Hammy’s Burgers

Kinda pricy and don’t go after 6, they take forever and are slow… Not the most personable employees but the meat tastes like In N Out… And I miss my in n out!!! So yeah, great seasoning on the meat! But don’t go here if in a rush or starving! The sense of urgency just doesn’t exist, as a matter of fact I’m starting to think there’s something called «island time» on BI in general…
I experienced this in Maui… LOL

I give absolutely no stars!
We went in tonight (our first time going there), we saw several of the tables full of people eating and a line at the counter ordering their burgers.
We go in and go to the back of the line to order our dinner. After standing there for a few minutes, long enough to check out the wall menu and know what we want to order an employee walked up to us and said «sorry we can’t serve you, were closed, were going to take the orders for this group in front of you and that’s it for the night»
What? It was 7PM on a Saturday! No sign saying closed, the door was open and they were taking orders.
So we were kicked out after standing in line for several minutes because they weren’t taking any orders after the group in front of us…
Seriously, that is no way to keep business. I can tell you we went in for the first time tonight and we will never go back after this. We drove from off island just to try this burger joint and we got turned away.
Without trying the food I would still tell people not to make the drive out there because of our experience tonight.

We were checking out the local PAWS about adopting a cat a couple doors down. I wanted to stop in at Hammy’s and check the place out after hearing a few friends rave about them. I ordered the cheeseburger and my husband and son wanted the strawberry, and Oreo shake. There was no one else in the restaurant so my burger came off the grill hot and fresh. The cheeseburger was juicy with crisp lettuce and tomato. Was it the best burger I’ve ever had? No, but it was definitely a good and tasty burger. I had a taste of the shakes and they were both excellent and not too thick. I hate thick shakes that you can’t even suck through the straw. The Oreo shake was our favorite of the two. I give them 4 stars for the food and drink. I took a star off for not wiping down the tables. Three of the tables that I saw had crumbs all over them. Since there were no one else in the restaurant they could’ve wiped down the tables during the down time.
It’s a nice and bright restaurant with some nostalgic touches here an there. Will eat there again when we’re in the area.

Giving hammys four stars because they have earned it! Originally I would have given then three but they’ve really made improvements. Good prices for good quality food. The only improvements I would recommend might be to ask the staff to be a bit friendlier so that customers don’t feel awkward.

Unpretentious little burger place. Good messy burgers, Place for high school students to find work.

Best burger place on this side of the water. They are packed for lunch but well worth the wait for great food, friendly staff and just a great different place to eat. A+++

Good beer when the staff is old enough to serve it. I’ve tried to get a burger and beer on several occasions. 2 of 3 couldn’t get a beer because servers were too young. 1 of 3 times they were out of fries. The other time they were out of beer and shakes.
Always something is not available. Most resturants have specials. This resturant posts the «Daily Out Of lists»
Also the burgers are always over salted. Ask for no salt then add your own.

So disappointed with the burger on first visit. Cold and marginally tasty with a hockey puck bun. Fries were. Good once we sent the first cold and salty batch back (which they did very nicely). Good shakes which is a plus. Nice people so will give it another try but Had hoped for much more. Hope the owner gets deeply engaged in the quality of the food.

Remember reading Lord of the Flies in high school? Remember how when you leave kids in charge it fucks everything up? This is that, but with burgers.
Want a beer with your burger? Nope. Nobody over 21 working today.
Want bleu cheese on your burger? Nope. Despite the fact that it’s a menu item, we ran out before 2 PM.
Want any semblance of lemon flavor in your lemonade? Nope. Oh, we know it’s out, and there are three employees taking care of 2 customers, but we haven’t had time yet to refill that delicious thirst-​slaking classic summertime beverage. And no, you still cannot have a beer.
Want a burger for everyone at your table? Nope. Oh you ordered two, I know, but you’ll only be getting one.
Want that solitary burger to not be burnt to shit? Nope, we’re going to cook it on a charred-​over flat grill that hasn’t been cleaned since the lunch rush.
Look, I get it. I worked in a restaurant from age 15 to 22. I know for a fact I was a forgetful dipshit most of the time. I don’t blame the kids. They’re kids. And this was just one afternoon where several things were off at the same time. The thing is… when I was a line cook, there was always adult supervision. You know… someone who knew enough to go buy cheese from a grocery store when we ran out. Someone who knew how to properly clean a grill. Someone who knew that if things were suboptimal, you don’t charge for drinks or fries. I’ve literally eaten street food in Tijuana from vendors with more business savvy than this place.
Pros: Fries were good, place was clean, and the kids were all friendly. Great location, plenty of outside seating, dog/​kid friendly.

