It tastes a lot like In N Out Burger. And like In N Out, It is really overrated. By no means are their burgers bad. If anything they're pretty good. I didn't even mind the half hour wait to try it. Or the fact that the food is overpriced. What really chapped my ass was that the food came with a welcome to the grand reopening letter. And on that letter they basically said anyone who negatively reviews their food should just go up and tell them to their faces. I don't think they realize that this site is to warn other people about their overrated food. Not the owner. He already knows it's overrated. All in all, I would go back here again if I drive by and the line isn't too bad. I would never knock off stars for anything but the food quality so I gave them four. I recommend the place despite being the guy on yelp who doesn't get the hype. Update 5/15: Iv'e began receiving hate mail from people who are furious that I didn't give Van's 5 stars. They're also pretty livid that I would dare to put a picture of the grand re-opening letter on the internet. And I've got to say, It's pretty amazing. read more

Order: Big Pete Double Burger w/ fries and a drink Burger Layout: Bun, Cheese, Burger, Cheese, Burger, Tomatoes, Sauce, Lettuce, Chopped Onion, Pickles, Bun Cost: $10 Fries: Crinkly and Delicious Through the month of May, Van's Burgers is open for 13 hours per week. That means that if you go anywhere else in town during those 13 hours, you're being foolish. For a few hours a day, and for a few months a year, Van's Burgers serves burgers with a big taste out of a tiny trailer. It takes a few minutes to get your food, but it comes out so hot, fresh, and juicy that it is always worth the wait. Everything about the burger was done perfectly. The meat (never frozen, of course) was juicy and flavorful, the cheese was melty gooey, the sauce gave a great flavor without overwhelming things, the veggies were crisp, and the bun was lightly toasted to give it the slightest little crunch. You have 13 hours per week, make good use of it. 5/5 read more

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Good Burger not so great as to wait in long line to order and get our food. The French fries were good and the shake very creamy delicious.

This place is the best! I realized, I had never made a review for them...I moved from WA a few months ago. Lived in Washington for 4.5 years and Vans was always a "go-to" burger spot when they were open! The staff has ALWAYS been friendly. They are very popular and thankfully, always pretty quick, so don't let the line get you down, they are worth it! Miss Van's Burgers! read more

Great burger joint. Wonderful staff. Super shakes. I always get the big Pete double with bacon mmmmm

Slow when busy. Food ok. Shakes ok. Nice for supporting local business but I won't go out of my way.

I can't get this place out of my mind!! Hamburger, onion rings and a shake are a must!!

Six months out of the year I honestly don't know where to get a good burger in Olympia. That all changes when Van's opens up, which luckily for all of us, was March 11. We snuck out Yelm Highway for lunch, a few coworkers and I, on the 2nd day of Van's season, and my two companions were Van's newbies. I had to help them find their socks because they were blown off. We had fries, onion rings, big pete's + bacon, and one hamburger + bacon. It was all amazingly Vansian and delicious. If only they were open all the time, if only they weren't 20 minutes from downtown. But they are the one and the only and for that I am thankful. read more

Van's Burger - Brought it home... still just as good - Burgers Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Vans is awesome. Customer service is great Coutney in the window is always friendly and has a smile on her face. The food is delicious the burger are fresh a juicy. They definitely dont taste like a typical fast food burger. Big Petes with bacon is to die for and the Fair burger with all the caramelized onions is also a favorite. read more

Hmmmm it's cool the people are super super friendly. But just not all that great. I would rather go for a shake than a burger

The line says it all! Get in line and give them a try the next time you crave a homemade burger! Friendly staff and hot food!

Such a sweet place. Recently moved to the area, and dang do I wish they were open year round. Seems like they have a pretty good system to have a younger guy run back and forth while you are in line to take your order and pay for your sweets. Remember to tips that guy! He must be sore by the end of his shift! read more

Van's Burger - Burgers Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Awesome service and great burgers, fries and hotdogs right off Yelm Highway. Only downside is they aren't able to be open 7 days a week.

