So, if you look upon the menu and see the words "smash burger" be warned. Not smash burger. It's a burger burger. Very much like inch thick burger. I expected smash, I definitely got burger. But hey, we can't all be winners. Meat is meat. I'm glad to be fed. You will be left looking at the meat wondering what went wrong. Did a baby smash the burger? A hamster perhaps? When one asks for a SMASH burger, they expect a milli-inch of meat. Does this look like smash borger? No. I am not crazy. I wanted a SMASH. This s a BURGER. God bless. Thank you for reading my review. read more

Torch Bistro - Burger? Yeah. You'll get a burger. Smash burger....??? - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

We have eaten here three ties now and all the food has been great. I've had the Reuben twice and the Torch Burger once. The service has been very helpful and in a good mood. The ambience is sort of industrial/warehouse but its very comfortable and the bar seems to be popular. A Torch Burger and iced tea (non alcoholic) were $23.87 including tax and a 22 percent tip. Reasonable by today's standards. read more

Jade Loving loop guitar was playing and it was incredible!! Very low key, mellow vibe. She's so talented, I was blown away! Also prop to Vanessa and Reagan, you find better bartenders in Virginia, just treat them right! read more

My daughter said, "I give this place 5 stars!" Best grill cheese sandwich! I loved their Cuban sandwich, recommended by the server! read more

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Love the atmosphere and great service. Food was mediocre. Highly recommend the brussel sprouts on the appetizer menu. We ordered the fried cheese balls and it was okay. Super crispy outer shell with melted spicy pimento cheese inside. My husband ordered the kicking chicken (fried hot honey tenders) in the wrap, not sure of the name but he said it was okay. He got Mac and cheese on the side and it was probably one of the least favorite mac and cheese we've ever had at a restaurant. Very bland and basic. We got a side of the broccoli and it was extremely salty. I ordered the crab cake sandwich and sweet potato fries and actually enjoyed it. The crab cake tasted like any other crab cake but the sweet potato fries were hot with cinnamon sugar coated in the outside. It was pretty good. We order a hot dog and fries for my toddler and she enjoyed the hot dog. Overall we probably wouldn't come back. We enjoyed the outside patio with the live band but the food was lacking. It reminded me of basic bar food. Our server with the pink bangs was awesome though!! read more

They do trivia night here very Wednesday from 7-9pm. The trivia is pretty fun and $1 PBRs is the best deal you can get during that time! The cuban sandwich and the brusselsprouts were really good. The burger was good, but didn't have that much sauce on it and most of it (because there was so little) were soaked up by the bun. The we be jammin wrap was not spicy at all. The sweet potato fries were better than the wrap, but definitely had sugar sprinkled on it. They also messed up my fiances order with the fries. It's a good place to stop for casual food. There is street parking, but also parking in the Navy shipyard parking lot down a block. read more

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Me and a friend stopped in for a couple of drinks on Saturday (May 16th) the bar tender working that night was dismissive and only acknowledged me after I waived her down. The bar area was not crowded which made me wonder why the service was so poor. read more

We loved torch!!!! We have had so many friends recommend places in Chelsea- torch never seemed to be one that any of them had been to. We had to try it out for ourselves because it looked like a cool spot! Sydney was our server and she was extremely friendly & overall the kind of person you want to have as a server. She was honest in her recommendations with the menu & also gave great suggestions for beers on tap as well. Don't let the hours on google fool you- they are open for dinner on Friday night!! We didn't come the night prior for dinner because it said they closed at 2pm instead of 2am. My husband and I both got burgers off the menu & my dad went with their club sandwich. Everyone loved their meals and joined the clean plate club post dinner. Service was fast, prices affordable, great seating options. Really good place to just hang out and have beers or enjoy a meal too! read more

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Service was ok at the best. Atmosphere inside was not the most welcoming. Some of the food was decent. Walked in at 930 on a Saturday and it was dead, employees looked at us like we were disrupting their early breakdown from a slow night. Not sure I'd recommend for now. read more

