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I was looking for an exceptionally good & informal place to eat/drink in town.
Thanks to tips from fellow yelpers, I got to experience one of the best gems around.
At first I was only interested in seeking out the local suds,
But it was the famous Thurman burger that satisfied my taste buds.
I wasn't expecting this to be a dark and dingy dive,
But then I realize it's the phenomenal tasting food that makes this place thrive.
Atmosphere was loud and packed,
Every burger being served looked tall and stacked.
The Thurman-ator came to me as a nice surprise,
It was so juicy and monstrous in size.
(Two enormous beef patties+bacon+mushrooms+sautéed onions+ham+provolone)
What a hunk of mouthwatering bliss!
Never had any burger as succulent as this.
I paid little attention to the Blue Moon I was slowly sipping,
Since juices from the beef patties & toppings were constantly dripping.
Couldn't get enough of the grilled meaty aroma,
It seriously put me into a deep food coma.
An ode to gluttony...
It is true, The Thurman Cafe is an active participant in man's ruin by exploiting this deadly sin. However, since I'm not catholic I stuffed my pie hole with as much food as I could stomach without the slightest bit of guilt.
I went there with six other colleagues in search of their fabled burgers. We had a long wait time (1:20) but chose to stick it out. And I'm glad we did. Once we were seated, we ordered up a dozen of the whole jumbo wings. They were outstanding! Crispy and perfectly seasoned and spiced. I ordered the Thurman burger as did everyone else in our party. I was skeptical since "big" doesn't necessarily mean "good". Fortunately, it was delicious. Next time I think I'll split one with someone else.
I'm looking forward to coming back for another round of "nimis".
Yes, I totally bought into the Man vs. Food hype.
And Yes, The Thurman Cafe totally lived up to the hype.
How jacked was I to try The Thurman Cafe? As soon as I landed at the airport last Thursday we headed straight from the airport to German Village in an attempt to beat the crowds. Unfortunately, it seemed like every other USC fan like myself was on the same mission because the Buckeye fans started to complain that there were too many Trojan fans in this tiny little restaurant.
I went with the Johnnie Burger. If you like the Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger at Jack in the Box, this is the bigger and more sophisticated version. The Johnnie doesn't mess with lettuce tomato and pickles. It's a 3/4 pound pattie, a ton of blue cheese, a lot of horseradish cheese, crisp bacon and about a cup of mayo between two buns. In other words it is heart stoppingly good.
There was so much mayo, cheese and grease oozing out of the burger that I had a complimentary and very tasty dipping sauce for my fries. It wasn't pretty but the taste was heavenly.
My first bite was the best. I seriously thought that I had found a burger better than the current reigning champion at Taylor's Automatic Refresher in San Francisco. But the richness of the bleu cheese and the mayo took it's toll. By the time the meal was over the Johnnie Burger, much like the tOSU football team, wasn't able to hold off the dominance from California. Sorry Buckeye fans.
But on the grand scale I do think the Johnnie Burger was impressive enough to squeeze into a tie for second place on my list with the burgers from 23 Degrees in Hollywood, CA and Father's Office in Culver City, CA. I'm still amazed that less than a year ago the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead room service had the best burger I have ever tasted and held the title since 2003. But now FOUR burgers clearly stand before it and all four get a lot of television love.
Other items of interest at The Thurman Cafe are the Pretzel Bites. These flash fried hunks of soft pretzels are the perfect match to a pitcher of Leinenkugel Red.
If I ever have reason to return to Columbus, OH The Thurman Cafe will be my first stop.
The burgers here truly are great: well seasoned, well decorated, and huge! All burgers on the menu have a 3/4 pound patty. And since the prices range around $10, it is a good idea to bring a friend and split one along with a side of fries. Alone I attempted the bleu cheese burger, no mayo. The taste is good enough that I ate way more burger than I would normally think possible. No mayo was necessary because for this selection the patty is blanketed in bleu and mozzarella cheese. A truly divine heart attack on a plate...
