Never had a problem, always a tasty burger that makes you happy! Ask for light mayo, or its maybe a tad soggy/overdone on the mayo.
Other nation's aren't as clean or consistent, this is a 5 star for "a cheap burger" and comparative to other nation's locations I've been to (Pleasanton, Berkeley)
Being new to the Bay Area, I wasn't familiar with the Nation's chain. Â I work in Orinda, which has relatively few eating options and almost nothing that's cheap (except for Subway), so I was thrilled to discover Nation's - which is not only a great deal but also very good food.
Oh yeah, and don't forget to save room for pie!
I'm currently in the process of determining whether Nation's or In-N-Out makes a better grilled cheese, and up until this point "It's got to be Nation's."
In my opinion an authentic grilled cheese sandwich needs to be on sliced bread instead of a bun, and it needs that crispy outside from being pressed on the grill. Nation's comes through in the authenticity department, and it tastes bomb too!
My go to meal is a vanilla shake, fries, and of course a grilled cheese since I'm pescetarian.
I come here on a regular basis. I always get a cheeseburger here, and I love it! The cheese is always super smooth and melted, the patty is thick, and the buns are fresh and slightly crunchy from the grill. The fries are also really good - the right amount of crispiness, saltiness, and softness.
The milkshakes are much cheaper than Loard's down the block, and they are just as good. I love the strawberry milkshake here. Also, try the pies! The banana cream pie is delicious, and so are the strawberry tarts.
My only complaints are they don't give you that many fries when you order them, and that it's hard to find seating. Also, making the burgers takes a while but that's because they really make the burger for you fresh.
Ugh. I think my bag was stolen that day because I ate at a crappy place for dinner.
So the day after Christmas, my boyfriend invited me to go watch a Warriors game with his brother and friends and I said okay because I obviously want to spend as much time as possible with my boyfriend. Before the game I came here to eat dinner. When we walked in I was so disgusted. It's a small janky burger joint with not much on their menu. If they were going for a hole-in-the-wall feel, then they failed. I just felt like I was in a ghetto hamburger store. I didn't even know what I should choose so I had my boyfriend just order for me and I went and sat down.
EVERYBODY in the group was eating the burger like it was the most delicious thing in the world! If it was just me and my bf I would have been complaining all night, but there were other people there too so I had to keep my mouth shut. I felt like I was eating a heart attack. And I KID YOU NOT after I was done with my burger I started feeling strange heart palpitations and I didn't feel too good afterwards.
AND MAYBE it was because I wasn't feeling too good over dinner that I wasn't thinking straight when I left my bag in the trunk of my boyfriend's friend's car after he said his car had been broken into at least 3 times before.
And in the ghetto BART parking lot near the Oracle Arena during the game, the car was broken into and my bag was taken.
And I blame this place and their nasty heart attack food for causing me to be careless with my bag. I will never get my stuff back. Only a heart attack.
Had Nation's for the first time last week and it was amazing. Not a big fan of the sauce, so I just got it with mustard. However, I will say the only reason why I didn't give it four stars was because there were flies buzzing around the food, probably not a good sign.
Other than that, the burgers are good and remind me a bit of Bob's Burgers in Fremont, CA.
I really miss this place. If you're an Orinda resident, this is a hangout spot by default. Mainly because there's basically nowhere else where they let you loiter around in a big group of teenagers. Ah, high school in the suburbs. If you're about to catch a flick at the Orinda theater, or are just planning on hanging out in the Bevmo parking lot, Nation's is your first stop.
The burgers aren't as juicy as I like, but the patties aren't miniscule like In-N-Out burgers. The buns on the burgers are actually quite good - fluffy and grilled slightly. I always ask for no weird secret sauce, so can't comment on that. Maybe I'm spewing nonsense right now, but I honestly would much prefer a Nation's burger with cheese over an In-N-Out burger. The Nation's burgers are heartier, and the fries are WAY better than In-N-Out's little salted sticks. I see people getting breakfast here too - that's too early for me to stuff myself full of greasy food, but I'm sure it's delicious.
After a Giants win burger fix!
