Image Source: blogger's own Any company picnic, wouldn't ever be complete without some good ol' BBQ with some burgers fired up on the grill. Except, my office does their parties 'right and proper'; hires the finest local caterers, specifies the freshest meat and produce and fixings around. I kept going at it with these burgers until I couldn't eat any more.
Image Source: blogger's ownRoyal Exchange boasts a large selection of beers on tap, and can be quite an action-packed, after-work, drinking-spot according to the locals and the business types in the San Francisco financial district. Lunch is no exception on a Friday, however, I was surprised that today's group of coworkers, fellow burger enthusiasts were able to snatch a booth with no wait. Again, I suggested we travel a little outside the two block radius from work in order to sample this new spot, but there were less of us today and I thought we'd be able to make it.
It seemed like an exercise in restraint and discipline, to be surrounded by so much alcohol, and not order a beer to go with the bar food. I'm sure we were all thinking that we could probably get away with a Heinekin Light or Sam Adams Light and no one would even get phased.
Anyway, Royal Exchange, which caters to the financial business types, has a full menu which is named according to business jargon. They serve up "blue chip" burgers, while their salads are referred to as "greenbacks" on their menu. In any case, there's basically two sizes of patties, the "Bear Market" is 1/3 lb. and the "Bull Market" is 1/2 lb.
Strangely, we all ordered the Bear Market Burger, even though in fact, I could sense that each of us could have easily handled the Bull 1/2 pounder based on our appetites and sheer burger enthusiasm.
Verdict: For those that know me, and know my principles, I just can't take a burger very seriously if there's chopped lettuce. Royal Exchange's Blue Chip burgers are served with chopped lettuce, a limp tomato and some fixings that aren't really all that carefully placed. On top of all that, the bun was so plain-jane and it wasn't even toasted, not even for a second.
Need I say more?
Image Source: blogger's ownWe had a new coworker recently join the office; and to test his burger enthusiasm, a group of us, true burger enthusiasts, went out to sample the Mel's Diner on Mission Street in SOMA San Francisco. For the loyal readership, you may recall that I previously sampled the Mel's in downtown Berkeley (see 3 December 2006 posting). I was excited to survey another Mel's Diner location, but because it exceeded the two block radius from work, I knew that the group of us would have to hustle there and back, and we'd even have to curtail the burger commentary before, during and after the meal if we were to make it back to the office in time.
The diner was almost packed to the max during this primetime lunch hour. Luckily, there was a group of tables that could accommodate our pack. Otherwise, we'd probably opt to separate or sit at the bar. I thought we were lucky, but knew that the ordering would have to be quick and efficient. I offered to order for the group to save time, but it seemed like it was everyone else's first time at Mel's, and there were quite a few burger permutations on the menu.
Verdict: Despite the quantity and complexity of our group's order, it seemed like the staff here were on top of things, clearly exuding their burger professionalism and attention to detail. My bacon cheeseburger, medium rare was oozing with blood and juices, and the cheese was carefully melted over the composition and sandwiched in between two very carefully toasted buns. I couldn't remember such a fantastic burger in such a long time.
It was also clear from our extended discussion and burger commentary which ensued that everyone else had an equally pleasurable burger experience. To top it off, the new coworker happens to share our/my enthusiasm.
Image Source: blogger's own A former coworker, and fellow burger enthusiast, and native of the South Bay, once recommended I expand my burger horizons and survey Clarke's in the San Jose area. This leads me to inquire, what geographical boundaries actually define the Bay Area? Before pondering this question too long, I decided to appease my hunger sensations, and survey this burger joint, also considered to be a 'legendary' burger stand, withstanding the test of time, unchanged since they opened over 50 years ago.
There were also several generations of burger enthusiasts at Clarke's on this particular Labor Day Weekend. I wasn't quite sure whether it was coincidence or commonplace for this burger joint. It seemed there were several octogenarian or even nonagenarians in the mix, enjoying the moment and their burgers. The sight was an inspiration, to say the least.
Verdict: The presentation has much to be desired. Undoubtedly the burger stand has withstood the test of time; but one has to wonder whether the red plastic baskets which were served with the burgers have lasted equally as long. Also, how hygienic is the single layer of wax paper that separates these plastic baskets and the food?
However, I was quite fond of the smoky bacon and the charbroiled flavor from the grill, but desired a little more juices, since the patty itself was quite dry and overcooked.
