The 10 Best Burgers in the City
All Photography by Ed Anderson.
San Francisco's fall is officially in full swing: Perfect burger-eating weather. We embarked on a burger bonanza last year in a search for the best burgers in the city. Our findings are below, updated for 2010.
We tasted, pondered and scrutinized—here are our 10 favorite burgers in San Francisco.
Fish and Farm ($14) (photo above)
F&F makes a fine specimen—one that defies all preconceptions. There is no crunch of lettuce, the Niman beef is not ground in-house and the grilled Acme brioche bun becomes one with an umami-tastic “secret sauce”—studded with fresh green peppercorns and heady with horseradish—dripping down the sides. The lily is gilded with grilled onions, housemade pickles, melted Cabot cheddar and a steak knife thrust, rather thrillingly, into the center. Ask for extra napkins and dig in.
Fish and Farm
339 Taylor St., 415-474-3474
Spruce ($14)
The Spruce burger is all-class. A housemade bun has replaced the former English muffin (fine by us). The pickled red onions and ribbons of turmeric-brightened pickled zucchini are suspiciously Zuni-esque, but perfectly executed. Eat it at the bar, where the bartender places a black napkin down in front of you, as a sort of tablecloth, with an appropriate amount of pomp. An expensive glass of red wine is called for here. Luckily, at Spruce there’s no shortage.
Spruce
3640 Sacramento St., 415-931-5100
Nopa ($13)
Even the most perfect burger needs something more than the house-ground meat of a pampered cow. Like choice seats. So sit at the counter overlooking the kitchen, smile at your line cook and get a whiff of the live fire your patty is cooking over.
Nopa
560 Divisadero St., 415-864-8643
Mission Beach Café ($13.50)
At MBC we learned firsthand the importance of the bun (they use a black pepper-potato roll), finalized our thoughts on lettuce (something crisp) and fully appreciated the contrast between sweet (caramelized onions) and salty (Gouda cheese). Finally, we discovered that size does matter, and that we prefer a burger that doesn’t require heroics to bite into.
Mission Beach Café
198 Guerrero St., 415-861-0198
Bix ($27.50)
Bix’s truffled pecorino cheeseburger eats like a steak—and it should for being perhaps the most expensive burger in town. There is no two-faced bun (the patty sits, open-faced, on a round of buttered rye); there are no pickles. Instead, it’s larded with black truffle slices, crowned with truffled pecorino cheese and a slow-cooked slab of onion. Comparing this to an In-N-Out offering would just be wrong, so don’t bother.
Bix
56 Gold St., 415-433-6300
Serpentine ($12)
If Serpentine’s burger was a girl, it’d be the girl next door. There’s nothing exotic—just a thin patty of grass-fed beef set on an Acme seeded bun, its richness cut by housemade, bread-and-butter pickles, thick slices of tomato and (to its detriment) fluffs of mesclun. You could make a burger like this at home, if you wanted, but eating one at Serpentine’s bar makes you feel like a real local, the pleasure of which cannot be denied.
Serpentine
2495 Third St., 415-252-2000
Spork ($12)
The Spork inside-out burger does not subscribe to standard burger “rules.” Instead, this napoleon of meat and bun is a messy pile-up that requires both fork and knife. The presence of a pleasantly spongy bun and secret sauce give it burger-chain zeitgeist—the grass-fed beef and rosemary-scented smashed potatoes give it SF cred.
Spork
1058 Valencia St., 415-643-5000
Bar Tartine ($16)
Knowledge of this burger is the only thing that keeps us from devouring the outstanding half-loaf of Tartine Bakery bread that precedes the meal. Save yourself: you’ll need a serious appetite for the dry-aged Magruder beef patty, the house-made brioche bun, the cheddar cheese mayonnaise and, holy smokes, the fries, which are cooked a deep golden brown, flecked with fried herbs. You can add bone marrow to the burger, but then again, restraint is a nice thing to exercise.