I love a great giant burger and Nations does it for me!
Weather I'm in Orinda (as I was here) or if I'm in Pittsburg or even Brentwood...Nations burgers are awesome!
If you want a juicy, not greasy burger with simple fixing's go to any Nation's Burgers! I love my cheese burger with lite fixings (tomato, lettuce and onion) and I always ask for 2 slices of cheese! I just love the feeling of the cheese ooze into my mouth when I bite into my burger. Yes it gets all in your teeth but I don't mind. That's why they offer tooth pics! My Son had the bacon cheeseburger, plain. He ate it with out putting it down! He said it filled up his hunger pains lol!
My fries were a bit too salty this time but I'll live.
Nation's fills that void between low-quality fast food and your average sit-down place, although it leans more on the fast food side. The burgers are ok--just ok, not spectacular or even particularly memorable, but not bad either (although their BBQ sauce is pretty tasty). Their limited breakfast menu includes things you'll see on every other breakfast menu in America (basic omelets, hash browns, pancakes, toast, etc). The pies are usually on point, and they seem to rotate seasonal specials. Prices for food here are very reasonable, on par or maybe just a step above your average drive-thru. Again though, you're getting better quality food, I think.
The crowd here is a mix of elderly people and Saint Mary's students; a pretty good representation of the culture here in Moraga. At peak times, mostly on the weekend during breakfast and lunch time, the wait can be pretty long so I'll often phone my order in for pickup. The service is always friendly, and I've never had any issues with my orders in the past.
The burgers are pretty huge. But do you have to drown them in mayo??
Living in Orinda you don't have too many food options unless you head out of the city. So before I had a car I would go to nations pretty often. The burgers there are pretty good. The patty is always tasty and the veggies always fresh. The bun is nothing special but it isn't bad either. But nations loves their mayo. Unless you say no mayo it will literally be dripping off the burger. Even if you say light mayo it's still fully submerged.
The fries here are quite good. They are steak fries and are usually made perfectly. They also make some mean chili cheese fries.
I am a fan of their shakes too. I've often stopped by just to get a shake when I had a bit of a sweet tooth.
The pie here is also great. It's great to buy a slice of cake and take it home for later. My favorite are the chocolate and lemon merengue.
So if you're in Orinda and no where near an in-n-out then nations is a good choice. Just beware of the mayo!
I love this place to eat in or take out. Â When picking up take out, I call and place my order first. Â That makes the pick ups really fast!
Cheeseburgers and pies are probably what they're known for and trust me, they know what's they're doing! Â They have wild salmon burgers and grilled cheese burgers. Â Burgers are made to order and I usually ask for it with less mayo since they can slather that on the buns.
The fries are always good. Â Feeling wild and crazy? Â Get the chili cheese fries! Â I've seen it and it looks like a meal in of itself!
Prices are decent... Â not as cheap as In and Out but less than MacDonald's/Burger King.
This is one of the better Nation's I have chowed at....
Last visit Will & I had the standard cheese burger,order of fries.
I would reccomend the grilled onions as they put 2 slices(about a 1/4 inch thick) on & if you eat these you will smell like onions for the next couple of days.
Parking is normally a drag,but if U head up the residential road directly across the street,you may have luck with spots.
I live pretty close to this Nations, and eat here a lot. Â The burgers and pies are great, lots of food to satisfy any craving. Â The staff is friendly enough, I don't really expect them to be smiling all day while flipping patties. Â
I give 3 stars for two reasons. Â First, they are pretty slow in serving. Â Often times there are a lot of people here, especially after 7PM. Â I suggest you call ahead of time to make orders, because if you don't you will be waiting in a cramped room for a long time. Â Second, the cashier person is sneaky about asking if you want bacon in your burger, even if you explicitly order just a cheeseburger. Â They do this so they can charge extra for the 'bacon cheeseburger', which IMO is not worth it.
Other than that, I love Nations burgers. Â Their food always hits the spot!
