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Tommy's Hamburger Grill ~ Fort Worth, Texas


Last visit: Apr 2009 (Fort Worth - Camp Bowie)

First visit: Feb 2008 (Fort Worth - Camp Bowie)

Tommy's has 3 locations in Fort Worth.

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As with Kincaid's, you really don't need the Regular Joe's Guide to direct you to Tommy's, as this is one of Fort Worth's most respected burger institutions (since 1983). Tommy's frequently makes the Best Of lists in multiple newspapers and guides - anything from the widely circulated Star-Telegram to your local Sub Sandwich Times.

Our first visit was anything but a "Best Of" experience. The problem was not the quality of food, for if it had been, there might not have been a repeat visit. No, rather it was the service. Or lack thereof. For we waited exactly one hour to be served our hamburger AFTER being seated. That's an excruciatingly long time to wait when you're hungry - especially for what is basically fast food. It was quite simply a very poorly handled situation. They were busy, that we could see, but no expectations were set. We were just ignored for the most part. I resisted speaking of that experience alone for this blog, because everyone has bad days. How many times do you see these vicious comments about a restaurant on yelp or insiderpages, all because of one bad experience? In the end, it demonstrates sour grapes, rather than a true examination of how a restaurant operates. For the record, the hamburger was delicious on that visit. But it wasn't worth an hour wait (not much is).

So how did we fare the second time, almost a year later? MUCH better. Even though the place was crowded, service was normal - and the burger again was delicious. They certainly earn their Best Of stripes when it comes to the quality of their prize dish - the cheeseburger. The fries, on the other hand, are a bit greasy for our liking - but some may consider that a plus. We haven't tried their other offerings.

There are three Tommy's locations, all in Ft. Worth, and we've only been to the Camp Bowie locale, nearby the original Kincaid's. They're also located in the Cultural Arts District and near Ridgemar.

2/17/08; 4/8/09 (new entry); 1/29/23 verified
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Comments

Francis Shivone said…
I don't think Tommy's is what it once was. They are good but it seems to me all the locations are different as to service, cleanliness and the little things that make the whole experience worth it. That's why I stick with Kinkaids.
My boys swear by Dutch's near TCU. My first experience was bad at Dutchs, but I promised them I would give it another try when I get back into town.
April 19, 2009 at 7:46 PM
RJG said…
I need to check Dutch's out as well. Along with the Love Shack. I'm not sure the chef driven burger thing is here to stay, but I'll give it a whirl in any case. Thanks for your comments as always!
April 20, 2009 at 5:55 PM
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