We heard the burgers here were outstanding here so we thought we'd give it a try. Bud believes cash is king which is evident by the sign on the door that says cash only. There was limited seating, but we got a Seay at the counter no problem. They have a pretty decent breakfast menu and a typical lunch menu including several soup choices. I ordered what I came for, a cheeseburger. I watched them make it on the grill. They started out with a handful of fresh ground beef. Then they smashed it nearly paper thin. The patty was thin and big around. They put slices onions and seasonings on it. When they flipped it over, the onions were grilled into the burger. They also pit a slice of cheese and the top of the bun on.. when it was finished the put it on the bottom half of the bun with the condiments. This burger was very good. What put the burger over the top was the fresh baked bun they used. I was told their buns are brought in fresh daily from a Bakery in Two Rivers. This will be on my best burger list. read more

Bud Willman's - Grill with burgers and breakfast items. - Burgers Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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We have been wanting to try Bud's since we moved to Manitowoc over a year ago. So glad we did. The building is small. There are several tables and breakfast bar seating. We stopped in for lunch, it was busy the tables were full so we sat at the bar. After reviewing the menu, I decided on the cheeseburger boat. It included a cheeseburger and fries. They have an open concept, so you can see the cook, making the deliciousness right there. They use fresh ground beef and the buns are from a local bakery. My burger was cooked perfectly and was delicious! The fries were crispy and golden. We can see why this is a local favorite and will eb hack when a burger craving strikes! FYI-They are cash only so be prepares if you visit. read more

Bud Willman's - Cheeseburger and fries - Burgers Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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Wow! Bacon cheeseburger for breakfast. Followed by a chocolate malt! What a way to start the day at Bud Willman's. Spectacular.

Buds has become my#1 burger joint. 2 cheeseburgers with everything is what I get. They also offer home-made soups which are always excellent. Plus the staff is always enjoyable to talk to and very kind. If you havent been here youre missing out on an awesome burger! read more

We were really excited to come here with all the reviews. I ordered the perch sandwich with coleslaw. Coleslaw was very spicy and mentioned to the server. She was kind of blank about it. I switched it out for a salad. The salad was 4 1/4 and it had lettuce and some chopped up tomatoes pretty bland. We forget that when we were in Wisconsin when we ordered chili sometimes it has macaroni in it there's was served with a macaroni in it, which was thin and watery. The hamburgers are really smashed burgers and was underwhelming. I would not come back. The server asses our meal was after we were done with it never came and asked us during the meal to me by this time that's too late. read more

Cute, very clean diner with great service. The homemade soups are always yummy. The burgers are not fancy but very tasty! The side of cheese curds is kind of small. If you are craving a real homemade shake, go here. So good! I think the prices are reasonable and some of the best burgers in the area. read more

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Good old Bud Williams . Been around forever, and nothing really changes! I can actually remember the original tiny restaurant before they mover to this location. My mom used to take me there for a cheeseburger and a shake. (Actually I think my mom went to HS with the original Bud Willman). The cheeseburgers and shakes were great back then and that hasn't changed over the many years. This is a true diner in all aspects,right down to the old guys that sit at the counter and drink coffee all day long! Lots of great soups each day, along with a number of specials. As for my recommendation, try the French Fries with Gravy. Definitely not good for you, but tastes pretty great! For a diner, this place is a blast from the past and a great option for any customer that doesn't want chain restaurant meals or bar food. It's very clean, inexpensive and certainly good. Bring cash.... no credit read more

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best smash burger around , bring cash as they do not take credit cards !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The former owners had a picture of George Motz on on the wall with a big smile and a thumbs up. If the Burger Scholar liked it that is saying something. As George would say Bud's is a old family-owned burger place. I think Bud's is now on the 3rd or 4th generation. They prioritize using fresh ground beef, and local bread. I know the sign says they have been in business for 45 years but I think it is 20 years out of date. Watch them prepare your burger they have a definite style they use. Then when you get it and take a bite boom nothing fancy just delicious. read more

