Top Notch Burgers in Nanaimo

Unfortunate experience here. A group of 5 of us were excited to try out this place but we were met with a hostile, rude, and careless server. He looked like he had no interest in serving our table almost immediately. There was no hello. We ordered drinks to start which took over 10 minutes to arrive at the table...2 cesars, a corona, and a non alcoholic soda. When we were ordering our dinner he was looking off in the distant and seemed to look annoyed with us. While waiting for the food, the server barely came over to check on us, and our drinks. Otnlyfilling up half the glasses of water when he did. The food was okay. Bison burgers were super salty, and they forgot my $12 salmon add on to my salad. When I told the hostest who brought my meal, she didnt apologize just whisked it away. I then had to wait 10 minutes while my table got to eat their meals. When the server brought my meal out there was no apology or anything. Just put it down and pretty much ran away. My salmon was raw and had no teriyaki glaze on it like the menu mentioned. He never came back to check on us, or ask how our food was. We had to flag him down to ask for our cheques. He wasnt busy. He was standing talking with others at the bar, clearly avoiding us. I told him I would not be paying or eating it, and he walked to back and complained about me with another server. Sadly, this is probably one of the worst restauatant experiences Ive had in Nanaimo and Ill probably never go back to Top Notch.

Good meal and service generally. Put off near the end when a pop refill unexpectedly resulted in an extra charge - Here, I feel we could have been warned. Otherwise, I recommend - burgers were good. Smaller than typical, but enough for a meal.

Charlie was awesome

Awesome!

Rude !

Terrible food and ownership

Charlie was amazing, kind and professional. Our order initially came with topping error and Charlie fixed it promptly and with a smile. Thanks Charlie!!

Nice decor Ok service Half decent breakfast I just didnt like how slow it was with just me and one other table and that I couldnt just bring my coffee in from the hotel to save a bit of money 3 stars average

I am there regularly, great food and great server Sierra.

Food? Amazing that made my night Service ? Probably management pay attention to the way that staff do the costumer service. * Im hundred percent sure about what i ordered but i got it wrong, and when i asked about it the waitress was arguing about it.

Slightly sad to see where this place has gone. It used to be THE burger place to go, prompt service and the best burgers. Went there for our cheat day meal, it took them 20mins to bring us a water, another 20mins for a coffee which was taken off my table because the server poured it for himself, and waited ANOTHER 15mins for a coffee. Wings were great, but the burgers took an hour to arrive. When it did, it was burnt, cold, and the once amazing truffle fries were regular fries with a small sprinkle of cheese. Overall, was there for 2 hours and server only came to the table once to check on us. Slow service and the food quality was poor, not very happy with my experience this time.

Excellent burgers! Love the selection and customization. Good value.

Loved the burger and fries I had there. Cozy & great customer service. Perfect place to take a date. I will be back...

We were so impressed! There is talent and pride in that kitchen; quality ingredients, delicious meals, and great service. Keep up the good work!

Great spot, excellent service and amazing happy hour deals!

I recently had a deeply upsetting experience at this restaurant that I feel compelled to share. My wife and I visited with our 2-month-old baby, and I was understandably tired from holding the car seat. In my moment of distraction, I overlooked a sign asking us to wait to be seated, and we took a table ourselves. After several minutes without any acknowledgment from the staff, my wife approached a waiter to inquire about placing our order. To our shock, she responded rudely, pointedly showing her the sign, and insisted we stand by the entrance for assistance. This treatment was not only dismissive but felt distinctly disrespectful, especially considering we had a young child with us. Ultimately, we left feeling insulted and unwelcome. The indifference displayed by the staff was troubling and left us questioning the establishment s values. I hope sharing this helps others be aware of the environment there. I think this place is only for locals.

Great burgers and service!

Burger was amazing but the $17 fried brussel sprouts were burnt and lacked salt. The fries are also pretty lacking for a burger and fries place, no crisp to them at all. For the price I wouldnt recommend.

Excellent service and food.

Enjoyed great burgers with my son and good friends tonight. The mocktails are tasty and desserts were beautifully presented and delectable. Our server was terrific; great laugh and super friendly. Must eat here

I had the veggie crispy tofu burger and it s definitely the best veggie burger I ever had! So so good! Also the beer we had was very good! Thank you very much!

Good burger

Best burger ive had in a long time, had to wait awhile but was worth it!

My recent experience with Top Notch Burgers was unfortunately extremely disappointing. After placing an order online, I arrived at the restaurant to find a chaotic and disorganized scene. Despite initially accepting my order, they failed to notify me of its cancellation. When I inquired, I was abruptly informed that my order had been canceled and was not provided with a refund, instead being directed to resolve the issue through DoorDash. To add to the frustration, I was required to purchase a dip at an additional charge with my meal through DoorDash, a detail that was not communicated upfront. Furthermore, the waitress I interacted with displayed rude behavior and a dismissive attitude, which only exacerbated an already unpleasant experience. This combination of poor communication, unprofessional customer service, hidden charges, and rude staff leaves me with no choice but to advise against dining at Top Notch Burgers until significant improvements are made

I went in with my boyfriend the other day and our waitress was just straight up rude to the both of us. After we had ordered both of our food was cold and it took 45 mins just to get the food. Both of us had empty water cups for 25+ mins (not a big deal but it wasn t busy and the waitress was just on her phone at the bar) After all that me and him asked for the bill that took her a good 15 minutes to bring over to our table . Again it was not very busy. Food was good though! don t come unless you have a lot of patients to wait for food!

on the drink menu iced tea is considered as pop but it really isn t so fix it or else you re not getting any good reviews from me. toodles.

