i love a good hole in the wall dive and this place delivers. on the second floor with a balcony view of the alley, nothing says dive more. there is a pretty good tap beer menu and a really good, and cheap food menu. deep fried tater tots and pizza rolls and perfect as a beer side. and the bar burger was delicious with the addition of green olives and swiss cheese. i will for sure be back when visiting my friend who lives near. love, juston read more

This is the secret gem of downtown Flint. General impression from street is this place is a dive with low expectations but dont let that keep you from entering. It is amazing. Personal recommendation is to order the torch burger! It is hands down the best burger in town! Be prepared to spend time waiting for food, give yourself at least 45-60 mins from entering to receiving the bill. Beer selection is awesome with even better prices. Some many choices on tap and in the cooler. This place is a hidden treasure! read more

Great bar food and drinks. Something about the alley just makes this place feel like it's a secret even though it stands out as probably the only note worthy place in the alley. The staff are always on ball even when the place is crowded shoulder to shoulder I was addressed and served faster than my friends could finish their orders. Only reason they don't get a five is their limited selection. read more

The Torch is a Flint staple, I believe this is why they receive such good reviews.. I noticed employees give themselves 5 star ratings here, so obviously some of these reviews are done by people who work there, and more than likely their friends who are just helping out their buddy. So here is REAL review.... The Torch Burger - It's ok, I think Halo Burger has a more flavorful burger. I think the reason people claim the burger is so good is because they are drunk. Everything tastes better when your drunk, its just common knowledge.. The fries are large cut potato wedges which can be good, but many times undercooked. the rest of the menu mainly consists of deep fried foods, and a coney.. Now, the beer selection is ok. There are much better bars in downtown flint if you are a beer fan, or a fan of good spirits in general. The staff that works there in general can be friendly, or depending on the say incredibly pretentious. I have had friends asked to leave the building because they were excited while watching a sports game, or for a whistle. Bartenders have been incredibly rude to me and friends for absolutely no reason except they were just having a bad day.. which is horrible because there is no professionalism. As a bartender myself, the last thing your customers want is to see you pissy, because your pissy attitude is getting you bad tips, and will continue to get you bad tips. Also I don't understand the thing about being guinness approved for pouring beer.. I have yet to see a perfect pint come from the bar.. whoever won that award must not work there any more, probably moved on to a classier place. Lastly, the bathrooms in the basement always smell bad, and are tiny. so in the end, The Torch is your average bar, with average food, bad service, and smug employee attitudes. read more

UPDATE: This issue has been resolved, and I'm happy to say we can again visit The Torch for great food & beer! It breaks my heart to report what I experienced at The Torch tonight. My husband and I frequent the restaurant and always enjoy sitting at the bar to eat burgers and play Keno. Around 7:00, a cellphone alarm went off; multiple people heard it and looked around for the source. I found a cellphone plugged into an outlet sitting in the very corner seat at the end of the bar. A couple had just left, so I figured it probably belonged to them. The bartender, Derek, came over, and I handed the phone and charger to him for safekeeping, so the owner could come claim it when he/she discovered it missing. Ten minutes later, a man who had been sitting at a table in the restaurant with a date approached looking for his phone he said had been plugged in at the end of the bar. My husband and I told him that I had given it to the bartender. When the man inquired about his phone, the bartender, Derek, looked around all over for the phone and told the man a few minutes later he couldn't find it. We reassured the man that the phone was back behind the bar somewhere and to hang in there. After several more minutes, the man became impatient and his complaints became loud. He also used some profanity. I found it hard to believe the bartender could have forgotten where he'd placed the cell phone. A manager intervened to attempt to diffuse the situation. There was some shouting and talk of calling the police. Moments after that, Derek, the bartender found the phone and gave it to the manager to hand over to the man at which point the manager said, "Let's take this outside" in an attempt to guide the upset customer out of the building and away from other guests. However, the man also demanded that his charger be returned to him. Derek dug beneath the bar and came up with the man's charger, which had been plugged into the phone when I handed it to him earlier. The manager paid the man's bill and the man and his date left. The manager advised Derek to never again touch someone else's cellphone. My husband and I returned to our drinks, paid our tab, tipped Derek, and walked out. When we got to the alley, the man and his date were there troubled over his cellphone indicating that it was missing its SIM card. They approached us, and we attempted to help him open the SIM card slot with a pin. Three police officers were approaching, and the man told us he was looking forward to speaking with them about his issue. Just before they arrived, Derek, the bartender came out and asked the man if he was missing his SIM card and handed it to him, then went back into The Torch. I provided for the police my witness account. You can draw your own conclusions. I know what mine are. Perhaps the Soggy Bottom Bar or Table & Tap will become our new downtown Flint burger and beer go-to. read more

I worked downtown in the early 90's for lunch we'd get a fabulous Torch Cheese Burger the very best Burger! I moved away but visit the flint area. Stopped by and had another excellent Torch Burger with my family and friends wasn't disappointed still the best dam Burger in Flint, I highly recommend you try it!!! read more

i love the torch. maybe it's the burgers (served with a fork), maybe it's the dangerous (when you're drunk) staircase to the bathrooms, maybe it's because it's the only place where i can order a pitcher of guinness and not feel like i'm committing a crime. i spent years worth of mondays huddled in the corner booth with one of my best friends, drinking down pitchers of guinness and polishing off baskets of fries. it's tiny, it's dim, it's one of the best places to be in flint. read more

Warm beer. Lack luster service. Food was very bland. Not an amazing experience to say the least.