Some things not to do at Thurm's: don't bring a family, bring a large group, or show up very hungry. Seating is very limited and wait times for a table can easily run over an hour. The waiting area is somewhat unpleasant and cluttered, and the eating area is cramped and dark (maybe you like this kind of atmosphere, but I don't). The Thurman Café is really a rustic bar that happens to serve great burgers.
After getting seated, you have to wait more for your order to be taken and meal to be prepared. I avoided this whole trial and ordered take-out, and had my burger within 20 minutes of arriving. Weather permitting you can enjoy your burger in the beautiful and historic Schiller Park one block to the north. If it's summer you might catch an outdoor Shakespeare production by the Actor's Theatre (the show is free but donations are encouraged).
Is there a word stronger than "love"? I cherish Thurman's. I adulate them. I fantasize about the owners opening locations in other cities just so I could enjoy them more often (in obscure, hard-to-find locations so as to keep the lines short, of course).
I love the days of planning that go into organizing a dinner group there: the careful coordination of what time we should arrive in order to seat a group of X number of people with optimal speed. We inevitably end up waiting anyway, and I love that too. There's a jukebox that always seems to turn up Johnny Cash and a pinball machine on which I once held a high score. There are free local newspapers scattered about, and you have access to the bar to enjoy a drink or two while you wait as well. After all, building anticipation only adds to the burger bliss that is coming.
I love that the staff has barely changed in the many years that I've been coming here. I love that they don't rush you even when there's a three hour wait for a table because they know you'll be back (and so will the grumpy guy in the waiting area). I love the beer selection and that they now cater to the *thirsty* crowd with Blue Jackets beerzookas. I love that I don't get dirty looks for fruiting my beer here (what?!). And I love that even after a dozen rounds, shared plates, and moving from the waiting room to the bar to a table, they still graciously allow split checks.
But oh. More than ANYTHING I love about Thurman's, I love their burgers. More beef than any human being should consume in a week is stacked to the ceiling with toppings. My cholesterol courter of choice is the Jaeger, which comes open faced but dripping with French dressing, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. For the real contenders, I know the love affair is with the Thurmanator itself. TWO 12oz patties and ham and cheese and all the monstrous toppings? See picture, you won't believe.
What's the only thing I DON'T love about Thurman's? You. Putting your name down ahead of mine. Just like the dozen others before you. *sigh*
I honestly don't see what the big fuss is about Thurman's. Here is what you can expect. IF you actually get waited on, your burgers come only one temperature, come with predictable toppings and taste...average at best. This restaurant's neighborhood vibe does not save it from the horrible disease that usually comes with such a vibe: horrible service. On one occasion, we sat in an almost empty restaurant for half an hour with no service. The only other two tables were seated on either side of us, so the waitress had to walk by our table each time she went to one of those. Not so much as a glance in our direction. During that time, I observed her chatting up customers at the bar, and having a beverage herself.
Seriously the food is not that good! No better than your average fried appetizers and ordinary burgers. If the burgers are fresh I can't tell.
I honestly can not think of one reason for the following this restaurant has.
The Thurman burger was one of the most memorable eating experiences of my life. In the food industry, bigger doesn't necessarily mean better but this burger definitely meets the mark.
The atmosphere is a very quaint bar-like setting, but with comfortable lighting to commit the sin of gluttony in all of its glory. I know they have several burger selections, but as a first-timer come here hungry and go for the Thurman burger. It will take both your hands, juice will get everywhere and if you try and set it down it will fall apart on you so your best bet is to be ready to eat through the whole thing.
I would suggest the pretzel bites as an appetizer, then again there is no room for anything else in your stomach.
Definitely one of the best burgers you can find in the country, especially if you have a large appetite.
Seeing as I was in Columbus and I had heard so much about the fabled "Thurman Burger" from different outlets and one of those being a place I go to religiously I decided to give it a try. What I found was a lack of execution and a good idea but definitely not in the best 15 burgers in the country.
