Belcampo Burger at the Yard - San Francisco, CA

The Belcampo Fast Burger is a burger masterpiece right by the Giants Ballpark and goes great with an Anchorsteam beer.

Nothing beats a great burger with a beer on a summer day at Belcampo Burger at the Yard in San Francisco. Just this season Belcampo Meats opened this burger stand at the Yard next to McCovey cove at the Giants Ballpark in San Francisco. No one seems to realize they can get one of the best burgers in San Francisco even on days where the Giants aren't playing. 

The Belcampo Double Fastburger ($9), is a very tasty and fresh concoction. Two 3.5 oz nicely peppered patties of their pasture raised organic beef lay the foundation. American cheese between and on top oozes everywhere. Fresh butter lettuce, tomato and red onion sit atop. The potato bun is soft but holds together. The ketchup Aoli is the perfect sauce. You can't get a better fast food style burger in SF. 

Belcampo Burger at the Yard is Empty on Non Game days. 

I recommend splurging and adding the bacon. Even at $4 it is exquisite with the right amount of smoke and crispness. Gluten free buns and lettuce wraps are available. 

One more note, Belcampo uses beef from the animals raised organically on grass on their farms in Gazelle, CA. So the meat is exquisite. 

I paired my burger with a California Lager ($7) from Anchor steam right next door. Jimi Hendrix and Smashing Pimpkins played while we ate. If they only had wine too, my wife would think it was perfect.

Even though there was no Giants game a lively Cornhole tournament was underway. 

Thick Cut Fries from Belcampo at the Yard

Fries are thick cut. Hot but a little soggy. Nicely salted and tasty. Make sure you try their special house-made ketchup. 

Burger 5 spatulas our of 5

Fries 4 spatulas

Belcampo Burger

The Yard 

100 Terry Francois Blvd.

San Francisco, CA 94158

belcampo.com

Belcampo Burger at the Yard- No waiting on non-game days. 

WesBurger - San Francisco

The WesBurger with Irish Cheddar, Grilled Onions and Jalapeño Pickle Relish.

Wes Burger is opening soon in the Mission in San Francisco. In the meantime, Wes Rowe is showcasing his formidable burgering skills at a pop-up every Wednesday night. The pop-up is at Mojo Bicycle Club on Divisadero. Wes takes over the cafe and cranks out a different burger and version of tots every week. 

The night we went, WesBurger was concocting a delicious burger with sharp Irish cheddar, caramelized onions, homemade jalapeño pickle relish ($11). I added bacon for $2 more. The burger patty sported coarsely ground brisket, loosely packed and fried in an iron skillet, creating a lovely crisp salty exterior. His white bun is locally produced. 

Before the burger came out we were treated to his weekly tot construction. Dubbed Irish Poutine ($8), the piping hot tots were topped off with shredded cheddar, bacon and a curry sauce, a crazy combination that worked. I stopped myself from eating too much and ruining my appetite. 

The burger arrived to a hearty “Scott!” from chef Wes. We picked it up and headed back to our table by the window on busy Divisidero. One bite and I was on the WesBurger team. The patty has plenty of fat and taste despite my concerns about low fat content from the brisket. Wes told me that he leaves enough of the brisket fat to get it where it needs to be. The Coarse grind allows the fat to melt down through the patty. Bacon was not crisp but very flavorful. The pickle relish was not overly spicy, making a sweet and acidic compliment to the sharp cheddar. 

Beverage note: Wine and beer from the Bicycle club were a nice bonus with the burger. 

WesBurger opens on Mission near 18th sometime in March, they will have 3 or 4 burgers on the menu and a nightly special. Chef Wes is using the pop-up to gauge the favorites. I might have to check back on another Wednesday and place a vote. 

The Irish Poutine with Cheddar, Bacon and Curry Sauce smothering the Tots.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5

Poutine 4 spatulas

WesBurger

facebook.com/thewesburger

Popping up at:

Mojo Bicycle Club

639-A Divisadero St, 

San Francisco, CA 94117

Chef Wes Rowe

4505 Meats - San Francisco, CA

4505 Meats Best Damned Cheeseburger with a side of fries at their store on Divisidero in San Francisco.

4505 Meats has always proclaimed the have the "Best Damned Cheeseburger" but I am so in love with their BBQ that I had never tried it. I decided to change that. 