The food was absolutely amazing and the drinks and service were great. Highly recommend the buffalo chicken bites and the seafood dip! Will definitely be back again

Kyla was awesome! Very attentive and personable. Loved her nails ! Will be back!

I recommend this place! Great food and the service we got from Angela K! She was super friendly and very nice!

Angela k was an amazing server, kind, friendly, and caring server, would 100% recommend! Will be back!

The coke is better then most cokes the burger is great and the fries I can t get enough 5 stars ps I stole my dads phone for this

Angela is a queen and deserves everything in the world. She is the best server with the best service I have ever received in my life. You would think she owns the place by how she runs the show. Cannot say enough great things about Angela. Would visit again just to see her again! Cancers rule!

Angela K. is wonderful!! She brings such a positive and welcoming energy with her that made my experience memorable and enjoyable. I will be back! :) Thank you, Angela! Also, the food is delicious!

Our server was absolutely lovely, and we loved her because we could tell she genuinely loves her job. Clover ID: 5NX89NPNTH1T2 Food

We went there and it was confusing from the get go. Menus are different depending on when you dine, and even then, the options you want may not be available depending on the day you visit. If you go for a burger, make sure you go for dinner, otherwise you may be disappointed (burgers are not offered for lunch. The food was good, some interesting choices and different flavors. The choice of dipping sauces is original and tasty.

Great service by Charly. Good pricing. Good food

Thank You Natasha and the rest of the staff for a very enjoyable breakfast. Its not easy pleasing 7 men, but you did. As a group of men that go for breakfast in and around Nanaimo every 2nd Sunday, this has to be the best weve had since we began our mens breakfast over 2 years ago. Most of us commented One of the best breakfasts weve had in a long time! I had the Huevos Ranchero, Crispy tortilla bowl with beef chili and crisp hash browns, layered with spinach, sunnyside up eggs, jalapeno jack cheddar, tomato corn salsa, and guacamole, finished with a creole crème fraiche. The service, the coffee, and the food was good, with good sized portions and great value. Like the name, everything was Top Notch! Its definitely well worth it and well definitely be back. The last time I had breakfast here was 2 years ago. Today, July 7th, 2024, I was with a group of 7 men that meet regularly for breakfast at different venues throughout the city. This particular time, I had their Chorizo hash with coffee and toast. My breakfast had lots of flavour and Im pretty sure the rest of our group enjoyed their meals as well. We all had a great time, and the costs were really affordable. Because of the excellent service we received from our waitress Charley, who never let our coffee cups run empty, I am confident that I will be back soon with the rest of our group. Charley is a great asset to this successful business.

Seven of us for breakfast today and it was very good Charley, our service was great, kept the coffee coming and was very personable. Food was delicious, an all in good experience. Food : 5/5 |

A very good breakfast. Charley took good care of us, never let the coffee run dry. I am part of a large group that go for breakfast regularly and this was one of the top meals. Good Job Royce

Server (Angela) was very lovely, she was very warm and welcoming and really created an amazing atmosphere (as well as making it worth it to go out for a meal) It was also reasonably priced. Food

Angela was a great server. She was very kind and generous, and when there was a communication error (not of her fault) she went above and beyond to resolve it. All the burgers were delicious.

Angela k is the best !

Our server Angela was fantastic!

Our server Angela was amazing.

Awesome service by Angela

If you are looking for a gourmet burger, this isn t the place. It s fine but nothing special. The patty was definitely pre-made and not fresh. The brioche bun was weirdly chewy. Salad was great but had to mess up a Caesar salad. Service at the bar was curt and transactional. Very basic.

Nice place for a quick bite.

Sold as gourmet too notch serving a frozen patty is pathetic.

I had the delicious seafood chowder! So fresh and lots of seafood in it. Natasha and her trainee Danny were great servers ! Love this place !

My friends and I were guests at Top Notch Burgers yesterday afternoon, and enjoyed immensely our lunch. A huge shoutout to our server, Trevor G, who was a most attentive server, helped with recommendations with regard to the menu, and made our experience memorable. Definitely will be a place that will become one of our favourites.

Worst Service. No, Hi how are you? Nothing. We order two drinks, one a double and one a single same drink, both tasted and looked the same. We were going to order apples but she was so rude we forgot. Instead of telling us our side options for our meal she opened the menu and pointed to us to read for our self s. Pfft. We finished those two drinks and were never asked if we d like another, which we did. Our warm water that was brought when we sat was disgusting. Food came after drinks were finished. No napkins. Had to get up and ask. Then she never even asked if our food even was okay. We finished and sat. Finally got up left our plates and asked for the bill. Penny was her name Friday June 21/24 7 pm. Used to rave about this place. Find a new server.

Service was TERRIBLE. Food was cold. Paid over $50 for two burgers. Server demanded a tip, then got frustrated the tip wasn t enough. Avoid this place at all costs.

