Frugals

Who the hell puts toppings on the BOTTOM. Ketchup goes on top. Ruined my whole burger experience with a dry burger. You can’t fix it… the damn cheese is stuck to the top bun. Stop being cute and make burgers right. Burger was dried up/not juicy also… overdone… and over seasoned salty.

Please for the love of God put someone else on customer service! Im here almost every day to get a burger and the service is usually just okay, not good but just okay. The burgers make up for the lack of good customer service. I have always worked in customer service, so not only am I polite but I do my best to make things easy on the workers at all times! Im the type that wont even send food back if I dont like it. I come here a lot and the service is always just okay but today , it was insane! My bad for coming. Ill do my best to not come back. Hopefully the service improves.

I don’t usually write google reviews but this one is an exception. I have been coming here for quite a while now because i live literally 1min away from this spot and the food was phenomenal but after eating the “Smash Burger” i just had to write one. Whoever masterminded the creation of smash burger in this spot is insane it’s definitely in my top 1-2 by far one of the best smash burger i’ve had in a while. My people of tacoma please try it atleast once🙏🏼- Edit this is my 4th visit for the Smash burger and it lacks consistency from previous orders I’ve had 1st-2nd. The 3rd-4th almost tasted like the regular cheese burger, no sauce they have available although I understand the Crew do try their best to produce the best product they could I wish the consistency was there.

Frugals Drive-Through: High Value, Classic Taste for $9 ​If you're looking for a meal that punches well above its weight class, Frugals is the spot. I recently stopped by the drive-through and managed to snag a burger and a satisfying portion of fries for an unbelievable total of just $9. In today's economy, finding a meal this delicious and filling for under ten dollars is practically a miracle. ​The service was exactly what you expect from a great drive-through: lightning-fast and efficient. Before I could even fully prepare my wallet, my order was ready and handed over, making it the perfect stop for a quick lunch or dinner on the go. ​The burger itself was a testament to classic simplicity. It was hot, fresh, and perfectly put together—no messy presentation, just a solid, well-seasoned patty with fresh toppings and a soft bun. It was exactly the kind of satisfying, no-frills burger you crave. ​The star of the show, though, might have been the fries. They were served piping hot, incredibly crispy, and perfectly seasoned. They had that addictive quality that makes it hard to stop eating them. The portion size was generous, easily enough to complement the burger without leaving you hungry. ​For just $9, Frugals delivered a quick, quality, and genuinely satisfying meal. If affordability and classic drive-through taste are your priorities, I highly recommend making Frugals your next quick stop. It's truly fantastic value.

I’m so sad frugals has the best cheese curds and the portions did NOT used to be like this! I got a large curd and this is what I pulled out of the bag, it’s not even filled halfway! I’d hate to see a “regular” sized one these days.

My boyfriend lives this place but the 3 times I've gone I haven't had a positive experience. The line was super slow and not very long. We only ordered 2 milkshakes and mine with butterfinger in it, was already to thawed to eat with the spoon.. good thing considering the spoon was too big to be pulled out of the lid opening..

They got my order wrong they added onions on a burger that wasn’t supposed to and not adding a fry to my meal nor fry sauce. I understand they’re a fast food and they’re trying to quickly get out orders but double checking to make sure orders are correct or not missing items would be even better. HOWEVER when I went back and told them and asked for a fix they were super sweet and understanding and quick with fixing my order. So thank you so much for that!

This place is definitely a good burger spot! Just thought the burger patties lacked seasoning and the fries were ok not the best but other than that good spot.

Stopped in here after an averted disaster at a used car lot (ehh, long story) and got my first Frugal burger and fries. YOM. About a week ago I paid over twice the amount at another burger joint for a mushroom burger that didn't have nearly as much flavor as the Frugal burger did. Fries were perfectly salted and didn't need sauce. All good stuff! Only one turnoff, though it's a small one -- Frugal's is a drive-through only business, yet when I got to the pick-up window they requested a tip. IMO, tips are for sit-down service; the practice of tipping got weirdly twisted during the pandemic and now people ask for tips EVERYWHERE. But that has no bearing on the quality of the meal.

Who the hell puts toppings on the BOTTOM. Ketchup goes on top. Ruined my whole burger experience with a dry burger. You can't fix it... the damn cheese is stuck to the top bun. Stop being cute and make burgers right. Burger was dried up/not juicy also... overdone... and over seasoned salty.

I love that they have a Gardenburger optioon! Reasonably priced and tasty. Just make sure to order it "standard dress" if you want the standard burger toppings. The GB comes with mushrooms. Not a big deal. Just sharing. Stop by! It's good!

