58 replies to this topic

[eje]

This is not a rec, but a remembrance that  Mel's Drive In on Lombard has the whole shake/malt thing going.  I only ate there many moons ago and can't recall quality from then and don't know where it is now... Comments?

I do like Zuni's burger and string fries. but this may not be the type of joint you have in mind.  Maybe you could get them to whip up a fresh lemonade or at the very least a fresh lime juice margarita...

I'm in the same boat on Mel's. I think I was there years ago. Don't remember anything particular about the food and/or beverages. Though, in a high volume tourist operation like that, I would imagine most everything comes straight from the food service supply company.

For some reason, I've never been to Zuni's. We used to live a few blocks from it, so I think it might be some sort of blind spot thing. Do need to get there one of these days. I did see Judy Rodgers go over her burger procedure once on Martha and have the cookbook. However, since I don't have a meat grinder, I probably won't be experimenting with it any time soon.

Must also give Big Mouth a try. I frequently transfer from BART at 24th, so it is practically on my way home.

fiftydollars, do you mean Original Joe's, Joe's Cable Car, Westlake Joe's or some other Joe's?

[CtznCane]

East bay - Val's Burgers in Hayward. (castro valley side) Been there for years. Still the place to go.

[mixmaster b]

Harry's Bar on Fillmore has quite a decent burger. The price is great and they serve until 2 in the morning! (This is new--it used to be 11)

The best part is that it is a thick burger so you can get it rare or medium rare. As a matter of fact they have a tendency to undercook them. The fries are good, too, but no malteds.

[megc]

Oscar's in Berkeley always had tasty burgers, according to friends. I always had their veggie burger and it was fab! I love the way that place smells as I walk by, mmmmm.....

East bay - Val's Burgers in Hayward. (castro valley side) Been there for years.  Still the place to go.

[marlena spieler]

The trouble with this thread is that whenever i read this i start making a list of burger places to try when i'm next in s.f. and then if i read it once too many times, i have to go out and buy the ingredients to make my own.

i really make very good burgers.

thickness is the key, and meatiness. all meat. unless i'm feeling oniony. and also, condiments, its all in the condiments for me at least. tonights burgers were served on mini-baguettes. fresh. hot. crisp. burger thick. juicy.

i'm sooooooo full now.

marlena

[eje]

I had a burger at The Magnolia Pub on Haight last night and was quite pleasantly suprised at the quality of the burger and sides. Half pound (a little big for me) of very fresh Niman Ranch meat, nicely grilled, butter lettuce and a ripe tomato. Very good Fries as well. As a special bonus, they serve all their sandwiches with Gus' New York style barrel pickles. I don't think they have malts; but, the cask conditioned ales I tried were pretty tasty.

[annachan]

Chouchou in SF....my favorite burger....It's a well seasoned, juicy burger with carmelized onion and tomato. Cheese is good, but an egg on top is even better....

[ingridsf]

I worked on Haight St and lived in Cole Valley for many years so know the Pork Store, Burgermeister, Magnolia very well. They're all...meh, strangely salty and/or too thick. I'm not an overstuffed-sandwich person in general, and prefer a higher bun-meat ratio than many. My last Mel's burger last month was a disaster -- greasy, crumbly. The Home Burger had a stale bun and, at $8.95, was not a bargain. Bill's on Clement was another ...meh.

Al's, a sliver of a place on Irving between 8th and 9th, has a surprisingly tasty burger for just a few bucks. Fries are good, too. Burger Joint (both Haight and Mission locations) has a nice, simple, Niman-Ranch burger I like. Juicy, not too thick, and nice milkshakes. Tony's Cable Car on Geary has a decent burger.

My winner is...don't scream...In-N-Out. Any location. I mean, please. A burger there is, what?, $1.59? Not that the price is the point, but it sure doesn't hurt. And I truly prefer these burgers to the others in taste. I think it's hard, in these troubled times, to believe in a tasty burger, widely available, that's CHEAPER than the multitude of inferior burgers being pawned off on innocents every day.

Calvin Trillin said that he doesn't trust a bbq place that uses plates. My theory in regard to burgers is that good burgers -- honest, ungussied, foie-free burgers -- are ordered at a counter. It's not a foolproof theory but as CT also says, sometimes you have to play the odds.

Edited by ingridsf, 22 July 2005 - 02:17 PM.

[ScorchedPalate]

SeaCrotty and I had burgers at Joe's Cable Car this weekend, and were suitably impressed. Any place that can get a 4-oz patty to be truly medium-rare is worthy of praise in my book. The fries were OK, not stunning... but at least they weren't coated.

~A

[eje]

Tried the Chez Maman burger the other night and wasn't over impressed. To me it was over seasoned, a little small and kind of lost in its over size hard roll type bun. Very good frites, though.

However, perhaps I will grow to love them, as they are opening a second restaurant up the street from me on Cortland Avenue, (sadly where Palatino used to be,) in the near future.