Bud Willmans has been cooking burgers for over 60 years now, and there is a good reason for that... They have amazing food. I went here again for what I consider the best breakfast you can get in the city of Manitowoc. Everything you order is made absolutely perfect to your liking. I went there this morning with my parents and they continued to put out awesome food. There is nothing on the menu that is bad! Oh, and the price CAN NOT be beat! It might not be a massive establishment, but for what they lack in size they gain in quality, freshness, and great service. It's almost an insult NOT to go here. Pictured below is the plate my mother ordered (since I started eating mine right away and forgot to take a picture, sorry not sorry). She ordered American fries, bacon , toast and an egg cooked perfectly to her liking. Can't wait to come back! read more

Bud Willman's - Bacon, eggs, American fries and toast - Burgers Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Fun little local diner. Burger, fries and homemade milkshake. Yum! I got the California burger with BLT and cheese and 1000 island dressing. I'd do that again for sure. Burgers are not big so get double if you're hungry. The prices are extremely reasonable! And the staff are super nice! read more

Service was good, food was good too. Price was ok. The burger was piping hot. With good flavor. That hard roll for the burger is a nice touch it's a small place and only takes cash. read more

Bud Willman's - Double cheese burger and fries with gravy on top - Burgers Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Love the burgers! Cheese curds are good too. Prices are fantastic and service is super friendly.

The food was fine, not "Manitowoc's Best". The service was ok. The pricing is outrageous! I paid $6.50 for my burger with the assumption that fries came with it at that price. I had to pay an extra $4.25 for my fries. $11 for something I would have gotten out of brat fry. My husband wanted dessert, so I ordered the banana pie. I didn't expect much, probably just a frozen pie. What I got was a pre-made crust with a 65-cent box of Jello pudding in it. When my husband went to pay the bill the woman on the grill came and handled our money with her gloves on and then went back to the grill without changing her gloves. We will not be back. read more

Tried this burger spot for the first time. My double cheeseburger was A+!! Will be sure to stop again next time I'm in the area. read more

Bud Willman's - Burgers Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Love the food here, never a bad meal owners are great people treat you good, prices are good too, would recommend eating here,, you won't be sorry !!! read more

Like walking into a diner of the past. Great, friendly service, very clean restaurant, excellent prices and fantastic food!

Lovethe burgers and breakfast at this place! The burgers haven't changed in over fifty years. The Willmans family are terrific!

Wow. Super clean. I stopped in for a quick burger at lunch time on a Saturday and sat at the counter. One of if not the cleanest diner type restaurants I have been in. Had the Bud's Boat burger and fries. Fries were hot and fresh and I could see each order is made fresh. Never saw any fries sitting in a warmer. Fries are nearly identical to McDonald's French fries in size and texture. Burger was good, great fresh bun and made just the way I requested. Good spot for a quick ultra casual meal. Six soups and chili offered on the day I visited. I would definitely come back. Stopped in again this Saturday. Again, spotless and super clean. Simple food done exceptionally well. Another Bud's Boat with a hamburger and fries. Opted for the gravy on the fries this time. Great gravy. Get a side to dip your fries in, you won't be disappointed. Also tried a chocolate malt. Wow. Almost finished it before the burger showed up it I enjoyed it so much. Burger bun was super fresh, made at Jerry's in Two Rivers this morning. read more

Classic American diner. We had breakfast there multiple times and everything we ordered was delicious! Absolutely our breakfast stop whenever we go back! read more

