4.5 Stopped in for lunch around 12:00 PM on a Friday. Street parking only. I didn't notice any meters, but I could imagine parking being tougher during a big event. Not local, so just something to be aware of. First impression is strong. Specials, awards, and a "Top 25 Burger in the U.S. (2021)" recognition are clearly displayed when you walk in. Prices are surprisingly reasonable for the quality and ambition of the food. The interior is well thought out. Heavy gold-and-black design with light brown accent chairs gives it a polished, upscale feel without being flashy. Leather seating is in great shape, and the tall ceilings paired with black vertical boards make the space feel larger than it is. Lighting is excellent, especially considering there are very few windows. Music is smooth and casual, though to some it could be turned down just a notch. The kitchen is semi-open behind a half wall, which adds to the experience early on as cooking smells build anticipation. Toward the end of my visit, the space did get slightly smoky. I arrived to an empty restaurant, but by the time I left there were around 20-25 people dining. Service was a highlight. Randy showed exceptional hospitality and checked in consistently without hovering. Food hit the table in about six minutes, which is impressive, even considering I was the only guest at first. I ordered the Major Way burger with sautéed onions, bacon, and their house drip sauce. The patty came out piping hot with a great exterior sear, though the interior flavor relies heavily on the sauce. The onions were almost cold, which stood out against the hot patty. The sauce is excellent, creamy with a light spice, and it absolutely carries the burger. Without it, the burger would feel underwhelming by comparison. The bun could benefit from toasting, as the bun struggled to hold everything together. Lettuce and tomato were fresh and crisp. If ordering to go, I'd recommend getting the buns on the side. Traditional wings were done right. Crispy outside, moist inside, and good-sized whole wings. They're essentially well-executed fried chicken wings. While very good, I feel like some seasoning may be burning off in the fryer. I'd love to compare these to their sticky or "everything" wings. Colossal shrimp was excellent. Great batter, excellent house sauce, and perfectly cooked with real texture. The seasoning shines here without tasting burnt. The fries were standout. Easily some of the best I've had in a while. Skinny, twice-fried, fresh-cut potatoes with a (I think) honey BBQ dusting. I intentionally ordered a smaller portion so the photo isn't portioned to size. House-made fruit punch was fantastic. Sweet, clean, and refreshing without that artificial coating you get from bottled drinks. I also appreciate their use of paper bowls and plates instead of styrofoam. The restaurant was clean top to bottom, including the bathrooms, which is always a strong indicator of good management. Overall, this place punches well above its weight. In a larger city, food at this level would easily cost 2.5-5x more. If you're spending lunch money at major fast-food chains nearby, redirect it here. You'll leave full and without that post-fast-food regret. read more

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Taste test! New to the area, welcome! This place is pretty solid I've visited the location in the Churchland area of Portsmouth a few years ago and I really enjoyed it If you like burgers definitely give this place a try it's not my go-to place for burgers but it's at least worth a try. Parking is available on the street if no parking is available there is a lot about less than a half a mile away. They do offer specials throughout the week. Definitely check Facebook for their specials and hours of operation. Have fun and enjoy life :) read more

Taking advantage of the $10 brewery deal - $5 pint and $10 special. Burger is delicious as always and two places to eat it so pick your ambiance :) Service is always quick and friendly highly recommend this downtown staple read more

Gourmet Burger Bistro - $10 burger special with Monday nansemond special - the original and best major way with fries - Burgers Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

The jasmine rice bowl with salmon and shrimp was absolutely delicious--everything came out hot, fresh, and full of flavor. You can tell care goes into the food. The owner personally greeted us, which made the experience feel even more welcoming and genuine. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making it a great place to sit down and enjoy a meal. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Gourmet Burger Bistro - Burgers Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

The service was great. We were greeted cheerfully, and they gave us time to look over the menu. I saw the Power Lunch Special and realized it was only Monday- Thursday. But I still wanted to give them a try. Nice R&B classics were playing. A family type feel, and could be good for groups. I ordered the Boss Chick (Chicken Ohilly) Amazing flavor, but next time I would ask for the signature sauce on the side. The fries were good, and I got the Yum Yum juice as well. Will be going back for the Power Lunch Special to try other menu items! read more

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This is such a great place to stop in if you want a burger. The food portions are huge and everything is cooked to perfection. The staff is top notch. There is plenty of seating and the area is open and airy. Would recommend every time. read more

