It’s time for more burgers! I’m still hunting for that burger that tops all other burgers in the city. Currently, my favorite is the smash burger from Niku Butcher Shop, and this time I tried burgers from Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers, Kiss My Seoul and Bluestem Restaurant and Market.
1. Prized Pearl from Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers
Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers is one of those burger places that everyone mentions in San Francisco. They claim to have the best, and even some chefs say that whenever they are in the city, this is were they go to get a burger. It’s a big claim, so I stopped in to try it out. I decided on the Prized Pearl Burger ($13) which includes blue cheese, bacon and grilled onions. One thing I wasn’t aware of was that only the basic burgers come with vegetables, the rest only with what is listed. So when my burger came out without lettuce, it was a bit disappointing, but I dug in anyway. I also ordered the springs (sweet potato fries and onion rings combo, $10) because I love a good combo and they do them all. The burger was good. The toppings were great, but the patty itself was a bit lacking in flavor and seasoning. The springs were also fine, but I wasn’t overly excited by them to be honest.
2. Kimcheese Double Smashburger from Kiss My Seoul
Kiss My Seoul is a new fast casual Korean restaurant that opened up in my neighborhood, and after having a great rice bowl from them, I knew I was going to have to go back for the burger. I opted for the Kimcheese Double Smashburger ($12) and a side of fries ($3). The burger didn’t look that exciting, and sadly, it wasn’t amazing. It was definitely a solid burger, but when I’ve had some amazing burgers in San Francisco, it just didn’t really compare.
3. Doublecheese Smashburger from Bluestem Restaurant and Market
The last burger I had was from Bluestem Restaurant and Market. My parents and I stopped in for lunch when they were visiting, and I was really craving a burger so I went for their Doublecheese Smashburger ($24). We had a bunch of sides that we shared, including a salad and cornbread that were quite nice. The burger itself was quite tasty and enjoyable, but perhaps a bit overseasoned. It’s also on the expensive side, and I think for that price, I’d rather just go to Niku and have their burger again!
Winner: Niku Butcher Shop
The burger from Niku still has me won over, and sadly none of the other burgers this week were even close. I’m not really sure I’d repeat any of them to be honest, which is disappointing. I know that they are someone’s favorites I’m sure, just sadly, not mine. Will I find a burger that comes close to the one at Niku? Only time will tell! Please comment if you know of any places I might have missed or should try, and I’ll definitely give them a go!
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