The service was very prompt and polite. We didn't have to wait long for our 2 burgers and 2 fries and the milkshake was ready when we got to the window. The food came out in a very timely manner and the fries were very hot and crispy. The fry sauce was on point as well as the burgers. Hot and juicy with a soft warm bun. We sat in our car in the next parking lot watching the cars go by. I highly recommend.

Depends on time of day, but usually top notch with extra fry sauce. They had health issues with their I e. Ream machines years ago but worth the risk today. Great original flavors. Butterscotch, huckleberry etc.

This is quintessential Tacoma to me. Although, I think they're all over western WA now. If you're craving a burger and a yummy milkshake, this is the go-to. Most recently had a blackberry Oreo milkshake, and it did not disappoint. Added a bacon cheeseburger to that order, and it was tops. We were on a drive to Mt. Rainier, and passed out from the delicious goodness on the drive there.

It's almost a 4 star. I've been a few times and I get a different burger each time. So are hot and some are cooler.

when I lived in Washington this burger place was always packed. The food was delicious, and the vibes were very welcoming, caring with a retro look.

7-4-25 11:30am Black guy working window" was very rude. Ordered a #5 with large shake..got small, never got reciet" paid cash.. This place keeps falling hard when it comes to service and food ... This location has turned to crap....

best burger ever, and seasonal shakes are usually fantastic, dont for get the cheese curds! amazing. i will got 10 miles out of my way to get a frugal burger! we need one in lynnwood!

Neil, from Frugals made my screwed up order perfect! What a caring sweetheart employee. I am a sous chef. NEIL NEEDS TO BE PROMOTED FRUGALS!! His customer service is above & beyond. He should be a manager yesterday! Thanks for even bringing my replacement order out to me!

It was so many many years when I came I just got fries, and I remember them being so good and crispy. My cousin and I were wanting fries again while we were going to pick up our dinner (yes, we need a snack while we get ready to eat dinner lol), and decided to grab some from here. And since I was here, I decided to also try a cheeseburger, and I added the grilled onions. I didn't eat the burger until later (since I was already grabbing dinner elsewhere), and it was still tasty even after being reheated. And the fries good and crispy; definitely was not disappointed on our choice of fries.

Ordered frugals through the drive-thru. The food is very good. I really loved the burgers. The fries are good I like how they make their fries definitely similar to the soft kind of McDonald's fries in a way. They are milkshakes are great they have good cheese curds. The service was nice ordering. The drive-thru is easy to get into and they had to drive through windows which was nice. It definitely is a little bit spendy but I don't think it's any that much more expensive than going to a fast food place and ordering normal food not on the value menu. It's not expensive but not cheap. Definitely worth getting food there. Food is definitely worth the price.

any time am in im in the area always stop in frugals.best burger anywhere ! they raised the prices but worth it.........great fry sauce too that I always put on the burger.........

Burger was nice and juicy and the buns were nice and soft. I had a double cheeseburger and a bacon and bleu. The bleu part of the bacon cheeseburger was a shot in the dark and truthfully it was a little underwhelming. Loved they had cheese curds which is a delicacy and hard to find at most burger joints. Top 3 burger joint in Tacoma hands down!

I've ate here since I was kid with my family and it will always be a go-to with their amazing fries and burgers that are basically to die for! Also get the strawberry milkshake, does not disappoint.

Even tho I did not like their new payment system, it didn't take away the fact that their burgers are constantly good. We enjoy their Mushroom Swiss burger, double cheese burger with no mustard, add bacon and grill onions, and Bacon cheese burger with no onions. Their chocolate shake is also tasty. If you haven't tried their cheese curds, be careful since it's really addictive and great to share. Also, I give props to any company that is willing to give 100% proceeds for a day to a cause. Thank you Frugals for being part of our community.

Food and service was great. Very busy all the time so be prepared to wait! We got a CC sandwich and double cheese. Sandwiches are way better than fries. I loved the fries were fresh and crunchy and super hot, did not love the amount of salt on them though.

Okay, truth be told I've grown up going to Frugals in Parkland and this was a letdown. My first spidey sense went off when they no longer provide wrapped straws. Not an issue. The issue was that the person handing me the straw is the same person who just took cash from the car in front of me, cards from the previous, and had just handed me a dog biscuit for the pooch in the backseat. Meh, not using it but thanks for providing me a non-paper straw. I proceeded to dig around my glovebox and found a random straw from a previous excursion. Success! I go to sip my root beer and what the heck, flat... so very flat. I'm not going to get back in line and wait another 15-20 minutes to tell them my soda is flat, call me selfish but no one has the time or wants to do that. Okay, whatever let's try the fries. I mentioned I've been going here FOREVER. Their fries have never let me down. Again, what in the all that is evil are these soggy, old, lukewarm, salty things?! Not the hot fresh salty goodness I've always cherished. Et tu, French fry?! Thoroughly letdown, I sulkily unwrap my burger. Hallelujah! Redemption has been found! The hot messy, cheesy, I'm gonna regret this later, is there! The burger was solid and was definitely the winner from this grease soaked paper bag. It's been awhile since I've been here, maybe it was an off night, or maybe things have just changed that much since my last visit.