Being from the Deep South, it's hard to find rich, soulful, gourmet flavored food. So when I say the Gourmet Burger Bistro exceeded my expectations, I mean it. I first visited for brunch and ordered the shrimp, fish, and grits--and from that moment, I was hooked. Every bite had that perfect balance of flavor and comfort that reminds you of home, but with an elevated, gourmet touch. Since then, I've tried several items, and nothing has disappointed. The P-Towner, chicken cheesesteak, rice bowls, and those everything wings are all standouts. And don't even get me started on the 80/20 tea/lemonade--perfectly refreshing--and the chocolate chip cookies to top it all off. The experience was so consistently good that I chose to celebrate my 50th birthday there with family and friends--and it was the perfect choice. Great food, great flavor, and a place I'll keep coming back to. read more

Gourmet Burger Bistro - Catfish, Shrimp, and Grits - Burgers Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

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First time visit at GBB in Suffolk - long time fan. I remember visiting the OG GBB in P-Town off of Western Branch. I've always enjoyed the creativity of their burgers and passion for trying new things - both food-wise and just 'different'. It takes guts to be willing to break the mold. I'm glad we have a local person that's willing to go that distance. Went here and was pleasantly surprised with a new menu: "Steaks & Co" - A GBB inspiration. Off this menu i tried the "boss steak"... now it should be known. I am a philly cheesesteak snob... to my core, brat about these things. Why? I have no idea. I just know that a good one is insanely difficult to find. A good cheesesteak needs to have a few simple fundamentals: 1. High quality ribeye 2. Bangin cheese 3. High quality bread It's like the Old Fashioned of drinks. Simple, yet crazy difficult to master. Oh last requirement. 4. Dat thing needs to make you sleepy.. lol Suffice to say, this philly met ALL the above... it was crazy delicious and that nap was even better. :) Seriously though, GBB is doing such a phenomenal job. I am glad they're local to the area and am proud to support this business. Thanks Major! Food Taste: 5 Overall Service: 5 Value of service to cost: 5 Facility: 5 Ambiance: Small place that's simple, clean, and warm. Repeat customer: yes Dog Friendly: no read more

The food, service and ambiance were spot on! I will definitely go to this place again.

This place exceeded our expectations. As a burger lover, I was not expecting such an exquisite tasting burger, topped with bacon that was nothing like the thin, crispy stuff you typically experience... I will definitely go back for the burger. The guy, I assume the owner, was very friendly and accommodating. To be honest, I'm already planning my return. Five stars all the way! read more

Great Burgers and Cheesesteaks! We had the Major Way, the Smokey Jo, and the Boss steak with sides of seasoned fries and bacon cheese fries. Awesome, friendly service! We'll be back! read more

BOOM, straight fire !! We happened to pass by Gourmet Bistro burger on the way to another restaurant for lunch with out of town friends. Looking foe parking we passed the other restaurant and it found it was actually closed on a 4:30 Saturday afternoon. GBB was a unanimous choice. We entered the spotless restaurant welcomed with the aroma of fried, something and welcomed by a friendly young lady. Smiling, she welcomed us and invited us to the paper menu, as we found a clean tidy table with a nice view of the quiet street. The menu had a variety of selections aside from a Gourmet Burger. My party of 4 each of us chose something different. I chose a crab cake sandwich (no fillers) with cheese fries. Hubby catfish with fries, friend, Major burger, and her hubby chose catfish with fried rice and vegetables. ALL of our meals were served piping hot to the point we needed to let them sit as we enjoyed everything wings. Everything was delicious. I'd just be happy with a small cup of everything wings sauce. Our gistest passed by the table 2 other times to see if we needed anything and if we were enjoying the meals. Everyone absolutely enjoyed our well cooked and flavored meal read more

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So I met my mentor here for the first time on Friday at Noon for lunch. I walked in and saw a large gathering enjoying their food and chatting lively amongst themselves. I waited for my mentor to arrive and when she did she told me to order first so I proceeded to the register and the owner personally aided me and answered any questions I had. Customer Service top notch okay. It's a casual setting but also can be utilized for professional lunch outings of maybe 15 ppl. The food was Delicious okay. I love wings but it was recommended since I like sweet and spicy to try the "Everything wings!!" Yummy. Now they only gave me 4 wings but they were meaty and the sauce truly was finger licking good, but the fat kid in me wanted at minimum 2 additional wings ijs. Fries were tasty as well but I obviously missed that they had sweet potatoe fries so I'll have to come back again and bring my husband. I also splurged and got a cheeseburger. It was seasoned down you hear me not too much but just flavorfully satisfying. I finished off my meal with the yum yum juice I believe that's what it's called "Fruit punch," flavor. My whole meal was a missile and yeah I'll be back. I will say it's a bit pricy but great service and good and I can see why people love it here. Mentor was nice enough to alow me to snap a pic of her jasmine bowl and honestly I will be ordering that next time as it looked great and quantity for the meal was superb. I'm new to Suffolk but I can see myself becoming a regular here. read more