THE BEST darn breakfast EVER! Thick bacon, the kind you actually get a few bites each piece, fluffy, tender scrambled eggs, raisin toast, all delicious! Staff is super nice, like family (they are). 'Cash only' does prevent us from stopping in some Sunday's after church, because we don't always have cash on hand, but I understand, it helps keep prices down that way. They love onions too! You want onions? Sautéed or raw, you'll get them! Lotsa butter, cream, the way you're supposed to make breakfast. Burgers, soups, desserts, all homemade! (Check out the two 1* reviewers: read their other reviews while you're at it) They are NOT racist, they look the way they look, and work hard. If you're a stranger, and we used to be, they don't open up, it may take a while. They are used to their same local clientele and even we've been there a couple dozen times over two plus years, they're JUST starting to get to know us! (That's how it is often times in smaller towns; they don't experience the constant flow of strangers walking in [We're from Tampa] as in a big city.) But we're not sensitive snowflakes either. Re: Misses B. ridiculous review The 'kitchen' is SPOTLESS. We sit at the counter every time, and we'd have noticed. Hubby was an award winning military cook, (23 years) you can't get higher kitchen and food standards than the military; why? Imagine giving up to 3,000 troops (that's right, 3,000) food poisoning at one sitting! A nightmare of epic proportions! I've worked in restaurants and bars and am now an RN x24+ years. We have ZERO complaints or worries of cleanliness. read more

Fresh delicious hamburgers! The cheese curds and fries are trash. Staff is frisky most of the time.

Great breakfast! Simple and inexpensive and well made. Excellent customer service. And clean as a whistle! The place was spotless! I highly recommend the hash browns; they were the perfect combination of crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Eggs were perfectly cooked and toast was perfectly toasted. We even tried a slice of the raspberry torte. We don't know what is in it, but it was delicious! read more

Fun, small town diner with great diner food. Burgers served wrapped in paper. Onion rings delicious and the chocolate malt is really malty. Nice-sized portions. Super clean. Prices very reasonable. read more

If we could rate lower, we would! This place smells good on the outside and the parking lot is very small. Customers complaining that they can't get out so then a couple customers and I had to get up from eating to go and move our vehicles. Flies on the window sills and flying around inside, some people batting them away! Frumpy looking employees that look like they just crawled out of bed. Here's the clincher! The guy making our burgers didn't once while we watched in the 25 minutes it took to make our burgers, wash his hands! He did not wear gloves! He's wiping his brow and clothing, brushed his nose, with the very bare hands he made our burgers with! The burgers did have a good flavor putting all this aside, but Ewww! The Health Department will be getting a call! There are many nicer less expensive places to go to and eat burgers! Stay away from this one! read more

Stopped in yesterday to pick-up some cheese burgers to go and it was just like I remember from when I was a kid! Amazing old school burgers made with care and fresh ingredients! A real Wisconsin gem! read more

Bud Willman's - Cooking up my tasty cheese burgers... - Burgers Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Small diner run by some nice girls trying to make a living. Food is good, malts are good food is Inexpensive