I've never really been a fan of pies, but I took a chance and got the chocolate pudding pie. Though it was great, I still can't call myself a pie fan, haha. I like this place because its cheap, and the hamburgers are yummy (:
While I was here, there was this little boy who asked me for a french fry. I gladly offered him some. After he got his order, he gave me a handful of his and said, "Here you go!" with a smile.. It was the cutest thing!! I saw a lot of families come here with their kids and their baseball hats.
Service is also reasonably fast. Come here and eat some pie!
Great food at a great price, which is what you can expect from any Nation's.
The Orinda Nation's is my least favorite one in the area, though, because there is not a whole lot of seating, the staff is pretty rude, and in the evenings, it's often jammed up with teenagers who have no other place to hang out.
Traveling back to The City after square dancing in the Far East Bay my friend wanted to stop here. I had no idea this place even existed, nor that it was open to Midnight!
I will become a regular visitor.
As for the actual place. What can I say. It's a Nation's. You all know Nation's because you eat there at every opportunity, no? GREAT hamburgers! Cheap! AND PIE! Yes, PIE! Lots of really good pie.
Did I mention cheap?
It's a little small, but there's an ante room with seating for about 20.
It never occurred to me to write a review for Nations because I just assume everyone knows how utterly delicious it is. Those of you who gave it anything but five stars - how dare you! Traitors!
I grew up eating at this establishment. I make a point to go by every time I come back into town. Orinda has very few food choices, so we love us some Nations. Burgers are done perfectly every time. Even writing about the melty cheese, sizzling patties, fresh tomato, onion, lettuce and the mayo, my god, the mayo (!) has me yearning for a burger.
If you find yourself in the greater Orinda area, you would be doing yourself a disservice by not stopping at Nations, grabbing a cheeseburger, fries, and a java shake. Don't be a dick. Just do it.
I took my boo here because we were playing all around the Oakland hills and Tilden regional parks in Eastbay. Â We were starving after checking out the Sibley Volcanic reserve and also the steam trains, and we had a couple of hours to kill before we could check out the Merry Go Rounds and the Christmas light displays. Â
I have no idea why everyone loves this place. Â Maybe it's the Texas in me, but when the word Giant is used as an adjective, I'm expecting a Giant-Strain-My-Wrist-Sized-Behemoth of a monster burger that will crush my hands.
Unfortunately, this place reminds me of the 1/4 lb giant burgers that I see throughout the ghettos in Oakland. Â Like the ghetto Giant Burger locations in Oakland, this place is also run by Asian ladies, so the service wasn't great. Â
We get here, and the location is pretty small, and it reminds me of just some small time diner. Â Since we didn't want to gorge ourselves, we decided to split a burger. Â She wanted a cheeseburger, but I had to save the 60 cents on a slice of cheese in order to pay for the steam trains. Â We just order a plain burger cut in half, and a side of chili fries.
We were underwhelmed by the burger and fries. Â The burger was kinda small and thin, but it came with cheese anyway, so it was a nice surprise. Â The burger reminded me of something I would get from Jack in the Box but not as good, and the fries tasted kinda cold and stale. Looks like they don't even have the heat lamp turned on the fries, and the chili came with more beans than chili. Â They don't come with any cheese either.
Next time if I'm in Orinda, I'll try the Humongous 1/2 lb burgers at the Pub that looks like a cafeteria a few doors down. Â Worst case, you can get $4 microbrew pints on draft from there.
It's Nation's, so the food is good, but the service is bad enough to give it a bad rating.
They put cheese on my burger after I specifically said for them not to, and then when I told them they did it wrong, they did it wrong again.
I can't believe this store has 4 stars. I'm assuming most people are just reviewing Nation's as a whole, and not this location in particular. Go to the one in Moraga, not Orinda.
I took my son and his friend to lunch here before a baseball game. Â It wasn't during exactly the busiest time but was at the typical lunch time 1:10pm or so. Â We ordered 2 cheeseburgers, three shakes, and one order of fries to eat there. Â The game was at 2:00pm. Â By the time 1:45 had rolled around I told the cashier that she was going to need to change our order to to go as we no longer had time to eat it there. Â It had been over 35 minutes and our order still had not been prepared.