I arrive at around 11:30 am on a Sunday and found that all the bar tops were full so I put my name down and waited. I ended up waiting 20 minutes before a spot opened up and I snapped it up real quick like. Needless to say speed is not their thing here. It took the bartender 10 minutes to get me my beverage and I was sitting right in front of the tap.
I ended up opting for the Western burger cooked medium-rare. Now remember that as it is important. I waited about 20 minutes and finally got my burger. After my first bite I saw it was cooked well done and I asked if they did do medium rare. The bartender assured me they did and took my burger back to get fixed. Another 20 minutes passes by and I get a new burger, which is also cooked well done. I offer to just eat this one but the bartender insists that she get it fixed. Another 15 minutes passes by and I finally get another burger, which is cooked medium well. At this point I had been waiting well over an hour to eat and was starving and refused to leave without eating and without waiting for a new burger...again.
The burger was alright but I can't say other than the size that I was that impressed. I mean it was big with all the toppings but the flavor just wasn't there for me. I don't know if it was a product of improper seasoning or the fact that I usually get my burgers medium-rare that made the taste seem off. The BBQ sauce that came on the burger was pretty good as it was nice and tangy but not overly sweet. The "handcut" fries were a dissapointment to say the least. Now I am a person who likes undercooked fries being on the tender size but these just weren't very good. They were a little too thick for the amount of time that they were cooked so they didn't develop much of a crust nor did they fully cook through, so I only had a few handfuls.
My bill came to $14 sans tip and that is a burger and an adult beverage included. I would say this would have been a fair deal but I just can't honestly say it was as I know of other places to get a burger that is just as cheap/cheaper and is much better.
I probably won't be coming back again unless I happen to be in the area and the people I am with really want a burger after this pretty abysmal experience. I wish it had been up to the level that everyone had made it out to be and maybe their execution was off this 1 time, but it was enough for me.
Ok thanks to Guy Fieri on Triple D, I had to wait 2 hours to eat here. :) Love the show and it gives the people exposure to local places that you dont hear about all the time. Which ill be honest I dont mind the wait to experience places like these. Overall the burger was really good. Its huuuuuuge!! But I would have to say its not the best. By no means does that mean you shouldnt experience a Thurman burger. Be prepared to eat a really good burger for a decent price. You will basically have a one big cow in between two buns or at least thats what you will feel like if you do eat it all. :)
The Thurman Cafe is for real!!! Massive burgers that bring as much flavor as they do size...the best, hands down. Small hole in the wall joint that will leave a memorable experience. Man v Food found a winner!
Dry, dry, dry!! Even though I ordered it medium, it still came out with the life cooked out of it. I ordered the Jaeger burger, which comes with cheese, mushrooms, onions, and some other stuff on it. The service was good, and they even let me subsitute onion rings for my fries. But no matter how good the service was it can't substitute for poor food. I won't be going back.
For your own health, share one of those 3/4 lb thurman burgers. Even the owner was saying that everybody does it and that he rarely finishes a whole burger. My favorite burger is the bacon burger - simple yet fantastic. I love the juiciness of their burgers and they always get it right. I do hate the wait time at Thurman when its dinner time, so I tend to try to go during lunch or order to-go for dinner. I also LOVE their onion fries. Everyone should try Thurman Cafe at least once...it's definitely a place I take visitors because it's so darn good.
i went there just like many other ya-hoos, "der i saw this place on the tv!"
the burgers were big. i'll give them that. it was more like a giant piece of meatloaf than a burger (i had to eat it with a fork and knife, which i normally think is a fem thing to do but it was the only way!)
the problem i had, which seems to be the problem everyone else is having, is that the burgers are soooooo dry. I ordered med-rare and the burger came nothing resembling that, and it was just lacking any type of moisture or juicyness whatsoever. Whats the point of having a giant burger if its not juicy? I didnt get it. in fact, its so dry that instead of thinking of it as a burger i think of it more as a SANDwich! (get it? cuz sand is dryyyyy)
also, the clientele seemed to be over saturated with Ohio State meatheads. And there was a long wait (which im fine with) but 2 different sets of couples at 2 different times were walking out through the waiting room and used the "oh man, too bad they ran out of beef!" corny line. How can 2 unrelated people be so unfunny and unoriginal?