Wow, who would think that this little hideaway would boast one of the best hamburgers I've ever had? Yum. The prices are good, and they have a nice selection of draft beer--even Newcastle--my favorite. The Torch is one of Flint's hidden treasures, just down Buckham Alley. And despite Flint's less-than-stellar reputation, I've never felt unsafe entering or leaving as a patron. read more

Get food and service. The burger was great as well as the onion rings with the sauce think it was called "awesome sauce" not sure but it was great one of my favs. read more

The Burgers are not that good. Over-rated and slow service. The place needs to be cleaned. Dirty and Shabby. One of the Staff was down right rude to us as well. read more

Good service, good food, relaxed and like a little hidden gem.

Great "hole in the wall" restaurant for Flint!

Great burgers and a strong selection of craft beers but the last few times I went here the place had a very funky odor. Smells like an old locker room. That knocks it down to 3 stars. read more

Nats nats nats bugs and bad smell of mildew. The grill looked gross like they never clean it.

1. 13.12. Go about twice a month and have, off and on, for 30 years. We order the same thing each time. Burgers are juicy and tender; arguably the best in the county. Onions rings and potato wedge fries always arrive piping hot. (Deep fryer is about 25 ft from the furthest table.) You will rarely be disappointed in the food. Bartenders are skilled. The decor is worse-for-wear. It's always been no-nonsense Flint shabby, but it's gone downhill. The carpet is so encrusted that one would need a heavy scraper to remove the dirt and grease. The stuffing is coming out of the booth seats and the springs are shot . . . uncomfortably so. The woman's bathroom. Inky-dinky, in the basement, grungy, with 2 stalls. . . but you have to go into the first stall to get to the second. Tip : Take napkins to use for opening and closing the doors; turning on the water; and possibly for personal hygiene purposes since they seem to run out of tp often (or it gets stolen). As mentioned before, it's in an alley (currently undergoing inconvenient repairs) and you'll see a homeless person on occasion. Say hi, give 'em a buck, and move on. I'd give The Torch a 5 if the carpet was clean. read more

Burgers are great, the beer selection is even better. Service is always friendly. This is my go to dive bar when I am in downtown flint.

For a "hidden dive bar", their burgers and apps are bomb! It's a little small, but the good food and cheaper drinks make up for it!

Best burger downtown. I went here once in the day as it's infamous and I didn't get what the big deal was. Then I went back and had the burger and was like, oh, I get it now. Don't let the alley location fool ya, this place is worth checking out. Great beer selection, burgers rated top 50 in the U.S. and always friendly service. Great dive bar. read more

I'm a huge fan of the torch burger, I think the staff is great and I even think the owners are nice. My problem is that the bathrooms are horrible and disgusting. They have only gotten worse. Tonight when I walked down the steps to use the restrooms it literally smelled like a sewer. When I walked into the ladies room it was 10 x worse. It is just gross and I can't believe that anyone would think it is OK to leave your bathrooms like this. I have no plans on returning until the bathrooms are renovated. With all of the competition that the torch has downtown you would think that they might at least have a basic bathroom that is decent. read more

Kind of a dirty hole in the wall bar. They really could use a makeover, but the burgers make up for the shortfall on the looks. Service is ok, just depends on when u go. Great view of the ally, which has cool events from time to time. read more

Great dive bar. Great service. Good friends, cold beer, and a Torch burger and my life is complete.

Save your money if you want a good burger. My burger was raw and my onion rings were filled with oil. I will never waste my time and money here. Not to mention the attitude I was given. : ( read more

Best burger in downtown. Great atmosphere. Good selection of beers. Onion rings are good too.

Just ate here, don't waste your time here, it was terrible, McDonald's hamburgers are better than theirs.

One of the most consistent places to get a damn good burger in Flint. Their wedge fries are some of the best, their onion rings are just plain amazing, and if you don't like wedge fries, they also have tater tots for more awesomeness. I recently went here with my Brother in Law and my two sons. I was amazed to see it looked the same as the last time I had been in several years before. Talking to the waitress I discovered that it had been renovated a few years back......with the same style carpet, chairs, tables, paint etc. So it was new and clean, but looked the same. The bathrooms are downstairs and always leave a bit to be desired, but for a bar they are acceptable. Friendly staff and great atmosphere. read more

Great food and beer selection. I try to get in a couple times a month. Good staff and fun after work place.

