The Thurman Cafe

I have been living in Columbus for seven years now and JUST found out about Thurman's. I took my friend from Michigan with me (for Columbus brownie points) and he loved it! The wait staff was outstanding, very personable and hospitable. We both ordered burgers and they were by far the best my mouth has ever tasted. Yes, we had a bit of a wait, but we were not complaining! We just entertained ourselves with a few brews in the waiting area. Please, tell your friends about this place. I can't believe I just found out about Thurman's after living in Columbus for seven years, seven. Pros: Service. Burgers. Ambiance. (dont forget to sign in!) Cons: Are you serious? more

I'd never been but my co-workers wouldn't stop talking about this place and the food. It's small inside but it doesn't bother you to wait for a seat. Everyone seemed to know each other. Perfect strangers are eager to talk to you. The servers were very entertaining and the whole place is covered with all sorts of items. You can even hang something up yourself. Pros: The random people you meet. By far! Cons: Took a minute to park. Worth the wait. more

Went a while ago with a friend. We both thought the service was slow & unfriendly, and we weren't too bothered by the food. I love good greasy dive food just as much as the next person, but this didn't even come close. I had a ruben which was good but made with REALLY cheap 88 cents lunch meant. You know the kind I mean--what you can buy that's in the shape of a rectangle at the store and says ""water added chopped meat"" on the label. My friend had the A1 burger which not only was bland and dry, but came to the table with HAIRS in it (gross!). All we had that we really did enjoy were the cheddar french fries. Wont' be going back anytime soon. more

Our party of 15 got there about 12:30 in the morning and were seated immediately, quite a feat for any size eatery. And I had heard of the burgers so I had the cheeseburger delux, which left room for the amazing huge and tastey whole chicken wings. I will be back the next time I am in Columbus!!!! more

Been going there for over 20 years, and let there be no doubt...the Thurman *IS* THE BEST BURGER ANYWHERE! 3/4 pound, perfectly toasted roll, and toppings piled high. Choose from many different types, or build your own. And have it cooked the way you want it. 2nd place isnt even in sight! Thurmans should be on everybody's ""Must go"" list for burgers. With that said, lets give some warning...the place is small...real small. Be prepared to wait a few for seating...longer for larger groups. They do have a large open waiting area...and Ive never figured out why they havent converted some of it to seating. Maybe its because they only have 2 wait staff working at one time, thus, wait service does suffer somewhat...be prepared to ""wave down"" your wait person for a refill on occasion. Also, the burgers run about $8 each w/chips...a little pricey, but worth it in my opinion. Their other offerings are good too...their italian sub is top notch, and the pizzas not bad for a bar/food joint. And about that...the bar is open all the time, but this place turns from a restaurant, to a noisy bar at night, so be warned if planning on dinning late. The rest of the chow is good too...above average or better. Parking can be tricky...on street only, so be prepared to drive around the block, and do a little walking. If you are a ""Thurman Virgin"", and a burger person, its an absolute ""must go"". In fact, once you eat a Thurman burger, it is only then that you reach the rank of ""Burger Connoisseur"". ;) Pros: Burgers, burgers, burgers. Cons: Small. Parking. Service. more

I've eaten burgers all over Columbus, this country, and a few others. This is the best burger joint I've ever been to hands down. The servers have been working there for years. They're real people serving real food. They treat you as a guest and not as a customer. Be aware that Thurman's is VERY small. They have between 10-15 tables and people tend to stick around after eating a huge Thurman burger. That being said, the wait can be around 2 hours long. They won't expand on principle. Know it. Accept it. Expect it. It's worth the wait. Whenever I have people in from other cities/counties for any period of time, I make sure that I take them to Thurman's. This place has been a staple of Columbus dining and will continue to be so for year to come. Pros: Great burgers. Great people. Great atmosphere. Cons: Although the wait is long, I wouldn't have it any other way. more

It kills me when people complain about either the service at the Thurman or the wait. Yes, there is a wait. It's a small place. People like to linger. Don't come with a large party or expectations that there won't be a wait, and you will be fine. Sign in, be cool, and don't harass the staff about when your table will be ready. Have a beer and play some games. I have been a regular at the Thurman for 13 years now and have never once had bad service. The staff is half the reason I am a regular there. If the servers are rude, more than likely you deserve it. Pros: Great food, great service, great atmosphere Cons: Too many people know about it more

The place only has about 10 tables, very cozy, very unique. There's tons of crazy stuff all over the walls that kept us entertained. The pretzel bits and pizza rolls were AMAZING. Have to get pretzel bits! The burgers were huge and good, but not as amazing as I was hoping. After reading all the reviews here I expected something out of this world, but was a little disappointed. Service was a little slow, but there wasn't a wait. Pros: Pretzel bits! Cons: wait more