-Erik

[lmc]

My favorite burgers in San Francisco:

Zuni
Balboa Cafe
Slow Club
Pork Store

Have not tried Burgermeister but they recently opened just down the hill in North Beach, so we will try it soon. (It is conveniently located in the heart of my Saturday routine: North Beach Library, Graffeo Coffee, and XOX Truffles!)

[Hest88]

FYI, in the lastest issue of GQ, Alan Richman rates burgers from around the country and cites Burger Joint as one of the favorites on his list.

[iris]

I peeked at this thread because I am planning a trip back to SF after moving from there about a year ago. I am already planning my visit to Absinthe for their burger--by far the best I have ever had. I always get it with the spicy onions and gorgonzola option. It's Niman Ranch beef and doesn't come with any sides despite the $10 price. Absinthe has great shoe-string fries and fried chickpeas, both good with the burger. By the way, I think the burger only appears on their Cafe menu.

Oh, I am getting hungry for my Absinthe burger! I urge all great burger seekers to try it (although a sazerac will have to substitute for the milkshake).

[raxelita]

I remember a place on Albion and 16th that had good juicy burgers and satisfying crispy spicy potato wedges. It was only open six months when I left in 2003, but it became a weekly staple for grease fix. Name? Still open?

Edited by raxelita, 03 August 2005 - 06:58 AM.

[lmc]

I remember a place on Albion and 16th that had good juicy burgers and satisfying crispy spicy potato wedges.  It was only open six months when I left in 2003, but I became a weekly staple for grease fix. Name? Still open?

I think that must be Kelly's Burgers? I don't know if it's still open or not but they did (do?) have a great burger.

[melkor]

I remember a place on Albion and 16th that had good juicy burgers and satisfying crispy spicy potato wedges.  It was only open six months when I left in 2003, but I became a weekly staple for grease fix. Name? Still open?

I think that must be Kelly's Burgers? I don't know if it's still open or not but they did (do?) have a great burger.

Kelly's Burger is still around, they offer a good grease fix in the middle of the night but I wouldn't compare their burger to Absinthe or Zuni.

[Jason Perlow]

FYI, in the lastest issue of GQ, Alan Richman rates burgers from around the country and cites Burger Joint as one of the favorites on his list.

Went to Burger Joint this evening, and was pleasantly surprised.



As you can see, the menu is minimalist and it is IMPOSSIBLE to order a meal without fries. FRIES ARE MANDATORY. You vill haf fries! Obey!



The counter.



Zee flame grilled burger, with mandatory, but excellent fries, which have skin on them. Perfectly medium rare as ordered, I may add.

My only complaint about this place is that they use Hunt's ketchup in the squirt bottles, which I have to say is about the worst possible choice you can have in a ketchup. Even Del Monte would be better.



A view of the griddle and grill.

[ScorchedPalate]

As you can see, the menu is minimalist and it is IMPOSSIBLE to order a meal without fries. FRIES ARE MANDATORY. You vill haf fries! Obey!

What I like best about that menu is that even though you have to order fries with your burger, you can also get fries on the side. In case you wanted, you know, more fries.

[fiftydollars]

...My only complaint about this place is that they use Hunt's ketchup in the squirt bottles, which I have to say is about the worst possible choice you can have in a ketchup. Even Del Monte would be better.

Hunts!

That’s really bothersome.

I lack your obvious expertise on the subject, but I share your dislike of the Hunt’s.

Last year, a local burger place got a little political and stopped featuring my favorite ketchup because apparently it was too blue for the owner’s liking. It really pissed me off and I haven’t been back since. Politics is one thing, serving fries with bad ketchup is entirely another.

A local burger chain, Nation’s, uses Miracle Whip instead of mayonnaise. I find that revolting. But that’s a whole other subject.

[Jason Perlow]

Last year, a local burger place got a little political and stopped featuring my favorite ketchup because apparently it was too blue for the owner’s liking. It really pissed me off and I haven’t been back since. Politics is one thing, serving fries with bad ketchup is entirely another.

The thought had occurred to me that might have been Burger Joint's motivation as well.

Irregardless of the company's ties to Kerry and the Democratic party, I happen to really like Heinz products. Heinz recently released an Organic ketchup which I tried a few weeks ago for the first time at a local Legal Seafood back home in NJ -- I happen to like the taste of it better than their regular product because it doesn't contain HFCS, it uses organic sugar as a sweetner, in addition to organic tomatoes.

At around $2 per 15oz bottle its a bit more expensive than the regular stuff, but its good.

[ScorchedPalate]

SeaCrotty and I had burgers at the Burgermeister on Cole earlier this week, and came away duly impressed. I'd eaten at the Church Street location earlier, and thought my burger was OK, but nothing amazing.

Both of us ordered burgers med-rare; I got the avocado-cheeseburger, Cam had the bacon-cheeseburger. They were both extremely juicy and perfectly (PERFECTLY) medium rare. The buns weren't up to the juice level, but man... these were two tasty burgers. We didn't even want to put ketchup on them.