Image Source: blogger's own Earlier in the week, a coworker, fellow burger enthusiast had sampled the Salt House Burger and recommended it highly. Although he's fairly new to the Bay Area, he did seem quite enthusiastic. Judging from the $$$ rating from online reviews, and the more upscale decor, I decided to invite a former coworker, fellow burger enthusiast to survey this burger and compare notes.
The interior exudes a very classy, lofty-restaurant aesthetic; not dissimilar to my own office, located about a block away. We were glad to be seated immediately, although we didn't have a reservation for that particular lunch. After surveying the menu, we both settled on the Salt House Burger. I was a little wary though, because my friend has a tendency to be a little unpredictable. Needless to say, it kind of defeats the purpose when I premise the lunch meeting as a new burger survey, and someone orders a non-burger menu item. Luckily, it didn't happen, this time. I requested mine medium-rare, my friend, glared at the server and insinuated in his mannerisms "as rare as bloody possible" as he typically does.
For some reason, I totally blanked, and forgot to order the requisite bacon. Also, the Salt House only offers one type of cheese, cheddar; and instead of fries, they offer a unique ball of deep-fried, salty onions, (for lack of a better description, see picture above).
After a pretty long wait, our orders arrived. I can attest that my "medium-rare" burger was grilled to my exacting expectations. It was a very tender, juicy patty, that oozed with just enough burger juices and had a good amount of color in the cross section. I can also attest, that my friend's "rare" burger was pretty bloody-red, but the cross section looked like a quality cut of steak you might expect at a fine steakhouse, rather than a wormy, raw-ground chuck you might get at a cheaper, institutional burger establishment.
The burger patty was one of the most tasteful, I've ever sampled. It was so tender that morsels of patty started to disengage from the patty into the third or fourth bite. Next, the bun started falling apart, and it was at about the midpoint when I had to attack the rest of the burger with a fork and knife. The specially seasoned pickle, also really didn't do it for me. But, all-in-all, a very fine burger.
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Well I actually had intended on sampling the menu at the new Kava Massih T-Rex Restaurant, located in Berkeley's Gilman District but stumbled across this Burger Oasis / Garden in the parking lot. The setting and menu is quite minimal. In fact, the only thing they offer is a signature $5 dollar burger (tax included) with an option of Gruyere or Cheddar. They don't have fries, but they have chips, and an assortment of drinks, including beer!
In addition, the T-Rex Burger Garden offers entertainment amenities, comparable to some of the most prestigious frat houses on Piedmont Avenue. There's an unwarped table tennis table, with some decent, thick rubber paddles, a foosball table, a chess/checkers set, and a gravel, regulation-size bocce ball court reminiscent of a minimalist Japanese Zen Garden.
From my personal observation, it's a shame that this Oasis-of-a-Burger Venue hasn't picked up. The concept and architecture detailing is executed very tastefully, in a very Kava-esque manner. I'm beginning to suspect that the honorable firm has an affinity towards burgers, having also built the Nation's Burger on University Avenue in Berkeley (see 16 July 2006 review).
Speaking of taste, the burger's not bad. Over the past handful of times I've eaten there, I would state that the burger patty is consistently salty, but the execution of the preparation of condiments, garnish and special sauce, contribute to a very satisfying burger experience. I would recommend this venue to any burger enthusiast / architecture admirer / game lover in the area.
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I've always wanted to try Milano's burger which is written about in the local burger enthusiast's community. They only offer it in their lunch menu, which is on weekdays only. On an off-Friday from work, I decided to survey their burger.
As the name of the restaurant might suggest, Milano Restaurant is an Italian restaurant. Furthermore, the owner manages to create a very authentic, and cultural atmosphere, and this is reflected in his charming personality and the way he greets and acquaints guests.
The "Milano Burger" it turns out, is served on an Italian Baguette with Mozzarella and tomatoes and sauteed onions as the primary ingredients. There was no lettuce on this particular burger. I also requested the requisite bacon.
Verdict: The burger didn't look substantial, but the meal was surprisingly filling. The meat was very high quality, more like a ground steak than a typical burger patty. The mozzarella and tomato combination really added a very distinct quality of flavors for this quite unique burger experience.
Image Source: blogger's ownIt's not a very large restaurant, with very scarce seating. I worry about this, because I think business could really pick up if they expanded. To my knowledge, there's only one location.