This place was supposedly known for their burgers, so I stopped by one time during lunch to try them. There was just one pair of people there already, already eating. I ordered a Bacon Cheeseburger with everything on it, plus lettuce and tomato, and french fries. I had a half hour to have lunch and get back to work. I waited 10 minutes just for the food to be ready. For a burger patty that's a few millimeters thick and some french fries, that's just unacceptable. The food arrived and I dug in. The burger was just okay. There was no meat flavor whatsoever; it must not have been seasoned at all. It was also very flat. The bun was too thick and dense. The veggies on the burger were very good. The french fries were completely unsalted, and not oily enough for salt to stick to them enough. So I ate a few and tossed most of the rest into the trash when I left. That was a really disappointing experience. I was by Manitowoc again the other day and decided to try this place again, with my fiance this time. She grew up around these parts and appreciates classic burgers more, and has them without veggies. So I thought maybe I'd give it another shot and at least she would probably like it. Like last time, there were only a few people there already and none were waiting for food. We sat down with some menus and started looking them over. A female server came right over to take our drink choices and we got a couple of coffees. She was ready to take our order but we asked for a few minutes more. We were looking over the menu and she came back a minute later, put her notepad on the table and just stood there, hovering. I thought it was pretty clear we were still looking over the menu, but I guess not to her. She was pretty rude and pushy the whole time and we eventually ordered. 10 minutes went by... nothing. 20 minutes went by... nothing. Cooks seem to be doing something but I don't know what. Finally our food came. She ordered a Cheeseburger, plain, and "American Fries", which were just sliced potatoes. I don't know why sliced potatoes are called "American Fries" since "American Fries" usually refers to steak fries, but okay. She tried them and didn't like them. I happen to like sliced fried potatoes so I took them from her and we ordered her some regular French Fries. I ordered the same as last time, Bacon Cheeseburger. Her consensus was the same as mine from before: burger is complete crap. Tasteless meat, super-thin pattie, thick bun. She said it might as well have been a grilled cheese sandwich. The sliced potatoes were okay but covered in some kind of awful-tasting oil. Not sure what was up with that. And the french fries, like last time, were completely saltless. I took a look at the kitchen area as I was eating and saw quite possibly why the burgers were so bad... the cook was squeezing them dry with their spatula! All the nice fat juices just running out, the burger sizzling on the flattop. Just... why??? You're squeezing all the flavor out of it! And add some freakin salt and pepper at least! My god. I'm done with trying this place. I don't know how it got rated so high by so many people. I'm thinking the management/cooks changed recently, because that's the only real explanation. I think I'd rather have a school lunch burger. At least those have some kinda flavor. Nasty flavor, but at least there is flavor! read more

French vanilla shake was great. Hubs and MIL says one of the best burgers in town. Our server was good. The only negative is that the cheese curds are terrible. They taste like their frozen store bought read more

Best hamburger bar none!!! I started going here 60 years ago with my dad. It was always a treat. Drove 100 miles today to get a burger here for the first time in a couple years and I was not disappointed. They even made it onto PBS on Hamburger America. So highly deserved!!!! read more

Awesome old fashioned burgers, with options for tons of in-house homemade desserts, soups, etc. Very old building & exterior may scare you off, but interior is exceptionally clean! And classic with seating at the bar. Good service! I'd go back weekly if I lived in the area, but only managed to go twice while in the area for work. read more

Love this place. Food always good and hot. And staff so friendly. It's like having a meal with family

Fabulous food. Great service. Clean. You can watch the staff prepare the food behind the counter. The burgers and malts were recommended to me, and they did not disappoint. Try the butterscotch malt! read more

Pleasantly surprised that the little spot on the corner of Washington on and 19th had great food and great service. Loved the homemade strawberry jam and, as suggested, the bacon and hash browns were excellent! read more

A Manitowoc classic for over 55 years. I don't know what Sam is talking about. Bud's is clean and in good repair. They had a remodel a few years back, might be after he was there in 2011. This place is family owned and most of their food is prepared from scratch on site. They grill their burgers with a handful of onions and make hash browns and American fries with real potatoes prepared onsite. They have at least 4 soups to choose from at any given time. They make shakes and malts with hand dipped ice cream too. Buds only accepts cash, so make sure you bring some along. A meal generally costs me about $8 plus tip. read more

Love the variety of delicious homemade soups, desserts and specials! Great prices, service and food.

I think the real name of this place is Bud Willman's. Had lunch here recently. Good, greasy, diner-style burgers. All around typical diner menu. Not the cleanest place, and they certainly haven't invested in the decor in quite some time, but it has a charm that can't be found in chains or fast food places. I'd go back. The price is certainly right. read more

I ordered the budsboat with fries and cheese curds and my dad had a double cheese burger with fries pretty good minus the fries were cardboard and we never had a server come back to our table once until we got our bill, other than that was great. Buds has got great burgers recommend it to anyone!! read more

Great food, priced right. I attended Silver Lake College 74-78, 96-97, and visited in '08, 10, & 15. It never changes & why should it! Good food, fair prices great value. The way things should be.... Bill Bruni read more

awesome hash browns, burgers, and the place is super clean. the staff is exceptionally friendly, as well