Came by after a busy work day with some of my girlfriends (group of 6) and as always, we had a great time. We grabbed a table outdoors and were immediately greeted by our waiter and provided waters to start. I ordered the crab dip, which comes with a side of warm pita bread as well as the Torch Runner (Capt. Morgan + Morgan White + Bacardi Gold + Triple Sec + Pineapple). read more

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Went here for a company dinner gathering. It was 16 of us and the workers happily accomadated all of us with a table together and happily served us. We had one server and she was super nice and organized! Usually when I go out to eat with large groups something wrong happens with either wrong orders being made or wrong checks being handed out. However there was no issues! I was impressed with how fast and good our service was here. The food was delicious they are known for their burgers. They have a variety of different burgers and sandwhiches. I decided to order seafood because my crab dip app was delicious that it made me want to have crab cakes. It was sooo goood and fresh. I could taste the actual crab meat in the inside of it. The slushy drinks were also really good! I will definitely be back here! read more

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Haven't been here in well over 6 years. Ordered the Thai tuna wrap and it was tasty, could have used more tuna but hey that's a personal preference. Others at the table had the burger and the chicken sandwich and we all enjoyed our lunch. The fries were crispy and seasoned very well. The tables were a little on the sticky side so just a heavy cleaning session would take care of that. read more

Outstanding burgers and fries...always. On this rainy Saturday late lunch, the kitchen was slow and there was hardly a soul in the building. We had the bar to ourselves and there were only two other customers in the dining area. What was wrong with the kitchen? Service was fine, otherwise. Drunken Uncle was excellent (as usual) as was my wife's Classic with cheese. This the place for burgers and crispy fries. read more

Torch Bistro - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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It was a perfect fall day for Torch Bistro!! They have a great patio with fire tables for outdoor seating!! Not to mention I'm all about pet friendly places. Torch Bistro is pet friendly! Torch is known for their burgers, fries, and wings. I typically don't order burgers out too often, but I had to try their burger. I ordered the barbecue bacon burger with French fries. The burger was really good cooked to perfection!! The fresh cut fries had one issue there wasn't enough of them (LOL) they were so good!! Everyone at my table enjoyed their food. There was five of us things others ordered was a soup special which I believe was a crab soup they loved it. Wings, BLT, Cesar Salad, with chicken, shrimp cocktail, a club sandwich everyone loved their food. Torch offers a happy hour drink specials. Parking can be a bit of a challenge as there is a few other popular establishments in the area. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive! I would definitely go back. read more

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What a fun place! Our waitresses were all friendly with a great sense of humor! We enjoyed our beers, appetizers, and meals! I love that the French fries are made from real potatoes, house cut! And, what a unique grilled cheese I had! Buffalo Chicken! My husband enjoyed his unique burger (The Clogger), as well - with pulled pork on it! His sweet potato fries were delicious, too! Cute place with plenty of food and drinks to choose from! Check them out! read more

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Came in for St. Patties, and thought it'd be a little busy. However, I got there and it's tucked in a back area, so it was quiet. You wouldn't know it was there unless you looked it up. They had the fire outside going, which was nice since it was a bit chilly, but I went to grab a spot inside instead. Bar was more busy than the main seating area, but it still didn't have too many people sitting there. I sat with my group and I felt bad for the server sometimes. She was quite nice, even though my group was a bit loud and goofy, and our drinks and food came within a good amount of time. The ambiance in there was very casual and chill, we all had a good time. I ordered the Caribbean Salad, which had blackened cajun shrimp on top of lettuce with a pico type salsa as well. I had it with ranch as the dressing, and it was amazing. The shrimp was seasoned so nice, and cooked good as well. There was a good amount of it too, which was great. Portion wise, it was just the right amount, definitely filling. They said they were changing their menu the next day however, which I was a little disappointed about, I wanted to come back and try more things I saw, but I suppose I'll have to come back and try their new items. Which, I will come back, this place was nice, service was good, food was well made, and I liked how it wasn't too busy. Definitely recommend! read more