Verdict: An excellent, excellent burger with tangy special sauce and extremely fresh ingredients. Reminiscent of 'In-N-Out' but with better, bigger ingredients. Highly recommended, good luck finding seating during peak hours though.
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I heard so much hype about Darla's that I think my expectations were overly inflated. I read about their infamous shakes, the service, the burger patty quality, etc. which all added up to a pretty darn-good burger. However, when I arrived one Sunday evening, after the Sunset season-opener, I couldn't help but feel a little let down.
I was greeted by a drab ambiance, and the interior felt pretty empty and lonely. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry shake. Other than a french roll shaped bun, there was really nothing that extraordinary about the burger. I couldn't help but feel a little let down.
Image Source: blogger's ownIt was the night after a big deadline at work, and I woke up past midnight jonesing for a burger. I drove over to the scary 1/4 lb. Giant Burger stand on 22nd and Telegraph. I've honestly never approached the place, it looks so ghetto in daylight, even more at night. It was open 24 hours, and I was hungry, so I thought I'd give it a try. The place is surprisingly well-lit at night, and does offer a safe-haven among the undeveloped, sparse urban land that surrounds it. It's really just a walk-up burger stand, with plenty of counter space at the window to chow down. I ordered their bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry shake.
The burger had a surprising amount of condiments, including ketchup and mustard with the mayo. I was expecting some ghetto mayo loaded on the burger, but the proportions of the mayo was pretty modest to my preference. The rest of the burger was pretty tasty. Nothing too extraordinary, but not bad tasting either.
When I finished, I realized that I found my new unpretentious, late night, local burger-fix - that tops the Berkeley Smokehouse in my book.
Image Source: blogger's own I was walking along Grand Avenue one day, and noticed the menu for Pirawan and their angus burgers. I was surprised by their menu selection which offered a range of burger options, and decided to duck in and give it a try.
As one knows, by mere mention of "Angus" implies a certain level of quality among burger enthusiasts. Therefore my expectations may have been a little higher. However, as I waited for the burger, I couldn't help but notice a corral of unrefrigerated condiments on top of the garbage can. Among them, were about four bottles of half-empty / half-full squeezable mayonnaise bottles. I didn't want to think about how long they were left out there.
Although the bun for the burger was very similar to Mo's in San Francisco, the burger itself was bland, and kind of uneventful. If you were to ask my opinion of their burger, I would probably give you my best Larry David impression; gesture a teetering hand and squirm an unenthusiastic: "ehhh" and be done with it.
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I don't really understand why I always think of Beaker and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew when I frequent Adam's Burgers on Lakeshore by Lake Merritt. I used to enjoy going to Adam's when I lived closer on the other side of the lake. They offer a wide range of burger combinations and they definitely load on the fixings. Adam's is also the only place that I recall that deliberately slices your burger in half to illustrate the cross-section as shown. It may be a way to visually differentiate the burger from other orders; or perhaps its a way to facilitate burger grappling due to an over-excess of condiments and fixings. Whatever the reason, I'm always pretty impressed with the type of knife that can achieve such precision and accuracy. In fact, I always mean to ask what kind of knife they use for my own personal kitchen repertoire.
Image Source: blogger's own I recall the days, when I used to live within walking distance of Smokehouse on the North Oakland and Berkeley border. Smokehouse became the staple of my starving-student diet. Burgers were about two dollars and change, and fries were about a dollar and change. Buns were always toasted perfectly, and the fries were consistently always battered perfectly and served piping hot. The patties seemed like your plain-jane quarter pound patties, but they were charbroiled on an open flame, with melted cheese and a very efficient way that document customizable condiments on your order. But you had to put up with a lot of factors that I've seem to outgrown.
Among them are the drunks, the crackheads, and the slimy/sticky seating decor. The experience of eating at Smokehouse is kind of like eating inside one of those "self-cleaning" toilets they have in San Francisco where they hose down the room after you leave and make a mess. When I go, I prefer the sunny days when there's an option to sit outside and bask in their lawn eating a burger like it was a summer BBQ.
Image Source: blogger's own I recently noticed this "Flipper's" in Montclair Village and thought I'd survey it. I had the suspicion that the name and logo of the sign was the same as the location in Hayes Valley (see 11 July 2006 survey), but I just dismissed it as a coincidence. It wasn't until I was seated and noticed a distinct similarity in the menu descriptions, when I connected the two chains. Consequently, I had a conversation with the Montclair Flipper's owner and discovered that the two locations used to be owned by the same person, until recently. The new owner kept the name and the menu, except he claims, his meat is better quality now.