I ordered the single quarter pound patty burger with normal fixings ($9.75). You can add bacon ($2), egg ($2), or another patty ($4). We took our seat out in their great patio dining area. This is always bustling on Divisadero in the lower Haight. 

The burger arrived very pink, medium rare. The meat was good, just salty enough and not too smokey. The Gruyere cheese was nicely melted. Lettuce onions were crisp and fresh. The secret sauce luscious.  The best thing was the bun. Pillowy soft but it held together. It was nicely toasted. 

A rare sight, so line at 4505 Meats in San Francisco.

Fries were medium cut with skins in. Crisp and salty and hot. Very nice. 

Note, my wife got the brisket sandwich. I liked it better. 

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5

Fries 4 Spatulas

4505 Meats

705 Divisidero

San Francisco, CA 94117

415-231-6993

4505meats.com

Note: All the photos here were shot with the DxO One camera connected to my iPhone 6. 

The sign at 4505 Meats in San Francisco.

Bartlett Hall - San Francisco, CA

The Maverick Burger with Kobe Butter Beef at Bartlett Hall

Bartlett Hall in San Francisco's Union Square area has been touting themselves as having a great burger: Kobe beef with butter, butter and more butter.  All the ingredients are in place for a great experience. Very nice space. A bar. Lots to eat. 

We were there during the Pride Day parade and the World Cup match between Costa Rica and Greece.  The bar was fairly quiet. We sat at a high table near the bar so we could watch the Giants game and the World Cup match at the same time. There was a large table of Costa Rica fans cheering their team on. They won. 

The Maverick is the name of the burger. At $16 it is pricey. The description says it is a Kobe butter burger. The thick burger was perfectly cooked to medium and would have been magnificent if it was hot. It was griddled, not flame broiled (a plus) with a nicely cooked exterior of crisp dark beef.  It was warm and palatable but had sat too long. The buttery cheddar concoction on the top oozed flavor. I loved the onion crisps. The beef was tasty and lightly seasoned.  

The Kennebec fries are unremarkable. They reminded me of a lot of the fries you get in chain restaurants. Medium cut. Salty. No skins. They were hotter than the burger, but nothing special. 

I would love to try the place again when the place was busier and the burger was hot. It is nice to have his type of place near Union Square. 

Burger 3.5 out of 5 Spatulas

Fries 2 spatulas

Bartlett Hall
242 O'Farrell St.

San Francisco, CA 94102
415-433-4332
bartletthall.com

Roam Artisan Burgers - San Francisco, CA

The Sunny-Side Burger from Roam Artisan Burgers features an egg on top.

Roam Artisan Burgers on Fillmore is the second location for this San Francisco burger chain. It is a warm and friendly place to meet friends for burgers, which is exactly what we did one Wednesday night.  We all ordered our food at the counter and staked out 10 places at the communal table in the middle. Roam has a very nice wine and beer selection which is definitely a win. But go here for the burgers, which are some of the best I have had in San Francisco. 

I got the Sunny-Side ($8.25) with the beef patty, organic free range egg, aged white cheddar, caramalized onions, greens, tomato, sweet chili sauce. The patty is 4.5 ounces but seems bigger. The meat is moist and nicely spiced, cooked just the right medium. Sesame bun toasted and spongy. Sauce is just the right amount of sweet and spicy.  Onions sweet and perfect. Fresh tomato slices were fresh and tasty.   My only quibble would be the egg yolk should have been runny, not cooked hard.

Russet Fries from Roam Artisan Burgers

The Russet Fries ($2.99) are medium cut and sprinkled with parsley. These were not as hot as they could be. 

Zucchini onion haystack strings ($3.49) are ok. They were tough to eat and indeed stringy. 

The place offers a nice choice of meats including beef, turkey, bison and veggie. I didn't consider anything but beef, but a lot in our party did. They seemed equally pleased. 

I will be back. Sorry for the photo quality. The place was very dark. I lit the food with my iPhone. 

Burger 5 spatulas to of 5

Fries 4 spatulas

Onion Strings 2.5 spatulas

Roam Artisan Burgers

1923 Fillmore Street, 

San Francisco CA 94115

415.800.7801

roamburgers.com

Trick Dog - San Francisco, CA

The namesake burger at Trick Dog in San Francisco, CA.

