Nearly two months after the opening of the social media favorite Dave’s Hot Chicken in the Monte Vista Crossings Shopping Center, another trendy fast food establishment recently opened its doors just down Countryside Drive.

On Dec. 16, Nation’s Giant Hamburgers made its long awaited arrival to Turlock, serving up breakfast, sandwiches, hot dogs, pies, and of course, its famous hamburgers that include hearty 1/3-pound beef patties.

Nation’s is located at 1811 Countryside Dr. — a space last occupied by a botany and herbal remedy store, and before that was a longtime home for a U.S. Air Force recruitment office. It neighbors businesses like FoodMaxx, Chong’s Chinese and Thai Cuisine, and Smoke City.

The Turlock location is just the latest of a flurry of Nation’s spots to open in the region, as a second location in Modesto also opened in recent weeks, joining Tracy, Stockton and Lodi as other homes to the popular joint.

Here is my review.

I had only ever visited Nation’s once in my life, which was at the first Modesto location at 2509 McHenry Ave., one of the most unique buildings to house a restaurant — the former home of a Wells Fargo bank branch with large windows and a slanted ceiling. Most Nation’s, like the one in Turlock, don’t have that flare, but the new one in town still has a very retro feeling that has made the chain beloved.

For context, the restaurant was founded in 1952 by Russ Harvey, when he used the money from the sale of his 1948 Buick to open a hot dog stand in San Pablo, complete with a 10-foot-wide counter with six stools. He quickly added burgers to the menu, focused on large portions, leading to an explosion in popularity and a name change to Harvey’s Giants Hamburgers. In the 1960s, Dale Power was hired as a janitor, and a decade later, purchased his first restaurant in Oakland. He decided to rebrand his location as Nation's, as he believed they sold the best burgers in the country. Harvey and Power changed the company name to Nation's across the board and became partners under the brand.

The booths in Turlock are spacious, the wide variety of pies are on display, photos of the original locations grace the walls and literature detailing Nation’s rich history.

Above all, they lived up to their name. 

I ate at Nation’s twice last week, once for breakfast and another day during lunch. I love french toast, but the only ordering option was to order the slices by themselves, though you can add sides. I did just that, adding a side of eggs, bacon and hash browns. When the tray came to the table, it looked like the meal was made for three people. The best part was that it was just under $20.

The hamburgers are, indeed, giant. I ordered a simple burger with lettuce, tomato, cheese and thousand island sauce, as well as a side of fries. I made a mess on the plate, which is a good sign by my standards. Again, about $16.

I did not try any of the pies, but three people picked up orders while I sat eating my lunch. Can’t be a bad sign, right? Also on the menu is pancakes, toast and omelets is also a big draw, as well as their shakes.

The verdict: It’s very delicious for both breakfast and lunch/dinner. But you need to be really, really hungry. 

The Smash Bros are approaching

A bit further north in the shopping center at 1205 W. Monte Vista Ave., directly across from Stanislaus State, will be a bit of a different burger option in Smash Bros.

As the name indicates, smash burgers are the specialty. For those unfamiliar, smash burgers are made by rolling ground beef into a ball and then flattening it — or smashing it — on a griddle until completion.

Smash Bros, with its only other location in Merced, will take over the space formerly occupied by I Heart Mac and Cheese, which closed in early 2025.

Signage announcing the imminent arrival of the new burger spot was first spotted in March. 

According to their Instagram page, @SmashBros.209, the grand opening is approaching quickly, with a hiring event happening on Sunday, Jan. 4 from 1-4 p.m. A flier states that all positions are open, with applicants required to bring a paper resume and be 18 years of age or older.

The menu is expected to be similar to that at the Merced location, with five types of burgers, as well as Philly cheesesteaks, regular and loaded fries, fried zucchini, onion rings, ice cream and milkshakes.