Todd Jurich’s Burger Bar

Bland burger, bland fries, good service bad food. 5 guys is better, heck McDonald’s is better. Honestly

Was very excited to try this place.
TJ’s in Norfolk is in the top tier of Restaurants in our area, and is a perennial favorite. Plus I love burgers. LOVE!
We were on our way to Rudee’s when we remembered this was right beside it, and changed our plans.
Bad call.
You can excuse the crappy/​loud guitar guy playing cover songs, it is a beach place, so I get it. He could have played a bit quieter, we literally had to yell across our 4 person table to be heard.
The deck is OK, not great, but decent view.
Now, I love burgers. LOVE. The thing is, its all about the outside of the burger. It’s got to be seared, just like a steak. Red meat gets its flavor this way.
So, I ordered it well-​done, which is how I always begin at a new burger place, I’d rather get the inside a bit drier than I like for the sake of a well-​cooked outside.
About 40 minutes after ordering, the burgers finally came out.
Mine looked OK, but not very dark on the outside. I was so hungry though, I just went for it.
The inside was not only under cooked, it was actually not even warm yet. I assume the patty was still a little frozen when they threw it on, because it was mealy and pink like raw burger meat. (disgusting).
I kept eating around the edges until the server came back. When I showed it to him, he went to double check that he put the order in correctly, he did, he informed me, and left it at that.
Seriously?
Wow.
Beyond the burger patty, the rest of the meal was so-​so. Definitely no where near the level I was expecting, since it has TJ’s name on it.
Hopefully they will pull it together, but I’ll never know because I’m done.
5 guys beats this place hands down, and

Best burger in VB! You will be very happy after dining!

Its been a while since we last ate here and a lot of changes are noticeable. First thing is TJ’s Burger Bar no longer has a buzz to it. We walked in on a Saturday night (pre-​Labor Day so it is still technically tourist season) and the inside dining room was Capital «D» Dead. Crickets. The bar area was completely empty and there was only one other party seated at six o’clock in the evening. There were a few parties seated outside enjoying the view but that was it.
That has to send chills down the spine of the ownership. This was easily a million dollar restaurant when it opened early last year. A neighbor’s kid used to be a bus boy here so we heard rumors of kitchen staff turnover at revolving door levels. Never a good sign. There must be a whiff of panic in the back office.
One look at the menu and the first thing we noticed was all the gimmicks are gone. No more duck fat fries or deep fried bacon. No more popcorn amouse bouche. The wife’s favorite lobster roll is history. They still have a shake menu but the liquid nitrogen and boozy versions for the adults are history. Ketchup is now dispensed in those little, irritating plastic cups instead of having a bottle on the table. The Apocalypse Now burger remains but that seems to be the sole survivor of a bygone era (i.e. last year).
When restaurants stop doing some of the things they were known for, its a sign of trouble.
What is puzzling is that the burgers and fries are still really good. Burgers were cooked just the way they were ordered and the fries had that crunchy soft, double cooked at two different temperatures texture and flavor. Delicious and they do not skimp on portion size. Nobody at the table could finish their own.
I really don’t know what went wrong here. The location is fantastic and the original concept was something new to the area. A high end gourmet burger joint with good cocktails. But it obviously isn’t working. My guess is this place will shut down sometime during the upcoming off season.

Wow! Not in the good way. AVOID
Always start positive… the outdoor deck has a great view.
Negatives:
Simply put the food was terrible!
Crab Cake Sandwiche — extremely fishy funky smell taste (Waitress-​oh yeah we are having a problem with our crab)
Burger was cooked to within one second of turning to charcoal. No food safety issues here :)
Fries were cold and serviced with cheap ketchup — gourmet what?
When we informed the waitress she basically relayed the chef did not want to hear from her.
Value vs price a real zero
They should change management one more time maybe the third time is a charm. If i were Todd Jurich I would look forward to the day my name is off the sign, which I hear is about to happen. DO NOT BE FOOLED BY A NAME CHANGE.

Dined there on a Sunday evening. The restaurants on either side were packed but the Burger Bar was fairly empty. I had the veggie burger. Meh — I’ve had better at much cheaper places. Bland. Fries were OK. My wife had the lobster roll and liked it very much. Daughter had chicken and waffles and said they were the greatest ever. I tasted the chicken and thought it was a bit bland.
On the bright side, the Thai green beans were fantastic!!! Possibly, the best side dish I’ve ever had. Collards were great also. Next time I go back I’ll try a real burger and the truffle fries.
Value (price) brought rating down one star.

The atmosphere is fantastic, the food is tasty, and the staff is awesome!

I went there for lunch and it was OK. I ordered a tuna steak burger, and it was good… no real complaints. I was disappointed in the ambiance – there were flies everywhere. It was really annoying to keep swatting them away, and that says something about the cleanliness.
Not sure I’d go back. Maybe I’ll try it at night and get better results.