Trick Dog is first and foremost a bar. But it is a bar named for its hamburger. An imaginative concoction on a sesame encrusted, toasted, hot-dog shaped bun. Despite this gimmick, the burger is tangy and satisfying.

We sat upstairs with a great view of the drinking and schmoozing taking place below. Mixed drinks consumed in mass quantities were the norm. Trick dog subscribes to the new artisanal cocktail craze in San Francisco, and I suspect elsewhere. We had met the bartender, Morgan, one night at Bar Agricole and sipped cocktails there at the bar of the master.

 

The bustling bar at Trick Dog in the Mission District of San Francisco, CA.

I ordered up The Trick Dog ($8) composed of “house ground blend of chuck, brisket & sirloin”. It also comes with shredded lettuce, onion, pickles, cheddar cheese and a delightfully tangy sauce that is some bastard child of thousand island and cayenne pepper. The burger patty itself is juicy and perfectly cooked with a luscious pink center.

 

Thrice-Cooked, Manimal-Style Fries. 

The Manimal-Style, Thrice-Cooked Fries are a must. ($7). These awesome, salty fries were thick and crispy topped with all manner of stuff. I am not sure what was in the topping exactly but I was in mind of deviled eggs in thousand island dressing with cayenne pepper. Cheese and mushrooms also resided atop the comely mess.

As we ate and I sipped my Manhatten, we enjoyed the ambience of a lively bar, but from a safe, comfortable distance upstairs. Our server had just the right amount of warmth and irony and let us consume at our chosen pace. I felt so at home I chased the whole thing with an ice-cold Miller High Life.  Next time I will try the scotch eggs.

Burger 4.5 spatulas out of 5

Fries 4.5 Spatulas.

Trick Dog

3010 20^th St.

San Francisco, CA 94110

415-471-2999

trickdogbar.com

An Antique Trick Dog Toy sits above the bar. 

Umami Burger - San Francisco, CA

Umami Burger in the Cow Hollow area of San Francisco is one of several California locations of this upscale burger chain. The space is dark and inviting. We arrived around six on a Thursday evening and to our surprise were ushered right to our butcher block table. We have eaten here several times and it can be very crowded, particularly on a weekend or later in the evening.

Our server appeared immediately to take our order. I ordered the Umami Burger ($11). It is one of several burgers built from the ground up. Umami takes pride in concocting each burger with toppings and custom sauces to make each one a unique experience. The 1/3-pound burger is house-ground from some "proprietary blend of high end cuts" as our server told us after inquiring with the manager. It is griddle fried rather than flame broiled, which I always prefer. The Umami Burger itself includes Shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, slow roasted tomato slice, parmesan crisp and Umami ketchup. (Don't miss the Umami Ketchup on your thin fries either. The ketchup is more tomatoey and spicier than your normal Heinz 57.)

The burger arrived sitting atop a white bun, perfectly dome-shaped and stamped with a "U".  The bun is finely toasted to perfection. The burger itself is a work of art. I have never seen one so finely assembled and presented. Biting into the burger, which is prepared a perfect medium rare, you get each taste hitting your tongue separately and then blending in unison. I noticed the mushroom first, then the beef, cheese and ketchup. It is really a delight.

The Thin Fries ($3.50) are little matchsticks that really live up to their name. Crisp, salty and tasty, you need to eat them fast, because they don't hold the heat for long. The Onion rings are surprisingly uniform in appearance. Their light batter covers and somewhat overwhelms the soft onion inside. I dunked them in the jalapeño ranch sauce and they added a nice little kick.

My wife Pat had a burger with only cheddar cheese. Called the kids burger, it is the same size and bun as my burger. It is really the margarita pizza of burgers. In its unadorned state, it achieves a certain burger perfection that only works when the beef is flavorful, sparingly spiced and fresh.

Skip the pecan, bacon pie. Microwaved to a tongue burning temperature, it disappointed after the quality of the rest. Crust should never be subjected to a microwave, so it was hard to tell how good it was. The bacon was more of a gimmick than an addition.  Instead, have another beer or glass of wine from the nice selection.