Just updating my review. The hours/schedule has improved as well as their service. This is a great local establishment that makes some respectable burgers. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because they butter their buns too much. Their burgers are so heavy and rich in flavor that I can only take 2 bites before I have to lie down and take a nap. read more

I've lived in the area a couple of years and I've been meaning to try this spot. Today I decided to brave the line and tried this spot for lunch. I thought they did a good job of keeping the line moving. It took maybe 20 minutes to get our food. Pretty good considering there were probably 15 cars in front of us. We ordered two double cheese burgers, onion rings, & two shakes. The burgers were excellent. The meat on the burger was very flavorful and cooked perfectly. The only thing I would do different next time is order it with the sauce on the side. It was a sloppy burger but oh so good. The shakes are the best! They offer more flavors than the online menu shows. I got a coffee/chocolate shake and my boyfriend got a raspberry/chocolate. The onion rings are good. Pretty standard but good. read more

Why have I waited so long to come here? I really can't tell you but I am mad at myself for it. I ordered a cheeseburger with grilled onions instead of raw onions. My bf got the big pete sub grilled onions, 2 fries and onion rings. We demolished our food so fast bc it is good! We haven't had a good super good burger place in a while and this place is solid! I should have gotten a shake bc I heard their shakes are bomb, so get one when you're there. read more

always pleased every time i go. the wait is definitely worth it. Their milkshakes are always so creamy and delicious and I always fill myself with their crinkle cut fries and fry sauce read more

I finally got to try this place and wowzer! It is so good! I had a bacon cheeseburger and a chocolate shake. Definitely need to go back again! read more

My husband introduced me to this absolutely AMAZING place when we were dating. They are the friendliest, most WONDERFUL people I've ever met! The food is DELICIOUSLY made to order!!! Shakes are fresh and served with a smile. Even the patrons waiting with you are fabulous. BEST BURGER FAMILY AROUND!!! WE LOVE YOU VANS!!!! read more

Love this place! The food is great, service is friendly. It's worth the wait in line. I especially love their shakes.

Initially I was dead set on doing a 4 star review, but with the amazing food and unbelievable service, they deserve a 5!! We went to Van's because we had family visiting and wanted to eat something new and well reviewed. There was a pretty long line when we arrived because of the popularity. I was looking through the Yelp pics and decided to get a big Pete double with grilled onions, fried egg, bacon(thanks Nick W for the pic!!), frings and a hot fudge milkshake. We also got puppy patties for my little pups lol. We arrived home and immediately dug in. The burger was incredibly packed with greasy goodness!! I had to use a fork because it was way too thick and juicy. So delicious!! The frings were hot and fresh and milkshake tasted sweet and chocolatey. The food filled me up way too quick. Unfortunately Van's is almost never open, so I won't be a frequent foodie, but it's definitely a highly recommended burger joint!! read more

This is by far the best place to get burgers and shakes in the Yelm/Olympia area. I was really excited to initially try it being that I moved here from an area where I was able to get Blake's and In N Out, and while it doesn't compare to these amazing establishments, it definitely holds its own. The burgers weren't greasy, I loved the crinkle cut fries and I liked how malty the chocolate shake was. All in all, I was pretty happy with the visit and I plan on visiting again this Summer. I do kind of wish they had more normal hours, but beggars can't be choosers. read more

Outstanding burgers and reasonably priced. The onion rings are wonderful too along with a friendly staff. I know now why they are always busy but we'll worth the wait. read more

We decided to give Vans burgers a third try... 1st time was good, 2nd time was alright, 3rd time was horrible and will be our last time ordering their burgers! They need to change the quality of their meat patties. The big Pete was a big let down! My husband loves burgers, but for him to not finish this says a lot. The shakes and onion rings are good, but those burgers are YUCK! read more

Best burger around! It's been a few months but we, or the wife, finally decided to wait in line. By the way, I volunteered to wait in-line and actually insisted but she wore me down. Hour later we finally received the food that we were dreaming of. The burgers and fries are the best, not only in Washington, but on the west coast! My son, a true burger lover, stated that In-and-Out doesn't have anything on Van's! read more