Anyone giving 1 star reviews obviously has no clue what it takes to run a restaurant and the challenges they have. Everything was fantastic, was it perfect, no. But it is worth every penny and we will definitely go again!

Went to Top Notch because they have a really great looking brunch menu listed on their website... got there and was advised that they only serve this on Saturdays and Sundays. Server was really nice, but we left since the menu is completely different than what is listed on their website. Not sure why they dont just list a separate breakfast menu posted online to avoid the disappointment. After this i looked again and it does say at the very very bottom of the menu page below the hours etc that this is only served Saturday and Sunday, but it also states that breakfast is served daily, so Im still confused why they dont list the breakfast options straight out...

Took my family here on a whim since theyre craving burgers, and this place did not disappoint! Not only was the food great, but so was the service!

top notch burgers features burgers, be advised you can t order from the featured menu till after 4pm on a Sunday. 1/10 stars for the bummer experience craving a top notch burger at 232 on a Sunday

Good food, a little expensive but the service was kind of poor. Our server seemed like she was doing us a huge favor by taking our orders, the place was really empty and it felt very unwelcoming in there. Perhaps its a bit better during dinner Service but mid day Service could definitely use some work!

Went for dinner before the ballet. The place was full and the hockey game was on several tvs. A little loud for my taste but I Had the black and blue burger and It was Great! My Friend had a salad that she enjoyed. Our waitress was very friendly and service was good.

The worst burger I have ever eaten in my life. I mean it. The meat was not fresh, the fries were soggy. Just had to throw the entire thing in the garbage.

This place was okay. For the prices and their reputation I was expecting much much better. I remember trying their take out early when they first opened and it was great even after delivery time sitting in a box. Firstly our server got our drink order wrong, and then didn t bring the correct drink afterwards to remedy. She asked us if we needed anything else and then forgot to bring it to us after asking. She was very friendly and outgoing but the lack of service made the experience lacklustre. The burgers were underwhelming, we shared so got to try two, the wild mushroom and bison with horseradish. The mushrooms were grocery store brown, which is not wild nor exciting which I was hoping for they were soggy and wet. Burger lacked flavour and was overdone and dry. The other was overwhelmed with horseradish so couldn t taste the burger meat which was again also dry and overcooked. Had to spit out a large chunk of gristle as well as dried onion skins. Fries were good. Charging $3.50 extra for truffle fries was dumb, cheap cheese added. The truffle dip is great so I wouldn t upgrade and just do the dip instead. Definitely left me disappointed and left my Friday night out feeling crappy. Thankfully the Northern Lights made me forget all about it. Won t come back again.

Very poor service. Penny and Natasha were working on May 18th at around 9pm, we waited 20min and then moved to the bar and then waited another 15min. There was 3 tables in the lounge. When we asked for the bill we were overcharged for a wine that wasn t on the menu and then had to hear Penny the server talking about that s not her problem cause she gave me the wine (that s not listed on the menu). I suggest management intervention immediately, this place is gotten out of hand.

We had an amazing experience. The food is great. Shout out Natasha and Penny for being so amazing and making our night extra special!

Top Notch was the only place downtown Nanaimo ( or probably the entire Nanaimo) who served food until 10:45 pm. On Saturday night! Ridiculous that no one else does. But thank Penny and Natasha we were fed, got our drinks, got great service and felt really really good! These two are gems! Thanks to the kitchen staff as well. Top Notch !

Super disappointing service.

Great food and service! Angela was an amazing server, we will certainly visit again.

Went to dinner here tonight and was absolutely terrific! The food and service was fantastic!! Our server Angela went above and beyond for a great meal experience so thank you!

Angela was such an amazing server and made the whole experience so great, food was good too :)

Had such a good service from Angela :)

Decent gourmet burger restaurant. Its beena regular on my menu. Had a bad server tonight though, disappointing but Ill be going somewhere else next time Im in the mood for a good burger.

Amazing food, great portions.

What a great place, Beer on Taps and delicious burgers! Highly recommend. Good size portions for quality eats!

Have to change my review cause I spent a lot of money to just end up with garbage..... The place is not the same anymore. I used to go there all the time but not now....

I ordered an Aussie Burger from them. It was good. However, I felt that the bun wasnt fresh. It didnt feel soft at all.

We had a birthday celebration for 8 people. The food was very good and Penny, the waitperson was impeccable. The experience has left us completely satisfied and the flexibility of the menu was so appreciated. The only downside was how loud the music was which made it difficult to have conversations with our group. PS the seafood dip was amazing!!!! Parking: Arrive early!! On street parking

I would like management to reach out me please. We just stood at the door waiting for ten minutes just to be ignored by all of the female staff members that looked at us and turned away. One male staff member seemingly running room service, was great, but he was gone some time. We are locals and were looking forward to eating here, but have no interest after this experience. Would love to discuss this further. Thank you

We arrived at 5:25 so not late and it was not really busy. We waited 15 minutes for the drink order to be taken and another 10 minutes to get the drinks. Wine and beer so not a difficult order. We wIted 45 minutes for our food. Other people who arrived after us were getting their beverages and food before us. We will not go back.