According to Cookthink, the tastes of sweet, salty, bitter and sour are familiar, but there is a fifth taste we can perceive with our tongue. Called umami, its taste has been described as rounded, rich and savory. I think this aptly describes the Umami Burger.

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

Umami Burger
2184 Union Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
415-440-8626
umami.com

This Samurai Sword sits in the entrance.

Kronnerburger - San Francisco, CA

The Kronnerburger on Challah Bun with white cheddar sauce.

Kronnerburger is a pop-up burger place in the old Bruno's bar on Mission Street in San Francisco. There is actually no sign on the door, but they do have a temporary sign at the door when Kronnerburger is open from 6-late. We arrived right after they opened and had the place all to ourselves. The old bar is very dark and cozy. Edgy rock music, tastefully curated, played loudly. We were greeted cheerfully and shown to our table.

We ordered up and almost immediately received the best poutine I have ever had. Maybe ordering poutine is cheating on fries, but I have fallen in love with it recently. The version here called "Fries with Beefcheek gravy and cheese curd" was $10. You can add bone marrow for $4 more. I could not stop eating the crispy fries with the luscious gravy and soft melted curds. Amazing.

The poutine tastes a lot better than this photo would indicate. 

We also got onion rings ($6) that audibly crunched when you bit them. Battered lightly and sliced thin, they held up well to the spicy chili aioli that accompanied them. I think this is the best fries/onion rings combo I have ever had.

The burger came. Billed as rare and salty, it did not disappoint on either count. The challah bun was heavily toasted and fit perfectly to a somewhat modestly sized burger. I would guess 6 ounces or so.  The white cheddar mayo sauce was sloppy and tasty, holding its own to the salty beef patty. The red onions were sweet and nicely grilled. Crispy pickle slices and crisp lettuce rounded out a very nice burger.

Audibly crunchy onion rings.

Just to finish with aplomb, we ordered the ice cream burger ($6), chocolate ice cream sandwiched between two very thin chocolate chip cookies. I liked this better than others of this ilk. Usually the cookies are too thick and overwhelm the ice cream. This has just the right balance between cookie and ice cream.

Ice Cream burger finishes off a great repast. 

The place is very dark, so my photos here don't do the food justice. You will have to go and experience for yourself!

Kronnerburger
2379 Mission Street (Inside Bruno's)
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-656-9871
kronnerburger.com

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

Jesus provides the only light at the table. 

Rosamunde Sausage Grill - San Francisco, CA

The Cheese Burger at Rosamunde Sausage Grill, Lower Haight, San Francisco, CA.

At Rosamunde Sausage Grill the line starts forming early on Tuesday. Only on that day does Rosamunde serve their legendary cheese burger. I got there just before they open at 11:30. There were about fifteen people in line. Many more came behind me. Rosamunde only serves 150 of their 8-ounce masterpiece, and only on this day.

The Grill at Rosamunde.

Legend has it that the original owner, Jeffrey felt that there were no good burgers in San Francisco.  And even though he had quite a reputation for sausage, he felt the void must be filled. So once per week, for the past eight years, the place fires up the charcoal grill for burgers.

The burger itself is quite a deal at $6. It comes with 8 ounces of loosely packed, fresh ground chuck from Weber Quality Meats. The burger comes with cheddar cheese, green leaf lettuce, tomato slice, grilled onions, pickle slices, mustard and ketchup. It is all served on a nicely toasted onion bun.

Brian Berger after finishing off his burger, Rosamunde Sausage Grill, San Francisco, CA.

I waited my turn at the counter and Charlie took my order. I must say that I was one of the few people that Charlie did not already know by name. He patiently answered my tedious questions in between patrons. He told me it would be about 25 minutes. He didn’t take my money. That happened later when my burger was ready. Many people who ordered headed next door to Tornado, a beer bar, where they eat their burger.

Jeff Berger with his namesake.

While I waited, I chatted up the man next to me. Turns out his name is Jeff Berger. As we were talking about his favorite SF burger (Corner Store), another fellow walked up who had overheard us. His name – Brian Berger. I know he was telling the truth, his truck for Berger Design Build, was parked right outside.  

