Review Val's Burgers - Hayward

Great food and excellent service! As of 2/26/2022, there is no indoor dining, but they do bring the order out to your car. Only burgers, some sides, and drinks were available, but what was available was delicious. Will definitely be coming back

Don’t call them hamburgers… these are the best “steak”burgers in the Bay Area IMO. If you’re the right age, the burgers will take you back to the backyard cookouts of your youth. Crispy/tender steak fries too; how can you go wrong? This family owned burger spot has been open for more than 50 years and is incredible. I’m so excited that they’re open again (I was worried). I’m writing this review in February 2022, and they just re-opened due to the coronavirus pandemic with very limited hours, offering call-in/takeout service only with a limited menu, and is still cash only as always. I just went the other day and was reminded how much I love the burgers and how much is missed them. I’m eagerly awaiting for them to fully reopen so I can have a root beer float or milkshake with my burger and fries.

Great burgers!! My favorite is the papa burger with bacon hella good! They are only open weekends but close kinda early but it is definitely worth waiting for, another reason to look forward to the weekend ! Best burgers in Hayward area.

The environment was very classic as well as the food. Mama-burger is the right side for me and the taste was good... but can't say outstanding.. Fish and chips was ordered too according to some comments. Fish is nice but chips weren't attractive to me. (not hot enough, not crispy at all). Milkshake was definitely a must try item as it's get the rich flavor of chocolate and good mix of milk. However, the portion and price is not for one but three.

The burgers and shakes are the best in the area. The ambiance is a time capsule. But they're only open s fee hours a week now on Friday and Saturday.

Best Burger in this part of Bay Area, but unfortunately only rarely open on Saturday Morning, I think! I live up the street and hardly can catch them open anymore.

1950s diner known for their delicious burgers. We also ordered some of their incredible ice cream sodas Mmmm They also have dinner entrees: Shrimp, steaks and chicken. Go Check them out ASAP.

Awesome old school burger spot with a cool vibe, great food and great staff. We were starving, and the place was packed, but much to our surprise, the food came out fast and very good.

Burgers are VERY juicy and come with alot of burger! Wash that down with one of their signature rocky road milkshakes and your day just got that much better!!

We have been coming here for decades and they have the best burgers you will ever taste! I have tried many of the other menu items and all are yummy but there is something about the burgers that makes it hard to choose anything else : ) The milkshakes, the fries and the onion rings are also amazing and a must to try. It is a small restaurant with a 50's feel, ice cream counter and all, so sometimes there is a wait. We were there for my mother in laws 86 birthday last night and even though there were 9 adults and a baby in our party they were able to seat us in a timely manner. The staff is friendly and the service is quick considering the number of customers they serve. Parking lot is small and can be a bit of an issue sometimes so allow for that, although we have never had to park on the street. Val's also serves a fantastic breakfast, their steak and eggs are delicious! A restaurant worth visiting!

Well what you know??? Looks really could be deceiving. A shabby looking place but it serves one of the best tasting burger steak (they call it ground beef steak here.😉) I ever tasted. Their polish sausage taste great according to my wife and the milk shakes.... yum!😋<br/><br/>Judee Caringal

Apparently Val's is a neighborhood staple diner. Everyone that's from the area has heard of it and with good reason. I stopped in for breakfast and got a breakfast sandwich. Be forewarned that the portions are huge. The staff if very friendly and attentive. I'll be back to grab a milkshake from their ice cream bar!

Top notch old school burger joint. Time warp, in a good way. Go for the beef, the mama,and don't overlook it. Fat flecked juice on the plate 4 napkin who said grass fed tastes better burger. Fries have substance and integrity. There's a dedicated shake maestro. Lettuce and tomato very much the afterthought here. Large bins of thick sliced onions on the table

On out way to Sacramento we stopped at Val's for a bite to eat. This busy joint was a hidden jem!!! The burgers are absolutely amazing!! Extreemly juicy and charred, making my mouth water as I write this! The service was also great, employees are extreemly friendly and accommodating. Out waitress sugared we try the steak sandwich next time (oh and their will be a next time!). My fiancé say the bathrooms were impeccably clean which is a major plus.

I've been coming to vals for 36 years. I now live over an hour and a half away (used to live less than a mile away and as a special treat my parents would take us for a burger and shake!) My husband and I actually drive from above sacramento all the way to Hayward for a burger and shake or the steak sandwich! For mothers day my 18 year old son drove and picked me up a mama burger with cheese and a banana shake-absolutely phenomenal! Great food, fantastic friendly service and priced well! In all honesty, I'd pay $15-$20 for this meal!

What a fun place! What makes Val's so great is that it was built in 1958, and never changed. So you get the true, nostalgic feel of the era, not like a modern chain trying to look retro.