The food is always on point, high quality, nice options, brand new inside, great hotel attached. Service is always good but this time Trevor served me and he really knocked it out of the park, he s one of the best assets to the business in my opinion as I can tell he really cares about the customers experience! He was accommodating and helpful and that is so hard to find these days!

Really small portions for the price. The burger was sub par. Old and stale. Loaded with sauce to make up for the dry bun and patty. Bartender staring me down at the end when I had to come track my server down at the bar for payment???... All good but unnecessary and unpleasant for sure. My server was quite pleasant, however. Overall bad experience, would not recommend

Wow!! Toronto & Vancouver transplant to VI and I must say this was an amazing place to discover. Downtown in an old Hotel is this spectacular burger speciality place. Yes I googled it first but the reviews did not mislead. Great staff serving some Top Notch burgers. If you like a gourmet twist where every thing has been chef d up then you should check out this place. Everything we had was amazing. Thx to the team!! We will be back!!

Went in to get take out tonight. Staff said they werent doing take out. What crock. Service : 1/5

Valentine s Day. Ya figure you would pull out your charm. Went for dinner. Ate dinner. Server never asked how few bites were. Or anything. Had to ask for cutlery. I m an easy person to please. Sitting at a bar with 2 others ya figure a little check in would be normal. Chat up the waitress. Took plates. Ask how was the burger? NO. Try to go out and support local servers but this was the poorest in a long time. I hate giving a bad review but when costs are up. Dining out is less and you feel like this? I hope there s learning in all of this. Tips are optional. Not the 15-22% asked for on the bill. Especially on a special day when as a server in the past. It s an opportunity to cash in. Bummer it was so poor. Again I hate bad reviews as it s hard but man this was poor.

Angela was a super server and food was delicious

Short version - Server Penny - wonderful Manager Angela - Rude, disrespectful, condescending. Ruined our whole experience. Since we walked in 5 till 1pm we were told seating was restricted to one section after 1pm. We nicely asked manager ,Angela, if we could squeeze in. To which we were rudely told. No, I already said seating is restricted. Ok no problem. 40 minutes after ordering were wondering when our food will be ready, once again we speak to Angela and we are told to sit down and just wait. Mind you our server, Penny, was a very kind and nice woman. While Angela, was rude, condescending, and power tripping. We were treated like young children being reprimanded, all for asking if our food would take much longer so we wouldn t miss our ferry. To top it all off we came highly excited to try this restaurant, and instead had our whole Christmas Eve lunch ruined. Kid-friendliness: You will be rudely treated like a child if you try to interact with manager Angela.

It s a burger specialty restaurant but the burgers are dry and not tasty Serving speed is very slow There is very little seafood chowder, most of it is bacon

We took our twin 10 year olds out tonight for a special birthday dinner. They were treated like royalty: the waitress took her time and focused so much of her attention directly on them, listening to their infodumping and asking thoughtful questions, allowing them time to make exactly the choices they wanted off the adult s menu (including suggestions off the mocktails menu). She was gracious when they tried to get her attention to tell more stories and never acted as busy as she was. It was an all around delight and the food was amazing as usual. Will return for sure.

Every item we ordered on our table for 3 was ruined or messed up the snitzel was burnt and dry the pork bites were mostly bone and small portion and over cooked they didnt take the tomatoes out of the shrimp dish we ordered no tomatoes my friends chicken bites were the wrong sauce we didnt even complain about everything to the server because we got tired of complaining and then our bill was completely disorganized and a nightmare to sort out the seating on recipt will not be going back used to be amazing is not just standard sup par bar food ph and my friend ordered a second burger as a Togo and they never punched it in thankfully so we didnt have another subpar sandwich to try to force down server was apologetic and tried her best to fix it to little avail

It used to be better. Went with two other people and my shrimp was the only decent thing besides the drinks. My buddys burger was inedible and both his and my husbands orders were either messed up/inedible the first time. The server was very nice, hence why Ill give them two stars.

Check your bill. Charged us for two Kim Crawfords (way over priced) at double the price of the wine we were drinking. Got a coupon as an apology. Food was good though. Food

Very good burgers and love I can customize type of buns and sides. They are located in the Best Western Dorchester and I would go there every night if I were a guest :) Highly recommend!

Our server Jonny was so charming and attentive! The tuna burger was a treat. Jonny was so helpful with my partner in trying to find the right burger. There was a bit of a confrontational guest and both Angela and Jonny were so quick to the draw and made us feel safe and seen. We will come back here

Great food & friendly staff.

The food was alright this evening. Our service was awesome

No frills hotel restaurant. Burger was great, the rest was just okay pub fare.

Came in for dinner when visiting family in Nanaimo - the staff was friendly and even though they were booked out for the night, they were able to squeeze us in and get us a table. First things first: The burgers are awesome! I got the Simple Stacker and my partner got the CFC Chicken Burger - both were flavourful and the servings are BIG. We got kettle chips as a side and they were big, crispy, and delicious, just the way kettle chips should be. The overall experience was great, but I will say I was a little disappointed with the cocktails - they didnt seem to know how to make a dirty martini as it just came out as a glass of vodka (next time I will opt for a beer). Cocktails aside, the food was excellent - great spot to stop for lunch or dinner in downtown Nanaimo!

