Bay Burger - Redwood City, CA

Bay Burger Gourmet Hamburger in Redwood City was recently pointed out to me by my burger buddy Jeff. They picked a nice spot on Woodside road where there aren't any great burgers to my knowledge. It is set in a strip mall with ample parking behind. The room is large and on this rainy day a little cold. But the place is pleasant, painted in bright colors and offering cheerful table service. The Dalai Lama's instructions for life are posted on the wall, something I have not seen at any other burger joints. It sits there between the big screen TV playing sports and the Giants pennants.

I ordered the 1/2 lb Bacon Burger ($9.99). It comes with fries or you can upgrade to onion rings for a buck. In no time at all my server had brought the impressive looking plate. The burger is presented open faced with the patty, smothered in cheese and covered with grilled onions. The top of the bun is toasted inside and out. There are piles of fresh fixings including pickle chips, green leaf lettuce, red onion and tomato slices. The bacon was crisp salty and excellent. (I always try a piece apart form the burger.) I assembled the whole thing and put on a little of the sauce that had come with my wife's 1/4 pound cheeseburger ($7.50 with fries.) The sauce is a little spicier version of a thousand island sauce minus the relish in it. Very good. But it didn't come with my burger.

The first bite crunched pleasantly. All the flavors blended nicely. The bun enveloped the whole thing, firm but soft. The Niman Ranch beef (no hormones, no antibiotics, vegetarian feed, humanely raised) was cooked close to well-done, despite me asking for medium. This was a little disappointment in an otherwise delightful burger.

Fries were thin and hot. Crunchy but unremarkable. Onion rings were more interesting, light, thin, crunchy and flavorful. The chocolate shake ($4.95) was delightfully smooth, creamy and just chocolatey enough.

My favorite touch was the salt and pepper shakers stacked and made to look like a hamburger. It is a shame this place is not busier. It has been pretty sparse both times I have been in.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 3 spatulas
Onion Rings 3.5 spatulas
Shake 4 spatulas

Bay Burger Gourmet Hamburgers
764 Woodside Road
Redwood City, CA 94061
650-701-0992
Fax 650-701-0952 (For carry out)
www.bayburgergourmet.com

Canyon Inn - Redwood City

Canyon Inn in Redwood City is a cozy place to have a burger and watch the March Madness. A last minute call from my burger buddy Mark, resulted in a trip to this out-of-the-way neighborhood joint. In the same vein as the Oasis, Dutch Goose or Alpine Inn, it has wood tables, lot’s of local sports memoriabilia.

I ordered the British Burger ($7.05) with Swiss cheese and bacon. Mark ordered the Patty Melt ($6.80). We also ordered fries ($3.60) and onion rings ($3.85). We took our number and took a seat.

In minutes we had our lunch. Like the Oasis, the burger is better than the sum of its parts. It comes with tomato, lettuce and mayo. The sesame bun was firm but not grilled. I guessed the patty to be a 7 oz. typical patty. The whole thing was excellent as a combo. Mark loved his patty melt.

The best item might have been the onion rings. They were big, crunchy coated and hot. The fries did not fair as well. They were coated and and kind of tasted like you would get at a chain, but they were hot.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 4.5 spatulas
Fries 3 spatulas

Canyon Inn
587 Canyon Road
Redwood City, CA 94062
650-369-1646
www.canyoninn.com

John Bentley's - Redwood City

John Bentley's in Redwood City is a great place for a romantic meal. So my wife Pat and I went there for lunch on Valentine's Day. We where chatting with Zu Tarazi, our good friend and General Manager, when conversation turned to my burger blog. Being a burger connoisseur himself, Zu recommended the Grilled Angus Cheeseburger with Fries ($10). How could I say no?

Zu told us that they grind their own chuck on site. The burger was a pretty picture when it came, sitting atop a brioche bun nicely grilled on the outside. The cheese was artfully melted down the side of the patty. Onion, tomato and lettuce came on the side. Thin-cut fies cooked to crisp and tasty were stacked on the plate as well.

The burger was cooked perfectly pink and medium. The bun made for a nice combo. I put on a little mustard, mayo and catchup. In no time I had downed the entire burger. I must say it went nicely with the red wine, something I don't usually do at lunch. The burger was very good, but I would have liked a little more seasoning in the beef. (4 spatulas out of 5). The fries were delightful and very crisp. (4 spatulas)

You can't beat the atmosphere at Bentley's. We will be back. And don't miss the grilled hanger steak, which my Valentine loved. And isn't love what V-Day is all about?

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas

John Bentley's
2915 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94061
650-365-7777
http://www.johnbentleys.com/redwood-city/home.html

Johnny Rockets - Redwood City, CA

Johnny Rockets been a favorite of mine for years. I have been taking my daughter to this one almost every Saturday for close to ten years. The decor is a reproduction of a 50s diner. The staff wear the faux military hats that used to be worn at drive-in restaurants. The menu is bursting with burgers. All the burgers are made from fresh beef. The half-pound balls of raw hamburger are smashed down on the griddle with a spatula to begin the cooking. The white buns are baked and brought in fresh each day. All the fixings are fresh too.

My favorite burger is the St. Louis. It has grilled onions, bacon and a spicy mustard sauce. The standard St. Louis comes with pickle and lettuce which I leave off. The burger is served wrapped in paper, to keep the whole juicy mess from falling apart too soon. The hamburger is flavorful and balanced beautifully with the sauce and onions. It is almost perfect and is consistently good every time I go.

Also, get the half-and-half of onion rings and fries. The fries are medium thick and always served very hot. They are unadorned with no seasonings beyond salt and are just the way fries should be - crisp, hot and golden. The onion rings are a single ring of medium thickness. Crispy and hot. Great when dipped in the provided ranch dressing. Don't miss the shakes either which are made from fresh milk and ice cream. I like the peanut butter chocolate.

Burger 4.5 Spatulas (out of 5)
Fires 4
Onion rings 4
Milk Shake 4

Johnny Rockets
Sequoia Station
1111 El Camino Real
Redwood City, CA 94063
650-306-9500
http://www.johnnyrockets.com