Exactly 25 minutes after I had ordered, my name was called. The burger is served on white paper in a yellow basket. It is an impressive stack with everything looking fresh and tall. They first bite revealed a perfectly cooked medium burger with moist and tasty meat. It was not heavily seasoned, maybe a little salt and pepper, but it was very tasty. The cheese was melted just right. All the vegetables were fresh and crisp. I liked the mix of ketchup and mustard, a classic. The only beef I have with the burger is that the bun fell apart a little on the bottom under all the weight and juice.

The cultural experience of eating here was fantastic. There were so many regulars. It must be like a weekly reunion for Charlie, who politely declined to have his photo taken. I will become a regular myself.

Burger 5 out of 5

No fries or shakes.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill

545 Haight Street

San Francisco, CA 94117

415-437-6851

rosamundesausagegrill.com

Rosamunde and its neighborly bar, Tornado, where you can eat your burger.

All photos by Scott R. Kline on October 2, 2012 at Rosamunde Sausage Grill, San Francisco, CA.

Bill's Place - San Francisco, CA

Bill's Place in San Francisco's Outer Richmond has been around 53 years. According to the menu, Don the owner, took over from the original owner, Bill and then Bill's wife and has been with the place for 43 years. the place has the feel of a local fixture. The bright red awning proclaims, "Bill's Place - Home of the Hamburger" and indeed it is.

The menu has countless burger combos named after local celebrities and local teams the Giants and 49ers. I ordered ordered the Bill's Cheeseburger #01 for $9 including fries. The burger is a 1/3 pound burger made of fresh fresh chuck ground at the restaurant, always a good sign. The also have a #2 at 3/4 pound and a #3. My wife ordered a bacon cheeseburger. My daughter a chili cheese dog. We grabbed an order of onion rings for $3.95.

The onion rings arrived almost instantly, hot crunchy and sweet. They are big and thick and taste great dunked in ranch dressing. It seems like one bite later the rest of the food arrived. I will admit it curious that the #01 comes with only one strip of bacon. The Bacon cheeseburger has three. The bacon was crisp, salty and just the right thickness. The American cheese was nicely melted. The burger is served open-faced with the tomato slice, pickle chips and pile of green-leaf lettuce on the side. The sesame bun was nicely toasted and had a smear of mayo. A big pile of fresh cut fries rode shotgun on the plate.

I found the burger cooked a perfect pink and juicy medium. The meat is flavorful, if minimally spiced. The whole concoction very enjoyable. The fries were a little soggy as fresh-cut fries often are, but they were hot and cooked correctly. They were not greasy at all.

We really enjoyed the ambiance of the place. Lively, full of people of all ages and colors. Everything is a little worn down and tired, looking all of its 53 years, but the place has a friendly, lived-in feel. The couple sitting next to me joked they had been coming there for 85 years, even though it has only been open 53. Same age as me, as a matter of fact.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5

Fries 3.5 spatulas

Onion Rings 4.5 spatulas

Bill's Place 

2315 Clement St.

San Francisco, CA 94121

415-221-5262

www.billsplace.qpg.com

Just For You Cafe - San Francisco, CA

Just For You Cafe in the Dogpatch Neighborhood of San Francisco, sits about two blocks from where I now live. Their food is all fresh and local and is served with the Louisiana influence of owner Arienne Landry. I love their fish tacos and their tuna melt, but I had never reviewed their burger. Until today.

Saturday is generally a busy day at Just For You. They are a very popular place for breakfast and they have a brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays. I went late and avoided the wait. Stephanie was in charge today and she always takes great care of me and the rest of the hoards. As always the entire staff was friendly and prompt.

Owner Arienne Landry behind the counter at J4U.

I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger ($10.50).  Even though they don't have gruyere on the menu, they always have it, so that is what I asked for. I also added fries ($2.50). The burger comes piled high with tons of fresh vegetables. Green leaf lettuce, tomato slices and pickle slices are piled on the nicely toasted Acme white bun. Mayo was liberally applied. The seven-ounce patty is made from fresh ground natural beef. Even though they swore they don't add any salt and pepper to the beef, it has a nice flavor as if they did. The burger was cooked a nice medium as ordered. If I had to find a fault, it was not quite as juicy as I like. The bacon was salty and thick on top of the gruyere which was nicely melted. The bun is spongy but tough enough not to fall apart under the stress of all it holds.