Bar Tartine
561 Valencia St., 415-487-1600
Zuni Café ($15)
Known by locals as the post-opera burger, Zuni’s reputation proceeds it to the point of a cult following. But today’s high burger standards mean that Zuni no longer stands alone. There are many restaurants grind their own meat and mimic its pickled zucchini. This is not to say that the Zuni burger isn’t tasty—it is. But, Judy: The square, soft focaccia bun? It’s time to let go.
Zuni Café
1658 Market St., 415-552-2522
Namu ($14)
In a city of copycat burgers, Namu steps out with Korean pride. A huge Marin Sun Farms patty, served good and rare, is topped with pickled daikon, soy-glazed onions and daikon sprouts—not to mention the usual Dijon and aioli. The delicate pain de mie bun isn’t the best choice for this beast, but overall points for originality allow us to forgive.
Namu ($14)
439 Balboa St., 415-386-8332
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By on March 15, 2012
THE BEST BURGER IN SF IS AT CHEZ MAMAN.......YOU MUST TRY WITH BRIE AND BACON !!!!!
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By on March 05, 2012
Hello, I know this was a 2010 list and it's already Feb 2012.... but HOW COULD BIX DECIDE TO CHANGE THEIR BURGER SO DRAMATICALLY?! I went to Bix on purpose with an out-of-town friend to let her taste the amazing Bix burger, but it's not the same: it's almost $30 (almost double?) and okay, if it was great we woudl not complain, but it was not worth it at all. Open faced, not a great piece of bread under it, the meat was not that tasty, the onion on top not tasty and the cheese tasted like nothing. What happened, Bix? You crazy? :-)
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By on February 04, 2012
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By on January 27, 2012
Bills over in the Richmond makes a pretty good burger...very simple, diner style. Of course...I'd suggest you can make The Perfect Burger at home pretty easily as well
By on January 24, 2012
Prather Ranch organic beef cheeseburger at the Ferry Building stall: all organic (happy hippie cows) and hands-down the BEST BURGER I've eaten anywhere on the planet. I took my teen son and he had to tell everyone about the "best burger" he ever ate in his life. $8.50. Melts in your mouth, and mine was well-done the way I like it. My son had the special with mushroom, onions & gravy over fries. Great pickles, too. Don't forget to pick up your own meat so you can turn into a kitchen God or Goddess.
By on January 14, 2012
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By on November 11, 2011
if you acquire to eat a burger with a wound and leg because of the way it's presented it's not a burger. Nopa's burger bun looks cooked to me, I don't live anyone who would expend money on a burger to get a burnt burger bun. All these burgers looks similar something I've either made myself or hold devoured at someone added shelter.
By on November 11, 2011
Hummm. I like this food. Really.
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By on October 23, 2011
San Francisco's autumn is officially in untasted swing: Perfect burger-eating windward. We embarked on a burger windfall fashionable period in a seek for the superior burgers in the city. Our findings are below, updated for 2010.
By on October 08, 2011
It's a crime that you forgot Chez Maman. It's the best.
And another sleeper out there is Garibaldi's. Even if the burger is not on the menu, you can get it, and it's divine, as good as or better than Spruce..
By on October 02, 2011
It would be impossible to do a round-up of the foremost burgers in NYC without including the undefeated Burger Combined. At or neighbor the top of nearly everyone's "Primo Burger" lean, everything roughly this down-to-Earth determine (in the interior of a highfalutin' hotel) fitting activity. Lines can be extremely tenacious, especially in the region of lunch distance, but if you can get one of the tables in this undersize, rectangle breeding of your college bar, sit drink. Relish pitchers of brewage and utterly ready, component: unequal numerous of the burgers on this list, the Burger Spliff burger isn't too big. It is a petite, delightful serving.
By on September 22, 2011
Super Duper deserves a place of honor on this list , and it is much , much less expensive than those listed. Also, their chicken (breast) burger is superior !!