So this business decides to post that they are open til 8PM on a Wednesday night. I figure that it’s 7:15PM, so I can call ahead to place an order before I swing by to pick it up. NOT SO FAST. Someone answers the phone and says, «Hello, we’re closed.» Wait, what? It’s not even 8PM yet. I don’t even bother questioning it… why would I want to eat at a place that falsely advertises. Who knows what other false things they do around there…

Yummy, juicy, large Burgers at a reasonable price. The fries could be more crispy, I liked the onion rings better…

Really tasty burger!
So I have been in a few times now. I’ve tried the bacon cheeseburger, the hot stuff burger, and the double (whatever its name may be). I gotta say I’m impressed.
I’ve long lamented the burger dearth that exists in Kitsap County. There are a couple restaurants that have a decent burger, but the «burger joint» just hasn’t been done right yet. Until now.
I didn’t have very high expectations based on the three star average here on Unilocal,but I had to give it a whirl all the same. I got there at opening on my first visit and they were still portioning out the day’s burgers. Fresh ground beef! No frozen hockey pucks here! That’s a pretty good start in my book.
The burger comes with a choice of cheeses, fresh onion, tomato, lettuce, and some manner of mayo/​ketchup secret sauce with a pickle spear on the side. The bun is standard fare. Add bacon and you get 3 full slices.
Very tasty! It’s not revolutionary. It’s just a good burger. And that’s it.
Sure, there are other things on the menu. I’ve even tried a few. The fries are ok. The rings are excellent. The shakes are dynamite. They have a number of chicken burgers as well as two different veggie burger options (if you’re into that sort of thing). The alternative and chicken burgers actually look pretty good if I’m honest, but since they aren’t made of cow, it’s unlikely I’ll ever try them. When I come back (and I will be back) it will be to fill that craving that can only be quenched at a good burger joint.

Overall a great burger for a fair price, which is rare for food on Bainbridge. Will definitely continue giving them my lunch business. The milkshakes are pretty killer too.

I have to say that negative the reviews thus far simply aren’t fair. It’s a hamburger joint. It’s great. The burgers are good, fries are good (maybe just a bit too salty), and the shakes are great.
It is a welcome addition to the growing number of family-​friendly restaurants on Bainbridge. We’ve been there 3 times, and it’s gotten more efficient and better each time.
For those who went during their first week and slammed them with negative reviews, jeez… that’s pretty harsh. You just can’t expect a small business like this to be able to handle the kind of traffic they got at the beginning and deliver every meal perfectly.
Try it, I think you’ll like it!

We just moved to Bainbridge a couple months ago. Hammy’s is very close to us and we’ve been twice so far. Both times were great. Orders were accurate, décor is good for a hamburger joint.
First time I was there by myself and I ordered onion rings and a cheese burger. Both very good.
Second time, I brought my 15 year old son and my husband. I just had the basic burger. Very good still! My husband ordered fries — huge portion. One was enough for the three of us. We really like that their fries have flavor. Both my husband and son loved their burgers. My son, btw, is a notoriously picky eater and he is still bugging me to take him back there.

Arrived a few days ago for the first time. There was a sign announcing something like they were out of shakes, chicken, and onion rings.
My wife orders a burger and says she wants fries. The girl behind the register rolls her eyes and says they don’t have onion rings. No, we didn’t ask for onion rings you twit.
My wife ordered a cheeseburger. She rattles off all of the cheeses on the menu then somebody from the grill yells back about all the cheeses they are out of and leaves it up to us to decipher the meaning. When it comes to ordering my cheeseburger she doesn’t bother to tell me what is available. I have to coax it out of her again or take whatever she feels like ringing up.
After those interactions I’m nervous for she doesn’t read the order back before telling us the total.
My burger was just ok. I was disappointed that the burger was noticeably smaller than the bun. The seasoning was very unusual. Reminded me of Painted Hills beef but I have no way of verifying that. My wife wouldn’t finish hers. She said it was under cooked.