As I mentioned before, a plain old bacon cheeseburger was not an option on the menu, so I ordered the bacon cheeseburger with avocado, but told them to hold the avocado. I chose "medium-rare" as the grilling preference.
Verdict: In contrast to the previous "Big Flipper" (at the Hayes Valley location) which was a 1/2 lb. patty, the standard patty is only 1/3 lb. It was late, and I thought that I'd be okay with the smaller patty. The patty that was served seemed disproportionate to the bun. Also, the bun was hardly toasted and soft. There was way too much bun relative to burger patty, and it was soft and squishy to hold. The experience was like eating a McDonald's cheeseburger where the patty taste gets overwhelmed by the bun. The fries were limp too.
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Burger Gourmet in the Lake Merritt section of downtown Oakland is only open during the weekdays for breakfast and lunch. Although I've lived in the neighborhood for a couple of years, I've only eaten here once before. On my last Friday off from work, I decided to check it out again. It was lunch time, and the streets in downtown Oakland were bustling with the downtown Oakland work crowd that I rarely have the opportunity to see. Burger Gourmet was brimming with your typical nine to fivers, but they all seemed dressed down in their casual Friday uniforms eager for some burger action. I moseyed up to the counter and ordered their bacon cheeseburger with brie and specified "medium-rare" as the grilling preference. The place was packed, but I managed to grab an empty table at the back.
Verdict: Burger Gourmet serves a variety of different burger variations on their menu. It's one of those no-frills diners where your food is served fast and fresh at a reasonable price. I definitely enjoy brie on the burger; the bacon was crispy and the fixing fresh and wholesome. I also enjoyed the fries which were hot and crispy. It's a shame it's only open during the weekdays - specially serving the downtown Oakland lunch crowd.
Image Source: blogger's own On this cold, rainy, Friday afternoon, four coworkers, evidently all serious burger or just fries-and-shake enthusiasts walked over to the southwestern edge of Yerba Buena Gardens to survey Mo's Grill for some lunch time burger action. My expectations were a little low, tainted by my last visit a while back. I witnessed my server floss and pick her teeth with her nails for a few minutes before delivering my food to me. Nevertheless, I was determined to give Mo's another try.
There were a heck of a lot of kids in this section of Yerba Buena Gardens, outside of the Zeum Complex. Even on the cold, rainy, January afternoon, there were tons of them outside playing in the rain. Inside at Mo's, there were also tons of children seated with adults. I think it's probably the most kids I've seen at a restaurant at one time. I've deduced that Mo's seems like a kid-friendly restaurant offering a wide range of burger entrees for the adults and a generous menu kids probably really enjoy. Plus, it's practically the only restaurant with indoor seating at Zeum.
We all ordered burgers with different combinations. I, the requisite bacon cheeseburger, this time with their imported swiss cheese, grilled "medium-rare" and a side of fries. The Angus patties are flame-broiled, and pickles are available upon request.
Verdict: At first, I was a little distraught by the bun to patty ratio (see picture above). There were a good seven bites of strictly bun before I eventually bit into the patty. The bun, seemingly untoasted, was hardened on the outside but incredibly chewy and tasty on the inside. I also noticed a considerable amount of burger juices when eating the burger. I would definitely rate Mo's an enjoyable, and delectable experience.
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George's Giant Burgers in Walnut Creek is a solid and consistent burger joint in the Bay Area Burger Community, in my opinion. The open kitchen and the highly professional cook staff really know what they're doing when it comes to burgers. The place always seems teeming and overflowing with locals, families and burger enthusiasts. Needless to say, the open kitchen and cozy diner aesthetic contribute to a great smelling room with great burger aroma.
A great commodity at George's is their condiment bar. It's constantly maintained, the chilled items seem properly chilled; the stocks of fixings continuously fixed, and restocked. If you're a pickle enthusiast, you'll likely enjoy the stacked-high tray of chilled pickles at the end of the bar.
Verdict: George's offers an unpretentious, no-frills, cozy burger diner appeal that caters great for families and burger enthusiasts alike. The burgers are very professionally prepared, the patties are extremely juicy and tasty, and the condiment bar is high quality over quantity. Even the buns were toasted to my liking. As I mentioned, George's also appeals well to pickle enthusiasts. I was also very impressed with the crispiness of the bacon.
