engine on fire.

Finishing the Job

When the enemy car takes enough damage, black smoke will pour from the hood, followed by flames. As soon as you see fire, slam on the brakes and back away quickly. The car is about to explode. The explosion can severely damage your own car if you are too close.

The surviving Ballas gang members will bail out of the burning car just before it blows up. Do not let them escape. Run them over with your car or step out and engage them in a gunfight. Once all the gang members are dead, the threat is eliminated.

Dropping Off the Crew

With the streets safe again, your final task is taxi duty. The mood in the car lightens. Follow the yellow markers on the map to drop your friends off. First, you will take Sweet back to Grove Street. Next, you will drop Big Smoke off at his house in Idlewood.

Upon successfully completing the drop-offs, the mission concludes. You earn a cash reward and a respect bonus. More importantly, this mission unlocks access to the various Gyms around the state, allowing you to train CJ's physical stats.

Pro Tips for the Drive-Thru Chase

• Watch the Health Bar: If your car starts smoking heavily, fall back. Let the enemy create some distance rather than dying in an explosion. You can catch up on a straightaway later.
• Cut the Corners: The enemy AI follows strict pathing. You can often cut across grass or through gas stations to intercept them head-on instead of following their exact tire tracks.
• Shoot the Tires: If you are struggling to keep up, you can try performing a drive-by yourself (using the look left/right controls) to pop their tires, making their car impossible to control.

Frequently Asked Questions