Having been through a restaurant opening, I can tell you it is not easy. That being said, I went through it with leaders experienced in the process, had thorough planning and training of the crew, and hands-​on coaching by all leaders (including myself) during the opening. That being said, Hammy’s probably didn’t have the luxury of a cookie cutter chain store opening process. Yes… some hands on coaching and oversight of the (young) crew was (and still is) needed. Has service and food been consistent? Not 100% for sure, but it’s improving (we’ve been a half-​dozen times so far).
My overall impression is that it’s going to be a great little hamburger joint and is a welcome addition to the south side and Bainbridge in general.
Here’s my assessment in detail:
Hamburgers: 1^st one was a bit overcooked. This was definitely lack of grilling experience, a overly hot grill, and potentially overly fatty patties. The bacon was definitely overcooked on the first batch. The last two times the burgers were consistently good (bacon as well) and I love the simple approach. Sometimes plain ‘olé crunchy iceberg lettuce just makes a burger better. I agree with the burger to bun ratio from another post, but the bun is soft and tasty… so not a huge deal.
Fries: We’ve had string fries and steak cut fries. Maybe they’re working out the order process. They’ve been consistently good. Not great, but good. Great would be hand-​cut and perfectly fried (par cook first, then 2^nd go round in the fryer to finish them and serve them hot). Restaurant Impossible always highlights the benefits of hand cut fries.
Onion rings: very tasty so far. I suspect these are frozen as well, but of high quality. Again, fresh would be better, but these aren’t bad at all. They were cooked as expected each time.
Shake: Um… they rocked *every* time… and I haven’t had the same one twice. Each time, I got one of the «special» shakes and only the last time did I get a regular shake off the menu. When I ordered the peanut butter, the young guy ringing me up asked «would you like chocolate in that?» Why… yes I would (homage to my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup fetish). Get a shake. Splurge a little. My wife has ordered the strawberry shake several times and has real strawberries added. nom nom nom.
Décor: appropriate for this type of joint. I like the tall ceilings. It’s a touch crowded, but one could say that adds to the appeal. We’ve sat outside every time, which is nice this time of year. The second time we went, there was a fairly good wind blowing and they were really smoking the place up (see earlier comment about hot grill and fatty patties potentially causing that). It hasn’t happened since, so maybe they’ve solved that problem.
Management: my personal expectation in a place like this is to be able to readily see who’s in charge without seeing a name tag with «Manager» on it. High volume times need highly engaged leadership. With a young crew running each station, you need leadership to keep them on task and professional. Somehow, it’s managed sufficiently… but any more volume and I think they may lean towards succeeding their way to failure.
Overall, I like the place and my wife and I agreed that we need to chime in and same some positive things about this place given some of the other comments. I wish them the best of luck and hope they are here to stay!

The bacon cheeseburger was delicious. Not too greasy, but definitely an all-​American burger. The caramel shake and chocolate shakes were both really good. (I didn’t have both… Shared the chocolate with my daughter and tasted my son’s caramel one.) They also gave us a free sample of their tiramisu, which I could only taste a bite of, since I was already stuffed with burger, fries and half a shake.
Also, the atmosphere is very cute and the service was fast… This was a Tuesday evening. I can imagine it might be a bit slower on a busy weekend night, but probably worth a little wait. :)

Reality check, Unilocalers! This place was a HUGE HUGE disappointment from the excruciatingly long wait to order, ridiculous wait for stone cold and inaccurate food and most frustrating… a manager that just nods and offers no actual help.
My biggest frustration of all occurred when I was venting my issues about the wait to the manager and her response was «That’s just how it is. We’ve only been open a week.» Are you freaking kidding me??? That is a complete and total cop out! If you spend the time and energy to properly train your staff, your business can handle whatever the community throws at you.
Since it was our first time there, we stuck it out but it won’t happen again.
I think that the restaurant will probably survive because it is the only «burger joint» on Bainbridge. I, personally was not impressed with the food choices, food presentation or the management.
There is nothing special about this place, I’m sorry to say.

Hammy’s Burgers is the newest restaurant on Bainbridge Island, which opened on July 21^st. Located in the Lynwood neighborhood, its a family friendly restaurant that is casual and won’t hurt your wallet. The restaurant’s hope for their customers is that a meal here shouldn’t cost more than $ 10 a person. To give you an idea of the place, I find Hammy’s most comparable to Red Mill in Seattle.
I came here with my bf on Wednesday since we had a buy 1 burger get 1 free coupon. The place was packed with people, which gave us time to figure out what to order.
Aside from burgers, they also serve sandwiches, salads, chicken strips, garden burgers, sides, beers on tap, and shakes. Their shakes menu has a variety of flavors that you can also mix and match. In addition to that, they feature special flavors of the day. My bf had a mic of a peanut butter Oreo shake that tasted like a peanut butter cup with crunch, thanks to the blended cookies. I tried one of their special shakes that day which was tiramisu. I like that this was had a lighter flavor.
My favorite burger here has to be the Hammy’s Big Burger, which has 2 ¼ lb beef patties and all of your typical burger fixings, minus bacon and cheese that come at an extra cost. Of course we had to add those in. With the extra add ons, this is their most expensive burger at $ 8.50. We had ours cooked medium rare and this was so juicy and satisfying. If you’re looking for a smaller option, go with the bacon cheeseburger.
We also tried the Rockin Blue burger that had pepper bacon, caramelized onions and blue cheese. I found this burger disappointing. You would think this burger would have lots of flavor but it surprisingly was bland.
Service here is excellent. They take orders in a timely manner. Although their kitchen got backed up, they did offer complimentary fries, which were fine.
Hammy’s is a good place to go if you don’t want an expensive family dinner on the Island.