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    Torch Bistro

    3.7 (276 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Torch Bistro Photos

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    TORCH BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Trendy
    Casual

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    Sweepstakes Burger
    Young K.

    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.

    Drunk Uncle Burger
    Brianna F.

    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!

    Current menu
    Jadaia T.

    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).

    Breyona A.

    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!

    Dan C.

    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.

    Outdoor Sign
    Dena W.

    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.

    Crab Dip!
    Theresa M.

    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!

    Crab Dip
    Steve W.

    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!

    Oneida K.

    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.

    Menu
    Deni B.

    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.

    Local beer (Caiseal) golden ale
    Mary R.

    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!

    Blackened Tuna.
    Justin V.

    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

    Mon Special ($3.50 + $2 xtra party + $2.50 fries)

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

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    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

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    2 years ago

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

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    Ask the Community - Torch Bistro

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    Torch Bistro - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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