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We came to the Gourmet Burger Bistro one Friday afternoon for lunch. We had heard good things about the new addition to the downtown Suffolk food scene. My first impression was the ambiance. The physical space is typical of downtown Suffolk restaurants. It was mostly clean, by not posh in any way. It is a clean casual restaurant in an old building. My second impression was the price. I ordered a cheesesteak, my wife ordered three wings, my son ordered a cheeseburger. We each had fries. The bill came to $45 not including the tip. This seemed a bit high to me. The food came out piping hot. On the whole it was good, but it was seasoned a bit heavily (e.g. too much garlic on the burger, too much salting the fries, too much pepper on the cheesesteak). They do offer drinks made in house. But we did not get any. These go for about $4.25 each. We only purchased one soda and one water. The service was good as well. The waitress was friendly and accommodating. The cook checked on us multiple times throughout the meal. Overall it was a nice experience. We would come again though the cost and menu variety are limiting factors. read more

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Gourmet Burger Bistro has recently opened a new location in Downtown Suffolk! Their Suffolk location exudes that quintessential old town Suffolk vibe with casual natural décor. They are bringing all the hometown favorites; delicious gourmet burgers, sticky wings, fried rice dishes, desserts, and their famous yum yum drink! I ordered the wings (Old Bay, Everything Wings, and Sticky Wings), along with onion rings and the Empire Burger. The onion rings were perfectly battered, and the sauce had just the right amount of heat. The wings were seasoned, battered, and sauced to perfection. The Everything Wings offered a delightful balance of sweet, tangy, and a hint of heat. The star of the show was the Empire Gourmet Burger: a hand-pressed patty topped with American cheese, sautéed onions and peppers, lettuce, tomato, and Filet Mignon! Yes, Filet Mignon on a burger! It truly combined the best of both worlds! Amazing customer service! Don't miss out on trying them! Check them out today! read more

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Excellent service, atmosphere and food! I had the chicken sandwich with delicious seasoned fries. Definitely recommend. Very sweet staff that want to make sure you're happy. Food made to order. Historic downtown Suffolk VA. read more

Gourmet Burger Bistro - Chicken sandwich with seasoned fries - Burgers Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

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I didn't even want to give them a star. But my friend and I ordered rice bowl, hers was supposed to be a grilled chick rice bowl and I ordered a veggie. So for my veggie bowl I asked for mushrooms I thought I was gonna get some sautéed mushrooms with different veggies instead I got some breaded whole mushrooms with some grilled onions and carrots and one big piece of broccoli.... as for my friend she just got a bowl of rice with some shredded chicken which barely. even had chicken and it definitely wasn't grilled read more

Gourmet Burger Bistro - Grilled chicken bowl if you can find the grilled chicken with just some carrots - Burgers Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

I consider myself a bit of a burger snob. The burger was one of the best I have had. The sweet potato fries are amazing. I've never had powdered sugar on sweet potato fries before and it was delicious. read more

Fast fresh and fantastic. Traveling through for work and stumbled onto this place. Service was great, even had some smooth R&B playing at just the right volume. Highly recommend the "Major Way" burger outstanding! read more

This place took me by surprise. The food was amazing. The crab cake did not have a lot of filler it was mostly crab and the burger was very flavorful and juicy.. the sweet potato fries were delicious they were topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar. The service was great the staff was very friendly and the food came out quickly. The staff seemed to have a great rapport with what seemed like some of their regular customers which gave it a very homelike feel. It is very small with not much seating but clean and cute! read more

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If you should ever find yourself in Suffolk , you need to stop by. The burgers were juicy (no matter how you asked it to be cooked), the corn fritters were sweet and delicious and the seasoning on the fries was unique and tasty (think bbq seasoning on fries)! Loved every bite and def worth the small detour we made. Give them a visit, these guys are doing it right. read more

Excellent burger! This place knows how to make a burger! Awesome place, friendly and clean atmosphere too!