Bah!
Loved the burger! The meat was so flavorful and moist! Soooo good. Their hand-cut fries are really good too! The burgers are ginormous so it's great to split one, plus that way you have some room to try some fries :) There are a lot of burger options to choose from so the tough part is figuring out which one to choose, when I went I split the bacon mozzarella burger. I was a little hesitant at first about the mozzarella but it was so delicious!
The down side is the long wait. Even when it doesn't seem so busy it takes a while to be seated, but its worth the wait so hang in there if you decide to give it a chance!
I tried, and I conquered, the Thurman burger, which is no easy feat...and now I find out there's an even BIGGER burger called the Thurminator! Et Tu Brute! For shame that I did not know this. Oh well, something to look forward to next time I'm in Columbus. 4 stars for not having it on your menu.
The burger is overrated. It just tastes like old cheap ground beef cooked on an electric stove. So why would we want so much of it?
Went back another time and had an Italian style sub, which wasn't bad at all. Great atmosphere and the service was good.
Very good burgers....probably one of the best I've ever had. Atmosphere was more like a bar with stuff hung all over the walls which gives you lots to look at as you wait on your food.
If you like burgers you've got to give it a try.
Wish they had more parking!
The office staff decided to go out for lunch at Thurman's last week. I had never heard of the place, so, as is standard for me, I looked up the menu online. I experienced a slight tingle of fear as I noted one meat filled dish after another. I briefly considered ditching vegetarianism after reading through several of the tasty sounding concoctions and viewing corresponding Yelp photos. But, ultimately, I found a few veggie-friendly pizza options and two sans-chicken salads to choose from.
I set off with visions of blue cheese pizza dancing in my head. The wait was long - super long. We left the office at 11:30a and were seated around 1:00p. Granted, we were a 5 top. My blue cheese pizza wasn't on the menu, but I asked the waiter, and he said it was still available. We waited about another half hour before getting our food. The wait was so long that my boss actually had to leave before we even ate so that he could make it to a meeting.
But the food was really, really good. My pizza was crispy, the cheese was succulently sour (in a fermented sense), and the onions were carmelized and sweet. The basket of fries we shared was humongous. The fries were thick-cut, slightly blackened, and accompanied by salt, vinegar, and ketchup. Everyone else at the table got burgers. Thurman's mythically big, big burgers were big, but not as Paul Bunyan big as I had imagined.
I agree with whoever said the table fell silent when the food arrived. In fact, it was awkwardly silent. The jukebox had been blaring beforehand, but as soon as our food came out, the songs stopped, and no one was talking because we were all stuffing our faces. Everyone agreed the food was good - heart stopping good. Grease haters, beware.
I didn't mind the wait since I'll take any excuse to get out of the office for a while. But there was a pair of flies that incessantly buzzed around our table and repeatedly landed on our heads; that was annoying.
The decor reminds me of a beach dive bar. Everything is makeshift, lots of old wood, TONS of dollar bills taped all over every inch of space and hanging like tassels from the bar rafters. Even the ceiling is painted with old, cardboard Budweiser boxes.
The waitress said the dollar bill thing started when a guy who had been to another dough decked restaurant out of state came in and taped a buck to the wall. Everyone else followed suit, many writing messages or drawing pictures on the green papers. The original restaurant touted $35,000 in dollar bill decorations. I asked the bartender how much they thought was hanging around in Thurman's, she said she didn't know but invited me back to count it sometime. What I kept wondering was what keeps people from untaping the bills from the walls and stuffing them into their pockets?
Thurmans, how could you let me down!!!!!