I received my order at 1:50pm. Â Some 40 minutes after I'd ordered it. Â 40 minutes for 2 hamburgers and a hot dog. Â I might understand it if it had been super busy, but it hadn't. Â They only had one really, really, really slow woman cooking. Â She was right there in front making the orders and people were really pissed off.
Even worse than my order was the guy who was right in front of me. Â He spent must as much time waiting and all he ordered was chilli fries. Â He waited 40 minutes or so for *chilli fries*. Â The fries and chilli had been sitting there the entire time and they made the guy wait that long.
In addition to being the slowest service I've ever had at a hamburger place, rather than try to hurry things up, it seemed like the single employee cooking was doing anything but cooking. Â Instead of making food she was restocking the inventory, pouring shake mix in the shake machine. Â Stuff like that rather than actually cook.
When I got my food it was pretty awful. Â First off I'd ordered 2 chocolate shakes and one vanilla. They gave me 1 chocolate and 2 vanillas. Â We were now late for our baseball game so we didn't have time to have them fix this.
The fries were cold. Â They'd been sitting in that fry bin for the 40 minutes I'd waited for my meal and were not fresh at all.
I don't think I've ever had a burger with more mayonaise on it. Â They just pilled it on, along with too many onions giving the burger a really bad taste.
I will never visit this restaurant again. Â It was probably the worst dining experience I've had in the past 5 years.
Great burgers! I've been coming here for over 15 years and the quality has been consistently good. The burgers are large (1/4 lb) and you have the option of wheat or standard bun. Nation's also has salmon, chicken and vegetarian burgers, although I stick to beef. The grilled cheese sandwiches are good, although they use American cheese, not cheddar. The French fries are great -- sliced thick and fried to perfection. Orders take about ten minutes and are great for dine-in or to-go. The perfect spot if you've got a craving for a big, juicy burger.
Nation's also serves a fantastic breakfast. They just recently issued a nutritional pamphlet listing the caloric values as well as fat, sodium, etc. My favorite is the 3-egger with bacon, hash browns and toast.
Don't forget about their pies! Nation's has always served top-notch pies. I'm a huge fan of the coconut cream and chocolate cream pies. Their custard is fabulous as well, and the servings are large.
I always pass by Orinda on the way to work in Clayton.
Decided to stop by one evening because I am always attracted to the neon lightsof the Orinda Theater.Turned left and saw Nations, so I decided to grab a bite to eat since I do not go to the one on Broadway in Oakland or El Cerrito. This one is small and has a seperate dining room which I found appealingly odd, Narrow dining room and Salmon Sandwiches? Do all Nations have this or just this one? It's been 3 years since my last visit to any Nations so I might just drive by Broadway in Oakland to see but not eat, it's too dirty in there, thsi one is fairly clean and kept well.
Bacon-Cheese Burger, grilled onions, light mayo
French Fries no salt
Small Coke
Banna Creme Pie!
Satisfied!
My son and I arrived in Orinda for a follow-up foot doctor appointment. We were both hungry and had only about 30 minutes to spare. So across the street to Nation's we went.
My son ordered the bacon cheeseburger (ketchup only of course) and I opted for a minimalist cheeseburger with grilled onions (and definitely without the mayo). Both burgers were delicious and were just what the doctor ordered (and smelled after we arrived at his office).
This Nations is much smaller than the ones in Berkeley and El Cerrito and with the line of after school kids, was a bit cramped and hot. However, there is seating outside the central order area. Prices are reasonable and the time between order and the food being served was acceptable.
I have always liked Nations and their good breakfasts, in addition to the burgers. I wasn't happy though when they took over the old University Cafe (a favourite "road food" destination), but it's been more of an out-of-sight and out-of-mind situation that has kept me away.
If you crave a burger, go to Nations. Â This is the BEST burger anywhere bar none. Â Huge, juicy meat, thick steak tomato slice and onion and lots of lettuce. Â The fries are excellent as well. Â You will walk away not feeling like you just had a greasy blub of beef, actually you come out planing for your next trip there. Â Love it...
We also go in for their famouse seasonal pies, cherry, apple, ....
