Vaka Burger

Great burgers with great taste. Everything is freshly made when ordered so you will have to wait for it. Good sized burgers as well with great gourmet flavor. I will definitely be back for more. Right now sueur hours are limited because of Covid so check before you go.

Great burgers 🍔 with astounding flavor combinations w/great service; pricey 💸 👍 - the wide spectrum of flavor profiles they manage to fit into just a few burgers is nothing short of remarkable. An expertly crafted, small menu of savory delights 😋 Had the Truff, their 2020 award winning burger for the SoCal region. The truffle oil is cooked to near perfection, ensuring a creamy truffle flavor boost to the burger. The arugula was fresh and crunchy the whole way through 🤩 the caramelized onions were okay. Pretty impressive they manage to serve up caramelized onions at all! 🙌 They have other burgers with rarely seen add-ons like bacon jam! 🥓 Buns were toasted well, keeping the burger from devolving into a mess 👌🏼 Everything is made to order! Fresh A.F. ✊🏼 👎 - the burger alone is $10, no sides or drinks. Pretty undersized for that price. Kept me from getting fries so I've no idea the quality of those 🤷‍♂️ The burger patty itself is a little too small, especially to cook medium rare (but the burger was still extremely juicy 💦)

Fanstastic burger for the price ($12 w fries). Crispy potatoes and juicy lettuce-wrap. Plenty of seating too. Go!

This review is hard to write, because the food was extremely good. The only downside was that the food was cold by the time i received it. It wasn't even a busy day, which makes the lack of good customer service worse.

Amazing place!! I odered brie burger and fries. So so so so delicious!!!!! And nice atmosphere!

You have to try the burgers here My top two are the truffle burger made with real truffle oil and the Vaka burger with an onion ring, BBQ sauce and muenster cheese.

I loved the food. The space it self is simple and generic. Burgers were both great- we had the double smash burger and truffle burger. Fries are all hand cut and not over salted. Onion rings are the best I’ve ever had- The batter is delicious. Everything is hand crafted and it’s extremely affordable. Beef is grass fed.

Looks great on Instagram, but the OG Burger I got was over cooked and the cheese wasn't melted. Fries were good. Canned soda was that. Emailed them my feedback, but no reply. I wouldn't go back, but willing to try again at the LA location.

This is an excellent option in the Mess Hall at Flight (a food hall in Tustin, Orange County, CA - I want to say they're 6-8 food options here along with the bar). Chef Aaron, who's been featured on Food Network & Cooking Channel does not miss. You can taste the TLC in each and every bite in all of his burgers. Everything is fresh, and sauces are made from scratch - absolutely delicious. I highly recommend grabbing a burger and fries and a drink from the bar across the way!

Vaka Burger was featured on the morning news a couple of months ago. Ever since then, I've been wanting to try it out. It is located in the corner inside the Mess Hall. I got the OG Burger with Fries. The OG burger comes with julienne romaine, Russian dressing, a beef stock tomato, yellow sharp cheddar cheese, red onions, and ketchup. However, I asked for no Russian dressing nor ketchup. I also didn't eat the top bun. My burger was still juicy and flavorful. The fries were good and crispy, too. My two-year old almost ate the entire portion by herself. They were twice fried 1/4 shoestring fries. We can't wait to come back to try their Brie, Truff and Vaka burgers.

Part of the Mess Hall at Flight complex. It's in the back, far from Barranca. Several vendors make up the Hall, with games to play like giant checkers, corn hole, etc. No dogs unless they're service dogs. Indoor and outdoor seating. Loud music, at least on the weekend we went. Order at the register, get a buzzer, wait for it to go off, then pick it up. I got the vaka burger and added fries. It has an onion ring and bacon jam, which is what sold me. Their ketchup tastes "different" to say the least. I think it's natural or something. It came out to around $15 as of Sept 2022. Given the quantity, I'd usually say it doesn't add up, but it was delicious! Decent sized serving at best, but on par with most other food court places in my experience. These places just cost more.