Great huge burgers. Pretzel bits are the best. must have pretzel bits. Usually need more than one order. Pros: Great tasting all American Cons: So much food you can't finish. Not good for vegetarians more

My 3 seconds of fame came while I was eating lunch at Thurman's and the Food Network was filming an episode there. The reviews are all true - not a first date place - not pretentious in any way - 2 fisted burgers - the BEST fries anywhere. My biggest decision is do I get the burger or wings with my fries? Sometimes I just get them all! You'll need a doggie bag if you do this though! The video game was Galaxia and Ms. Pac Man (I think) I love Galaxia, so this keeps me busy while we wait for a seat. The burgers are always fresh, huge and cooked just the way I like them. Pros: Burgers, Fries, & Wings Cons: Parking more

Thurman's is usually busy on the weekends (not during the week) and the wait can be long, but the burgers are delicious, with a large girth. Pros: Food, price, girth Cons: long wait on weekends, limited seating, sometimes slow service more

This place is awesome. Great atmosphere and great food. The burgers are the best and the biggest I've ever had. The dining area is small and the wait can be long but it's well worth it. Pros: Prices, Burgers, Drinks more

First off, I'm from Jacksonville Beach, FL and I'd crawl on my hands and knees for a Thurman burger!!! Pros: Incredible burgers, wings Cons: Parking, wait for seating more

The wait isn't fun. Try to plan this one out and you'll still wait an hour. However, there's a sweet pinball machine to waste your time. Oh, there's also the burgers... quick and simple, they're phenomenal. I just found the place a month ago and have been there three times. If you're too trendy for a burger, go somewhere else... The Rossi would love your money and your drama. But if you appreciate a fantastic burger and fresh-cut fries, YOU HAVE TO TRY THURMANS. I've been on this earth for 30 years, but only felt alive since I had a Thurman burger. Maybe that was too far... maybe. Pros: Food, ambience Cons: Wait more

I have tried burgers from all over the city, and other cities like Chicago and SF and you will be hard pressed to find any that can match the Thurman Cafe! The burgers are huge, the fries are flavorful and crisp, the atmosphere unique. I highly recommend Thurmans for lunch, dinner too but only if you have time to wait. This place is a hole in the wall and you will have to wait for a table at dinner time. If you want to be seated immedietly, go to one of the numerous chain restaurants in town and have a mediocre burger. If you want the best, the thurman burger is worth the wait!! Pros: best burger in Columbus, great fries, great atmosphere Cons: long waits at dinner time, service varies, no parking except street more

If you can get past the rude servers...the food makes it all worth while! Killer onion rings, wings and the namesake...Thurman Burger. You must get the thurman burger at least once. Take a friend or two; it can feed a small army. I've had about a dozen or so and not once has the meat been bland. You can't go wrong here for good eats. The management needs to improve the service...THE SERVERS ARE RUDE!!! Pros: Thurman Burger, Ambience, Wings Cons: Staff, Service, Too small more

You haven't visited Columbus, OH unless you've visited Thurmans Cafe. The food is outstanding. The place is small and usually crowded so don't go if you're in a hurry; but believe me the wait is worth it. I often order and go pick it up, No Wait, No worry about parking. They have a lot of cool things on the wall to look at and the servers are very nice, often in a hurry because they're busy but very nice. GREAT PLACE TO EAT! Pros: Hamburgers, Atmosphere, Appetizers Cons: Parking, Wait more

I've lived in Columbus for a year now and am constantly amazed at what the locals consider to be good food. If you've ever cooked a burger on the George Foreman grill, you know what that bland tasteless hung of burger is like when its done. Tasting the burger at Thurman's last night reminded me of that. No flavor at all. Also got an order of onion rings that tasted fishy. Only edible item was the french fries and I have to say, they were great. Otherwise, horrible food and service. Pros: not a chain, not in a strip mall Cons: bad food, bad service, slow more

I recently visited Thurman's before a Blue Jacket's home game to try and impress my date with the amount of red meat I could eat, true Columbus style. I gave an honest effort only finishing half of my delicious Blue Cheeseburger. He showed me up and made the whole Thurman Burger disappear, which is quite a feat! Here's a tip, outsmart the waitlist and belly up to the bar- you'll get your beers quicker. No plasmas, but at the bar you are close enough to see the score without it being neccesary to drop your burger, if you do you may never get it off the plate again. Pros: lotsa beef, tons of grease, beer mugs w/ handles Cons: messy hands, messy face, post meal food coma more

I have lived in Columbus for 14 years and had my first experience with Thurman's today. What a burger. Fries were good too. It is a small place but we only had to wait about 15 minutes at 12:30 p.m. and the service was average to above. The short wait was certainly worth it once the burger came to the table. An hour and a half later... I need a nap! Pros: Food, Value, atmosphere Cons: Wait, parking more