It saddens me that my native Virginia Beach is filled with half-​assed attempts at real restaurants.
Those that have been to Atlanta and experienced Richard Blais’ «Flip» will understand why I am leaving this place 1 star. It is an attempt at a carbon copy of an original concept that is making waves through the Atlanta restaurant scene.
Lesson #1 in this business is BE ORIGINAL!!!
… or at least be a good copy cat.
Just another place run by money hungry former chefs.

The pro’s Absolutely Beautiful view from the deck, Ice cold PBR, Old Bay on the popcorn why didn’t I think of that.
The Con’s One HUGE one the food is run of the mill taste wise! Burger dry, duck fat fries tasted like fries, the fresh made chips were good all 5 of them have to say the pickle was yummy. They say there trying to work out the kinks yada yada but they have been open a while now and if your a burger bar that’s getting beat out by a chain (Cheeseburger in Paradise) on your primary item you need to make changes.
Another BIG CON $$$ very pricey for a burger and fries.

I’ve had trouble getting a reliably medium-​rare cooked hamburger in Hampton Roads for quite some time now. Though I’ve had occasional standouts, I have yet to find a place that delivers consistently.
So, it was with great anticipation I visited Todd Jurich’s a few nights ago.
The location on Rudee Inlet is absolutely lovely. Far enough away from the boardwalk to be relaxed and cool, but close enough to the beach so that it still seems ‘resort-​like’
I’ll get straight to the meat: The burgers are ok. I have heard that they are sous-​vide, and indeed, my burger was definitely very close to medium-​rare (somwhere between that and medium.) But, considering the done-​ness, it was surprisingly not as juicy as a MR burger usually is. Furthermore, anything with char on it– the burger, bacon, and the shrimp app we ordered had a bit of a strange gassy (propane, butane, maybe?) to it. I’m not sure if they employ culinary torches that just didn’t get hot enough, or if this is simply a byproduct of their cooking methods. (I didn’t ask)
Following a friend’s recommendation to stay away from the «fancy» burgers, I went for the bacon cheeseburger with sauteed onions. Overall, the taste of the burger was good, and the bun was very nice, but in the end, it was just OK.
(regular) fries were well-​intentioned, but not as crisp as they could have been.
Service was slow. ‘Laid back’ is perhaps a good euphamism here.
The guinness on draft was icy cold and fresh/​clean tasting– probably the best I’ve had locally. I’d return just for that, frankly. The house red @ $ 6 glass is a pretty solid value. (I think that actually comes out of some keg type thing at the bar as well)
We had a nitro shake for desert, which while good, was definitely not worth the $ 7, and as far as I can tell, the nitro was just a «fun condiment» A carvel shake is just as good or better any day of the week.
I’m not sure they can improve, but it sounds like it’s a slightly better value than before. If I was in the area and wanted a burger, I’d probably still go to the Raven first, but if you’re looking for something a bit more upscale, the ambiance is definitely nicer.

I really loved it! At first i was a bit taken back about how big it was but the location is great and the view of the water is beautiful! i sat at the bar and ordered an orange crush. it was honestly, the best i have ever had. way better than Watermans. they use a really good vodka with a hint of vanilla added to it. it was dangerously good. then i ordered the bacon burger with the carmalized onions with duck fat fries. you can tell the burgers and buns are made fresh. It was definitely a wonderful way to spend my sunday off and will be bringing more friends to try it out!

So upon returning, TJ’s has really worked out a lot of the kinks that it had during opening month. They now serve a variety of options WITH the burgers (rather than a la carte), such as sweet potato fries or truffle fries. The service, at the bar anyway, is professional, knowledgeable, and charismatic and parking has never been an issue. We did end up ordering the Apocalypse burger and it was as divine as you would imagine it to be. Other than that, I really applaud Todd Jurich for attempting burger gastronomy in Hampton Roads and giving us something DIFFERENT around here for once.

Very good burgers full of flavor. The main drawback was that the servers messed up our orders (burned sweet potato fries, plates and bills confused).
Try the duck fat fries. The first bite is deceving, but once you get into further bites the flavor just sinks in!

This place is great! I was very excited when I read about the Burger Bar in the Pilot then felt a little wary after I read the reviews. I thought I should judge for myself.
I loved my experience. Although the hostesses left a lot to be desired, that was quickly forgotten once we sat at our table. Our server was AMAZING. Very knowledgable about the menus (both food and drinks) and was great at making suggestions. I had a Orange Julia (basically an orange crush with whipped cream vodka instead of orange vodka) to start along with thier crab dip. Finally came the ordering of the burger… I opted for the bacon cheese burger (I added green chilis to mine) while my friend who came with ordered the green chili burger. We both agreed that our food was amazing. Also good? Truffle fries.
If you have the little extra money to spend, do it. Go in with an open mind… it looks like the poor reviews may have come in the first few weeks that the bar was open… Our experience was a great one! We’ll definately be back!

