August 27th, 2010 by Nikki
And now I present: Oola’s Grilled Natural Creek Stone Farms Hamburger $13 with apple wood smoked bacon, $1.50. Served on a brioche bun, tomatoes, watercress, and grilled onions.
Sound delicious, no? Well, it was just alright. I would eat it again, but its not spectacular. The bun was nice and soft, and the meat was good, but it wasn’t really full of flavor. It also failed to drip down my arms, and that’s essential! I also felt the bacon was cooked well (as in good, not overcooked). The fries on the side were REALLY good.
In the end the burger did a decent job of being a burger, but just didn’t have enough flavor and was a little overpriced for it.
PS – From an artists perspective, I really liked the presentation (which has no bearing on the rating)!
Overall: 
Oola on Yelp
860 Folsom Street
San Francisco, CA 94107 (Map)
Tags: 3-star, bacon, Classic, good sides, soft bun, soma
Posted in 3 Star, Classic, SOMA | No Comments »
August 13th, 2010 by Nikki
We decided to make a small change to our rating system: we’re going to remove the half stars and just stick with rating 1 thru 5. That way its a little more clear and direct how we felt about each burger. Here’s the basic breakdown:
5 stars: loved it!
4 stars: good burger!
3 stars: it was pretty good
2 stars: eh, it was edible
1 star: never again!
Posted in News | No Comments »
August 13th, 2010 by Nikki
This was the first time I’ve ever encountered a toppings bar. Seriously, in the 33 years I’ve been on earth, I had never seen a toppings bar. So that intrigued me a little bit. The grill in the kitchen is pretty neat looking too — it’s round and moves in circles over the fire. But none of that made up for the fact that Jenny’s served me a boring patty, most likely purchased and not made on site. The burger was cheap, but I’m sure there will be other, better places to get a burger in the Inner Sunset.
I apologize for the lack of notes on this one, but it really was quite boring.
Overall: 
Jenny’s Burgers on Yelp
1233 9th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94122 Map
Tags: 2-star, burger bar, cheeseburger, Inner Sunset
Posted in 2 Star, Burger Bar, Inner Sunset | 1 Comment »
August 4th, 2010 by Nikki
Simultaneously, Albie and I suggested Roam Artisan Burgers to each other over IM. Based on the low number of reviews on Yelp (at the time of this posting) I figured it had to be a fairly new place. When we got there and looked at the giant menu on the wall we were both pretty excited about the choices. You sort of build your own burger by first choosing the meat, then the style, then the toppings.
I ordered a Pacific Blue Beef burger (Blue Cheese, Watercress, Caramelized Onions, Steak Sauce) and for a side, we ordered “The Fry-Fecta” (Russet Fries, Sweet Potato Fries, Zucchini Onion Haystack) with Truffle Parmesan seasoning. The total about $10 ($8 if you split the Fry-Fecta). I should also note that they offer Bison as a choice, which I tried on my second visit later.
When the burger arrived I thought it looked very pretty. And on first bite I was in love! That burger made a flavor explosion in my mouth, unparalleled to date. The meat wasn’t quite medium rare, but it was very soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, just the way I like it. The burger didn’t make enough mess, but I can forgive them for the taste. The bun was soft and overall the burger was not too big (ie, just the right size for my belly).
The fries were alright. The flavor was good but in general not crunchy enough. I like my fries crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The fried zucchini intrigued me though, that was quite tasty.
In conclusion, if you are in the Marina, you MUST get a burger from Roam!
Overall: 
Roam Artisan on Yelp
1785 Union St.
San Francisco CA, 94123 Map
Tags: 5-star, bleu cheese, Classic, Marina, sweet potato fries
Posted in 5 Star, Classic, Marina | 2 Comments »
June 24th, 2010 by Nikki
I had a burger at Brickhouse a while back, actually it was probably over a year ago. I remember really like the burger, so I was excited to have another one. When I sat down and looked at the menu it was very hard to choose a burger. They have a plain, typical, Big Ass Burger and a bunch of “fun” burgers like Blue Moon Burger, Western BBQ Burger, and Mexican Burger. I opted for the simple Big Ass Burger, cooked the way I like it – medium-rare – for $10 (comes with fries), add cheese ($1). And my dining buddy, Steve, got the Blue Moon Burger (bleu cheese, buffalo sauce and romaine lettuce).
When the burgers arrived mine looked very plain and lonely, while Steve’s was packed with toppings. Taking a bite only confirmed what I was afraid of after looking at it – there wasn’t much going on. The meat wasn’t pink enough on the inside and it just wasn’t messy enough. There was hardly anything dripping from it onto my plate. I was so disappointed.
Then I took a bite of Steve’s Blue Moon, and my mouth was overfilled with joy. That burger was so much better than mine! Its clear to me now that I must have had a “fun” burger last time I was there. And if you go there, I highly recommend choosing from the fun category.
So, based on the fact that my burger was ok (it was still edible, though boring) and Steve’s burger was awesome, I’m going to give Brickhouse a semi-decent score. Oh yeah, and the fries were alright, not fabulous, not lousy.