I highly recommend trying VAKA's burgers. This place is a 10/10!!! The food is delicious, full of flavor, and definitely affordable. THE BEST BURGERS EVER. The TRuFF Burger was definitely my favorite: Baby Arugula, Havarti Cheese, White Truffle Oil, Beer Braised Caramelized Onions, Roasted Garlic Aioli. I also recommend trying the BRiE burger: Baby Arugula, French Brie Cheese, White Truffle Oil, Caramelized Firestone DBA Onions, Roasted Garlic Aioli - both incredible. Don't forget to try their fresh and crispy truffle fries.

Ordered the brie burger with truffle fries. The burger was very juicy and flavorful with the breeze shining through. Very oily/buttery. It was a good thick burger. The shoestring truffle fries were really good. Crunchy and they put ample amount of the truffle seasoning on them. The place is very solid but to pay almost $20 for a burger and fries seems a bit much for what I'm getting.

In a nutshell: small and overpriced. For $11 dollars not including tax and tip this burger shop merits a critique. Ordered the Big Cheese Burger. It was not big. It was somewhere in between a Happy Meal Cheeseburger and the McDonalds Value meal menu cheeseburger in size. At the $11 dollar price mark, the burger has to be good right? It has to be better than your home BBq'd burger, the Habit, In-N-Out, The Cut, Mooyah, right? This is the only way justify the price and taste per gram in the burger landscape wars of OC. In-N-Out/ the Habit are clear winners. Compared to another $11 dollar range burger, The Cut and Mooyah are clear winners. As one new customer that will not return... in a burger market where you only survive if you can develop a loyal base... this burger shop needs to make some changes. Until then, I'm going elsewhere for a burger.

Weekday lunch with hubby brought us here. Hubby and I each had the OF burger and shared French fries. The meat was seasoned well and cooked just right (with a little pink). The toppings were fresh and it was great to customize our burger to our liking. The French fries were DELISH!!! Cooked well, seasoned well - yummy and crispy. Just how we like it! The price is a bit steep for the size of the burger. Hubby was thinking maybe to try the double next time.

Poor management - 1) answer the phone. 2) remove 'order online' (Grubhub) from your Yelp page. I tried to order from Vaka's website, but the page for Tustin was wonky, Tustin page was a giant 'google map error' and their order online link doesn't offer 'choose the location' I called to see if the Tustin location takes to go orders, but got a recording "the voicemailbox is full" I wondered if the place still exists - no phone, website is DOA, so I went on Yelp and saw recent reviews, also had an 'Order Online' through Yelp/Grubhub, YAY! so I did. My order went through and my card was charged., but when we drove there they said they don't use grubhub (!) I had to call Grubhub to get a refund and they had to confirm what I said with the restaurant, but since they don't answer the phone Grubhub couldn't confirm, (they took my word for it.) What a gigantic hassle that could have been avoided IF THEY ANSWERED THE PHONE AND MANAGED THEIR YELP PAGE AND WEBSITE.

I feel this is not a legitimate business. We waited 2 hours for a brieburger and a smashburger. 2 hours later, and l am finally told they lost my ticket. The lady behind the counter offered a refund. So, now my child is hungry and disappointed. You might wonder why I waited so long. The reason is that the lady at the counter announced that the wait would be at least 40 minutes. My child was excited about trying this well reviewed place. I thought 40 minutes would be worth it. We also wanted in line for about an hour before ordering. My husband was furious about the wait. To be told that they lost my ticket and get absolutely nothing out of the experience, not even a real apology honestly just sucks.

Overall, a quality burger with truffle! We came on a Saturday for lunch and ultimately ordered online as we were meeting family that arrived before us. The order was ready when we arrived within the timeframe indicated during order. Located in Tustin amongst other vendors, this was a great choice for not only burgers but truffle fries. I'd definitely make a trip back for another burger!