Great people and great food, one of my favourite places to eat

Came for dinner with a party of four on a Wednesday evening around 7pm, restaurant was a bit busy. Ended up being there for two hours, food came cold after about an hour and a half. Service was slow and inattentive, had to stop the server several times to request another round of drinks or inquire about how much longer the food would take. Wouldn t recommend based on this experience.

Absolutely the best seafood chowder Ive had. The burgers are topnotch tasty. Compliments to the chef and staff. Great service as well! Food

I eat here with my partner a lot. Good food and good service. Now I usually get the burger on the menu when I go out as a kind of litmus test. So I ve eaten probably about 25 different burgers from restaurants in Nanaimo and this is absolutely the best burger in town. The manager is on point for making sure customers are compensated well for any mistake in their orders. There s been a couple mistakes with food but it s always fixed accordingly. Also this is pretty much the only good late night joints to eat in town. I m glad someone finally opened and sustained a late night restaurant with a great atmosphere.

Amazing flavours. Sauces and dressings were spectacular for both burger and salad. Can t wait to return for another well made classy burger and side!

Yesterday, I ordered kettle chips and dip from this restaurant. I love it .

The southern comfort burger is soon good!

I love their service kind, friendly, always smiling I recommend this place to everyone Im one happy customer Great food to come and enjoy

We had a great meal here on our travels. Angela was an amazing server! She was friendly, efficient, knowledgeable, and handled every table on her own. We love how they care about the quality of their meat too. Delicious food!

My hubby and I went for our anniversary a few weeks ago, we were greated by the friendly staff, they helped to get us a table after not having a reservation on a very busy night so we were super impressed on that part. Best french onion soup we have had! Appies are amazing, wasnt super impressed by the flavour of the one burger we had but the chicken burger was phenomenal will definitely be having that again. The homemade cheesecake is definitely worth the money! Unfortunately our only complaint would have been the service for the first while it took a long time to get a drink order in and wasnt checked in on as much as previous visits we have had to their sisiter restaurant, but we chalk that up to an extremely busy fully packed restaurant. Will definitely be going back again and again

Came for breakfast with family and the eggs Benedict was very yummy! Little bit of a mix up with the server not remembering menu changes. Didn t really like the vibe of the place but nothing wrong with the food :)

Food and service was excellent. Busy place. Not fast food hamburger joint so plan to take your time.

Great breakfast! My server Sam was amazing! Definitely recommend! :)

I am so impressed with the vegetarian burger, How you Bean? I felt like I went on a trip to flavour country!! As a former meat eater, and burger enthusiast for life, I am regularly disappointed with veggie burgers, (garden patty, portobello mushroom, and tastes like meat) but this one was absolutely delicious. The house-made bean patty was perfectly seasoned while the corn salsa against the crumbled feta and Chipotle sauce was outta sight!! Also, our bartender Cory was very professional and showed us kind hospitality at his bar. Im super grateful to know theres a great quality veggie burger for a really good price right downtown Nanaimo

The soup... breathtaking

Servers were attentive and provided good advice on dishes when asked. Timed well to be there for happy hour with the drinks a very sweet deal along with some great food. Definitely recommend trying a few different flavors of chicken bites. Couldnt resist a Nanaimo Bar Torte to finish off the evening.

My boyfriend and I stayed at the hotel attached to Top Notch Burgers. We had a great experience, good drink prices, great appetizers and even offered a snack menu during happy hour. Angela was our server and she was absolutely lovely. We still say how we cant wait to go back and see her again!

Cozy but modern. The food was fantastic and the server friendly and bubbly. Id recommend dining here for sure.

I had lunch here earlier today with my boyfriend, I got a bean burger and he got the southern burger, both were top notch! Thank you so much

Vibe was good, service was slow and not super attentive, and burger could ve been better for the price. Margherita was not good at all (just tasted like lime flavouring). Maybe worth a try if you re in the area, but we ll pass next time.

Parking: Paid street parking, free after 5pm. Food

Got in to Nanaimo late and was famished. Wow, this place did not disappoint! Had the Black and Bleu burger with Moroccan quinoa on the side and a glass of cab sav. The chuck used for the burger was really nice quality. Left very satisfied.

Kiki was such an amazing server!! The food was delicious, drinks were also good! Fast friendly service what more could you ask for!!

Great breakfast & lunch menu, excellent food & service. A must for those who enjoy going out & enjoying downtown Nanaimo.

The city of Nanaimo, BC is asleep at 9 pm except for Top Notch Burgers Grill & Lounge located inside Best Western Dorchester Hotel. Food is good and drinks are top notch! Fun with friends till after midnight. Our Ramada Hotel stay was good. It was quiet and had a restful night.

Angela was amazing. Would definitely recommend to friends

went to top notch for my dads birthday, the staff was so wonderful the food was amazing and for it being really busy everything was quite fast!

angela my server was so kindd

Amazing burgers good drinks good service all in all great place to eat...

Ate dinner at Top Notch tonight with my husband tonight. Our dinners were great! We had Angela as a server and she was exceptional! She took great care of us and was very attentive to all her customers. When a child knocked his ice cream on the floor she was very kind and made him feel better. Would highly recommend the restaurant.