After reading many disappointing reviews on here I thought I’d give my two cents worth. I love the place. My boyfriend and I got the Apocalypse Now burger. It was amazing and I was speechless the entire time eating it with my eyes closed slowing enjoying each savory bite. The combination of flavors blended so well and the buttery taste of Foie Grois proved to be the reason we tried this burger. I will say that the chips that were served with our burger were overbooked and a little bland in flavor. Overall not impressed with those at all.
I think people need to go into Todd’s restaurant realizing this is a gourmet burger bar and not a diner. Virginia Beach eaters can be very finicky and quick to judge the concept of a new restaurant that may not fit into the mold here. My advise is to give it so time for them to get the kinks out. They have only been open for a little over a month. Have a nice cold drink on the patio and don’t be so rushed to eat dinner. Relax and enjoy the view.

I’ve been to Todd Jurich’s several times since I wrote my initial review. Because they’re brand new, they’re still trying to perfect things & find what makes their customers happy. They got negative feedback about their burgers being expensive & served solo; so they’ve started adding a pickle & chips to their burger orders. Our server on Sat night (who was excellent) told us that they write their menus daily, so things constantly change as needed. It’s nice to know that they’re listening to customer suggestions.
Also, they now have a separate daily specials menu. That’s definitely the way to go! We had the beef carnitas on Sat night for an app & they were delicious! My husband had a bison burger (that was a special as well) & he said it was definitely the best burger he’s ever had.
Lastly, one of the bartenders told us that people sometimes complain about the service being slow, but people don’t understand that there is an employee literally in the back grinding up fresh meat for every burger that is ordered… it’s not fast food. I’ve been guilty of complaining about the wait time too, so that was a reality check! I’m still a fan!

My first impression of Todd Jurich’s 21^st Century Burger Bar, having read the ingredient-​driven and confident menu, was that I needed to indulge in his meat-​fueled epicurism immediately and see what all the fuss was about. After all, it takes a big pair of meatballs to open up a million-​dollar burger joint at the Oceanfront that boasts «sides» of foie gras, Benton bacon, and duck fat fries. I was a willing and excited patron ready to gorge myself on Jurich’s unique offerings, including the parmesan truffle fries and the liquid nitrogen milkshakes. I felt a little trepidation, however, when I learned that Jurich was cooking his burgers sous-​vide and mislabeling his beef (true Wagyu beef should be shipped almost daily from Japan, not purchased from Iowan ranches). I also heard from sources that Jurich’s own team was concerned about the sous-​vide technique, because it kept producing burgers with a mealy texture. Nevertheless, sous-​vide has been successfully employed by several upscale burger joints throughout the country (see Richard Blaise) and Todd Jurich was confident that his burgers would be delicious.
We arrived around 7:30pm on a beautiful Thursday night and the hostess informed us that everything was booked outside (there was a private event), so she led us to a table indoors, where we sat for about 10 minutes before a server appeared. That gave us enough time to scan the vast menu. I originally was going to order the «Apocalypse Now,» which is described as «Snake River Wagyu, Foie Gras, Crispy Pork Belly, Smoked Bacon Marmalade, Sour Cherry Jam, Duck Fat Fries,» but after some careful consideration, I decided to test-​run this joint with a less showy offering, the truffle burger. My wife decided on the Parisienne, which featured an egg, lardons, and frisee. We both had heard good things about the she crab soup, so that was also a must, and I had to try the duck fat fries because, well, they are so fucking evil.
The she crab soup was delicious and had a perfect consistency, which you rarely find in this area (one local establishment claiming to have the area’s «best she crab soup» ladles a glob of thick mucous into the bowl that could support my spoon standing erect). It was slightly saltier than I would have desired, which was not a problem– spiked with sherry and loaded with sweet meat, I would order it again in a minute.
Then came the burgers… My wife enjoyed her Parisienne burger– the tangy frisee and smoky lardons complemented the moist burger well, and the egg was perfectly cooked, oozing the appropriate amount of yolk across the bun and meat. My truffle burger, however, was disappointing. The edges of the burger were dry and crumbly, the interior was indeed mealy and lacked even a hint of salt or seasoning. There were only three buttery mushrooms which were promptly ejected from the sandwich upon first bite. The «shaved truffles» were practically nonexistent. My wife noticed this as soon as the burger landed on our table, because there was no truffle aroma wafting into our noses. I tasted a faint hint of truffle, and that’s it. If they shaved any truffles onto this burger, it must have been less than a pencil shaving… So disappointing. Also, I should not fail to mention that the presentation was amateurish and ugly– the burger sat atop a checkered paper bag inside a plastic basket that was way too large, and some store-​bought potato chips were lightly scattered across the rest of the paper, almost as an afterthought. I have seen better burger plating at the local Hardees– no joke.
The duck fat fries were okay, but there was really no discernible difference between them and regular french fries. I have had better fries at many places and paid less than $ 5.75. The ones here were slightly gummy and not nearly as crisp as I would have desired. My wife told me that that’s a common trait of duck fat fries, which prompted me to ask, «Then what’s the point?» It must be the evil indulgence of overpriced lipids that compels one to order duck fat fries.
The service was not up to par. We found ourselves waiting for long periods of time to get our glasses refilled, etc. The server seemed flustered when she first approached our table and quickly rambled through the spiel about the ingredients, menu, etc, and she just seemed entirely disconnected from the product and services offered. It looked as if she was having a bad day, poor girl. When she finally brought us our tab, I came to the stark realization that I had paid $ 60 for two unimpressive burgers, fries, soup, and ginger ale. I left without a smile on my face.