I have friends in from out of town and of course this is the place that Columbus is known for, since they've been on food network and the travel channel already.
First off, we get there at 7:30, it's busy, but it's thurmans so it normally is. We mingle around and watch the Cavs game (first quarter at the time). After realizing that the game was over, and we were still waiting (10pm at this time), my friends started to bitch and reconsider going here. I told them we might as well wait, "it's worth it". Finally at 10:15 we get a booth, but our group of 8 had to split 6/2 to fit. whatever, we were hungry...
Ordering was painless, from our less than enthusiastic server who really didn't seem to give a damn about anything. At least we all got our orders right. The wait time for food was another 20 minutes, in which time I downed a whole becks bomber waiting.
So at 10:50, the thing we've all been waiting for, finally arrives. To my dismay they were seemingly having a liquidation on fried onions on the thurman burgers, I literally had more than a whole onion on it. I partially reconstructed my sandwich and went to town. Imagine my dismay when I discovered the ham and cheese on the top half of the sandwich was COLD. Rather than sending it back for reheating, I again re-assembled it down to the bare hamburger parts. At least the burger held it's heat, and filled me up still.
Overall this was a very disappointing visit to thurmans. My friends from out of town agreed the wait this time was just too long. And I'm sad to say that I wish I had something other than the thurman burger at this visit. It has shaken my faith in thurmans, and it will be quite a while before I venture back.
The best burger in Columbus, hands down. Anything on the menu will fill you up and the pricing is… Read more »
Well, once again I found myself in Columbus, OH for the Arnold Classic and while Governor Schwarzenegger is the big draw, I like to try and get some real local flavor to support the independent businesses in town. Well this led me and my friends to The Thurman Cafe for a burger. We all were starving from so many photo shoots and covering the show over the past several days so it was definitely a bit of a bummer that there was a decent wait on Saturday night, but we figured there should be a reason for that.
The reason is that they have big ass burgers here that are pretty awesome. I'm a bit of a burger snob so I was not trying to build up the place in my mind, but was definitely happy with the freaking huge burger that arrived. I am not sure but they say the burgers are 3/4 lbs, and often the weight is pre-cooked weights but I think this was 3/4 lbs after cooking.
Anyhow, they have great onion rings here too and the only thing I could complain about is the wait, and maybe the fact that they didn't have more local beers on tap. It's definitely my favorite burger place in Columbus and I look forward to coming back next year during the Arnold...
Do you like hamburgers? Well, you haven't lived until you try a burger from Thurman's. Seriously, OMG, they are amazing. Not only are they huge, but they are delicious.
First I'll talk about the burgers. They look as if it takes a whole cow to make them. They are as big as your head. Or bigger. For me, they are at least two meals worth of burger. If you can eat a whole thing, congratulations.
They are high-quality burgers, and while they're greasy, they aren't greasy in a cheap way. And the toppings! Each burger option comes with all kinds of fixins so you won't be bored. The A-1 burger is the first thing I tried. The burger itself is cooked in A-1 sauce (and yes, you get to choose how you want your burger cooked) and it's topped with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and swiss cheese. And those onion straws. Heavenly. Heart-attacky, but heavenly.
But my favorite burger in the world, not just at Thurmans, but ever, is their Bacon Cheddar Ranch Burger. Seriously, I love them so much but my heart hurts after eating one. Imagine if you will: A think juicy burger, smothered in melted cheddar cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and bacon! And then, of course, smothered in ranch dressing. But that's not all! This particular burger comes with a side (a very plentiful helping, by the way) of those onion straws I love so much. Did I mention they give you a lot of onion straws? Most burgers come with chips, but I love this one so much because I can't get enough of those thin, crispy onion straws!
I am not a fan of Thurman's fries. They don't really have a lot of flavor and there really isn't anything special about them, and they are more like potato wedges than fries. Nothing compares to those onion straws for me.
Thurman's is great because they are so cheap! Their burgers range from $7-9, and considering the portion size, that's pretty amazing.
