Considering that San Francisco chefs made toast into a nationwide phenomenon, you can imagine what they’ve done for burgers.
Hence a piece we published back in July enumerating our five favorite burgers in city limits.
But in the months since, the court of public opinion has directed us to some stellar options we missed — not to mention the new patties that have hit the block.
So today, we present a fresh take on the eight most delicious, inventive and destination-worthy burgers in town, from the one with the foie gras to the best six-buck patty on the planet.
1. The Hot Wes (with bacon) at WesBurger ‘N’ More
Unless there’s a killer weekly special (often the case), this is our go-to. (P.S. Wondering where Wes himself likes to eat on the cheap? He recently gave us his top picks — all nine.)
2. The Finn Town Burger at Finn Town Tavern
The double-decker patty with American cheese is the standout at this year-old Castro comfort-food joint; you can thank chef de cuisine Jason Raffin, who conjured up the salt mix with porcini powder that’s added to the house-ground hamburger.
3. The Drive-In Burger at Garaje
At just six bucks for a single 1/3-pound patty, this SoMa bar offers the best deal in town — though we’ll always bring an extra buck for the hickory bacon. (And we mean that literally — keep the all-cash policy in mind.)
4. The Zuni Burger at Zuni Café
This nearly 40-year-old Market Street icon, a 2003 winner of the James Beard award for outstanding restaurant, serves a distinctive burger: a grass-fed meat on rosemary foccacia(!), with aioli and house-made pickles(!).
5. The Spruce Burger at Spruce
The Spruce Burger comes with two options for appealing, additional decadence: add $7 for a layer of Taleggio Il Caravaggio, if you want the cheese to be at the fore of your burger experience — or add $21 for the extreme richness that three ounces of foie gras will provide.
6. The New Fuckin’ Burger at ABV
We’ve bee fans of ABV since it debuted and Michelin-starred chef Aaron London recommended it to us. If you’re perusing the snack menu, you want to stop at the New Fuckin’ Burger (R.I.P., old pimento cheeseburger): pickles, white cheddar and mess. Delicious.
7. The Bacon Blue Cheeseburger at Popsons
Either this or the Savory Burger, with mushrooms, truffle cheese and caramelized onions — both get the same Petits Pains bun and Five Dot Ranch beef.
8. The Mission Burger at Mission Bowling Club
It comes with Monterey jack, caramelized onions and an incredible caper aioli — try it during happy hour (6 to 8 p.m., weeknights), when it’s just $10.
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