10 Must-Try Bay Area Burgers
1785 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 440-7626
From pasture to plate, that's the slogan at the newly opened Roam Artisan Burgers. With a menu that features organic and locally raised grass-fed meats, you would expect to pay a pretty penny for such top-level ingredients. But at Roam, not only are the prices reasonable, their burgers are fantastic. Don't miss the handmade seasonal fruit shakes and chipotle maple fries. Corn syrup and trans fats do not exist at Roam. Read more about Roam.
Val's Mama Burger
Val's Burgers
2115 Kelly St, Hayward, California 94541 (510) 889-8257
A San Francisco Bay Area institution, this old school burger joint has been packing them in since the 50's. Their burgers are made up of a secret blend of ground beef that are charbroiled and come in three sizes – a third-pound baby, half-pound mama, and the massive one-pound papa. Val's is a well-preserved vintage diner that isn't pretentious and very consistent. You won't be disappointed. Read more about Val's.
Grayson Burger
900 Grayson St, Berkeley, CA 94710 (510) 704-9900
The Grayson burger delivers with its thick Creekstone natural beef patty, Nueske's double smoked bacon, house made barbecue sauce on a freshly baked Acme bun. If you have room after this generously portioned burger, try their chicken and waffles. More about the Grayson Burger.
Lark Creek Steak's Cowboy Steakburge
845 Market St (inside the Westfield Mall, 4th Floor), San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 593-4100
If you like steak, you will love Lark Creek Steak's "steak burger" that is ground in house daily using three cuts of steak – New York, rib eye and filet mignon. The Cowboy Steakburger features an eight ounce patty that is grilled over a wood fire and topped with sharp cheddar, bacon, house made barbecue sauce and crispy onions. Delicious. Read more about Lark Creek.
Cheesy Trueburger
146 Grand Ave, Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 208-5678
Former Bay Wolf sous chefs Greg Eng and Jason Low got tired of the foodie scene and wanted to do burgers because that is the food they like to eat. This West Coast version of New York's iconic Shake Shack hits the spot. The meat is freshly ground in-house and the patties are smashed into the hot griddle giving them nice crispy edges and tender insides. Read more about TrueBurger.
Don Pistos' Hamburguesa Torta
510 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94133 (415) 395-0939
Owner Pete Mrabe twice-grinds fresh Niman Ranch beef chuck that has been marinated in a mixture of bacon, onions fried in bacon fat, spices and Worcestershire sauce to make an amazing hamburguesa at his Mexican-style street food restaurant in North Beach. Consistently awesome. Read more about Don Pistos.
The FrankenBurger
FrankenBurger
131 First St, Benicia, CA 95050 (707) 747-9800
FrankenBurger probably isn't the best name for a burger joint, especially since genetically modified food is often referred to as "Frankenfood". Don't let the name get you down, FrankenBurger makes really tasty burgers and uses fresh ingredients that include a custom baked bun from Panorama Bakery. Read more about FrankenBurger.
Buckshot's Chuck Burger
Buckshot Restaurant, Bar & Gameroom
3848 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94118 (415) 831-8838
Gameroom has a dual meaning at this hip Inner Richmond bar that has dozens of taxidermy animals and an assortment of video games. They even have Skee-Ball. The kitchen has a small menu with heart-stopping dishes like chicken fried bacon and house-made corn dogs. Their delicious hamburger is huge and comes with homemade pickles and sauce. If you still have room in your belly, grab a Guinness float made with the thick Irish draught and coffee ice cream. Read more about Buckshot.
Show Dogs' Show Burger
1020 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102 (415) 558-9560
About a year ago, chefs Gayle Pirie and John Clark of the well-known Mission District restaurant, Foreign Cinema started Show Dogs – a "haute" dog shop with a solid line-up of locally-made hot dogs and organic sausages. They recently added a burger – a juicy half-pounder that is full of flavor. They have a good beer list and they even make their own mustard. The neighborhood is a little dodgy, but well worth the trip. Read more about Show Dogs.
Broken Record's Beef and Bacon Burger
1166 Geneva St, San Francisco, CA 94112 (415) 963-1713
People come for the whiskey and stay for the food at this out of the way neighborhood bar near the Daly City border. After a few shots of whiskey from the bar's extensive collection you'll need some food from the kitchen that is run by former Firefly chefs James Moisey and Shane Lavalley. They do a great job at taking bar food to another level. The meat for their burgers is freshly ground every day – a delicious blend of beef brisket and applewood smoked bacon. When in season, they add a fat slice of heirloom tomato. Read more about Broken Record.