I've experienced Thurman's two different ways: dining in and carryout. I gotta tell you, go with the carryout option! The dining area in there is tiny, and I'm talking small, and the place has always been packed when I've been there. The last time we ate there we waited for over 2 hours. It turned out to be an all day affair. I mean, the food was worth it, but why wait when you can just pick it up and go home? Plus, when you're eating those things you kinda just wanna spread out and give yourself some breathing room. It takes some effort to eat those things. And the restaurant is cramped and busy and you don't feel like you can stick your elbows out without bumping into a server running by.
We didn't find the server we had to be too friendly, either. Granted it's probably stressful to work in such cramped quarters, but we were cranky from waiting for so long and it rubbed us the wrong way. Our server was even a bit rude while getting us the check, but we were on a burger high, so it wasn't a huge deal.
Thurman's fit a full bar in there, somehow, and it's kind of neat to look at the decor. Random signs and messages cover the place, even the ceiling. And behind the bar is a collection of dollar bills with messages on them covering the wall. They must have figured that if you have to wait hours to eat, they might as well give you something to look at. Much appreciated.
But carryout rocks. That way you get the phenomenal food without the wait. Parking is street parking, not too hard to find something pretty close by. It's a pretty neat location, tucked away in German Village. I wish I'd known about it a long time ago. Honestly, I don't know how everyone isn't raving about these burgers all the time. They are famous, I guess. Damn. Now I want a burger.
Also, be warned that the buns cannot contain the awesomeness that is a burger from Thurman's. You will get messy. You will have food on your face. You will struggle to consume it. So don't wear nice clothes and maybe consider getting carryout if you're worried about shame, so at least that way no one can see you try to scarf one of these babies down. It's not pretty. I suggest wearing sweats. That way your stomach can comfortably expand to contain the burger and no big deal if you make a huge mess of yourself. You will feel very fat after eating here. Thurman's is not for the faint of stomach.
Man are excellent. They are one of the est burgers in town. I just love them. The wings. Okay so check this out. I ordered six wings. And guess what? I got six whole wings. No drumets. I got six whole freaking wings. And they were huge. Like the chicken was on steroids. The pizza. The pizza is great too. Warning. Their pizza is like really thin crust. Like super thin. Like cracker thin. But it is good. The fresh cut fries. Those are excellent as well. Atmosphere is a little less to be desired but the food more then makes up for it.
Being on Television did them to much justice. The food is good but not great. I have been to Thurman's cafe over 5 times and can see why it is well liked.
The food is good but not unforgettable. The burger was large and good but lack seasoning. The bottom bun usually suffers from the soon to be heart stopping grease.
The building is very small and groups can wait for hours. Although the atmosphere is unique some people want to pay for food and not the decor.
If you come to Columbus and you are in the area, give it a try.. Do not travel large distances just for this meal.
All you expect in good restaurant burgers and superb appetizers.
We got there on Sunday of the Labor Day weekend around 8pm, probably the worst time to be there. We were warned ahead that wait would be long, so I wasn't surprised to see the people standing outside. It had a full bar, so we waited in the game room next to the seating area and had a Sierra Nevada on tap. Finally got seated an hour later. We ordered pretzel bites and fried pickles for appetizers, Thurman burger for me and Jaeger burger for my husband. Got our food 25 minutes later. Pretzel bites were crispy and the fried pickles were delicious. I tried not to fill up on the appetizers, but they were so yummy. Then the burgers arrived. Although I was tempted to try, it was humanly impossible to hold the burger and take a bite out of it. I usually don't eat a lot of red meat and this happens to be the first burger I've had this year, so it tasted amazing to me. I like my steak medium-rare and ground meat medium-well (safer), and it tasted perfect. I especially liked the sauteed mushrooms and onions, ham and cheese on top. Jaeger burger had french onion topping, which tasted a lot like whipped cream cheese, yum. I was stuffed after trying to tackle the whole plate, but the waiter came by and said, "You guys didn't even try." :-) I would definitely come back for pizza and hot sandwiches if I were in the area.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
I saw reviews for the best burger in town, and this place was supposedly it. I had read there was a bit of a wait, and indeed there was (maybe 15 minutes). You enter into a sort of arcade room (there's a large seating area, and 2 arcades). To the right is the entrance into a darkly lit, rustic bar. In that dining area, there are some wooden booths along the left wall, and the bar and stools on the right. The tv's are easily viewable from anywhere, and the noise level is pretty festive. The randomness along the top walls is.. hard to describe. I saw some message written by a patron, presumably, that said "___ will you marry me."