For a big, fresh, juicy, tasty, not too expensive cheeseburger on the "other side of the tunnel" Nation's is your spot. Â It's not a fancy date spot or anything unique, but the food is damn tasty. Â
The pies are really good, the fries are crispy and salty, and the milk shakes are rich and creamy, but at the end of the day it's all about the burgers. Â Grilled onions, crisp lettuce, thick slices of tomato, melted, gooey cheese, toasted buns, and a nice, thick, well seasoned 100% beef patty, MmmMMMmmmm!!!
I've had the chicken breasts and those are darn tasty too.
O.K. so my cheeseburger was good, as I scarfed it down while piling into a car with sweaty,dirty kids, dripping pickle guts everywhere. Â This logistical nightmare could have been avoided if it had NOT taken over 15 minutes for the very slow staff here to make my cheeseburger (I think i watched the girl lay on the onions one ring at a time (WAY TOO many onions too) - but thats not a big deal, i just picked half of them off. Â but yea. Â SLOW. Â I think it was all a plot to get me to buy a pie or something, as I was loitering around the pie case eying the lemon meringue and jello/strawberry pies which sent me careening into memories of my midwestern childhood.
Review Source:The food here is surprisingly good. Â I give it a four star rating on the "burger joint scale", which differs from the scales of other restaurants and local services. Â
Nations totally gets an extra star for being open as late as they are. Â When I used to live in Orinda, it was like someone turned out the lights in downtown promptly at 9 pm. Â It was nice to have Nations there to stay open late. Â Also, it is a great place to go if you have to bring a dessert to a dinner or party and are short on time.
The burgers, chicken sandwiches, and veggie burgers are done very well here. Â Their fries are crispy and delicious with just the right amount of salt. Â The pies are also very good, and taste like they are made with fresh ingredients. Â If you are in Orinda on the late-night (for whatever reason), go get some grub at Nations.
The Moraga Nation's is open. The Moraga Nation's is closed. It's hard to keep track these days, but it doesn't really matter, does it? If you're in Lamorinda and HAVE to have a burger, you unfortunately have to go this hole-in-the-wall joint.
Don't misunderstand me. I LOVE Nation's....normally. But I have NEVER EVER EVER liked this particular location. It has a dilapidated exterior and the grungy white walls inside don't help. This was the place you would go to in high school when you had to "escape" Moraga.
The burgers are gray and overcooked. The lettuce is wilted. The fries are burnt. There isn't any effort put into the food, it's on par with McDonald's. I truly think the only reason people go to this one is that they're too lazy to get off their duff and drive into Moraga.
Sure, I'm snobby. But I've grown to expect a lot out of a burger, and the Orinda Nation's is the fugly stepsister to its Moraga counterpart.
I can do better. Orinda can do better.
I'm a vegetarian so I can't speak for a lot of the stuff on the menu, but I LOVE their Harvester Burger, fries, milkshakes, and pies. The harvester is so good I was convinced to try it be several of my meat eating friends (who will still rave about it to anyone who will listen). Fries are made in canola oil, reputed to be the healthiest type of cooking oil (it is a relative statement), so you don't have to feel as guilty for eating them. The also make the best pies I've ever had.
Definitely a classic Orinda hang out.
I don't know why I love Nation's so much. I'm done apologizing for it though. Nation's is awesome. I crave their Harvester veggie burger. Their fries are amazing. And I love fries. And I don't know what it is about fast food bbq sauce but it is soooo much better than anything i can find. And Nation's is way up there. I put bbq on my Harvester and then on my fries and it is good.
Nation's also has pies.
Upon arrival, I almost turned my hungry brood around and left: Â the restaurant was filthy and greasy, with no worker in sight to clean. Â Little wonder most of the other patrons got their meals to go ... A step up from McDonald's quality, Nation's offers freshly cooked beef and veggie burgers, and a breakfast menu. Â Our examples were good -- large and tasty, but not extraordinary. Â The prices were steep ($7.00 for just a hamburger? Â no fries, no drink?), but service was fast and friendly.
Review Source:
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