New smash burger spot opens on San Pablo Avenue

The long-awaited Tommy’s Burger Co. on San Pablo Avenue quietly opened its doors Saturday in Richmond’s North and East neighborhood, turning on the griddle for customers for the first time after months of delays.

Inside, co-owner Tommy Ryan moved between the fry basket and grill, still training staff and dialing in the first-day rush. “It’s all fresh meat,” Ryan said. “We grind our own using brisket trim from our barbecue spot. Certified Angus beef; you can taste it.”

Ryan, who grew up in Richmond and San Pablo, is also the chef behind Tommy’s Barbecue Company, a one-time Richmond restaurant that relocated to Hercules. When the chance came to open a burger joint back in Richmond, Ryan said it felt right.

“I come from burgers. That’s where I started. That’s where my heart is,” Ryan said. The North and East location made sense to him for another reason: the neighborhood’s trajectory. “We see this area as up and coming; it’s changing, so we want to be a part of that. We want to add to it,” Ryan said.

Ryan's burgers are not fast-food fare.

“It’s top quality. You can taste it. And who doesn’t love a good burger?” he said.

The opening came together quickly after the restaurant's final approval was granted last Thursday, and Ryan immediately dove in, training staff on the job with a streamlined menu to start.

Ryan’s business partner, Juan Nunez, is a longtime Richmond resident who also owns Nunez Tattoo down the street. He handled nearly all of the restaurant’s build-out himself.

“We don’t come from money,” Nunez said. “We work with what we have, take our time, and make sure everything passes inspection. Little by little.”

Nunez said he hopes to turn the restaurant’s rear patio into a small beer garden once they recover their startup costs.

“We’ll probably do beer and wine back there next year,” he said. “We’ve got plans, but we’re realistic.”

Twenty years ago, Nunez was ready to walk away from Richmond, planning to pull his businesses out of the area. But he has watched the neighborhood transform over the past two decades.

“I like how it’s improving. I like how there is more community now. Violence has gone down a lot around here, so it’s very welcoming now,” Nunez said.

The restaurant is part of a wave of change along this stretch of San Pablo Avenue, where small, locally owned businesses have been breathing new life into a corridor that once sat quiet. In recent years, new arrivals like El Tucan, The Factory Bar, and Prajam Thai have helped make the North and East one of Richmond’s most active dining areas.

Tommy's menu is small and focused: burgers, fries, and a few variations. The cheeseburger comes with a sesame bun, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, diced grilled onions, and a patty pressed flat on the grill.

A cheese burger and fries from Tommy's Burger Co.

Ryan’s use of brisket trimmings gives the burger a deep, beefy flavor and a rich, fatty profile. The first bites are satisfying, but quickly lean indulgent. The burger’s texture and flavor drew comparisons to the only smash burger establishment the Richmond Burger Trail has visited, Johnny Boi Smash Burgers in Point Richmond.

Ryan cooks his fries in beef tallow, allowing for a deep, golden crisp. Four cheeseburgers and fries cost $75.07, about $18.77, roughly the same as Red Onion’s $18.62 burger-and-fries combo and about 13 percent cheaper than 2207, where the average burger combo costs $21.18.

Tommy's opening was delayed for several months by permits and ongoing work, and Ryan admits the operation is not quite complete.“We’re 100 percent training on the job right now,” he said.

Tommy's Burger Co. is located at 12560 San Pablo Avenue in Richmond's North and East Neighborhood.

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