Tom Wahl’s

I didn’t know that they were owned by Bill Gray’s I would have lowered my expectations. General burger joint options, it’s fast and better than drive thru fast food. I think that for the menu options I would pick Bill Gray’s. It is nice that you can use coupons at all their co-​restaurants.

I have been going here since middle school, and the food is always awesome. The service, however, needs some improvement. I know it’s mostly high school/​college age kids, but they don’t need to be so rude… I don’t recall it being this way in the past. Other than that, very good :)

The fries were incredibly bland (no salt), the milkshake was watered down and more ice than cream, and the burger buns were tough and chewy, like they’d been microwaved.
If this passes for an institution around here, I’m not impressed.

The food here is good, but when compared to Bill Gray’s I’d go for their competitor every time. However, if you happen to be in the area this is a close alternative. You’ll find typical burger fare here which includes fried sides, soft drinks and a few different types of burgers. Service is friendly and pretty fast. There is no drive-​thru available at this location, so you’ll have to park and order-​in. Alright choice if nearby.

If you want to learn how not to serve a burger, you should come here. Burger patty is underseasoned (basic rule #1), too much mayo (if the patty slides off the Bun, you know there’s an issue), and there is no salt on the fries (how do u not season fries as soon as they come out of the fryer.) And to top it off — they were out of mustard and the woman trying to replenish the machine couldn’t figure it out. She turns around and asks me «do you really want mustard now.» Luckily after two bites of the burger I decided I wasn’t going to eat more, so NO, I don’t really need the mustard anymore! Luckily the food isn’t expensive so I didn’t feel bad throwing it away.

Let’s just say, my girlfriend has no choice but to hide the buy one get one free burger coupons on me.

The bigger Tom Wahl’s has gotten over the years, the more they have dipped, in my estimation. First off… they completely eliminated the Caesar Burger. Yes, it was gloppy. But it was GOOD. But the main reason I’m dinging them is for the decline in the quality and presentation of their food in general. French fries not cooked long enough or in old frying oil or both. The last time I ordered a burger there it tasted re-​heated. Sure, it is a fast food restaurant. But when I get a burger that is cooked thoroughly and it it’s semi-​warm, it makes me wonder.
Sigh… I long for the good old days.

Late night episodes of garbage plates and cheeseburgers. Nothing fancy but it hits the spot.

Wahlburger –The Swiss cheese, ham, sauce and lettuce make this my go-​to burger. The home-​made root beer puts this over the top.

After driving past for many years we finally stopped yesterday and I am happy we did.
I know this burger restaurant is somewhat of an institution in Rochester.
The ground chuck pressed Hollywood burger, $ 4.49 was perfect. Old school bun, tons of shredded lettuce, thick sliced tomato, yum! My only complaint, too much mayo.
The crispy fries were BOMB delicious too.
I OD’d on the root beer too. So tasty, so sweet.
For less than $ 18 we had an early dinner and I did not have to cook.

The old saying ‘don’t mess with success’ applies here. I have been going to Tom Wahl’s in Pittsford for the last 16 years and have always enjoyed their cheeseburgers. Last night I purched two to go and when I got home I was expecting the usual DiPaolo bun with a juicy burger. Unfortunately that is not what I got when I opened the bag. At first notice the bun was larger, less chewy and had sesame seeds. This definately changed the whole eating experience along with the fact that the meat was not the usual juicy sloppy consistancy. My wife and I were very surprised that Tom Wahl’s had changed the recipe of their cheesdburgers. I called the manager at the store and asked him what they did differently and he told me that DiPaolo’s changed the bun. I told him that it completely ruined the burger and he was surprised. I also think they decreased the percentage of fat in their beef mix which made the burger very dry. I cannot figure out why they are messing with success after all these years. If they don’t change back to the way things were, I will never buy another Tom Wahl’s cheesberger.

The burgers are unique and fantastic. They use meat sauce which I love and the buns are old school as well as the cheese. These are what fast food burgers should be like; high (er) quality.
Other than the burgers, I don’t know much. I remember having a root beer float when I was 12 and it was good and was served in a frosty mug. I also heard they do garbage plates and that they are good but the verdicts up until I taste it.

I don’t understand the raving reviews about this place. It’s just another horrible junk food place, like BK or MacD. I had a burger with fries and it was awful. Definitely won’t go there again. If you want a halfway decent burger go next door to Basin Pub.

We just moved to the area and my kids have been dying to check out Tom Wahls, so we did.
The place totally grossed me out at first and could totally use a DEEP cleaning. Yuck! But my kids loved the food, so I’ll give it a 4 star rating!

Burgers are good, though I prefer Charlie Burgers better. They skimp a bit on the hot sauce.
Was most disappointed at this location for how they were closing down on Friday evening (last night when we ate). There were trays of bread/​rolls in public spaces along with brooms, etc.
There clearly was no management supervision of the young staff or one who didn’t care. That’s not acceptable. The décor of the restaurant is nice. They can do better than this.

The sauce was unique, and the thin patty was nice and juicy, but I think Good Guys and Wendy’s still surpass it. I resisted the onion rings, but they did look enticing.

I grew up on Tom Wahl’s burgers, from the Avon, NY place. Have always been my favorite burger. Love that they offer sweet relish. Only issue is that the burger is always larger than the roll. If you have to have a burger, don’t go to the national chains, instead go here. You will immediately taste the difference. Best root beer too. Counter service is always great. Food is always great. Always make a trip here, when I return to upstate NY. Plus they have ice cream.

Yum yum yum. I really enjoyed the messy burger and crispy fries here. I really like the buns… very soft. My vegetarian boyfriend didn’t seem to care too much for his vegetarian burger. But, I really enjoyed it. We just thought that for 7 – 8 bucks for a meal is a bit pricy. Another restaurant I would recommend for fast food.

The burgers are both tasty and varied, if only a little messy to eat. Their fires are stellar as is the spicy meat sauce that they provide. The homemade root beer is much better than any commercial varieties that I have tasted.

Tom Wahls is a local phenomenon mainly in the Rochester area. When I think of fresh, wonderful hamburgers, the top, absolute top of the pyramid for that is California’s In and Out Burgers. Limited menu. Unlimited Good.
However, Tom Wahl is not In and Out, but is pretty close (with the burgers) but nearby and not having to take a 6 hour plane flight is prime. Quick, limited menu, affordable and just plain great. I agree with the other reviewers, the rootbeer is awesome – weighty, distinct vanilla flavor… rich and just right. If you are in Rochester and you crave hot burgers. Run, not walk… to Tom Wahls. You will know its good (as I did yesterday) when a pair of customers back from a sports event fist pumped when their order was called. We were all with them.