The fries are amazing.  Fresh cut, they sport skins and medium thickness. They aren't soggy like some fresh-cuts (Hello In-N-Out). Stephanie told me they fry them twice. The first time gets them part way there. Then they are drained and fried again right before serving to get that crisp finish.

The great thing about having a burger here is all the other food your lunch partner can choose if they don't like burgers.  Finish off your meal with the great beignets.

Burger 4.5 Spatulas out of 5
Fries 5 spatulas

Just For You Cafe
732 22nd Street (In Dogpatch)
San Francisco, CA 94107
415-647-3033
www.justforyoucafe.com

Spork - San Francisco, CA

NOTE-SPORK IS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS.

Spork in San Francisco is my new favorite restaurant. Pat and I went there for dinner after a lovely day in the Mission, checking out all the vintage stores and eating Dymano Donuts. Spork is a place serving old-school classics in a new-school fashion. They have sustainable-this and local-that versions of slow-food takes on old classics. And despite the political correctness of their offerings, everything tastes like it was pan-fried in lard in a steel skillet by my grandmother. That's a very good thing!

The In-Side-Out Burger ($14) screamed "eat me" from the menu. The beef is fresh from Sun Marin Farms. Two patties griddle-fried, peppery and crispy on the outside. Moist and pink on the inside. The concoction towers over the plate. It is a stack of ingredients as follows starting at the plate: Butter lettuce, tomato slice, beef patty, bun circle, special sauce, beef patty, tillamook chedder and a grilled onion topping so sweet it could be applesauce. The special sauce reminded me of the spicy thousand-island type I make at home, only no islands. You have to eat this with a fork and knife, but it doesn't diminish the burger experience.

The Smashed Fries are an interesting idea. Small potatoes with the skins on, are deep-fried and smashed flat. They are crispy and salty and tasty. Not your classic fries, but a very scrumptious alternative like everything at Spork.

Pat had the pork chop ($23). Big enough to feed a family of four, it was thick and juicy and perfect. For desert we had the After School Special ($6). Humphry Slocumbe malted vanilla ice cream with chucks of chocolate covered potato chips and caramel swirls. Enough said.

As for the ambience, the place is in a converted KFC location. Turns out KFC invented the spork, a combination spoon and fork. The kitchen is in the old freezer. They have converted the old oven hood to a light fixture. We lucked out with a table by the window and watched Valencia Street traffic with more stylish bicyclists than cars. Go. Eat. Spork.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Fries 4 spatulas out of 5

Spork Restaurant
1058 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-643-5000
www.sporksf.com/

Burger Bar - Macy's San Francisco, CA

The Burger Bar recently opened to much fanfare in San Francisco. One Friday afternoon I took the crowded elevator to the sixth floor of Macy’s on Union Square. I almost couldn’t get off with the crowd waiting to get in the restaurant. I went in and noticed no one sitting at the tables, but the hostess quoting a half hour wait for a table. So I sat at the bar without waiting. There was lots to look at with a full compliment of booze behind the bar and memorabilia for sale.

After perusing the menu I chose the basic Black Angus Beef Burger ($9.75). I added Swiss cheese (75 cents), Bacon ($1.15) and got it on the sesame bun. The choices of buns (6), cheeses (8) and other toppings were endless. They even offer a half lobster ($12). I also ordered buttermilk onion rings ($3.55).

The burger arrived very quickly and I dug right in. The burger patty was thick and pink and perfectly cooked. It was especially light and airy and had not been over-packed like so many often are. The bacon was crisp and all the topping, lettuce onion and tomato were fresh and crisp. The sesame bun was toasted and firm, but fresh. I must say t is one of the better burgers I have tasted this year.

The onion rings were also fabulous. Crisp batter covered sweet and juicy onions.

Next time, I think I will go for one of the many combo burgers, maybe the Rossini with Kobe beef, sautéed foie gras and truffles for $60. But more likely, I will try the Country Natural made with sustainable beef for $10.50.