Always soooo delicious!!! Service tends to be as quickly as you would expect for make as you order! Staple of the community & consistent!

We used to go to the Frugals in Auburn years ago when we lived in the area. We were driving up I5 and re called there was a Frugals in Tacoma so we thought we'd go get ourselves a burger. The location is terrible. It's crammed in the corner of a parking lot of a marijuana shop and a strip club. There's warning signs on the windows about refunds and asking people to not yell at the employees. Terrible location. It was fun people watching while waiting in line for 15 minutes though. The food wasn't as we recalled. Small portions of fries. Burgers seemed dry and tasteless. Purchased fry sauce but the containers were less than half full. Disappointed.

Drive in there's two lanes. We ordered the 1/4 bacon cheeseburger combo and extra fry sauce, puppy patty (yes, puppy patty) and 2 milkshake : chocolate and seasonal huckleberry. Everything was good. It was pretty fast from the time we order and gotten our food.

The day finally arrived when I was able to stop here to grab dinner and this place did not disappoint! I ordered a bacon cheeseburger, cheese curds, fries, fry + ranch sauce for dipping and a peach shake. The burger itself was amazing and I wasn't expecting too much, but wow. Everything else was pretty solid, but the shake was so runny.. which was odd considering I tried it as soon as they handed it over to me also. Hopefully the shakes are normally not like that because i'd love to try other flavors in the future. Other than that the service was great and we moved along pretty quickly in the drive thru. The employee helping us offered the kids lollipops too so this place is definitely sold for my kids as well haha. Anyways - can't wait to return to try more in the future!

The customer service was honestly trash (rude employee taking orders at the drive thru, with a strong negative vibe). The food was decent and the exterior style of the diner was fun. It seems like they need to upgrade their speaker systems in order to communicate better between employees and customers.

This review occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and is for to-go only. I first caught wind of this place on Instagram where are they had a promotion for their Giving Gouda Burger - 100% of their proceeds will go to Nourish Pierce County in the month of November. I was sold. I told my friends. We decided to make the trek out here for some philanthropy grub. We were a little disappointed. Burgers were pretty ordinary and average size, but obviously made in a big hurry and just tossed together. Flavor was good but we were questioning if it was really gouda? Fries were okay too but nothing special. Fried cheese curds were an off-menu item but a definite plus, but they seemed a little rubbery to me. Overall, I give this place kudos for heart. But my tummy wanted a little more, especially with the distance from my house. I may give this place another try in the future, but I don't think I'll get my hopes too high for round 2.

My childhood burger place. Still my favorite "fast" food restaurant in Tacoma. Almost always a long line, but always worth it. They cook them to order, their ingredients are always fresh. They never park you on the side of the building to wait for your order. Building is a cool two-sided drive-thru. If you have a someone on the passenger side you can go to the one on the left and it's usually a much shorter line. Overall could I be biased? Yeah. You still need try it because it's amazing.

They have fantastic burgers! It is drive-through only with no dine-in options. They have special shake flavors that rotate monthly. Fries are good as well. Service is usually prompt and friendly. Prices are pretty reasonable. The parmesan ranch dipping sauce is fantastic! One of our favorite burger stops.

Local place down the street pretty good burgers definitely awesome fries and shakes! Lines are a bit long but worth the wait if you're craving a solid burger.

A decent burger drive thru! Burgers are good, fries are good, milkshakes are good, love the cheese curds! It's an all around good spot & it's open later than most burger places so that's usually the only time we lean for this option. I'd go here more BUT sometimes the oil tastes old & that just kind of ruins the food for me when you can taste the dirty grease on the fries/curds! But we've had it when they oil tastes fresh & it's great! Service is always good, long lines but they move fast.

The patties are flat & thin.... Even Burger King patties are thicker..... Go to Red Robin , Stacks or Scuttlebutt for a real burger .... Not here

The best $5 burger around. If you have not tried one and you are a fan of the burger, you are missing out. Quick service, tasty and hot food, amazing shakes makes this my go to when I am feeling like destroying the diet. Love this place!

Food is horrible. Service is horrible and ambience. Wouldn't recommend going here. It used to be good back in the day the early 2000s right now.