The Torch Bistro is one of those off the beaten path places in Norfolk that I've never even driven past. If you go through the midtown tunnel from Portsmouth and see the sealift ships on the left past the tunnel, it sits right behind them off of Orapax street. The pita bread with the crab dip comes out soft and warm. And the dip itself is great. Sandwiches and burgers come with awesome old fashioned fries that have parts of the skin on them which I love. My wife got the burger - amazing! I got the Godfather. Tasted great, would liked it to have been hotter inside. All in all, good food, great service and cool kid back environment. Definitely worth a stop, especially if you get Savana to take care of you! read more

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Tried a new spot in Norfolk on a nice sunny Saturday. We sat outside, plenty of seats and probably even nicer in the evenings with the fire pits. We had the crab dip, a little salty for me but my friend liked it. We ordered the Cuban sandwich & chicken salad sandwich with fries. Both sandwiches were very good. read more

Torch Bistro - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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This is the first restaurant I'm reviewing without trying the food. I heard great things and got excited about the menu, so we came by to check it out on a Saturday afternoon. The sign says to seat yourself so we grabbed a table and made sure to let someone know we were there. After quite awhile with no welcome and no service, we asked again for menus and were told to wait. Finally we were given menus after waiting for over 20 minutes. We informed our waiter we had looked up the menu in the meantime so we were ready to order and she said she'd be back. 10 more minutes and no waters and she didn't come back to take our order. Luckily, the torch is in a wonderful area with plenty of options for unique food. So we got up and walked a few blocks over to Orapax! I also highly recommend Bakehouse at Chelsea for the best pizza, or the Birch next door if you're looking for an evening spot. read more

Torch Bistro - Menu - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I was nervous based on reviews and this place's reputation as more of a bar. Also, I thought perhaps their only good food was some burgers, but I was delighted to be wrong. I really enjoyed the seared tuna appetizer (beautifully rare in the middle and very wasabi-y) and the buffalo chicken melt (cheesy, spicy, nice crispy buttery crust). If you'd like a heavy delicious fried meal, I'd recommend the chicken melt. It came with fries and a very sweet and fun honey/Fireball whiskey sauce. If you'd like something lighter, definitely order the seared tuna. I may go back and try other things, or I may just keep ordering either of these dishes because they were really quite good! read more

Love the outdoor area! 3 large fire pits, giant connect four for the little ones and they have service available outside. Plenty of tables available outside for parties of 4 or more. Bar area and indoor sitting available. Awesome staff, as always. Great with beer recommendations. They have local beers to support. Side street parking only. Dog friendly! And clean bathrooms!!! Which is always a plus! Lol. And there is a baby changing tables! read more

Torch Bistro - Local beer (Caiseal) golden ale - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I wasn't thrilled with the BOH's laissez-faire approach to pushing out orders. My mom & I waited a LONG time for our entrees, while parties who arrived after us received their entrees BEFORE us. Things didn't start out well - as we were walking up to Torch, one of their servers was smoking right next to the front door. Mom abhors cigarette smoke, so she took a wide path around him to avoid the smoke. We didn't realize he was an employee until later, when the lunch rush began. Our server (who, to be clear, wasn't the smoker dude) was nice enough, although he was shy and quiet. He also seemed new; personally I think he forgot to submit our entrees. My mom sat facing the kitchen and she commented that the BOH staff only began working tickets when a 4th person, who looked like the owner (well, he was clearly a person in charge), began working the grill. We ordered an appetizer, which may have pushed back our entrees, but it was frustrating to watch other parties, who came in a good 15-20 minutes after we initially sat down, get their entrees 15-20 minutes before we got ours. We waited long enough for my mom to complain to our server. Although she's impatient by nature, it takes a lot for her to complain to someone besides me (I am ALWAYS her sounding board). After listening to her rant, our server simply stated there were a lot of customers, which was true. But when we originally sat down, there were only 3 two-tops dining & two people at the bar, all of whom were well into their dining experiences. He offered his apologies during that interaction and again when he finally brought out the food. But the damage was already done. The food was pretty good, though. We shared a blackened tuna appetizer (which came out well done; I ordered it medium) while mom had the Cuban (I had the Godfather). But it took much too long for our orders to arrive for us to truly enjoy it. It's safe to say we won't be back anytime soon. I may give them another chance down the line, but it won't be with mom. She won't visit again unless they're the only place open and she's desperate for a meal. JV read more