Burger 5 spatulas out of 5
Onion Rings 5 spatulas

Burger Bar
6th Floor of Macy’s
251 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-296-4271
www.burgerbarlv.com

Taylor's Automatic Refresher - San Francisco, CA

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher in San Francisco at the Ferry building tries its level best to recreate the experience at the original site in Napa Valley (Click here for review of Napa Location). The two sites couldn’t be more different. The Ferry Building location is crowded and busy as foodies stream through the Ferry Building buying mushrooms, gourmet chocolate, olive oil, cheese and other gourmet items. Glass windows provide a nice view of the busy Embarcadero as one sits at the counter height wood tables waiting for the pager to go off.

Moments earlier we had waited in the line to order our food. There always seems to be a line at Taylor’s. That is something that it does have in common with the Napa location. Another is the menu. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger for $8.99. Pat ordered the plain cheeseburger for $7.99. We also got sweet potato fries ($3.99) and onion rings ($3.99).

The buzzer rattled on the table after a mere 10 minutes or so, quite speedy given the volume of customers on a busy Saturday. Everything is served in paper baskets perched on a metal baking sheet. The burger looks pretty much the same as the Napa one. The yellow egg bun, not quite as fluffy or moist as a standard white bun, envelopes a hot patty of tasty ground beef and toppings, including nicely melted American cheese, crisp bacon, lettuce, crunchy pickle chips and the special sauce, much like Thousand Island.

My burger was very enjoyable with the juiciness of the sauce and veggies counteracting the slightly dry bun. When I had a bite of Pat’s plain cheeseburger, the dryness of the bun stood out much more.

The sweet potato fries were bladelike, very thin in one dimension and thick in the other. They are dusted with Chili powder and are quite delightful. The onion rings are beer-battered and crisp on the outside with a sweet and soft onion on the inside.

Taylor’s is a great accompaniment to the Ferry Building with its big red-letter sign above the counter screaming the motto of the place. “EAT”.

Burger 4 spatulas out of 5
Sweet Potato Fries 4.5 spatulas
Onion Rings 4 spatulas

Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
Ferry Building Marketplace
1 Ferry Building, Space #6
San Francisco, CA 94111
866-328-3663
www.taylorsrefresher.com

Bix - San Francisco

Bix in San Francisco has been reviewed here before. We actually went for dinner, not expecting a burger experience. But the Hors D'Oeuvres menu sported Mini Lamb Burgers with Cucumber, Dill and Harissa ($10.95). They were quote good. The meat was spicy and nicely countered by the cucumber. The little buns were spongy and perfect. I must say the food was much better than this picture I snapped with my iPhone. The light was quite dim. The Lobster Spaghetti was amazing as my main dish.

Best-O-Burger - San Francisco, CA

Best-O-Burger in San Francisco is a unique way to get your burger. The choices are few. The burgers are slider-small. The onion strings and fries that come with your burger are crunchy and flavorful. The experience is inexpensive and fresh. Have a bag and chow down.

I walked over from the Sutter Street garage, working up a good appetite. As I rounded the corner from Kearney onto Pine I almost missed the small unassuming burger stand. Tucked in a little from the corner in an unassuming place, yellow and red colors dominate the place, like MacDonald's or In-N-0ut. What's up with yellow and red?

I ordered a 2 Cheese Bag ($3.78), strings and rings ($1.79) and a soda. The whole tab of $7.99 with tax is very reasonable. There are no tables in the tiny store. I stood and watched as my burgers were fried up in an iron skillet. Trays of fresh buns sat above the counter. In no time, I had my bag and headed across the street to sit on a bench and eat.

The burgers are small, probably 6 to a pound of beef. They are a gourmet take on the White Castle slider, but ten times better tasting. Each burger had a small slice of cheese and a nicely tangy sauce, sort of like thousand island. Slightly pink beef sat inside a soft and springy bun that held up well in all the juice.

The potato strings were crisp and slightly sweet, almost like someone had slipped sweet potato flavoring in. They were thin with skins on the end and stayed crunchy and tasty even as they got cold. The rings were really onion strings. They were equally tasty.

Treat yourself before word gets out. I think Best-O-Burger will be a big hit.

Burger 4.5 out of 5
Fries 4.5 out of 5
O-Ring 4.5 out of 5

Best-O-Burger
89 Belden Place
San Francisco, CA 94104
415-227-1150
www.bestoburger.com