My first experience with Tommy's was in my L.A. 80's club days. Back when I was in my early 20's and eating a chili burger and fries at 2am did not effect my weight or keep me up all night with horrific heartburn. Oh those were the days. Anyway, when I saw they built one in El Toro I was excited. Somehow it took me 3+ years to eat here. Husband and I git chili cheese burgers and fries (my burger extra pickles as always) they were greasy and delicious as expected. Afterward my stomach made noises like Linda Blair , but that is expected from food like this. I personally like The Hat's Chili Cheese Fries better but Tommy's burger are yummy. As you get older Tommy's is a once a year place to eat. Unless you have a deathwish. Then eat here every day. read more

This place might as well be called Tommy's World Famous Crack Chili. Everything else on the menu is status quo, but their chili is a drug--puts "The Hat"'s to shame. It has that element of spice...I had to drive 50 miles to get it, and did so with pleasure. I'm lucky enough to be close to the new OC opening. There's something to be said about the LA restaurant, ambiance etc, but I'm glad I have one close now. Chili cheese hot dog, chili cheese fries, double chili cheese burger...that's Tommy's. When it comes to chili and burgers/dogs, Tommy's is the pinnacle--not to mention their reasonable prices. read more

I have to give Tommy's 5 stars because they have fantastic chili cheese fries and chili cheese burgers. I never stray from these two items and I know what I'm getting...a greasy delicious junky feast! read more

My son and I were craving this - it happens a few times a year, so we had to have it. Chili Cheese Burgers and Chili Cheese Fries - hit the spot! Good stuff and that was our only meal of the day! read more

Better known as "Slop on a Bun!" I like chili, but this is nothing but greasy, runny slop. Truly one of the most disgusting things I've ever eaten. It looks, smells, and tastes awful, and is not worth the mess.Not sure which is worse, the taste of the "chili," or the bad taste of the meat underneath they are trying to hide. I tried them only because they are in "burger row", and seem to have a following. Apparently, some people must like disgusting food and bad service. Or maybe they cater to folks that aren't too picky, like late night partiers. If you're one of them, bring a lot of breath mints and give this place a try while they're still around! read more

tonight was my first ever tommy experience, and it SUCKED unfortunately for starters.. they dont accept cards... ??? maybe i shouldn't have that much faith for yelp.. i ordered the #2 cheese burger with chili cheese fries. it wasn't that great. my other chili cheese experiences are from wienerschnitzel, the hat, red robin. these other chili cheese places might not be all that great themselves, but at least their food is good enough to make me go back. but not the lake forest tommy's their chili was just basically a brown mush, i can't even find the meat crumbs. it tasted like slightly chili flavored bean paste. it could just be the batch that i got , but .. i'm pretty sure i wont go back there again. btw. i was STARVING when i got the food . and it still didnt impress me at all.. read more

You might hear stories about Tommies, about the thick filling chilly. Well they pass expectations but I warn you, one of these chili cheese fries will leave you full the whole entire day. They're very thick and will leave you satisfied. A must-have if you like chili as their whole menu is chili and it's employees and customers are great and kind and quick. As a regular, I thank tommy's great employees and the even greater chili cheese fries. read more

The gelatinous chili is one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. Unbelievable that people consume this.

This place is awesome they have great chili burgers and great hot dog chili fries great place to go and get a great stomachache later on but every once in awhile you need a good chili burger. They have good shakes too. read more

I have been eating at Tommy"s since the early 70's. I love the chili cheese dog and I ate 2 of them. Chili is a funny thing. Everybody has their own idea of what chili should taste like. I like many different kinds of chili. I crave tommy's chili at times. Great service and great food. I took away 1 star because the location sucks-hard to get to. read more

This was the first time I've ever gone to Tommy's. There was one car ahead of me in the drive thru. It didn't occur to me that their car engine was turned off until 20 minutes later when they FINALLY got their food and started their car and they didn't seem to have a large order, so I'm not sure why there was such a delay; the restaurant inside was empty. I sat there another 7 minutes waiting for my 2 burgers and fries. My food was cold when they handed it to me. Got home with our food and for all the hype I've heard about this chain, was extremely disappointed. The chili was bland and my "California-style" burger was more lettuce than anything. Big thumbs down...I will NEVER return. read more

This place is Dope! Food is the BOMB. Its different than other places man. Staff is nice.. the location is a little off.. i feel that Tommys is one of those places that SHOULD be on the center stage man .. the food i find unique and delicious at very very low prices;). A very nice place to get a quick bite man. Much Respect:) read more

I love the chilli burgers and chilli cheese fries omg! Loosing wait it's my worst enemy. After my gastric bypass my eating habits have changed except for this place. Only change here is 3 bites and my cravings are gone for a week lol. Can't stay away read more

Love this place! Cleaner that other Tommy's that i've been to but has that same taste that you love. Be prepared to wash your hands after eating though or the chili smell will stay on you and others might think of it as unpleasant lol!! read more

Good simple food. Chili dog n chili fries will fill you up like crazy. Enough to share...or not.