The food is always delicious but what s even better is the staff and service!! Angela always bring a smile to my face and goes above and beyond to deliver top notch customer service!!

First off want to say the stars goin all to the chefs in the back of house. Food was great. Service is poor. Barely anyone in there may 17 2023 evening. Server doesnt greet you when walk in. Girl behind bar could careless till you make it obvious you need something. Then the girl proceeds to start gossiping work stories to a co worker instead of ringing up the food for me to pay, and when i ask to just ring it up so i can pay and not be involved in the work drama i get attitude. Wont be back.

After a long day of travel, Top Notch Burgers exceeded all expectations! The Aussie burger immediately caught my eye and it was honestly one of the best burgers I have eaten. A surprise stand-out item that I would highly recommend is the Moroccan Quinoa (side option with a burger); fresh, complex, and completely unexpected! It is obvious that the entire restaurant, from management to front of house, cares about the food that they serve and the atmosphere that they create. We had the privilege of being served by Angela who was as exceptional as the food! Overall I would highly recommend Top Notch Burgers and look forward to returning. Expect to spend around $30 for a burger, beer, and tip.

A friend and I tried this place on a recent visit to Nanaimo. Our server was great! Very pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu. She was able to make great recommendations on what to order. I ended up going with the lamb burger, and it was very tasty. Our server suggested I go with the focaccia bun for my burger since it would hold up better than the standard bun, which was a good choice. The fries were very crispy with just the right amount of saltines. I also got some gravy for dipping, and that was a nice compliment to the fries as well. Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely visit again if I find myself in the area. Dietary restrictions: Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and was able to help my friend customize his order to avoid any dairy in his meal.

One of the best burgers Ive had in a long time. We also had a Greek salad with chicken and my 2-year old had a pasta from the kids menu. Everything was amazing, and the portions were very filling. Would definitely come back if Im ever back in Nanaimo.

Wow! The burgers are absolutely top notch with something for everyone. Angela our head waitress is an absolute gem,great fun and very attentive. Best burgers ever tasted.

Decent high end burgs it was just hard to choose so many choices so I had the basic chef burger turns out it was two beefy Pattie s with cheese and bacon I promise you won t leave hungry with the endless side choices .. enjoy hungry people

Kiki was amazing! Very helpful with the large group of 9 brits!!!!

One of the best burgers Ive ever had!

Staying at hotel on site went to order takeout at 6:00 pm. Hostess kindly said that it was extremely busy and if I could come back in an hour it would be greatly appreciated. I acquiesced and went back to my room came back in an hour the hostess thanked me and tod me to go to take out desk and place order with Casey. I went to said till wait station where Casey was typing in an order for a full minute before acknowledging me at all. I told him I had an order for takeout. He responded with its Fathers Day and we are not doing takeout orders turned around and left. Casey, I am a father and you will never be. Thanks for the rudest memory I have ever had of this day.

Cheeseburger and chili fries. What more do you need in life?

The name says it all.

Enjoyed the meal and company. Right down town wheelchair accessible. Stayed 21/2 hours.

We were staying at the attached hotel Best Western for 3 nights after being recommended the restaurant the view/ Top Notch burger we decided to make a reservation at the fine dining side and had amazing experience but wait We wanted to grab a cocktail before returning to our room so we went to the bar side restaurant called Top notch Burger finding out to be rudely greeted by what we found out later to be the manager called Angela! Whoever this person was, it was evident that she has zero customer service experience and kept talking rudely to her staff and bartender which was evident from the entrance. She was an older lady claiming she was the manager. How unprofessional she was she refused to seat us and provide service after she claimed we were too intoxicated which really surprised me because we only had 1 bottle of expensive red wine between 4 people during a 3 hour dinner experience. I have never in my life been refused service prior to this. I hope the owner will see this and how this affects customers coming to this restaurant in the future, having an employee claiming shes the manager running around the restaurant being loud, rude and obnoxious, Im really surprised the head chef in the kitchen or bar tender called Corey didnt cut her off and send her home considering her unprofessional appearance and composure. If you want an enjoyable dinner and drinks with family and friends I would avoid at all cost! Angela a.k.a Karen should consider taking a few hospitality courses to grasp what good customer service really is.

Omg food was spectacular!! Quick find after we arrived and on our way to Parksville. Jill was so friendly, efficient and honestly, best service we have had in awhile. Kudos to this fabulous find! Food was the topper and enjoyed every last bite!

The most confusing & embarrassing experience I have ever had here at Top Notch Burger. We were staying at Best Western for a three night stay to visit family here in Nanaimo and have been at Top Notch Burger numerous times by now during our three night stay with outstanding service up until tonight. We were given a recommendation to dine at The View next door so we made a reservation for our last night. After we had a spent $400 dollars on an amazing dinner at The View next door and moved over to The Top Notch Burger for an after dinner cocktail (8:45p.m.), we were treated with the upmost disrespect from two waitresses, one named Angela and the other having served us the night prior. We were refused service for no valid reason, apparently we were too intoxicated for this family establishment after sharing a bottle wine amongst four people during an almost three hour dinner experience next door. All we did was walk over from The View and were greeted with degrading behaviour because they were annoyed that the table we would have liked to sit down at had to be bussed and reset right away for us to sit at as the bar seats were full. They could have just told us it will take about 15 min or so to get a few tables cleaned but instead we were treated in a condescending manner. I feel sorry for the staff that had been great to us that evening especially the lovely man behind the bar that was trying to accommodate us. I never been refused service in my entire life until today here at Top Notch Burger. Having worked in this industry for 10 years, this is definitely not a way to conduct business. Best Western and your two restaurants have lost our business forever. Would NOT recommend to anyone.