Overall:
Brickhouse on Yelp
426 Brannan St
San Francisco, CA 94107 Map
Tags: 3-star, cheeseburger, Classic, fun burger
Posted in 3 Star, Misc, SOMA | No Comments »
June 3rd, 2010 by Nikki
When I was eating my burger at Liverpool Lil’s with Albie I was telling him about my favorite burgers in San Francisco, and what I’ve heard are good burgers. Right now, if I’m craving a burger there are two places I think of: Slow Club and Double Play. We haven’t officially eaten at either of them yet for the blog.
I’ve also heard that Zuni and Truck have the best burgers in the city. I’ve eaten the Truck burger several times – the first two times I was not impressed, the last time it was quite good. It will be interesting to revisit Truck for this blog — will it be a good day for them?
So even though I have some favorites in the back of my mind, I’m anxious to find out if there are other, better burgers to be found in the city.
Posted in Misc | 3 Comments »
June 3rd, 2010 by Nikki
Albie and I used to eat breakfast at Rose’s Cafe with our friend Ben, but we haven’t been there in quite a while. The breakfast is really good, so I thought maybe a burger would be too. I took a look at their menu online and discovered this: Rose’s Grass Fed Beef Burger & Fried Potatoes $12 (+$2 with cheddar cheese). Sold! Let’s go try it.
The first couple of bites seemed a little too salty for me, but that seemed to dissipate as I ate on. It was cooked just the way I like, crispy on the outside, but not quite medium enough on the inside. It did however dish up a nice mess, drippy mess. In general the burger was really good quality, but the flavor was nothing special. The mayo aioli was probably the most special thing about it. So I’m giving it a high rating for being good quality and highly edible, just not the perfect burger for me.
And the fries – fried potatoes, quite good.
Overall: 
Rose’s Cafe on Yelp
2298 Union St
San Francisco, CA 94123 Map
Tags: 4-star, cheeseburger, Classic, Marina, messy, reviewed by Nikki
Posted in 4 Star, Classic, Marina | No Comments »
May 22nd, 2010 by Nikki
The View Cafe is a little cafeteria on the UCSF Campus. Albie and I were excited about this place because we were hoping it would be a replacement for the Palm, which closed down last year. It was a little odd getting in and finding the cafeteria. We had to sign in with security, go up to the second floor and smell our way there.
The cafeteria was pretty typical, menu-wise and layout-wise. The burger was really cheap and came with a side (salad or chips) and drink – totaling about $7.
We found a seat outside, hoping that the place was named for its view. But it was not. We could barely see the tops of the buildings downtown due to all the plants and shrubbery. That said, it was a gorgeous outdoor setting.
Now on to the burger. I was utterly disappointed. It was yet another standard patty, and it didn’t even have extra grill flavor. I was completely unimpressed. It sort of reminded me of the burger you’d get in high school.
When we finished we tried to leave by going down some steps to find that there’s no way out but back through the building, which was completely locked up. Luckily there was a person outside talking on the phone, she let us back in and informed us that you need a badge to open the doors.
In conclusion, I wouldn’t bother going there. The only reason I’m giving them two stars instead of one is that the burger was edible, though not special.
Overall:
The View Cafe on Yelp
3333 California Street
San Francisco, CA 94118 Map
Tags: 2-star, Classic, Laurel Heights, patty, reviewed by Nikki
Posted in 2 Star, Classic, Laurel Heights | No Comments »
May 22nd, 2010 by Nikki
Just like Hamburger Haven, the first bite was very yummy. And also like Hamburger Haven, it was a pretty solid “regular” burger. They didn’t ask how I wanted the meat cooked, so it was a little over-cooked for my taste. The only juice coming from it was tomato. But, they did get the outer surface nice and crispy, so it had that grill flavor. The meat itself didn’t have any special spicing or flavor. The price, however, was quite cheap. For $8.10 I got a cheeseburger, small fries and a can of soda. The fries would good, but nothing to rave about. I would eat there again.
Overall:
Buffalo Burger on Yelp
5317 Geary Boulevard
San Francisco, CA 94121 Map
Tags: 3-star, cheeseburger, Classic, Outer Richmond, reviewed by Nikki
Posted in 3 Star, Classic, Outer Richmond | No Comments »
April 22nd, 2010 by Nikki
The first bite was yummy. As I continued on, the burger began to reveal itself as a standard, typical diner burger – kind of like what you’d expect off your neighbor’s grill. It was cooked well (well as in good, I ordered it medium) and it had gorgeous grill marks on it, but I would not drive across the city just to eat this burger. If I were in the neighborhood and had a hankering for some meat on a bun, I’d probably pop in.
The fries were decent and the service was prompt and friendly. They also had some interesting items on the menu for breakfast, which I might go back to try.
Overall:
Hamburger Haven on Yelp
800 Clement St
San Francisco, CA 94118 Map
Tags: 3-star, cheeseburger, Classic, diner, Inner Richmond, reviewed by Nikki
Posted in 3 Star, Classic, Inner Richmond | 1 Comment »
And now I present: Oola’s Grilled Natural Creek Stone Farms Hamburger $13 with apple wood smoked bacon, $1.50. Served on a brioche bun, tomatoes, watercress, and grilled onions. 