One star today for customer service.. The girl at the register was miserable... Just stood there and looked at me.. No hi can I help you or anything.. No up sale, nothing.. Never said thank you or anything just handed me back a pile of money... MANAGERS you need to teach people how to count back change... You don't just hand someone a wad of money. You are losing tons of money by not training these people correctly. . On up sales alone you are losing lots of money... Learn the correct way to count back change and at least say thank you..... You are making people not want to come back...oh and the fries were old... You can do fresh fries on every order it's not that busy there.. read more

Having grown up in LA I have heard of Tommy's Hamburgers for many years but just never had the chance to go. I now live in South Orange County and I am lucky enough to live near one. We went there for lunch today and we were not disappointed at all. The prices were not bad and the food was great. The chili was fresh tasting and the fries were hot. Helpful and friendly employees and clean. Do yourself a favor and go there to get awesome food!! read more

Amazing food, favorite place to go for chili burgers, used to come here all the time. Staff here seems to like to take their time and try to rush taking peoples orders but staff has been the same for a while and they make the burgers amazing! Definitely recommend if people like burgers, tamales, and AMAZING chili read more

Love Tommys the chili is great on fries too!! This location is easy to miss though.

I had the worse money transaction experience at this location this morning around 7:30AM. I purchased a Breakfast Sausage Muffin for $2.69. I paid the cashier $5.69 (one $5 bill and 69 cents in change). She just gave me a reciept and no change. I promptly told her that I gave her $5.69 and I need change back of $3.00. She apologized, opened the cash register, GRABBED the rest of the money I had in my hands had nothing to do with the transaction ($1 bill and a $10 bill). Then gave me $2 back in change. ????????????????? I told her, "Why did you take my money? That money is NOT yours. Give me my $10 dollars back." She looked at me very confused and reluctantly handed it back to me. Then I repeated myself AGAIN to ask for my change of $3.00 because I gave her $5.00. She then took the $2 she gave me (one $1 of which was already mine) then gave me $3.00. I was so upset by this point I just wanted to get my food and get out of there. I just took the three dollars and said, "You still owe me a dollar but whatever." I looked at my receipt while waiting for my food and it shows that I gave her exact change which is NOT true. While I was waiting I watched her do two more transactions. The man after me paid by debit card. The man after that paid by cash and I heard the man walk away saying, "It's okay just keep the change." If their food wasn't so delicious I would never go back. I will just go to all the other branch locations from now on. read more

It's all about the chili cheese fries. The fries don't even need to be tasty. That dense, dark and goopy chili and cheese smother the whole basket, and coat each fry. This location is hardly ever busy with its odd location. You really have to know it's hidden back there, as you can't see it from El Toro for more than a second if you turn your head 90 degrees to the right as you pass it. Bonus... it has a quick and easy drive-thru. read more

This location is a top tier. It's spotless clean. I'm a stickler for details and very picky about cleanliness, especially the kitchen area, if I can see it. Spotless! The floors, the kitchen, the tables...everything. The employees are friendly and professional. They obviously take pride in their work and it shows. My burger looked exactly as pictured on their menu, which is rare at fast food establishments. The management staff deserves a raise, as do the employees. The owners are lucky to have people working for them with this kind of attention to detail and pride in what they do. They run a tight ship. This is coming from a guy that doesn't leave reviews often, but I felt compelled to, in this case. In case this review makes its way to the right person, I ordered my food on March 13th 2019 at 12:57pm. Kudos to your team on this shift! read more

I would like to acknowledge the young lady at the drive through window today. Her name is Arelis. She was so friendly and outgoing. Her personality and friendliness makes me excited to visit this location much more frequently than I ever normally would. She was kind and smart and knew how to make my order much better by suggesting 1/4 lb patties and other additions. I can't wait to see her smiling face next time I visit. Our order was perfect and correct. It's rare to get that kind of service. Thank you Arelis for the great work! And the food was great too!! read more

Never eat here. This is the first time I tried the place. Pulled up to the drive-through towards closing time, and so I'm the only customer in the entire restaurant. I place an order for two double cheeseburgers, one chili cheese dog, and fries. I pull up to the window, and the employees are laughing, joking, and generally fucking around, having a great time. I pay, I drive home (3 minutes from this place) and get home to realize that both my cheeseburgers were chili cheeseburgers. First of all, this is the only order they have to complete, and because of their horsing around they can't even get that right. Normally, I don't mind a mistake at a fast food place, but this chili was the worst pile of dogshit I've ever had in my life. It ruined the cheeseburgers, and the dog was almost inedible. Thank fuck the fries were normal, and edible. I would stay away from this place at all costs. The employees don't give a shit, and I've seen better chili at 7/11. In n out, habit burger grill, any burger joint is a better choice than this shithole. Beware. read more

I love Tommy's burgers, tamale, chili fries etc. For over 50 years I've loved it. Today, for the first time, I had the chili dog. What a let down. They use cheap chicken dogs. They taste awful, yech!!!!! No more chili dogs at Tommy's. read more