Went for happy hour before our ferry. It was ok. I guess what youd expect from a hotel restaurant if you know what I mean?

Great specialty burgers at a reasonable price. Wonderful services.

Ordered 2 drinks here and waited 25 minutes for them to be brought to us. Saw the drinks sitting at the bar for well over 10 minutes. Restaurant was not busy at all, another server even came over and had asked if wed been served after sitting there drinkless for a substantial amount of time.

Good food but uncomfortable seats and large distracting screens.

We split a beer & burger - awesome

Burger was delicious, Beer was cold, and Kiki s service was outstanding! Coming back soon!

The food at this place was truly awful. The burger was an unseasoned lump of uncarmelized garbage. It s like it had been boiled. The only good thing was the Cobb s ciabatta bun. But even it was destroyed with whatever horrible sauce they d put on the burger. Since the ciabatta bun hadn t been toasted, the bun was turned into a soggy mess. My wife s mushroom burger was just as bad. We didn t even finish half our burgers. When the waitress asked if I wanted to wrap up the rest to take home I said Oh god no . She didn t even ask if there was a problem. This place makes McDonald s look great. And that s a horrible thing to say.

Its fly season at top notch ! Was seated by the window that was covered in fruit flies. They were getting into our beverages and all over the food. Told the waitress and she just shrugged and said it was the season. Floors baseboards were filthy.

Nice friendly service and a great burger. We had salmon burgers and they were delicious with an extremely tasty slaw. The salmon was sockeye and you got a nice selection of sides. There is an extensive cocktail, and wine or beer by the glass list too. The atmosphere is that of an up scale cocktail lounge with a very fun vibe. The price for the quality of the food is very good too.

Excellent burger & fries. Great staff and pretty restaurant.

Superb food and service! Big portions. My wife and I loved the whole experience of dining here last night, from the polite & friendly server, the food, and the atmosphere. We shared the spicy buffalo chicken bites as a starter and were amazed at the size of portion. The chicken was cooked beautifully and the buffalo sauce was nice and spicy My wife had a ground beef burger & I had a panko crumb coated chicken burger. Both were cooked perfectly and the quality of the beef was outstanding. The hand cut fries we chose were well seasoned, and crispy on the outside too. There is plenty of choice regarding burger bun, aioli sauces, sides etc to suit most, if not all tastes too. We couldn t finish everything, and indeed noticed that several other diners got food boxed up to take away.

Amazing food and awesome service. We ordered burgers and fries with a ceasar salad for a starter. Frozen strawberry belini, peach daquri and beers to drink. The dip options are DELISH and the burger selections are extremely impressive... the burgers themselves were extremely fresh and melted in your mouth. The spicy dill dip - if youre into garlicy heaven - this will be youre forever favorite (actually not spicy, as a nice suprise). The server was super nice and made us feel very welcome. They have an option on the menu to buy the kitchen stuff a jug of beer for $12 as a tip. We loved this and made sure to add it to our order :) Thank you Top Notch Burger for being, not only delicious, but having a friendly and welcoming atmosphere! We will be back!

What a wonderful place to eat! The burgers were excellent, and particularly The Sesame Alba makes me wish I lived close by. Our server, Angela, was amazing. Food

Had higher expectations for how fancy the restaurant is. The people were so damn friendly atmosphere 5 stars and service 5 stars, but the kitchen could use a bit of a tuning and some tlc. The pandemic raised the bar for takeout because I learned how to cook myself, but I don t always want to!

We just had the most wonderful service and delicious brunch at Top Notch! From the moment we walked in we were looked after; seated promptly, drinks brought over, and order taken by the most personable and friendly waiter I ve had in a long time (YOU RE SO AWESOME, CAMERON!!)! Brunch arrived quickly and the Benny s and big breakfast were hearty and delicious! Their pesto Hollandaise was a party in my mouth ! Cameron checked on us several times, refilling drinks with big smiles and jokes! Definitely a hit for brunch, which is hard to come by in Nanaimo! Top Notch meal-keep up the great work and we ll be back!

It was busy yes, but the servers where very good, they kept the ball rolling and everything was fantastic, would we come back all the way from saskatchewan, yes in a heartbeat. Was a beautiful way to end our holiday

This place has some good eats and awesome service. Best burgers in town!

Went to pickup an order for doordash. Servers were unprofessional. They got time to clean glasses and table but doesn t have time to ask you for name and number for the order. Meanwhile I was standing there and watching the food getting cold. Lol

I wish i could write about the food but the waitress was so unkind, constantly making annoying remarks and being rude me and my family just got up and left, of course to be treated to another snarky gross comment on our way out, i do hope you fire her shes blonde and loud, top notch burgers hear my plea!

Great burgers - fries were a bit cold and the Spicy Dill wasn t spicy - but all in all we d go back. Fair priced also.