Image Source: blogger's own There's a Burger Gourmet in Oakland that I've been meaning to review, but there's also this Burger Gourmet in San Francisco's Rincon Center. Rincon Center food court has a wide selection of lunch eateries in the South of Market / Embarcadero business district. I doubt the two are related.
Burger Gourmet has a wide selection of burger combinations, offers a variety of cheeses and combo meals. It's efficiently quick service for lunches on the go. The open kitchen allows one to keep tabs on the cooks in the preparation process. This time, I was ogling the bun toasting process, waiting for my order to complete.
From what I had observed, Burger Gourmet utilizes a two-grill system; one grill for the burger patties (grilled to request), and the other for toasting the buns. The staff handling the buns, literally had a handle on my buns. While the separate bun toasting grill is clearly operating at a lower temperature, one member of the cook staff was petting my buns repetitively, as if to monitor the toasting process every five seconds or so.
Verdict: The first thing I checked was the bun toastiness, or the lack there-of. It was clear that the cook had some weird bun petting fetish, rather than monitoring the task at hand. Also, even though the burger patty was quite juicy and the fixings fresh, the burger was pretty average. However, the bun really let the burger down, in my opinion. And I'll never forget that guy and the way he handled my buns.
Image Source: blogger's ownCafe Rouge is located in Berkeley's Fourth Street shopping district. I often spend time perusing the book stores and design stores in the area, and always noticed that Cafe Rouge gets quite crowded on the weekends. This year, I had Martin Luther King Day off from work, and thought it would be an opportune time to survey the Rouge Burger.
To my surprise, the restaurant was still bustling when I arrived toward the latter portion of their lunch service, but I did manage to find a seat on the sunny patio, though it was a brisk January afternoon. Service was a bit slow, and the crowdedness further prevented me from tracking down my server for certain requests. I ordered their 1/2 lb. Niman Ranch Rouge Burger with bacon and aged cheddar with "medium-rare" as the grilling preference. About forty minutes later (no exaggeration) my order arrived.
My order was completely cold when it arrived. It was actually pretty ridiculous, did they forget about me? I wondered. Don't they know who I am? I opened my burger up and inspected the cold, untoasted 'bun' which highly resembled a potato-rosemary sourdough roll; there wasn't any mayonnaise. I requested mayo from two different servers but had no response from either of them. It wasn't until I actually tracked down my original server that I got a side of mayo. I could finally commence.
Verdict: Well, I certainly didn't want Cafe Rouge's inherently poor service to dampen the actual burger review. Despite the "cold" burger and similarly "cold" service, the burger patty was surprisingly tasty. The Rouge Burger has a very unique, seasoned patty with an interesting palette for the taste buds. The combination of flavors was sensational. The bun though cold and untoasted, held up to the extremely juicy patty - and also held it's own in combination with the other tastes I experienced. I would definitely try this burger again to indulge in these exquisite flavors. Despite the serving temperature of the entree and the lack of service I would still recommend the Rouge Burger for other burger enthusiasts.
Image Source: blogger's own In all my qualified years of burger surveying and burger research, I've definitely noticed some strong, loyal fans of Nation's Giant Burgers in the Bay Area. Nation's has been around for a while, and although I never experienced first-hand the early years, I do recognize that they were possibly once great (with limited competition), but expansion has led their TQM to suffer. The same comparison can be drawn from In-N-Out's success. Although I'm a huge fan, I can't expect every burger flipper in uniform to carry the same dedication as someone who's devoted their whole life, flipping burgers and managing the quality standards for positive reviews, good ratings and consequently good business.
Verdict: First of all, I'm not a huge fan of the packaged burger upon presentation. Even though I specified to dine-in, I still get a completely wrapped burger on a tray. Although I don't stage my burgers, you'll just have to trust me that I didn't snatch a few fries between receiving my order and unwrapping the burger for photo-documentation.
The proportions and assemblage of the burger just weren't to my liking. 96% percent of the time, the lettuce is on the outside next to the bun, in order to properly sheath the bun from burger juices. The Nation's burger instead had an onion slice, seven tomato slices and a chunky lettuce bunch, and ghetto-crappy mayonnaise that overwhelms the proportions. I could go on, but for the record - I've eaten at a few different Nation's in the Bay Area and they all suck, they all suck big time.
