The weather is getting colder and nothing is better when it gets cold then a nice, juicy burger. Last time, the burger from Comstock Saloon still reigned supreme. This time on my quest for the best burger in San Francisco, I tried the burger from Rookies, Monk’s Kettle and Theorita to see if any of the burgers could take the crown!
1. Rookies
I had read a few things about Rookies online, as well as having seen them several times at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market on Thursdays. I finally decided to give them a try by getting a Rookies Burger with bacon and a side of fries. The burger did look pretty spectacular, and the meat itself was full of flavor. Even though it was cooked more well done, it wasn’t grainy, so that was helpful. It wasn’t that creative though, as it’s your standard “special sauce” (Thousand Island Dressing) burger. And it came in at a whopping $14 for the burger alone, so pricewise, it’s not really worth it. The fries were pretty amazing though, as they were nice and crispy with a good amount of seasoning.
2. Monk’s Kettle
I’m always a fan of quasi-dive bars, so one day I headed down to the Mission to check out the burger from Monk’s Kettle. They do have an extensive (if expensive) menu of beers on tap, so if you’re looking to have a beer with a burger, this place has a selection. The burger comes with onion jam and gruyere cheese, so it’s not too out of the ordinary (but thankfully not following the In-N-Out model). The burger itself was nice and cooked well, but the flavor wasn’t that pronounced. I honestly can’t say there was anything special or amazing about it. (Perhaps this is one of the times I should have actually ordered it with the additional egg or bacon on the menu!) The fries were also nice, but nothing spectacular. It was only $12 for the burger and fries though, so it’s definitely one that’s decent for the price point.
3. Theorita
Last on the hunt this week is Theorita. Someone left me a blog comment (thanks by the way!) about how he had been to the Theorita pop-up and it was a really enjoyable burger! (Then another reader reminded me about it and that their permanent location was opening.) I decided it definitely needed to be on the top of my list when they finally opened up a permanent location (by the same people as Che Fico which is one of the buzziest new restaurants in San Francisco). I stopped in and ordered the burger and fries for a whopping $18! It’s a double burger with cheddar cheese, special sauce and two types of onions on a house-made potato bun. It’s also served with homemade pickles and a few hot, pickled peppers. The fries here were really tasty and crispy, so that was definitely a bonus. I really was hoping for more from the burger though. The two patties were a bit thin so they were slightly dry. And while the burger was oozing with cheese and having grilled and raw onions is definitely a bonus for me, it really just felt like it needed something to really take it to another level. Especially at that price. The pickles and peppers were great though and did cut somewhat through the fattiness of the meat. I did appreciate the house-made bun, though, so I have a feeling that some of their baked goods may need to be tried at a future date.
Winner: Comstock Saloon
There really was no contest this week as the burger from Comstock Saloon still is on top with the meaty flavor of the burger and the briny crispness of the chips on top. I really wasn’t overwhelmed by any of the burgers this week, and while Theorita may have been the best of the three, I’m not sure I’d eat it again for the price. Although I have to say that Theorita looks like it was doing a lot more interesting things with their other dishes and the pies there looked fantastic, so I may have to go back to try some of the other things they have on offer. So sadly, this week, none of the burgers enter the top of the rankings. Maybe next time I’ll find something that can topple that fantastic burger from Comstock Saloon!
Ranking:
1. Comstock Saloon
2. Southern Pacific Brewing
3. Black Sands Brewery
4. Wayfare Tavern
5. Son’s Addition
6. Gaspar
7. Wes Burger ‘n’ More
8. Epic Steak
9. Umami Burger
10. The Saratoga
11. ABV
12. 4505 Burgers and BBQ
13. Super Duper Burgers