Very good food

Ask for no aioli, puts aioli on BOTH sides. Fantastic

this place was trash. i wish i listened to the reviews. the service was horrible. it smelt so bad. so loud. didn t even get to try the food bc the service was so terrible we waited for so long and never got to order. the food could be good but the service was so trash well never go back lol

Our waitress Angela was such a sweetheart and so nice to us. I LOVE their chicken burger. It was a nice night. The place was packed on a Tuesday at 5. Food

Service was very slow. Over an hour for a mediocre burger and cold fries. Would not recommend Food

Recently went to Top Notch as it was highly rated. My experience was pretty poor. The service was poor and unattentive. I had to flag down the wait staff multiple times to receive service. The appetizer plates were not removed from the table and I had to ask multiple times for refills on refreshments for our table. The food took forever to arrive and when it did finally arrive the food was cold or Luke warm at best. The seafood chowder was exceptional and delicious but the burgers were not good at all. The burger was below average and very dry. Not juicy at all. The size was small and not exactly what I was expecting. When asking for the bill, the wait staff neglected to inform the table that the tip option had been included in the total cost. The best thing about this place was the atmosphere, at least this was enjoyable. I would not recommend this place, maybe it was a once off bad experience but I would not go back.

The service was top notch , there was nothing wrong with the food , a decent burger . But maybe it s a trend in restaurants to jack their prices up to make up for Covid times . I paid $65 for 3 hamburgers . That alone says enough. It s over priced . I can get better value at 5 guys.

Another amazing meal at Top Notch. My husband and I love to hit Top Notch or The View before taking in a show at the Port Theatre. Last night we had friends join us for their first time, they were impressed by the food and service for a burger place. Food 10/10, drinks 10/10, service 11/10. We love Angela! She always welcomes us like old friends and makes us feel at home.

Trevor was awesome!! Top Notch!

The burgers really were top notch. Trevor G provided excellent service and answered all of our questions. Will definitely come back.

Beautiful little place, amazing staff and delicious burgers. Loved my first experience there .

Fabulous bruschetta flatbread; and good prices for top quality food!!

I recently visited for the second time and it was just as good as the first. I made it a plan to visit here everytime I come into town to see family, one of the best burgers you can get. We requested Trent again as our server and he did not dissapoint. Highly recommend to anyone in the area!

Fantastic fries

Went there a few weeks ago when I was visiting with family and our server (Trent) was one of the nicest Ive ever had. Checked our table several times to make sure the food was ok or if we needed more drinks. He also gave me his recommendation for the poutine and Im glad he did because it was the best Id ever had!

Amazing burger guys. Highly recommended!!!!

I got the Aussie burger and loved every bite I would 100% get it again

Our waitress Kim Was awesome; accommodating with all my special requests, patient with our slow ordering, and respectful to my elderly Mother. The Food was TOP NOTCH, excellent! Loved our window seat. Above average price point. Highly recommended.

Tried to give me raw pork ribs tonight and then gave me attitude about it

Go here if you like your burger luke warm and raw /uncooked in the middle. Realized after more than a couple bites and threw it away. Hope I don t get sick! Poutine was alright but extremely salty. $30 in the trash.

Really good food and Ashley our server was GREAT! Two thumbs up

Cant say anything about food this time around. First time I went there the food was delicious. Unfortunately they did not hold a table for my reservation. I showed up 10 minutes early and all they had for 2 was the bar. When I make a reservation I expect to be seated at a table. It ruined our anniversary plans. Calling me back 20 minutes after to say there was a table doesnt help as we had decided to just drive back home in parksville and had found somewhere else closer to home to eat. I highly recommend ensuring you have a table reserved and not seats at the bar. I will give them another chance one day. Update to clarify after reply: reservation was for 645 and I showed up at 640 and waited for someone to come greet us for 10 minutes. Phone call received was at 708. Regardless miscommunication should not happen with a reservation as it should be written down.

Great food and drinks. Awesome staff. Vegetarian options: The tofu burger is the best vegetarian burger I ve ever had.

Went for breakfast, poor service and average food.

I usually get it to go, and the order is always very good.

Loved it , everything was awesome

Chowder is flavorful, but a bit salty for my taste buds Waitress said it cant be altered when I asked if they could make it a bit less salty Food

Really juicy and messy burgers (Oh Canada) at a beautiful location in Nanaimo downtown. The atmosphere was ok. A bit too hotel like or plain. Needed a bit more personality and more interesting interior atmosphere. When I thin of Top Notch burgers, I envisioned a more hip interior.

Excellent brunch and wonderful service from Shelly! We will be back for sure!

Stopped in for brunch. Eggs were perfect and I would come back for just the sausage. Thanks Shelly.

Unwelcoming staff, not family friendly or inclusive waited 30 mins without our drink orders being taken. The staff stood around to gossip while we waited, being dismissed as staff walked past us to the cash register gossiping about, entering the service business and having challenges with cashing out of registers after closing hrs . We didn t wait around to know if the food was as bad as the service. Kid-friendliness: Not kid friendly

Great location and a great concept. For the most part the staff was good but our server forgot about us a couple of times. Truffle fries were sub par and not worth the 3$ up charge.