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Dinner w wife and daughter on Mon pm. Empty dining room, 2-3 folks at the bar. Greeted warmly by Spencer, our 5 star waiter. Wife got "new guy" burger and sweet potato fries, baby girl and I got 2 Burger specials (1 patty $3.50, 2 patties for $5.50) which seemed like a no brainer. Cheap and likely made quickly. Food took forever, double burg didn't taste great, and looked gray/flat compared to single special burger. On the contrary, New guy burger ($12.50) was very good, 4/5 stars; the tomato jalapeño jam, herb cream cheese and fried egg literally made it! I remember how lively this place was a few years ago; fire pit, corn hole games, music, lots of hipsters. Definitely took a hit during/post-Covid. Wonder how long it stays burning? read more

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Bartender named Bri is a really rude and incompetent waitress. Couldn't handle 7 people at a bar and the rest of the employees just kinda stood around and did nothing. Ambiance is nice, if you actually get service. Food is a decent price for what it is- cheap bar food. read more

Great outdoor seating and picnic tables made Torch and awesome last minute stop for us to enjoy a late dinner with our two toddlers. The kids meal chicken tenders were the perfect size for them to share. I got the Cuban sandwich and while not "traditional" it was phenomenal. My husband and I made note that we now have a good spot for a Cuban when we want to grab something quick. Our server was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. We can't wait for more summer nights on their patio! read more

I have been in VA 20 days. Went to this place for lunch. I normally tip 20 percent or more. My order was 33.75. Vanessa P gives me back 6 dollars and no 25 cents. I asked her are you out of change. She says we round up. What!!. There is no sign or posting of this. How dare you? I had to get back to work. With these gas prices and recession. Are you kidding? First thing everyone ask me when I returned is where is this place? No business from this building we sending out a building wide email. I feel like this was a racial issue. I am new to VA. I don't yet know what areas the white people don't like latino and black people to go to. I have been in Healthcare 20 years this was disgusting the way she responded and answered my question. read more

Torch Bistro - How Vanessa P shorted me my 25 cents. I don't care it's my money. To say oh we round up!!. - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Visited late in the evening on the weekend... they only sell fried food late night. I ordered fried shrimp and fries. The shrimp was good, but you only get 6 for $10. The fries were okay. My drink was good. Parking was on the street. Service was okay. Inside looks outdated. read more

Torch Bistro - Fried shrimp - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I came with a couple of guy friends, and it was the night before I had a 5 mile race, soo I wasn't looking for anything too heavy, nor I was I looking to drink alcohol. We sat inside, but probably 2/3 of the customers were on the outside patio. My friends already had their beers because they had brought them over from the bar. But it took about ten minutes for us to get the servers' attention. I ordered an iced tea and it took close to another ten minutes for that to arrive. I can understand some things taking some time, such as waiting for food or the check, but at least acknowledge me! I got the The Wok, which is stir fried broccoli , green beans, mushrooms, onions tossed in a teriyaki glaze over rice pilaf; of course I added chicken. It was cooked well, seasoned nicely, there was a reasonable amount of chicken. The teriyaki was a little bit on the sweet side, but I usually find teriyaki too sweet anyway. Torch offers good varieties of food and beverage. I just wish the service had been a little bit more prompt. read more

the torch burger was so good and the ambience is always nice. Definitely recommend. Ordered to-go but service was quick.