I was quite happy to see Original Tommy's Burger was finally in South Orange County. I remember the days of eating at the original shack in Los Angeles and not having to worry what we eat. It brought back memories of old friends and the old college memories of eating late and longs study breaks because we needed a Tommy's Burger run. I may not frequent this place as much any more, but the taste still lingers in my mind because of the great times this restaurant has given me. I went here the other day and the taste provoked all those great memories. The burger tasted the same as I remembered it and long gone is the canned soft drinks. Maybe the original LA location still has cans, but out of shear convenience brought me to the South OC location. Nostalgia will keep me coming here at least once a year. THANKS TOMMY'S BURGER - YUM! ;-p read more

I was very impressed with this Tommy's. It is the cleanest fast food place you will ever go to. The staff were very welcoming and conscientious. The food came out hot and fresh. The chili is so good...no beans. read more

I have to agree with what a reviewer on this page said, I do believe they sprinkle just a little crack into their chili batches. This place is a great alternative to In-N-Out if you aren't feeling that for the fifth time this week. It truly is a worthy substitute. Its definitely different than In-N-Out but different is good. The chili is very good. It is smooth with no big chunks of meat or beans. The burgers come with chili, cheese, pickles, mustard, onions and tomato. I prefer to ditch the mustard and add in the Thousand Island. If your feeling the Iron Stomach/Colon then I suggest the burger with chili cheese fries, yum yum yum! There is very little reason for me to not go to In-N-Out these days when I am feeling a burger. Tommy's is so worth it. read more

Too greasy!! When I got my bag it looked wet, thought it was water. Turned out to be oil from the fries and burger. It was all tossed in too. read more

Love the location! Fantastic food and people! No long wait times like usual for being Tommy's burger! The staff was amazing and nice didnt feel rushed at all and my family loves it here! Definetly be back soon for more. read more

Mmmmm...Tommy's. So super junky but so damn good at the same time. Their chili is very similar in consistency and taste to The Hat's chili (or vice versa) but there is something awesomely delicious about Tommy's. Nothing beats the original Tommy's in LA but the Lake Forest one still does a pretty darn good job. Can't go wrong with their cheeseburger and chili fries. This is definitely "I've got the munchies" paradise! read more

Fries were hot and delicious but the chili didn't impress me much. Good alternative to other burger places

Saturday night, 1:20am: I first went to Carl's Jr. hoping they were open even tho it says open 24 hours and of course no one bothered to answer the drive thru after 5 minutes. So I sadly head over to McDonalds and get some garbage there. On my way back home I pass Tommy's and lo and behold, the big neon OPEN sight is lit up, I pull around the block and down the back alley and check to see if I saw correctly and YES! they are open! Even tho I just ordered from McDonalds, I was willing to trash it to eat at Tommys. I jump in the drive thru at about 1:45am and god damnit if they didnt do the same shit that Carls Jr did 20 minutes earlier. I sit at the drive thru order menu for 5 minutes and not a peep out of anyone inside. No "can I help you", "what do you want", "we are closed", "get lost", anything. I pull up and see that no one is inside even tho the place is lit up like the sun. I wait a few mins before driving home to eat my pathetic McDonalds order. Thanks alot a-holes for leaving McDonalds as the only late night choice. :( Get your act together. Turn off the open sign and lights if you arent going to take orders. read more

Good old Tommy's. Come here to die of clogged arteries, because at least you'll die happy as can be. Chili. On. Everything. I could eat that stuff out of a work boot and it would still be amazing. Imagine In N Out with chili? Pretty much. read more

I've enjoy the ocassional chili cheese burger and fries from Tommy's for over 25 years. This location doesn't disappoint. For those unfortunate souls that don't get that a chili cheese burger is greasy, messy and not the healthiest meal for you, i feel bad. Tommy's should not be compared to the rest of the burger joints, from fast food to fine dining. In So Cal they are the ying to the yang of In-N-Out. To give the food anything less than, on a bad day, 3 stars shows the lack of knowledge need to appreciate this food. Of course, bad service, could and should effect the rating, but even on that front, until you have used the 3 strike rule, you are speaking without experience. read more

Love the burgers here. I remember eating at the one in fountain valley as a teen. Driving Malibu Grand Prix snd video games.

The Burgers and fries are like an old school diner and the chili just takes it over the top with flavor, but only can give 3 stars because it's just an burger joint and nothing real special about it with all the other options around. read more

I love the chili tamale with everything on it. Its a party in your mouth for 2.95. Also am a huge fan of the chili cheese fries. Hubby and son love the double and triple chili burgers. Before this location opened when we had a hankering for greasy, messy chili food we would make the trek up to Fountain Valley location. We were so happy when this one opened about a mile from home. The best deals are the combos, huge portions and a super big drink. read more

If your in the moos for chili this is the place. I like to order a hamburger with chili and let it drip chili onto my fries. you can order chili fries as well depending on how much chili you want to take in. Yum factor is 4 out of 5!!!! read more

5 Stars all day long. Their chili burger and chili cheese fries are beyond amazing. There's nothing like it in the world. Will you feel sick afterwards? Probably. But it is totally worth it. So, so good! read more