To start, my boyfriend and I ordered the oyster roast. It was basically a different take on the well-​known Oyster Rockefeller. I highly encourage everyone to try them. They were very nicely done.
I had the Parisenne burger with parmesan truffle fries and a brownie milkshake. My burger was absolutely delicious, but the fries were a waste of space. I might be wrong to compare the two, but the fries at the bistro are heavily topped with parmesan cheese, herbs, truffle oil, fried nice and golden brown, crispy, and always seasoned appropriately with salt and pepper. The burger bar fries were pale, not crispy at all, lacked any cheese, zero herbs used, hardly even detected the scent of truffle oil but most of all… no salt and pepper? They were the most lazy and bland fries I’ve ever had. The brownie milkshake was tasty but warm. I understand the concept of adding liquid nitrogen on top so the customer can stir the milkshake and drop the temperature, but in this case, it was a miss.
I forgot the name of the burger that my boyfriend ordered but it was Wagyu beef with «drunken goat» cheese, roasted green chillies and duck fries as a side. He ordered his burger cooked medium-​rare. When our food came out it didn’t take him long to realize his burger was well-​done. Obviously, he sent it back. When the new one came, it was still over-​cooked but he was not in the mood to wait for another one. It should be a crime to have a nice juicy, fatty product like Wagyu beef but cook it well-​done for a guest who is expecting medium-​rare. Much like the truffle fries, the duck fries were also a huge fail. Obviously, using duck fat to cook french fries is a genius idea, but it doesn’t take Gordon Ramsay to know how to season food with s&p. He also ordered an Oreo milkshake. His, on the other hand, was very nicely done. Even though both milkshakes came at the same time, his was cold and tasty, where as mine was just… tasty. Apparently, consistency is a problem.
For dessert we shared the crème brûlée. I have had many crème brulees and this one was by far, the worst. Usually, this dessert is served in a small circle or sometimes oval 2−3oz ramekin. At the burger bar, they’re using 8oz ramekins. The portion size was way off. I know some people might say «Hey that’s their problem and not yours, be happy you’re getting more for your money.» Honestly, I just had a very filling meal. I want something that will finish my meal off with a nice sweet taste in my mouth but NOT hate myself while I struggle to walk back to my car. Also, in my opinion, the best thing about crème brûlée is the bruleed sugar on top. There’s nothing like taking a spoon and hearing a crisp crack from a thin caramelized shell of sugar and finding a smooth creamy custard hidden underneath. At the burger bar, you might need something bigger than a spoon, such as a hammer. The «caramelized» sugar was 5x thicker than necessary. Also, the sugar was burnt not caramelized! I’ll admit, I like a little bit of bitterness to contrast with the ultra sweet but this was overboard. And since the «caramelized» shell on top was so thick, the first couple of layers became soft and taffy-​like. Lets be honest, no one likes to struggle while eating crème brûlée because the sugar sticks to your teeth.
Enough about the food, on to the service. Our server was a very nice girl and had a lovely attitude. Her knowledge on the menu, however, was lacking. My boyfriend asked her a couple questions about some items and she was obviously struggling to find the right answer. I was also quite bothered that she seemingly refused to show us the dessert menu. My boyfriend asked her to see a menu because we wanted to order milkshakes but she insisted that the menu only had «chocolate and vanilla but they could add whatever you want like oreos and brownies.» When we finally got a chance to see the desert menu, we were disappointed to see a «chocolate, banana, peanut butter milkshake with toasted marshmallows.» Would have loved to try it but our server wouldn’t show us the menu even after we asked to see it.
I get it, new restaurant=lots of kinks. So I plan to return in a couple months and hopefully, Todd Jurich will live up to his name. For now, ¹⁄₅ stars.

Excellent food (must try pan seared tuna) and great atmosphere! outdoor deck seating very cool and comfortable. Our server Ashley was very courteous and provided good service!
No complaints.