I found this little gem tucked deep in the Chelsea district of Norfolk. We're frequent customers because the entire staff is amazing. They have a great patio, fire pits are a 10/10 and the service is a 10/10. They recently changed their menu and took some of our favorites off, but food is also still great. Lots of vegan and gluten free options, but I really miss their old crab dip. Every time I come in the girls remember us and are so excited to see us. Will be coming back to see our girls Jojo, Reagan and Vanessa. This place has had its ups and downs in the past 2 years, but I love the girls and they always make us feel welcomed. If you're in Norfolk near Colley it's a hop skip and jump. read more

Good service, good food, no complaints! We came here as a last resort after a horrible experience at a higher end restaurant. Torch Bistro made our night so much better by providing great service and food. Their menu has plenty of variety and we can't wait to come back next time. read more

Drinks are good it's a nice lunch spot the outdoor seating is spacious and good but the service could be better with the outdoor seating

Nice place for gathering with friends after work or on the weekends. We loved the wings and chilli. There were plenty of drink specials and our server was great at making menu suggestions and accommodation of my husband's allergies. read more

Went here for dinner with my girlfriend and a couple drinks. Nice atmosphere and fine beer selection, we sat outside and enjoyed the sunn Knew it was a bar and grill and didn't expect much from the food. She got a black bean burger and I got a crab cake sandwich. Both of our meals were not bussin and were Dry asf and not really what was listed on the menu so we were pretty disappointed and sad but it is what it is we will probably come back to drink beers here and be awesome all the time. read more

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Meh! I was told by a friend who had been here recently that The Torch Bistro has good burgers . I agree. I tried "The New Guy" burger which was prepared well and was quite tasty. The smoked ham, fried egg and herb cream cheese spread was an interesting combination. However, in my opinion the food is overpriced. I can see the $12.50 for my burger (kinda going rate around here anyway) but my partner had a $10 chili dog, my domestic can beer was $4 and the mac and cheese (extra buck each) was more like Penne Alfredo. Nearly $40 lunch for a burger, dog and two drinks (one of which was iced tea) after tax and tip is too much. read more

Torch Bistro - Torch Bistro - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Torch has recently completely overhauled their menu, and while there are some improvements they have taken the things that brought me back time after time off the menu. The traditional Caesar salad, the blackened tuna and the potstickers off the menu. I came here several nights a week for dinner and will now be readjusting where I eat as these were things I ate almost every time I came here. The bar staff is awesome - JoJo and Vanessa are amazing, and I will still come here for drinks, I'll just pass on the "artistic" food menu. read more

The house ranch was amazing. I asked for blue cheese but I didn't even care, it was that good. Went in on a Sunday for brunch and our waitress was soo nice!! I ordered mimosas but turned it into a pitcher because it was a dollar more than 2 mimosas. I got Buffalo wings and my date got the BLT. The wings were fried a little too hard for me and the sauce didn't really stick. The BLT had a good amount of bacon and the bread was really good but they barely put any mayonnaise so it was dry. The spot has a nice look but the flies were terrible. Our waitress was great about grabbing dishes once we finished to help with the fly situation. I'd go back for the mimosa pitcher alone. The champagne tasted great. read more

Our party of 15 got very poor quality food service. Will think twice before we go back.

Came here on a Friday night with a couple of friends and it was great! One of my friends had been here before and she recommended the sweet potato fries and they did not disappoint! They were sprinkled with a little cinnamon sugar on them which was surprisingly amazing! Definitely will return. read more

Torch Bistro - Classic BLT with Sweet Potato Waffle Fries - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

This is my own personal hidden gem I have been dining here for over five years from a teenager to now and the food has been consistently amazing. Despite the changing menu I always can find a new favorite currently I am loving the buffalo chicken grilled cheese. The crab dip is also very good and don't get me started on the famous Mac and cheese! Also they have a great happy hour and they alcohol slushies are delicious. It's the perfect place for a chill vibe away from the hustle and bustle of downtown area the patio seating and fire pits add a cozy feel to the great food 10/10 I recommend read more