I don't know why people love these burgers so much, they're just average burgers. It's a tiny place that needs to be updated.

Great concept but falls short. Location is a hoot in being in ally and up s short flight of stairs and being small and cozy. Nice decor in terms giving off a cross between an old neighborhood bar and a hipster bar look and feel. Nice selection of beers on tap. Some rather reasonable in price. I ordered the Torch burger. Their signature burger and one recommended be barkeep. Here is where I was truly underwhelmed. For $6 and your star burger I wanted flavors to flood my mouth. It was not to be. Cooked to my order and rather juicy with fresh tasting condiments. But I tasted too much bun and really no discernible wow factor. Almost like a burger you get at your average fairground. I was disappointed and left unsatisfied especially as I had a great burger at a restaurant the night before no more a mile away that was scrumptious and only a few bucks more. So come here if you want a rather unique setting but not a culinary experience. read more

If you want a burger and fries, this will fix everything. The burgers here are so good that you will forget about those overdue bills, the ex-lover who burned all your possessions, or the stalker that likes everything you post on FB. Drink it in, baby. The burgers are so good that I question if they may be made with human flesh or the meat of a mythical animal that nobody knows about that is only found roaming in the Second St area of downtown Flint. The Torch has a rotating selection of beer including microbrews on tap and a liquor selection that plays the hits. It may be hard to park in the area but chances are by the time you've recovered from your haze you will have somehow found a way to leave your car, eat and return to it. And as far as getting shanked in the alley, I don't even think there's enough people in Flint anymore for anyone to want to shank you downtown. It just doesn't turn a profit these days. read more

Dexter is awesome and Kayla is a really cool server. She is hardworking and is always busting her ass. Dexter is always on point with his mixology, a great bartender, also the cook tom is is a really good cook whenever I come in there he always makes my burger PERFECT, unlike the other cooks. Love this place definitely coming when this staff is scheduled. read more

I have been here numerous times now. As soon as I gave my 2 week notice to my work, we have been celebrating here pretty much on a daily basis. I absolutely love coming here. I finally tried the Torch burger. Outstanding! I've sampled the steak fries, the onion rings, and the BLT. All were really good. This is definitely my new hang out spot. read more

Pretty good burger but the place needs to be updated. the place is somewhat small but thats ok. I did like that they had free popcorn for everyone. read more

The Torch Bar and Grill is your typical dive bar, down an alley way, in downtown Flint. If you've never been there before your ascend up the stairs from the alley will have you thinking "what the heck am I getting myself into?" When you walk in the door there are roughly 10 tables and a bar with maybe 10 stools. My first thought was "how on earth can this place have one of the greatest burgers in Michigan?" Remember the saying "don't judge a book by its cover"?...that's this place, along with the waitress who served us. The menu had "The Original Torch Burger" in bold with "all Torch burgers come with everything: ketchup, mustard, pickle, and onion. Unless specified" written underneath it. That's what we went for so that's what we got and, oh man, it do not disappoint. This burger was cooked to perfection with just the right amount of ketchup, mustard, pickles, onions, and grease. No wonder, and no argument from this girl, why it's on the Ultimate Burger bucket list. read more

Rated one of the top burger joints in Michigan! The Torch Burger was surprisingly delicious. I broke my health streak just to get a taste of their burger, and I didn't regret it one bit. Made to order, fresh and hot. You can add on any toppings for a small fee. I added mushrooms in mine and loved it so much! My friend and I did a half and half of the fries and onion rings. You gotta try them! Crispy and delicious! I couldn't stop eating the onion rings when they came out. The fries were wedges. Very thick and starchy, gotta love it. I 've been there one other time to try one of their sandwhiches, which was also really good. They have a good selection of craft beers if you enjoy a good brew. Small place, right in Downtown Flint. It's a great place to grab lunch in you 're in the area. Friendly service. It's quite a unique place in terms of the way the place is structured. I can definitely see myself going there again for a bite to eat, especially for burger craving, rather than a fast food chain place. read more

Very good food. The pork tenderloin sandwich was great. The bartender was personable and knowledgeable. Beer selection very good with some unusual tasty IPA's. read more

The atmosphere was just like you'd want in a highend dive bar. Great drink knowledge from the staff and creative too. The burger was BOMB! Needed some seasoning... they don't use any. Give er a go!! read more

First time there. Not impressed at all with the food. Torch burger overrated. Awful breaded mushrooms. Meh.

Friendly little place great for Lunch and always a great place to meet after work. The food is good and the company always nice

The Torch is one of the best things Flint has to offer. What I love most about it is that they have something for everyone. If you're just looking for a cheap beer they've got it, if you want an obscure beer chances are they've got it. Want a carefully handcrafted cocktail? Ask for Kenny and if the sight of you doesn't offend him he'll make you a great one! And yes I'll join the masses and sing the praises of the almighty Torch Burger. I would recommend this place to everyone even my 80 year old grandfather. read more