Ate here recently for the first time. The food was excellent. I had the fried rice with chicken and shrimp, while my wife had a burger. Very tasty. The service was very good too. You order at a counter, pay, and they bring the food to you. Seems to be the norm for many restaurants post-COVID. The atmosphere could use some help. It was VERY loud and this was due to the music (some R&B stuff) being too loud, causing all the patrons to talk very loudly to be heard. The owners seemed oblivious to this. Secondly, the kitchen is open to the restaurant and the ventilation is undersized. Smoke and cooking smells were very prevalent throughout the restaurant. I'm still giving this 4 stars, but it's on the verge of 3 simply due to the fact that the atmosphere is not what we like. read more

We were in Suffolk for a wedding and decided to try a local restaurant for lunch. I'm so glad that we chose this restaurant. The entire staff was amazing, especially the owner. My husband and I had a hard time deciding what to order so we split two sandwiches. I ordered the Major Burger and my husband ordered the ribeye cheesesteak sandwich. They both came with the most delicious fries I have ever had. The portions were a good size and we were not able to finish everything. The sandwiches were amazing! But the owner let us try some sticky wings with his homemade Everything is Everythang sauce. The "sticky" wings with this sauce were the best wings I have ever had. And yes , we bought a bottle of sauce to bring home. We live in Virginia Beach but I would drive back to Suffolk to go back to this amazing restaurant. read more

I recently felt this place was amazing, but after eating here several times I need to redo that.. the service is always excellent. The problem is the size of the burgers, and the price for everything is entirely too expensive. Also they have something called a Kennedy bowl with some Cajun rice and the rice is just overly spicy.. can't even eat the meal.. read more

I had the Crab Cake burger with fries. My wife gad the Catfish & shrimp & grits. Food was decent, not worth the $60 we paid for lol. The Yum Yum drinks were $4 a piece we got 2. Sweet tea was too sweet tho. Fries were the best part of the entire meal ironically. Service is 50/50. You walk in, order, and pay before you sit down, they bring your food out to you when its ready. Ambiance was nice, clean, and they played some old school R&B! Overall its a nice place, food is ok, ambience is cool. Just not worth the money IMO read more

Gourmet Burger Bistro - Crab Cake Burger with a side of fries - Burgers Near Me - Suffolk, Virginia

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Went in for Sunday brunch and had an excellent experience. The customer service was top tier, and food was amazing. We were even greeted by the chef. I had the Waffle big breakfast with fried salmon, and hubby had Shrimp and grits. Everything was wonderful. The piece of salmon was big enough for 3 people! Can't wait to go back and try some of their dinner. read more

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Food was good drink was perfect service was good .I love the atmosphere there and the music was really relaxing and it was not too loud or overwhelming. I will be back soon. read more

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Great little place to have a quick meal!! I had the Philly Cheesesteak sandwich and my husband had the Major Way Burger. Everything came out piping hot and within a short amount of time. The fruit punch was a welcomed sweet addition. My only complaint was that the food was a little salty for my taste...but I will be back and just ask for less seasoning. Check them out soon!! read more

Food was great energy was even better, which isn't easy to accomplish. The server even held a fussy baby for the family behind us. Next time I'm in town and I'm coming here again. read more

very personable group, comfortable atmosphere! didn't mind the wild 3 year old at the table. the man I assume is the owner, came to the table twice to check in and ask how our food was and then if we enjoyed it. told him we'd be back since we were driving from NNews and we can't wait for them to get here!! read more

This place gives suffolk some flavor.The chicken Is perfect. The rice is probably the best rice I've every had. Not only that, the burgers are amazing as well as the catfish. Go try it! The service is welcoming which as a customer you would want. The ambiance is layer back vibe where you can eat and enjoy yourself. read more

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We found this place as we were traveling through the area. Quick, helpful service and delicious food!!