By on September 17, 2011
I've had the Nopa burger more times than I can count. It's not as small as it appears in the photo, yet it's not enormous for you fatties, but it's more than enough food for the average person. You can eat it quite easily without a knife and fork.
Magnolia, mentioned in the comments, is good but not as good as Nopa in my opinion. Plus it seems that Magnolia has changed theirs every year or so and its consistency isn't quite there. Sometimes it's really good, sometimes it's so so.
Throw blue cheese and crispy bacon on any burger and it'll be way better.
By on September 15, 2011
Slow Club in Dogpatch is the most orgasmic burger in Ess Ef!
By on September 13, 2011
Best burger......for a 1/4 lb. burger $7.95 with cheese at SoMa Inn Cafe @ 1082 Folsom.....7th...
So good would go back again! Made with Niman Ranch Beef....excellente!
By on September 13, 2011
This hole-in-the-wall isn’t much by way of decor (it has only 10 seats), but it has one of the best delivery burgers in the city. Why? Because it is pretty much identical to what most people would make at home, if they could: a classic back-yard burger. Plump, round, big-as-your-fist, juicy burgers that are cooked perfectly. The fries and rings are very disappointing, but the juicy burger is excellent. If you’re looking for delivery in Midtown, it’s the winner.
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i know burgers, and Broken Record has the best one. they grind brisket, sirloin, and bacon together in house, unlike many places (several are on the above list) that simply buy expensive pre-ground beef. and it's only $10! anyone else tired of going to fancy places and paying 14+ for their hand-delivered ground beef? i guess not, if you're reviewing with the help of an expense account!
By on September 05, 2011
At first, each member rated each place -2 to +4 on each of 13 factors, including cheese, bun, manageability, fries, shake, service and décor. That got replaced by an A-F report card-style scale in eight categories, including taste, value and returnability. By the end of the first year, the group had scratched all that and just ranked each burger against all the other burgers, constantly refining their individual and collective lists, which Brett Weiss meticulously compiles.
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By on September 05, 2011
"Bistro Gambrinus" -- is this the place on Fulton, just opposite USF and just below it? I had a college friend from Orange Co. come visit his daughter there -- first-generation Italian who LOVES his food and he was raving about that place. I'm ashamed to say that, in the year since he told me, I haven't yet been there. good motivation to go...
By on August 30, 2011
Everytime I have a hamburger now, I'm stunned at how it looks like a "slider"? Hamburger buns that are as "big" as the palm of my hand...these are now, LITERALLY half the size that they were 10 years ago...and the prices are 1/3 more...they were about $7 or so...
By on August 30, 2011
$15 for a hamburger...what happened while we weren't looking?!
By on August 30, 2011
At first, each member rated each place -2 to +4 on each of 13 factors, including cheese, bun, manageability, fries, shake, service and décor. That got replaced by an A-F report card-style scale in eight categories, including taste, value and returnability. By the end of the first year, the group had scratched all that and just ranked each burger against all the other burgers, constantly refining their individual and collective lists, which Brett Weiss meticulously compiles.
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The Richmond on Balboa, outstanding burger, nicely done fries and condiments made on premises!
By on August 06, 2011
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By on August 05, 2011
I went last night to Bar Tartine and they changed menu, no more burger!!! Zuni's also just for lunch by the way.
By on July 29, 2011
THE BEST BURGER IN SF IS AT CHEZ MAMAN.......YOU MUST TRY WITH BRIE AND BACON !!!!!
By on July 24, 2011
Marlowe was listed as the best burger in S.F. by the food articles throughout the local newspapers this past 6 months. I really think someone was paid off for this list.
By on July 13, 2011
Joe's Cable Car Burgers
By on July 02, 2011
Joe's Cable Car on Silver should be on the list. It is awfully good. In addition, the Balboa Cafe has a great burger.
By on July 02, 2011
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