I ordered a coke first, as I perused the menu. I decided on the Bleu Cheeseburger, just as the Cavaliers won their game to the cheers of the room, but decided I wanted to enjoy it in a more quiet setting at my friend's apartment. By the way, on a cold windy night like that one, Thurman's reminded me of a ski lodge offering sanctuary from the elements.
At home, I attacked the burger in delight. The cheese wasn't overpowering, and the thick patty was juicy and soft. My teeth sunk right through. It definitely is a good burger, though the wait time is a bit of a drag. I noticed the bun was soft (which I liked); there are 2 "best burger" joints in LA I've tried, and they both had bun with a crispy top.
Best burger I've ever had.
The good: Burgers are AMAZING and HUGE. Pretzel bite appetizers are seriously addictive.
The bad: I live in Chicago now and cannot find a burger that comes close to comparing. So sad.
I ventured out a little during my visit to CBUS and found carnivore heaven. I have to agree with other yelpers that here you can find the biggest pile of meat between two buns that I have seen and I have seen lots of burgers. I tried the A1 burger and it was beyond what I have ever dreamed a burger with A1 sauce could be. It is a huge burger even by my Texan standards. I kept thinking about that Burger King "Whopper Virgins" commercial. I would hate for this burger to be the "first" for a burger virgin, it may scar them for life.
The burger was great, but I don't know that I want to see any hamburger meat for several weeks. Not many meals have defeated me, but I had to raise the white flag at this thing.
If you find yourself in Columbus, this is a must eat.
In the mood for a mammoth-sized hamburger with the works? Thurmans is the place to go! Authentic and fun, the Thurman Cafe offers great food at great prices with a side of great atmosphere. I recommend giving it a shot, but be warned, you may have to wait for a table.
I love this place!
Although I no longer eat meat, when I use too, This was the place to go. Their burgers are amazing, 3 1/4 lbs burgers. Their fried picked are scrumptious as well.
It does get packed at night so be sure to get there early.
Thurman Cafe gets the award for the biggest nastiest pile of meatloaf on a bun I've ever eaten. I know people love this place. It's a cool spot. But the burger thing is just a distraction for me. Would you ever make one of those at home? Have you? No. Because it's gross. So the only reason to order it is pure novelty. But I guess novelty is a perfectly good reason to do something. No hard feelings.
I like it because it's a good spot to drink alone. When I first moved to town I didn't know anybody, so I used to sit at that bar by myself and look at all the 10 billion little whatnots crammed onto the walls. Sounds pathetic, I know, but I thought it was sweet. The beer selection is pretty good and pretty cheap as well.
Stumbled on this place out of the blue....and loved it. Great food, fun atmosphere. The sandwiches are huge and the small cafe setting is perfect for a relaxing night. Try the Italian sub it rocked!
While my pizza was pretty good I think I ate a fly. They were buzzing around our table the entire lunch.
I'm pretty sure one landed on a slice as I bit down.
I felt around with my tongue but couldn't really tell.
I looked over at Jon who was really enjoying his burger so I kept quiet. On the car ride home I felt an itch in my nose and grabbed for some tissue. I was really expecting to blow out the fly...nope.