Pretty good burger joint. Ambiance is modern loft type so it has a good vibe. Staffs were nice and service was good; not quite sure if burger joint needs 5 stars services. This is family own restaurants so they serve with a great hospitality. Burger is best around downtown Suffolk. Would come back and try more things on their menu. Oh, just get regular fries and skip the sweet potato fries unless you like sugar and cinnamon on your fries. read more

There was great food and ambiance; the drive was worth it. It is a family-friendly place to eat and the menu has something for everyone to enjoy. Eventually, I will attend the Sunday brunch. read more

I'll start with this: WOW. When you walk into an order and sit burger place you seldom expect to be blown away. We (me a foodie and my mom an infamously picky eater) were absolutely blown away at Gourmet Burger Bistro. The first thing I noticed is how clean and organized the tables and dining room were. The space is simply furnished but the table tops were gleaming in a way that demonstrated the attention to detail that led to an epic meal. The staff member that took our order was polite, professional, and accommodated our requests questions with ease. I always love an open kitchen and that's especially true when, as in here, the surfaces look clean and the preparation spaces are well-organized. As we chatted at our table, enjoying the ambiance of kitchen work and the enthusiasm of our fellow diners, we were positively transfixed by the parade of delicious-looking plates going by. Our food was served promptly but not so fast that we wondered about it being made before we ordered- even the timing conveyed we were in for a treat! That is when the magic happened. I recognize that this is a restaurant that specializes in burgers but when the food is as well-executed as this meal was, it can be special. It was. We ordered the Major Way burger with onion rings and the catfish and cajun fries meal. Every item served was one of the best I've ever had. The burger was a generous portion without being too big, the all-important meat/bun/toppings ratio was PERFECT, and it was cooked perfectly. The toppings were fresh and flavorful. The onion rings had a flavorful breading, the onion was sweet and had a slightly caramelized flavor (not sure how they did that!) and the crunch made each bite all the more satisfying. I ordered the catfish and what a treat it was. Perfect ratio on the breading, zero greasiness, and served piping hot. The fish was tender and flaky, the breading was crunchy, and the flavor was a great balance of sweet buttery fish, seasoning, and excellent crunchy coating. So good. The cajun fries were hot, perfectly seasoned, and a great texture that let you know you are eating a fresh fry that was a potato very recently. A treat. I've saved the best for last. Each item above was served with a fresh, homemade, unique, DELICIOUS sauce that was so good we inquired about buying them. We ultimately decided to buy a 16 oz bottle of the "Drizzle" sauce that was an awesome take on a barbecue sauce. It was complex, sweet, slightly acidic, with a subtle but satisfying kick. So, so, so good. I put some on everything- and thought about drinking the last bit! We bought a bottle and the owner bottled it fresh from the batch he'd just finished. Although the drizzle sauce stood out to us, the "drip" sauce and their fresh take on honey mustard were just as good and were very well paired with each of the items we enjoyed. I could not recommend this place any more enthusiastically and I can not wait to go back. It looks like they have a great brunch menu some days and the lunch specials looked like a great value. I apologize for the lack of photos- when the food came I could hear the folks around me enjoying theirs and everything was so good that by the time I realized I wanted to make this review the photos would have been of mostly empty plates! Sorry not sorry! I'll also add that we had the opportunity to speak to the owners and I was reminded why I seek out small businesses whenever possible: they were excited we were excited, they genuinely cared about our experience, and it was obvious (from the moment we walked in) that they took great pride in the experience they offer their patrons. Every aspect of our experience was impacted by this outlook and it's the reason I am certain your experience (and mine in the future!) will be just as good as my first- enjoy this spot! read more

We are in town for business from Toronto, Canada and we thankfully stumbled upon the Gourmet Burger Bistro. Great food, incredible service and real cool vibe. They were closing but kept the doors open for us. Best burger that I have had in years. Thanks for your kindness tonight - We will definitely be back the next time we are in town! read more

FAT GIRL APPROVED!!! Damn good burger! Must stop once, you will come back!! I have a wheat allergy and they let me bring in my own bun and they grilled it up! Great people, wonderful atmosphere! read more

We have been waiting for a good family owned business in Suffolk that meets our social and dinning needs. We came across Gourmet Burger Bistro, owned by an amazing couple.. I can't say enough about the atmosphere and the Food. We have been back 3 times in 2 weeks. The Burgers are Amazing and the right portion and to our surprise they even had a Turkey Burger (have to ask for this delictable option). Overall it was a really great experience and its a must if your driving through Suffolk, Va. or if your looking for a small time vibe with a big town taste! Great Job on this one. read more

Amazing spot, had the burger and onion rings, but excellent. Service was friendly and the place was clean. Went back for brunch on Sunday, fried chicken and waffles was great. Wish they served adult beverages, maybe one day. Would definitely recommend this place for anyone coming to Suffolk looking for some good eats read more