Finding food that is “out of culture” here in Rome can sometimes be a tedious task. Of course, I love my pasta and pizza, which is part of the reason why Italy became home for me 7 months ago, but it doesn’t hurt to have an “ethnic” meal every now and then. Asian, Mexican, and in this case…a good-old, juicy hamburger comes to mind.

This past weekend, Jared and I stopped by Tommi’s Burger Joint for lunch, which is located in the center of Rome in the Prati neighborhood. The perfect location to grab a bite after doing some shopping on Cola di Rienzo or after visiting the Vatican and St. Peters Basilica.

When it comes to eating out, I am not entirely picky or hard to please. However I have a few rules for places that deserve a second visit, which are:

1. Fair price
2. Excellent food
3. Great service

Fortunately, Tommi’s hit them all on the head. Don’t get me wrong. There are other places in Rome where mouth-watering burgers can be found but, more often than not, they are overpriced and the staffs are not always the most friendly. Tommi’s was even most recently ranked as one of the Top 20 restaurants in Rome out of 10,000 on Trip Advisor!

When we walked in, I was really intrigued by the hand-drawn menus that also seem to multi-task as decoration for their space. I was curious to see who made them, to which I found out that the chefs do, of course. I definitely appreciate my burgers to be made with a side of creativity!

Inside, adorning the walls, you will find movie posters and even a black and white portrait of Tommi, the founder. Originally from Iceland, he has also brought Tommi’s Burgers to Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom where it was even voted the Best Burger in London. That is quite an honor.

Don’t worry US folks…there is a Tommi’s location opening up in Soho soon!

The menu is simple and not overly-complicated. Nothing stresses me out more than having too many options, which is why whenever I go to the Cheesecake Factory it takes me about 30 minutes to decide on a cheesecake alone.

As you can see from the menu, they also cater to the vegetarian crowd with a spectacular veggie burger (pictured below). After downing the typical cheeseburger I figured I would give the veggie burger a try and it was equally as amazing.

I think it’s safe to say that this place will be on the top of my list for when that cheeseburger and french fry craving resurfaces, which lately has been quite frequently.

All my love,
Estrella