Located in Mesa Hall- another great place to while waiting for your car to be charged at the Tesla Supercharging Station. Decided to try their Vaca burger and their fries (an added on for $1.99). They provided garlic aioli and ketchup for the fries. Garlic aioli was good - garlicky while the ketchup is on the sweeter side. I believe it was homemade. We were recommended the Vaca burger. The burger was good- the onion ring in burger was slightly soggy (not as crunchy as I had hoped) and it felt like it was missing some sauce. Overall it's a good place to sit and munch on something while waiting. It was quiet at the time we went but I can see it being a great place to hangout with friends esp on weekends

The best burgers ever!! Service is fast and friendly. Ambiance is great! The bread pudding is soooo good! Highly recommend to go. Oh an fries are super tasty

I love this burger place! As of right now, probably my favorite burger in OC. It is located inside the "Mess Hall" which is basically a swanky food court, Vaka is located next to the bar. I have been here multiple times and there has always been plenty of parking. Make sure to check hours before going, they can be a little strange. I wish I could say I have tried different things on the menu, but I am so hooked on the brie burger that that's always what I get. It is so delicious, if you love brie you need to try this burger. It's definitely a little bit on the saltier side, but it's savory, flavorful, and delicious. The burger patty is about two times as thick as what you would get at somewhere like in-and-out. I would say the burgers are affordable, around $10 each. There is plenty of seating inside. I enjoy the fries as well, I believe they're flavored with duck fat and pretty flavorful. If you need a extra dipping sauce, I recommend the garlic aïoli.

I still remember a burger I had at Johnny Rockets in Tustin (now closed). They could have called it their Crispy Burger. The Smash Burger at Vaka brought back those memories. I think I understand it now though I apparently didn't understand it back then. Smash burgers are supposed to be that way. It's a hamburger patty squished onto a hot griddle with the force of a steamroller and allowed to sputter and caramelize in its own fat until the meat turns dark, almost black, becoming lacy (crispy) around the edges. The burger is essentially obliterated. If you enjoy your burger extremely well done, you'll be a happy camper. But if you're like me and appreciate a basic medium rare burger and cheese, Vaka Burger is not for you.

If you asked me for the best burger around -- I'd say Vaka. Additionally, I brought someone here today because I was craving quality fries and immediately thought of their truffle fries -- always fresh, crispy, and delightfully tasty. Unfortunately on this day, I decided to be clumsy and spill my fries all over the sandy ground. Did I momentarily think about the 3-second rule when the midst from the pandemic has yet to settle?? Absolutely!! (They're that good!) My friend snapped a photo and told Vaka about the horrific scene of spilled truffle fries and they replaced them!!! Thank you, Vaka, for great burgers, fries, and my refill

My first thought in coming to Mess Hall was I wouldn't like anything here, but I was wrong. I really liked Vaka Burger. This is MY SPICY AF HARBENERO-HOT TAKE, but I've had a lot of burgers and this one here is going to my top 10. Yeah, it's on the pricier side but other upscale burger places I've had elsewhere were pricier for the burger and weren't as good with the bread or beef. You order at the counter, then pickup with a radio device that shakes and beeps when your order is ready. Mine only took 10 minutes being the only one around. Vaka Burger: 5/5 Tangy BBQ sauce with brioche (soft outside, crispy seer on the inside) with fried onion and a juicy and medium rare beef patty. Just note that medium rare is their default level so if you want it fully cooked, be sure to mention it. Nice and soft, cheese worked well with it. Honestly, it's everything I could ask for a burger. Truffle Fries: 3/5 Pretty standard and used parma on top and honestly I probably could be just the dollar pizza next door for better value. Still good, and I wish I had a fork for it. It was messy and the parm spilled everywhere so definitely take this outside. Service: 5/5 Service was pretty good and the lady was nice and patient while I read out the menu. Didn't feel rushed at all. So it's a 4.5 for me, and it's not for everyone, but honestly I'd come back for the burger because I do like it a lot.

One of my FAVORITE burger joints and the main reason why I adore the Flight Mess Hall so much. I always get the Vaka Burger (which seems to be their take on a western bacon cheeseburger). The onion ring is always , the cheese melty, bun toasted, and the beef perfectly cooked. They feature a bacon jam spread (which isn't my favorite thing), but that's easily addressed by adding actual bacon to it. And the fries! The fries are usually excellent shoestrings.