Just had our first experience at Van's! Pulled up and there were already 5 cars ahead of us at this little shack. Went with the Double Pete burgers, fries and onion rings. When the super-friendly gal taking orders heard our Corgi barking she exclaimed that we'd be getting a Puppy Patty---free! Who does that?! When we pulled up and she saw that we had 4 dogs she was going to give us 4. We settled on two. The burgers were yummy, the old-school crinkle fries were great and the onion rings were crispy, crunchy and awesome! We'll be back for sure but only on Thursday-Saturdays. 3 days a week is all they do. They keep it simple, fresh and friendly. Nothing wrong with that! Our hounds approve too! read more

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I had someone randomly show me a picture of the best burger and so I had to try this place. It was an experience. A tiny old food truck and a huge line of cars. I think we waited in line for nearly 45 minutes and the line was just as long when we left. worried about the food being cold by the time we got home but it was just fine. A good burger with the toppings you want and the ones you don't happily left off. Conversation at the window so you felt comfortable and the wait forgotten. Good food but make sure you have time to wait in a line of cars. We were so hungry when we got home that we didn't take a photo read more

Worth the drive, and (once you're there), worth the wait...which is never as long as the line makes it look. If you ever see a line like that, you know it's gotta be good. If it's your first time, just pay attention to how the line is set up, read the signs. Excellent burgers, delicious fruit shakes, and friendly people. read more

Best burgers in county. Be ready for a long line, but worth the wait. They have awesome milkshakes & I love the corn dog!

Here tonight for the last burger of the season, so great full for this fine establishment, I've had a rough year health wise and my motivation has been to have enough good days that I can eat here, going to work all winter for the reopening in February, thanks to the great staff here for another great year, if you've never been here you are missing out, the experience is very different, sit back, relax, enjoy your time with your passengers, get your food, sit under the trees, watch the golfers and just soak it all in. read more

Love Van's - came on Saturday. Had the best Marionberries shake and the person taking my food order was pleasant and so nice to deal with. The fair burger and frings are my favorite read more

Bring your lunch when ordering. After sitting in line for over 1/2 hour line moved like 4 cars. No burger is worth it. Had I sat in line would have been well over an hour wait. Many other tasty options (Bob's...much faster!!...even Wendy's!!). Adios Van's! read more

I don't like their burgers that much, but their hot dogs are to die for!!! On a burger bun and their shakes are amazing too!! Just have to be really jonesing because it's usually over 30 minutes to get your order in. read more

I really can't see where all the 4 and 5 star ratings are coming from. You wait forever, the order is repeated back and when I get home it is wrong. This isn't rocket science, NO tomatoes is no tomatoes. The meat isn't the same size as the buns and the meat was over cooked. Way more bun than meat. This isn't my first time here, but it will be my last. read more

It's famous for being famous. Basically it's a novelty. You wait in line forever, and you walk away with an average decent burger. I'd rather go to some place more reliable like a Burger King, Dairy Queen, Wendy's. read more

Van's is the PLACE in Thurston county (and beyond!) for a fresh, hot, mouth-watering burger! It doesn't hurt that their annex, the Sweet Spot, also has fantastic hand-dipped corn dogs and gourmet handmade shakes. Be sure to take a look at the website before you go to check the hours (they're seasonal) and to take a peek at their FAQs. It's a unique and wonderful place, so doing your research before you go will pay off. read more

Yummy bacon cheese burger and onion rings. Mom got her regular fair burger no cheese and we gobbled everything thing up except for the last bite for the dog. Such fresh ingredients and an absolute treat for a sunny summer in Olympia. read more

Always great just a long wait sometimes, sometimes up to an hour. Be prepared. Yay! Keep it up guys!

By far the best hamburger spot in Olympia. Very simple little drive through burger stand.Sometimes there could be a long line but they move very quickly and efficiently. read more

Crews always amazing, waited an hr for a burger which I would NEVER do anywhere else. If you are a burger fan you won't find a better one then here. Shakes are top notch, fries are great. Can't complain, fantastic place. read more