Nation's Giant Hamburgers

Depending on WHEN you visit will determine your experience. First things first, the burgers are Giant. The flavor is home-made with a commercial spin. They serve more than burgers and the menu is DEFINITELY worth exploring! Their breakfast menu is hearty, traditional and delicious. They are also known for their pies. My favorite is Custard. The crust is light and flaky paired with a light, fresh and delicately sweet custard that demands finish every last drop. The portions from Pie slice to Burger, Fries to Hot dog everything is sized pretty well enough to feed even the biggest appetite. The atmosphere: It can make you apprehensive sometimes because of the homeless that linger out front asking for change and meals...But I kindly say "I'm sorry, not today" and continue inside. Upon entry delicious smells ranging from burgers on the griddle to sweet buttermilk pancakes slap you in the face. Parking: It can sometimes be daunting depending on time of day. Mornings seem to yield the easiest experience, while after-work evenings tend to prove challenging. however, if you're just picking up a phone order - I always just pull out front next to the HUGE planters for all of 7 minutes it takes to retrieve my order. Be careful though....parking patrol is vigilant in these parts. Clientele: The people who eat here run the gamut of couples, singles, families, homeless, tourists and night owls. Is the food worth the visit? Yes. Its a good eat. The whole menu! I encourage you try the different types of burgers Salmon, chicken, etc...and on a Sunday Morning...The breakfast is the best. And the staff is AMAZINGLY efficient, courteous and in I have witnessed them treat EVERYONE equally nice no matter if you appear homeless or successful. That to me makes me feel all warm and fuzzy.

The best part of this place is the size of the space. Massive amount of seating for a restaurant in downtown Berkeley and it even has a large parking lot to match which is great if you want to drive to come down here. I ordered the burger with onion rings and they price everything on the menu a la carte with no combo savings to be had so be careful what you order as it adds up quickly. The burger was massive but really just average as the meat was quite dry and well done. Onion rings were alright but the portions were surprisingly small. The large amount of raw onion in the burger is fantastic if you love that but wish they had a carmelized onion option instead. I also had a small slice of berry pie and while it was good, there was nothing exceptional and most store bakeries would have produced the same result.

It’s good, though could be a little more efficiently run. There are little vases of flowers on the tables, the coffee comes in a real cup (!!) not a paper cup, and there’s pie. They have vegetarian options (really). Tables could be cleaned more regularly and a few tables are wobbly.

Russ Harvey bought a six-stool hot dog stand on San Pablo Ave, where it meets with the end of San Pablo Dam Rd. in 1952 with money he obtained through the sale of his 1948 Buick.[2] He subsequently added hamburgers to the menu of the hot dog restaurant with a focus on large portions.[2] This gastronomic decision proved successful with the clientele. The restaurant's name was changed to Harvey's Giant Hamburgers.[2] Dale Power In 1961 local teenager Dale Power was hired as a janitor and continued his employment from high school to bachelor's and master's degrees at the nearby University of California, Berkeley.[2] In 1970 he purchased his first restaurant in the Jack London Square District in neighboring Oakland.[2] Partnership and expansion He christened it Nation's; the name was decided upon under the belief that they sold the best hamburgers in the nation.[2] At this point Russ Harvey changed the name of his restaurant to Nation's as the two men became partners under a unified brand.[2] More items were added to the menu over time including breakfast, lunch, and dinner items and award winning pies.[2] Currently Power remains with the company as CEO and president, while Harvey has retired.[2] The company has expanded to 24 locations as of 2009 with eateries in six counties.[3] Locations The chain has eight locations in Alameda County with branches in: Alameda, Berkeley, Fremont, Hayward, Livermore, Oakland, Pleasanton and San Leandro.[3] There are four in Solano County with branches in Benicia, Fairfield, Vacaville and Vallejo.[3] Furthermore, there are ten locations in Contra Costa County including: Concord, El Cerrito, Moraga, Orinda, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, San Ramon, San Pablo, Tara Hills (an unincorporated area), and Brentwood, which opened in October 2010. The Castro Valley location was opened in April 2014. The original San Pablo location is no longer standing, and the current San Pablo Nation's is located at San Pablo Avenue and San Pablo Dam Road.[3] on the same site as the original restaurant. There are single store locations in three other Bay Area counties: Daly City in San Mateo County, which is the only Nation's in the San Francisco Peninsula, Napa in the county by the same name, and a distant restaurant in the Central Valley city of Tracy in San Joaquin County.[3] Expansion has brought the chain out of the Bay Area and into the Sacramento Valley. Opening a location on Sunrise Blvd., Citrus Heights in May 2012, followed by a location in Folsom, which opened in May 2013.[3]

Really good food, plenty of selections to choose from. Breakfast any time. Chocolate shakes and pies are excellent.