First time eating Vaka! I was at a company event and I ordered the Truff burger and french fries! Unfortunately I dont have a picture but it was DELICIOUS!! The truffle tasted strong and bold. Their bread was sweet and soft.. their ketchup! Was not your regular ketchup, I felt super healthy after eating the fresh and yummy burger!! Next time I will stop by and dine in!

Brie burger was great but the fries were the highlight. I opted to get the regular side of fries and eat my burger over top of them so that the fries collected my drippings, etc. The fries were double-fried and the crispiness held up, and the flavor was great. The burger bun and toppings were great but I would've loved a little more juice/flavor in the patty. Overall a great lunch and I will be back to try the other menu items This is located in Mess Hall Market - the only thing I thought was weird is that they don't appear to have a restroom. Either it's hidden or they do not have one

There is medium rare and then there is raw cold beef. Service was slower than expected.

I went here with Debra R because we saw it on the TV. We ordered the smash burger and a brie burger. We did not get the food and waited for a long time.

They don't answer the phone. When I showed up at 11:00 AM, they ran out of impossible burger patties. RIP.

Drove 30 minutes to try this place we saw on the morning news. They didn't have veggie burgers as advertised. So no burger for me. My hubby tried the Vaka smash burger...disappointed. Didn't even eat half. Soggy and funky tasting. We really wanted to like this place :(

Whether you're a local or just visiting the area this is a definite must try! Amazing smash burger, twice fried shoestring fries. Fast, friendly service, as well as reasonable prices! If you run into Noah give him an extra tip!

Update the hours so we stop wasting time going here...came twice and they were always closed!

Wonderful service the food texture is great I really encourage you guys to come and visit this location

I have missed this place a couple of times in the past because they are closed between certain hours of the day. Finally got a chance to try it. Ofcourse I had to try their specialty burger which is the Vaka Burger with onion rings, bacon jam, and Muenster cheese. It's hard to skip fries when getting a burger so Definitely had to add the twice fried fries. There is lots of outside seating area here at the Mess Hall of Tustin. You're given a buzzer to pick up your order when ready. The burger and fries looked amazing!! Make sure to get some aioli for the fries. The burger was good, but in my opinion the burger patty was over cooked. It was slightly dry and hard but the flavor and everything was spot on. Maybe asking temperature when ordering would do the trick but again, it's a decent burger joint in a cool spot at the Mess Hall.

A visit to the Mess Hall located in the Flight complex found me singling out Vaka Burger from among the eateries. After looking at the menu on the wall behind the counter I decided to go for their namesake - the Vaka Burger. This beauty promised - and delivered - a delicious combination of beef patty topped with a beer battered onion ring, muenster cheese, bacon jam, and their housemade smoked BBQ sauce. The thick beef patty was cooked medium and all the flavors combined to compliment one another perfectly. The sauce and bacon jam gave a good smokey and salty taste. I love muenster cheese so that was a mouth pleaser for me as was the monster onion ring. The bun wasn't too thick and in fact was maybe too thin (probably due to being squished together to fit in my mouth); it fell apart toward the end. I was thankful the burger was presented in a wrapper as it was messy but delicious. The side of fries I ordered were large enough for two people and were excellent. The seasoning was great on these thin deep-fried potatoes. The woman at the counter was friendly and helpful. After ordering you're given a pager and it took about five minutes for my food to be ready; relatively fast. They have some bottled soda options and I enjoyed a root beer with my meal. I really liked everything about this place. 4.5 stars!

Oh my gosh, THE BEST BURGERS in IRVINE!! I had the Brie and truffle oil burger and I'm in heaven!! Their fries are like In and Out but they make a special ketchup sauce. WOW!!! The Service was awesome too. I can't wait to come back again.. I highly recommend this place!!‼‼‼

Waygu burger was not real waygu meat it was mixed in with other meat, per the server. Burger was mediocre at best. Guacamole was as bland with no flavor. Worst guacamole and chips i ever had. Not worth the high cost. This place took the magic away from our Disney visit. Save your money and go somewhere else.

The best burgers in town!!!! They're absolutely delicious! I'm obsessed! Also, they have the best service!!

