Welcome back to my never-ending hunt for the best burger in the city. The current top contender is the Smash Burger from Niko Butcher Shop. This time, I tried the burgers from Miller & Lux, Flipper’s Gourmet Burgers, and Quik Dog. Will any of them take the top spot?
1. M&L Burger from Miller & Lux
I had high hopes for the burger from Miller & Lux! It’s the new Tyler Florence restaurant, and I definitely enjoyed the burger from Wayfare Tavern (it’s in the top five), so my anticipation for another equally good burger were up there. For $26 you get a burger with Mt. Tam Triple cream cheese (one of my favorite cheeses), bacon jam, crispy shallots and watercress, all served with a side of truffle fries. Even reading it makes my mouth water, so I headed over there one night to give it a try. The fried onions on top made it look so good, but after my first bite, all hope drained from me. Sadly, my burger was very over-cooked, and the toppings just didn’t really do anything for me. The fries are spectacular though, so that’s something.
2. South of the Border Burger from Flipper’s Gourmet Burgers
I stopped here before a hair cut to grab lunch, and honestly my expectations were pretty low given I hadn’t heard much about the place, even though it looked fairly new and had an interesting menu. I went for the South of the Border Burger ($15) and made it a meal with fries and a drink for only $4 more. This burger was a half pound burger topped with spicy guacamole, jalapeño, mayo, lettuce, and pepper jack cheese. When it came out, the burger definitely looked way better than I anticipated, and honestly it was a really solid burger. The meat was juicy and beefy, and the toppings were fantastic. The bun was sturdy and seemed like there was effort put into finding a great bun for their burgers. The fries weren’t anything special, but there’s something satisfying about a burger and fries that I just can’t describe.
3. Quick Dog Burger from Quik Dog
Finally, I managed to try the burger from Quik Dog (by Trick Dog). I had wanted to go try their burger in a hot dog bun for a long time, but never made it. They finally opened up something a bit more fast casual, so one night, I opted to order in a Quik Dog Burger ($13) and some thrice cooked fries ($7). The burger is pretty simple with lettuce, onion, pickle, cheese and doggie sauce, but it’s made to look like a hot dog. It was cooked really well, a nice medium rare, and it did taste good. The doggie sauce is delicious, as it came on the side for the fries, which were also very good, considering I ordered in for delivery. It was pretty solid all around. They also do a Beyond Burger if that’s how you swing.
Winner: Niku Butcher Shop
Sadly, Miller & Lux was definitely not as good as Wayfare, but the burger from Flipper’s definitely was much better than I expected, and I might even stop back in to try some of the other burgers if I’m in the area. Quik Dog puts out a pretty solid burger, but it’s not really any better than heading over to some local chains. I was also made aware that the burger from Comstock Saloon has changed, so I had to take it off the top five. I replaced it with the most recent one in the top five from a restaurant that is still open: Son’s Addition. Can I find a burger to reach the top five next time? Feel free to help me find the best burger in the city by leaving a comment with your favorite places!
My current top five:
1. Niku Butcher Shop
2. Monsieur Benjamin
3. Fort Point Valencia
4. Wayfare Tavern
5. Son’s Addition
Honorable mentions:
Classic toppings/burgers:
The Grove Design District
Gaspar
Nopa
Epic Steak
4505 Burgers and Barbecue
Magnolia Brewing
The Showdown
Spruce
Little Creatures Brewery
Frankie’s Java House
Unusual toppings/burgers:
Automat
City Beer Store
The Saratoga
ABV
Biergarten
Rock Club Burger
Multiple toppings/burgers:
Flipper’s Gourmet Burgers
Papa Mak’s
Brickhouse
Super Duper Burgers
Beep’s Burgers
Hoopla Burger
Sides:
Umami Burger
Wes Burger ‘n’ More