Perfect burger, juicy and flavorful. Place is adorable, too, and once we sat next to teenagers wearing rodeo costumes un-ironically, which rocked. Fries and rings are just ok and cash only are minuses, but the burger and shakes more than make up for it.

Extremely OVERRATED...Very Disappointing Burger.. I ventured all the way to Val's Burgers because of all the "hype" I read about it on another review site and I actually found this place to be extremely overrated.<br/><br/>First of all, it's not in a very nice part of town...and the parking lot is quite small. Service was friendly, but my Mama Burger was quite disappointing. My husband ordered a linguica breakfast and he said it was awful...he didn't even finish it and he ALWAYS cleans his plate!<br/><br/>Even a Double Double Cheeseburger from In-N-Out beats Val's Burgers any day...at half the price...and they take credit cards (Val's is cash only)...and their bathrooms are clean (I walked in and walked right back out of Val's...it was that bad.)<br/><br/>One more thing...Val's is the first place I've been to that charges extra for a slice of tomato on their burgers.

WOW! the best burger in the bay area NO DOUBT!!! and the best memory of growing up a bay area kid. i have dreams at night of val's burgers and the owners thick black mustache. both look very cool but one tastes better than the other!! this is my all time favorite place to get a burger! now i know a good burger and i've had my share of burgers but this is my place! been going here for over 30 years and i'm only 34! the burgers come in 3 sizes; baby-1/3, mama-1/2 and papa-1lb. .all bout the mama burger for me as i prefer one beef patty if i'm super hungry i'll get 2 but that is so rare! fresh condiments- onions, relish, pickles are at every table for fixing your burger (cheese and tomatoes are extra). the best part is they way they cook it...the real way...CHARBROILED, that lovely charred taste!! the fries and onion rings are so scrumptious and tender inside. they come in large baskets that can be shared between you and all of your friends for around $3. i gotta get the fries as they have the best classic thick cut fries. i never life soft fries but i make the exception for val's fries, OH MY!! a shake to top things off is the way to go! they have so many flavors to choose from but i usually go with banana or pineapple. cool to see the staff for the most part is the same as when i started going there and after all this time they still remember my face! love how they keep it in the family! u can go for breakfast lunch and dinner but anytime i go i always gotta get my burger on! most of the time u go there is somewhat of a wait on a busy weekend night be ready to wait but so worth it i swear to god! val's isn't the easiest place to find in hayward as it's not on the main drag but if you find a burger lover around the area they better know of val's or that person needs to move out of hayward now! parking is a drag too as they have as many spaces as they do tables but patience always works out. i just wish they were open on sunday's and monday's cause i get my cravings 7 days a week. i guess i need those 2 days off so i can keep up my cute girlish figure! :)

This diner has amazing hamburgers and fries. If your looking for a good old fashioned burger come to this qaint litte diner for quite an experiance.

Good burgers and shakes(made with Thrifty ice cream). Rude staff. Cash only. Limited parking

I started going to Val's in 1959, (I was 10) a year after they opened. My parents owned a bakery on B street.<br/>The current owner, Geroge, is the son of the original owner.<br/>I had a heart attack two years ago and am allowed 4 oz of beef a week. I still drive 52 miles, one way, once a month to get my burger. I save up my 4 oz times four weeks and get my Papa Burger. To me, it's worth the risk. A 1lb Papa Burger with cheese, fries and a vanilla milk shake. The milk shake is in a metal can and you get 2 1/2 glasses. My wife shares the fries. If you like onion rings, these are great too. I prefer the fries. We have been married 40 years and Val's was our second date. She gets the low cal plate. Burger patty, cottage cheese, tomatoes.<br/>The Papa burger comes as two 1/2 lb patties. I eat one on the plate and the other in the bun. It's hard to get your mouth around the two patties. I get funny looks when I scoop my fries in the milk shake. Don't laugh until you try it. <br/>The waitresses have all been there for many years. That tells you it is a family work atmosphere. They all take vacation the same time and they close down.<br/>I like the counter in front of the grill, love the smell. When I bring relatives or friends, we get a table.<br/>Old time looks and quality food. You know the places that give you a warm fuzzy feeling, Val's does it for me.<br/>Go there, eat, leave full with a big smile. You'll go back too. Maybe not my 49 years worth, but you will go back.

I’d go back, in a heartbeat. And I might even order a burger to go with the shake…

This was one big juicy burger. Right up there with the burger at Kincaid's, Western Steakburger, Miller Union and Ray's Hell Burger for the best that I've had in 2011. I'd go back, in a heartbeat. And I might even order a burger to go with the shake...

DH and I ventured here a couple of weeks ago, based on the great reviews on Yelp...what a disappointment, I'm sorry to say. :( I had a Mama burger, medium, and was surprised that Val's charges extra for a slice of tomato, but whatever. DH ordered the ling

San Leandro, my current hometown, is not known for its fine dining, a fact which inspired me to begin this blog - as a means for me to chronic