I love the Bacon Cheesburger with Cheese Curds. However, the last time I only got a few cheese curds. About 1/3 of a small fry bag. Kinda disappointed!

Bit of a hot mess here... second time coming here and with only 5 cars in front of me, I spent about 25 minutes in line. Awaiting me at the end were stale fries and a double charge for the milkshake substitution (advertised as +$1.60?). Also, if you get grilled onions apparently they include the regular chopped onions as well? It was a little much for me and seems counter intuitive. I used to avoid this place due to the lines, but when even a small one isn't managed well and the order experience is poor, I'm not sure what else is left.

Such a delightful place to get down home burgers from. This place doesn't miss. I haven't gone a visit south without coming to frugal for my Blt extra crispy bacon . The sandwich itself was made with love. The CHEESE CURDS! An explosive creamy goodness in your mouth.

October has a Brown Sugar Burger! Yummm! I went with a classic cheeseburger for my first time trying Frugals but someone in my group ordered the Brown Sugar Burger and it smelt amazing and apparently tasted even better. Burgers here are tasty, a little greasier but that's okay and the fries are pretty good, not overly crispy, not too soft, smaller cut and they give you more than enough. We also subbed out fries on two meals and ordered cheese curds which were more fried than usual and delicious. For 4 burger meals it was $40, really great price! We came on a Saturday afternoon and the line was long. There are two lanes though, the line on the left is shorter because you pay and grab everything from the right side so if you're alone you would choose the longer right line or walk around your car like I saw some people do. Check in for free fries!

Milk shake was basically just milk. Burgers were too salty. Avoid the Port Angeles, WA location at all costs.

Thank you Frugals!!!! This Philly cheesesteaks and cheeseburger were on point! Lay the lady who took our order was a doll and so nice! I have just ate at an expensive restaurant and where you would expect top level service and it did not happen at all. However!!! Lay brought top dining customer service. Hope the owners see this review because in times like this it is difficult to retain good folks. Onto the flavor of these items!! Yummy yummy yummy. The only critique I would give is sauté vegis a tad but more on cheesesteak and add some spice options. But these are just suggestions and nothing to cause a reduced star. Keep up the great service. Also, I should add this meal was $14!!! 2 people on $14 versus some other places who charge double for the same thing

So mid made me sad. I never leave comments but this was just way too disappointing....

Kind employees good food and shakes worth the crazy lines. I wish they used more fresh fruit in the shakes though. Nice treat and I suggest the cheese curds also

Everything is amazing! The restaurant did have an incident where they had some sanitation concerns but they corrected it quite quickly and thoroughly. I have lived in Tacoma all my life and recently moved to Portland. I easily justify driving 2.5hrs to pick up some burgers from here. The food is absolutely amazing and for a relatively cheap price (cheaper than most of the major fast food chains.) unfortunately there is 0 seating options but the building is very unique and easily identifiable.

M son, husband and I, went to Frugals on Saturday night. My son ordered a bacon cheeseburger (meal), I ordered a double cheeseburguer (meal NO ONION, NO PICKLE) and it didn't even had tomamotes. Mys husband ordered a double cheeseburguer (ADD BACON, MUSHROOM, ONIONS& JALAPENOS) NONE of the add-ons were in his burguer and we paid EXTRA for each item. SO DISSAPOINTED!!!

The burgers ... not very flavorful. I tried it twice just to make sure but I was not impressed. Never plan on going back.

From the milk shakes down to the French fries, I couldn't have asked for greater taste. Make sure to bring your appetite, you'll definitely need it .

Great place stopped in for the first time fairly new to the neighborhood. Excellent prices great meal everything everything's fresh I enjoyed my meal and immensely I will be coming back.!

I wish they didn't have the fish burger like the last time we asked when we came. Their menu says a "halibut burger" this is definitely a pressed fish burger. Barely any lettuce or anything else to it. At least the fries were hot this time. And their fries sauce is mayo heavy they need to add some relish and more ketchup to that bad boy! But that's just my opinion...We should've got a burger... Oh, and it's some thing about their drinks they just taste real chemically especially the fruit punch

Iconic little burger drive thru with spot on food & service! Do not worry if the line is 5 deep, they rock through the orders so the wait is never too long. Menu is pretty simple which is probably why they're so fast. Hot & fresh with reasonable prices, who could ask for more?

Frugals is our In n'out burg of WA!! I love Frugals, except the line when you pull in! If I lived closer, I'd be here all the time! I love the frysauce, fries, burg seasoning, I wish they sold that seasoning salt! They're always busy, but it doesn't take too long to get your order. So now writing this, I wish I have a cheeseburger & fries!!

Great burgers fries and shakes! Fry sauce is a must. It's greasy but that should be expected.