Fries were middling, rings good but not great. Beers are $2.50 (draft pints) between 5 and 7 for happy hour.

Loved it. Will be back.

[ludja]

Getting off work at 10:30 in SF leaves few options for food.  So last night, as I cruised up 16th street at 11 p.m., seeing all the restaurants closing their doors, I settled on the aforementioned Kellys.

The good and the bad:

Good:  A very well accesorised burger.

Being in a rather self-indulgent phase (I deserve it), I ordered a bacon swiss burger with fried onion and onion rings.  Mmmm, greasy.

Kelly's does a good job with the toppings.  A generous portion of flavorful swiss cheese, melted over a healthy layer of bacon (crisp, but not dry or burnt).  The fried onions were a hit.  Freshly sauteed, they still developed a bit of sweetness and still had snap.  (A little more cooking would have helped.) 

The bun was fresh and firm, lightly toasted.  The whole shebang was served with a little cup of mayo, tomato, ice berg lettuce, and real sliced pickles (not those sweet flourescent green things).

The rings were frozen, but still good.  These had more of a cornmeal-type crust than a thick batter, which I don't enjoy as much.  But they were still good rings.

The bad:  Well, the burger.  It was thin.  They asked how I wanted it -- medium rare -- but it was still well-done.  Not even close.  It wasn't too dry, and had some good flavor.  But still, too thin to rank in the "special" burger category.

And the place is too new and pretty.  Lot's of colors.

I remember a place on Albion and 16th that had good juicy burgers and satisfying crispy spicy potato wedges.  It was only open six months when I left in 2003, but I became a weekly staple for grease fix. Name? Still open?

I think that must be Kelly's Burgers? I don't know if it's still open or not but they did (do?) have a great burger.

Kelly's Burger is still around, they offer a good grease fix in the middle of the night but I wouldn't compare their burger to Absinthe or Zuni.

Tried a Kelly Burger a few weeks ago. It hit the spot after a tour of Anchor Steam Brewing Co and the complimentary tasting of their full line of beers... (great tour by the way).

Agree with Stone on much of what he wrote a while back. I liked the ratio of meat:bun. The bun had some heft but not too much to overwhealm the meat. The meat was tasty but I also got a well done burger than the requested "medium rare". Excellent, above average pickles and the sides of mayo, tomato and lettuce were nice. Good fries. Price for a cheeseburger and soda was ~ $7.50. I'd go back again, especially after drinking as mentioned above.

[Malik]

Tried a Kelly Burger a few weeks ago.  It hit the spot after a tour of Anchor Steam Brewing Co and the complimentary tasting of their full line of beers... (great tour by the way).

Agree with Stone on much of what he wrote a while back.  I liked the ratio of meat:bun.  The bun had some heft but not too much to overwhealm the meat.  The meat was tasty but I also got a well done burger than the requested "medium rare".  Excellent, above average pickles and the sides of mayo, tomato and lettuce were nice.  Good fries.  Price for a cheeseburger and soda was ~ $7.50.  I'd go back again, especially after drinking as mentioned above.

Kelly's Burgers definitely hits the spot after a night of drinking, especially since they're open until 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. I've wondered in there many times on my way home after a good night of drinking.

[daivmon]

Kirk's Steakburger in Palo Alto, it's worth the drive. They also have locations in Santa Clara and San Jose.

[Shel_B]

My husband and I got a kick to find the best burger - right now we're concentrating on San Francisco since that's usually the city we eat out most in.  So far we have tried:

[...]  Bill's Place ...

Just curious - what did you think of Bill's?

I was very disappointed when I ate there recently. They used pre-formed burgers that were of mediocre quality meat. Nothing like I remembered their burgers to be when I lived in SF many years back.

Edited by Shel_B, 30 December 2008 - 06:48 AM.

[Shel_B]

East bay - Val's Burgers in Hayward. (castro valley side) Been there for years.  Still the place to go.

Another vote for Val's ....

[Shel_B]

Oscar's in Berkeley always had tasty burgers, according to friends.  I always had their veggie burger and it was fab!  I love the way that place smells as I walk by, mmmmm.....

The air around Oscar's smells great, however their meat burgers are, at best, of medium quality. There are far better places, IMO, in the East Bay.

[AsianEscoffier]

Everyone is wrong except for me. The best burgers in town are the following... Nopa($$) and Rosamunde Sausage Grill Burger tuesday(dirt cheap). I especially like Roasmunde cos you can get a delicious cheap burger until they run out, and wash it down with a delicious beer at Tournado next door.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Everyone is wrong except for me.  The best burgers in town are the following...  Nopa($$)  and Rosamunde Sausage Grill Burger tuesday(dirt cheap).  I especially like Rosamunde cos you can get a delicious cheap burger until they run out, and wash it down with a delicious beer at Tournado next door.

Sorry, I see your Nopa Burger and raise you the O Izakaya burger (also $$).

Clearly blows Nopa out of the water in size, quality, and to-die-for fries accompaniment. Order it with the maitake mushrooms, charred negi onion, and cheese.