I saw that Vaka opened up at Mess Hall in Tustin, and I said I gotta hit this iconic Boyle Heights burger place. Mess Hall is on Barranca & Flight Way. There are several ethnic eateries, a coffee shop and a bar. I ordered the sig truffle burger ($13) and Maui rings ($4). My friend ordered the brisket sandwich ($13) and fries ($4). My burger was like I remembered: Super savory and filling. The only problem was, it was not hot. Unfortunately, the rings were cool too. I tried my friend's fries, and they were cool also. Regarding the ambiance, the Mess Hall is a great idea. However, the tables are so cheap they bend when you lean on them. In addition, they are not very wide. The cashier was friendly, but the food took 34 minutes to arrive. I would not have minded the wait had the food come out hotter. Five Star food, but minus one star for the long wait, and minus another star for the lukewarm food. $40 for a long wait, and cooler than expected food is not managing expectations!

The girls wanted burgers and who was I to argue. Never even heard of this place but came anyway. It did not disappoint. They had many different kinds of burgers, some fancier than others. Two fine young men helped us pick the best ones though. They were delicious and accompanied by equally delicious truffle fries. I must say the customer service astounded me. It was the old-school way, where they're real people, flesh-n-blood, not just polite robots. Actually able to carry a conversation. Made me reminisce about grabbing burgers in Long Island, back in my youth. Anyway, enough of this old man's ramblings. Lawrence recommends!

I'm going to be honest, I don't really like this place. VaKA Burgers is one of the many eateries at Mess Hall Market and, similar to Trade Food Hall (in Irvine) in design, it also fails to standout. On paper, everything is great. Lots of parking, many food options to choose from (especially with picky friends), clean bathrooms, lots of seating. Seating options are pretty outstanding -- outdoor patio is so spacious and modern! A great study area with nice views of a park (also note: airport takeoffs are pretty loud). But the prices are kinda high and the food quality isn't too great. My friends and I walked around and nothing was really appealing. We basically chose VaKA because we wanted some mac and cheese and they had it. At VaKA, the menu is like any standard burger place however, they also have salads, sandwich options, a kids' menu, and wings. We ordered: the BRiE burger ($13), Los AlToS burger ($13), Grown Up Grill CHeeSE ($9), Mac N' Cheese ($5 from the kids' menu), and Dirty Fries ($6) (all to share). Food didn't take too long to come out (approximately 10-15 minutes, we ordered a lot). The burgers were tasty (nice brioche bun, really THICK beef patties) and comes with ketchup and garlic aioli sauce, but I definitely didn't think it matched the price point. The fries were also pretty good and probably the best price for the value. The portions are large and topped with generous amounts of feta cheese and caramelized onions and very shareable. But the Mac N' Cheese was a definite NO. It was waaaaaay too salty, as if all the water evaporated and we were left with elbow pasta drenched in a heavy, high sodium cream béchamel. We couldn't eat half of it and it was a kids' portion. Probably not going here again.

OK, that was good. I've been going to Mess Hall since the soft opening, but this is the first time I tried Vaka. It will not be the last. Personally, I would put Vaka into the rankings of the best burgers in OC. Juicy, with good toppings and a nice bun, it is a winner. Paired it with onion rings, which had a flaky batter and thick cuts of sweet onions, the order was big enough to share for lunch without feeling like I was going to need a stent to reopen my arteries. The only issue is that they are slow. I don't know if it is just they are too busy, that quality takes time (it does, I get it), there are too many menu items, they are understaffed, or the kitchen is too small (or some combo of several of these), but my buddy and I ordered together and his burger came out several minutes before mine (and he had a decent wait too). It isn't like we ordered complicated burgers either. If you are in a rush and are getting there and you already see a line, you might want to opt for another place. Just sayin'.

Delicious and juicy burger, highly recommend.

The Burger was really good. Was a lunch pick up for the office, and everything was ready on time. The fries are good too, but you'd think they would at least fill the bag for $3. C'mon, that's easy. Let a fat man enjoy some fries.

