I feel terrible for the kitchen there--they have to make so many burgers every day--but it's really that delicious.
The bun was the perfect texture. It had a chewy outside, but was soft enough that you could chew through it without squishing the burger. The meat was of great quality, well seasoned, and perfectly cooked. The horseradish cream was great.

In the words of Jules in Pulp Fiction, "That is a tasty burger!"

Best burger I've had in a long time. Pinkie's bun, roasted tomatoes, perfect granular patty. Love.
They use special technology for their oh-so-consistent burger (the Plancha Press), which I voted the best cloth-napkin burger in SF! Kickass fries, too.

The original Potrero Hill location serves one of my favorite burgers. I like the fact it's on a good quality toasted roll and the portion is just right. You leave satisfied but not stuffed. Order it with no cheese (although my gf likes the gruyere) and of course go for the frites. Ask for aioli!
Chez Maman buy their organic meat from Golden Gate Meat Co. and form their own patties with good herbs.
It's a cool place...sit at the bar. Actually there's not really any where else to sit!
I am never, ever sad after a trip to Roam! Really good quality ingredients, but it's the topping combos that really set them apart. My goto is the turkey burger sunnyside, which includes a fried egg, aged cheddar, caramelized onions, watercress, tomato and siracha. It is tremendous!
(Disclaimer: Fried egg on top of anything is usually tremendous!)
I agree that their patties are a little on the smaller side, but I think it is a nice portion for lunch. Never leave there with that overstuffed/barfy/sleepy feeling that can follow some monster burgers.
Probably not as fancy as some other places, but I just went to Super Duper for the first time and I thought the quality for the price was outstanding. $5.00 for a quarter pound Niman Ranch cheese burger cooked to perfection? Are you kidding me? Especially because I had almost made up my mind to go to Joe's cable car for a similar burger for twice the price.
I'm also a fan of places that have real (read: soft) burger buns as opposed to trying to be clever with a ciabatta or something, so extra points there.
Yum. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow.
BTW, you (and everyone else) should vote up the answers you agree with, as opposed to just commenting. That way, the group consensus will rise up to the top.
Thanks!
One of the finest burgers I've ever had was at Spruce. The meat was perfection.
The truffle burger from umami went above and beyond my expectations.
I have to say, I like Pearl's Deluxe better than any burger I have tried including Barney's and Roam Artisan, what i like is it is the patty is really fresh, and the fries can be varies (sweet potato/garlic/regular + onion rings) The other place don't have this combo fries.
The cowboy burger is heaven on a bun. Seriously if you haven't tried it, run don't walk.
Best burger in town! They make their own buns. the beef has SO much flavor. I recommend adding their house-cured bacon and any cheese of your liking.
Acme is on Divisadero, and their burgers are amazing. Not only can you get a serious array of meats (Beef, veggie, chicken, lamb, buffalo, and the list goes on) but they have $1 beers (decent ones too! Blue Moon, Fat Tire, etc), milkshakes, and a whole toppings BAR. Are you the kind of person who is always asking for more pickles on your burger? No need here because the topping bar is self-serve. BEST.
Also, it's right across from the Independent, so catch one of the free movies or a show with a burger in your tummy.
The Hatch Burger at Umami Burger. I know, it's not open yet, but wait for it, it will answer this question fairly decisively when it's here.
In and around Hatch, New Mexico, green chiles are pretty much inescapable. The varieties grown are similar to an anaheim chile, but hotter, and people say that the climate / soil / whatever causes them to taste different when grown in that region.
I did a little googling and found this article. It describes hatch chile burgers, and also links to another article (on the same site) about hatch chiles.
http://nochoiceatall.blogspot.com/2010/03/hatch-green-chile-cheeseburger.html
Hands down... the Balboa Burger is my favorite in SF! I'm always in search of a new burger, but keep coming back to Balboa.
it's been around awhile but brunch today rocked & "look ma, no line"
They use my beef to make their burger so I am biased. However, it is a great product. I order mine medium rare with Grafton Chedder. The fries are also tops in SF.
Let’s hear it for Patty Unterman’s ~HAYES STREET GRILL~. 30 years old, and rocking one heck of a burger. It’s made with Estancia grass-fed beef, which added a gamey flavor (in a good way—not too minerally). For a grass-fed burger, it was surprisingly juicy. It was cooked to a boo-ti-ful medium rare, and the Acme bun held up. The Grafton cheddar was my favorite cheese option that I encountered on the tour, nicely melted, and whoa, the legendary hand-cut fries were wickedly tasty, crispy, and irresistible. High marks for this one, all the way around. $14.50 at lunch (the only time it’s served), and $15.50 with the cheddah, don’t pass it up.
I have to say that Barney's makes the best burgers! They have a large variety to try and everyone I have had has been delicious. The bacon they use is beyond good. Not only are the burgers great, the ONION RINGS are out-of-this-world! They have a light tempura-like batter and are dusted with parmesan cheese while still hot and are served with a ranch dressing for dipping. OMG, I need some right now!
Barneys had various locations; I frequent the one on 24th St. in Noe Valley.
I will say that Barney's is great with kids. And they've done a great job with the remodel on the 24th Street location (is it done yet?)
You think it's going to be jalapenos out of a jar but... Whooo! It's a whole mess of fresh jalapenos that have been sauteed and plopped on top, seeds and all. Can be quite spicy depending on the batch of jalapenos.
Thanks!