Over and over Thurmans has been rated to have the #1 Burger in Colulmbus. My husband took me here… Read more »
The A1 burger is a little piece of heaven, the fries are great and the deep fried pretzel bites appetizer is divine. That said:
Yes there is always a wait at lunch, usually at dinner as well, the service is not always that great, I can never tell if its because they are busy or it's they do not care because people will keep coming regardless.
I still take people from out of town here who appreciate good burgers, everyone I have ever taken has walked away happy and wanting to come back the next time they come around. If you are not a burger fan, they do have good subs and a good rueben but ask for fries instead of chips of course. Why you would get anything besides a burger at a known burger joint and expect something fantabulous, I will always wonder.
My hamburger was delicious!!!! Some friends watched Man vs Food and visited this place over New Year's and kept telling us about it and we finally got to give it a try and are glad we did. I'll go back but be aware of time. The restaurant is very small - seats maybe 30 - and gets packed and there is a strange system of listing your name for a seat in hopes someone might call it out hours later. After waiting about 20 minutes - while enjoying some beer - and learning from a couple we were talking with that they'd been there for an hour and 45 minutes, we ended up placing our order to go (that just took about a half hour). It's worth the wait!
You'll wait forever. It's worth it. Tiny restaurant, good luck with a party over 4. Burgers are obscenely large, not unlike my gut. Forget your finishing school manners. Get in there, get messy. Perhaps not the very best burger I've ever had...but a serious contender. They could use better buns. This burger deserves better than the supermarket quality bread. Very good french fries. Prices quite reasonable.
The Thurm. God that is a huge burger. I always picture myself picking it up and going to town on it when I order it and only when it shows up do I remember that NO part of that burger fits in my mouth. Fork and knife it, friends. But if you have not had it, venture into German Village for one soon.
Sundays can be a mess in here, though. As the unofficial hangout of every NFL nerd in German Village that doesn't have a TV, if you are not wearing the football jersey or T-Shirt of a midwestern team than you will not fit in. Usually it is all Bungles Brownies and Steelers fans in there, who are busy belittling each other and hogging all ten TV's so I can't even see my Bears getting thumped (and yes, even though I don't wear my Urlacker jersey to the Thurm on gameday I am still a fan).
I would just like to announce that I HAVE eaten an entire Thurman burger in one sitting. On more than one occasion. With beer(s).
This is no mere bar food - this is the best place to get a burger in the greater Columbus area. Their waiting area is probably bigger than the joint itself - for good reason. Place gets packed. Well, I know how it is, and I think it's worth the wait - sometimes the animal comes out , and demands to be fed a hunk of red meat. Supposedly other stuff on the menu is good too - though I've been in several times, and I typically have an adventurous spirit, I just can't find it in me to order anything but burger here.
I've been here multiple times with many different people and the consensus is still... BEST BURGER!!!! I get the bacon ranch burger and it never disappoints. All burgers are medium well and there are so many choices it's hard to decide. Blue moon on tap plus potato cut fries equals an amazing meal that will keep u full all day.
Oh how I miss this place.
It's pretty much the only thing I miss about Columbus. Thurman is a mandatory visit every time I'm back in town, which isn't enough. That said, it's probably a good thing that so many miles are between the A1 Burger and I. Well, my arteries are thankful for the geography anyways.
I'm not going to say anything new here, but I'm a little surprised to see this low of a score for this place. Sure, the wait is long most of the time. Sure, it's not what you would call a 'polished' restaurant. But man is the food delicious.... and huge. Quit your whining people... you don't know how good you've got it.
With great sadness, I'm proclaiming that Thurman's is going downhill. The wait times for tables has gone through the roof, as have the wait times to even be recognized by a server. If you're thinking about going for lunch, be there by 11 sharp, or you won't get back to work until past 1.
The burgers are big and topped with anything under the sun, but make sure the toppings are juicy to make up for the dry burger patties.
It's a shame too...this was one of those quirky places I used to bring visitors.
Neighborhood: German Village
Category: German
Neighborhood: German Village
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Clintonville
Category: Barbeque
Neighborhood: Victorian Village
Category: Italian
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