Vaka is great. The service was super friendly and helpful. The food is very pleasing in both taste and appearance. Recommend the truffle fries. Please watch our video review to see what is good at Vaka and the rest of Mess Hall. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0ujoB6tzC4

Vaka Burgers was a nice place to escape to. The burgers are fresh and delicious as well as their fries and yummy onion rings. We heard about them from Brad Johnson, food critic at OC Register. He spoke highly of the OG burger so I knew we had to give it a try and it did not disappoint. You can tell everything was made with love and a passion for serving top notch comfort food. With Covid we aren't getting out much but this location in Tustin (Mess Hall Market OC) feels clean, safe, and relaxing. There's plenty of comfortable seating and areas to be social and distant at the same time. We have found a new spot and food place that allows for us some outside enjoyment. Maybe next time we will take an Uber so we can order cocktails with those scrumptious hamburgers. Thank you Vaka Burgers for serving such great food with an awesome staff that is very welcoming.

Really great place overall. Burgers are very tasty and they have a lot of options. One thing I do have to say is that they don't like it when you ask how you want your burger cooked. It's somewhat expensive place and if I'm paying to get a burger, I want it my way. I wanted my meat well done but they refused to do it. I kinda understand that it takes away from the flavor, but I prefer my meat well done. Other than that it's great. I would recommend, specially if you like your meat medium well. Their fries are also really good. Parking is good, they have a parking lot. Be sure to look at the marked stalls because there are a lot of 15 min parking spots, or spots designated for a different area.

Inside the Mess Hall, good for lunch, but not open late (yet!). Ordering is easy, clear options on the menu in front of you. I got the Vaka burger protein style with Puerco fries and a coke. They have water and other beverage options (there is also a full bar in this "food court" if you want to add a "real" drink to this!). Protein style means "open face" on a lettuce leaf, so you might need a fork and knife to eat it. Comes with BBQ sauce, and I'll take that on the side next time, and some 2 fried onion rings, so it's pretty greasy, but really good. The fries are also good, but the grated cheese and the pork rinds are only at the top, the rest are regular fries really. The only problem is the price, I paid $21 for this lunch, so they want to keep it in the gourmet burger category.

The vaka burger is tasty, like a gourmet to a western bacon cheeseburger. Do try to include their optional apple bacon.

I ordered truffle fries at Mess Hall, Tustin location multiple times ( tasted great). However, today I had the worst experience not only in customer service but quality of food. My fries were stale, salty, and cold. I went back and requested a new batch and the guy that worked there had the nerves to tell me it was a preferential difference I had when he tasted the fries I brought back with his fingers. This was extremely unhygienic and unprofessional. After a heated discussion on what I define as quality of food, I was able to get my refund. Worst customer service ever!

Shitty damn burgers. What a waste of money. Plain no taste and gross. Would not recommend this place.

We love the location. Delicious burger and truffle fries. For sure be back and try something else on the menu. Won't disappoint.

Ordered the Truff burger and loved it. The brioche really stole the show with it's lightly toasted and fluffy elements. Patty itself seemed massive, which I wasn't expecting. The burger was so filling that I didn't have room for fries. Really digging the Mess hall itself - Decent selection of BTG wines, solid music playing, plenty of seating... Will be back and will try more dishes/sides.

Ordered two big cheeseburgers. They are very simple but tasty burgers. The bun was nicely griddled and the meat was juicy.

Ordered the truffle burger, and it was unfortunately bland and overpriced. The meat patty itself was overcooked and flavorless. I am sensitive to salt, so am usually fine with less salt... but this patty didn't even taste seasoned. You can taste the truffle, and the burger size is pretty generous... so if anything, this burger should fill you up; it just wasn't satisfying.

Found VaKa Burgers at the Mess Hall. It is the best hamburger you'll ever have. Hands down!!! Grass fed beef, brioche bun, tender and flavorful!

That was one of the best burgers I've ever had. The fries were great too. Back to burger, I was amazing! This new Mess Hall is really cute with a lot of potential. I could see bringing a big group on a weekend night. We would order something from each of the restaurants and get drinks from the bar. Did I mention the Burger? It was crispy yet soft. The sauce was nothing like I've seen before. When I go back I'll maybe try a different burger. No promises