Smitty’s Better-Burger

Soon as u pull up, it’s all the makings of a «go-​to» local greasy spoon. I’m not from the area so I cannot give nostalgia points but I see why it’s been here 60 years. Great simple menu. Buttered bun on burger and great value. But after tipping the server the burger was over $ 5-​$ 6. Not greasy or juicy enough for me. But a local biz u wanna try once.

Classic 1950’s drive in, good burgers, dogs, and fries they actually have a wide variety of foods including subs and even Dinners. I stop by every other week or so, and have never been disappointed, the carhops (yes-​real carhops) are always very attentive and friendly. Busy in the summertime but open year round. A real reminder of how eating out used to be– enjoy!

I used to live in Hampton and moved away a long time ago, but every time I would visit my hometown I always made a point of going to Smitty’s. Actually, I couldn’t wait to bite into their BBQ sandwich. I was there on 12÷28÷15. Wow, what a change in the quality of the food. This time their BBQ sandwich was horrible. It was soggy and had a very strong smoke taste, I had order two, ate half of one and threw the rest out. I also ordered their crab bites… they were cooked very hard and looked burnt. I called the server over and she said ‘Oh that’s how they look now, we use different ones now’. And they were extremely greasy too, they didn’t get eaten either. My husband ordered the fried chicken (that takes 20 minutes, but they let you know ahead of time). He’s was a #1 fan of their fried chicken… you notice I said WAS. The chicken had no seasoning and the french fries were fried as hard as a rock. He had ordered onion rings and they came out over fried too. What a big disappointment it was because we always looked forward to eating there whenever we were in Hampton. Sorry, but we won’t be returning and I also told my sisters & brothers about the change in the food so that they don’t waste money there on the horrible food. I know the place has been there for a long time… maybe they changed owners… but trust me… the new owners don’t come close to what the food use to taste like. I gave a one because that’s the lowest score… it truly deserves a –1!!!

The burgers are very good! The coleslaw was grayish color indicating that it was not freshly made and the fries tasted as if the grease they were fried in might have been a tad old. I would go back again just for the burgers!

Ain’t nothing like a Smitty’s burger!!!

I just love this little place. I’m a fan of drive in and drive thru’s :D
The prices can’t be beat for the food that you get. This is slightly off the beaten path, but worth it. I love the waffle fries, beer battered onion rings, cheeseburgers and surprisingly the FISHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. IDK what they do to the fish, but it’s like really good and not what you’d expect at a drive in. Should you be in the area it’s worth going to check it out and they take cards now, so no more cash only!!!

Been coming here since I can remember food is great and service is too. Servers don’t forget a face and are almost always pleasant. Def a staple in the community. A must for anyone visiting the area. And now they take cards too!!! Can’t wait for the city fix the cluster f of traffic at their intersection

Yum yum yum. I have visited smittys since I was a little girl and it hasn’t changed a bit. Food is always good and you can’t beat the prices.

Beer batter onion rings… Omg!!! Pulled pork sandwich with coleslaw was terrific. Fantastic place for lunch

Back in Panama City, Florida… many weekdays during high school, I ate at a place called Jimmys. Jimmys was a 50s style drive in/​restaurant that has since closed. THIS place genuinely reminds me of those carefree days. I’m not some oldie who is reminiscing on the «good old days» (I’m 28, lol) but I’m reflecting on the whole hearted taste of a genuinely GOOD tasting burger. This is definitely a place I will return to when I want some good comfort food. Two thumbs up from this Florida girl!

Fantastic fried chicken, slaw and fries. Every thing was seasoned properly and at the proper temperature when it arrived to us. The car hop was friendly, knowledgeable and gave some great food recommendations. Great place, fantastic food and amazing prices.

It’s ok, their hotdogs are pretty good. Too bad they don’t have cheese fries or milk shakes

Smitty’s has probably the best burger in Hampton. You can’t go wrong with a nice, big, juicy, cheesy burger topped with lettuce, tomatoes and grilled onions. Ya just can’t. Then here comes the fries. Arguably the best tasting fries in all of Hampton roads. Then quench your thirst with a nice cold soda.
If your looking for a great meal that doesn’t break the bank… Smitty’s is where its at.

Cool little drive in spot. Had the smittys burger and some waffle fries. Really liked the waffle fries. Burger was pretty good but I’ve had better from drive ins. Everything was a reasonable price and food was brought out quick. Worth checking out but I probably won’t become a regular.

One of our local mom and pop institutions. While being an institution does not always guarantee that some place is going to be good, in this case, it does.
Simple menu that has not changed, aside from price changes, in as long as I can remember.
I always feel like I have traveled back in time when I come here. Back to a simpler, and frankly, better day.
Freshly prepared food. Friendly car hops. No clowns, annoying red headed gals, or Kings here.
Unless it is the street.
Recommended.

Nostalgia city! Like eating out as a kid before fast food took over. Get the pulled pork sandwich with hot sauce and waffle fries.

Prices are the best. Suzanne was one of the best servers I’ve every had in a long time. She made good suggestions, was very lively and energetic. Don’t come here with an attitude because these ladies don’t deserve it.

They’ve been in business for over 50 years and they are serving great food, reasonably priced.
If you are looking for a mom/​pop shop or a pull up/​car port type atmosphere, then this is the place for you.

Looks like a dive on the outside… but it’s a classic drive-​up eatery… like in the 50’s. Our food came out hot and fresh, right to your window! Awesome!

Smitty’s Better-​Burger is tucked away off of King Street not far from the Langley AFB back gate. The food here really isn’t the greatest, but for the price you really cannot complain. The ambiance and experience is what is giving the higher rating. Due to having barely an overhead cost, they are able to keep their prices low. The place has been open since the 1950’s and it retains that 1950’s era of charm with the carhops (though they wear modern T-​shirts) and style of billboards and system of ordering food. The menu is placed on the walls of the buildings and hanging from the edges of the car ports. A carhop comes out and places a colored card on your windshield and pleasantly explains the headlight system of signaling when you are in need of service, or finished your meal.
The food is pre-​processed foods, where often they simply drop the items in the fryer and/​or throw them on a grill. The food isn’t horrible, but again for the price it is difficult to explain. There are not many places out there that you can pay $ 5 cash and actually get a meal with a drink and fries. That is becoming a more difficult feat even with fast food joints.
Simply flicking on the headlights is the signal that you are ready for your tray to be removed off your car.
The Betterburger combo is actually pretty good. I usually get the lettuce, tomato, and onion on it with other condiments.
The crab bites are also good. The seafood is of the frozen-​processed variety, but for the price, again, it’s hard to complain.
You’ll get our money’s worth here. It’s not necessarily worth a special trip out of your way for, but its a good experience on a timeless place. I’m being generous with the 4 star rating, the food isn’t worthy of the extra star, but the experience is.
One final note, it is a cash only establishment. There is a rather daunting run across 4 lanes of traffic to the neighboring Shell station (which is a little sketchy inside) that is the closest ATM.