It’s that time again! I’m still on my quest to find great burgers in San Francisco, and I’m back with three more selections. This time, I went to Bun Love, Rosemary and Pine, and Barney’s Gourmet Burgers. Can any of the burgers beat my current favorite, the Smash burger from Niku Butcher Shop?
1. Classic Burger from Bun Love
I once again headed to the Spark Social food truck park to give another burger a try. This time I got the Classic Burger from Bun Love ($17). For an additional cost, they also allow you to add a selection of toppings to your burger, and I went for blue cheese and crispy fried onions. It did look pretty appetizing when it came out, but overall, the burger wasn’t too impressive. The blue cheese was just blue cheese dressing, and the burger itself lacked a bit of flavor. The fries I ordered on the side weren’t great either, so overall it didn’t really give me that meat satisfaction that I was craving.
2. Burger from Rosemary and Pine
I had some pretty high hopes for Rosemary and Pine. They are affiliated with the Niku Butcher Shop and Steakhouse, so I was eager to get in and give their burger a try. The burger itself comes with cheddar cheese and caramelized onions served with fries on the side, all for $22. You can add bacon or avocado for an additional price, but I went for the straight up burger. It also looked fantastic when it came out, and it was a pretty tasty burger, although the patty itself definitely wasn’t as flavorful as the wagyu option from the butcher shop. I was still very satisfied with it when I left though.
3. Barney’s Gourmet Burgers
Finally, I trekked out to Barney’s Gourmet Burgers in Noe Valley. They are a California quasi-chain with a few locations in the Bay Area and near Los Angeles. A lot of people on Reddit gave it lots of praise, so it seemed like an ideal place to check out. I got the Voodoo Burger with provolone, blue cheese, bacon, and mushrooms sautéed in their spicy voodoo sauce with a side of steak fries. The burger looked a bit overwhelming when it arrived, as it was covered in a mountain of mushrooms. And while the fries were underwhelming (and needed salt), the burger itself was spectacular. Not only was the burger itself well cooked and had great flavor, the voodoo sauce was phenomenal with just the right amount of spice. I am still dreaming about the sauce. It’s a lot of burger, but I enjoyed every bite.
Winner: Niku Butcher Shop
While I loved the burger from Barney’s and I want to go back, I’m not sure the burger itself was better than the wagyu patties at Niku. Barney’s definitely exceeded my expectations though, and I’m eager to go back and try more (but definitely get a different side this time). Sadly, both Bun Love and Rosemary and Pine left me disappointed, but my hunt will continue on! I also appreciate any suggestions for burgers in San Francisco, so please drop a comment with your favorites!
My current top five:
1. Niku Butcher Shop
2. Barney’s Gourmet Burgers
3. Monsieur Benjamin
4. Flippin’ Burger
5. Fort Point Valencia
Honorable mentions:
Classic toppings/burgers:
Nopa
Epic Steak
4505 Burgers and Barbecue
Magnolia Brewing
The Showdown
Spruce
Frankie’s Java House
Wayfare Tavern
Unusual toppings/burgers:
Sons Addition
Automat
ABV
Biergarten
Rock Club Burger
Multiple toppings/burgers:
Flipper’s Gourmet Burgers
Papa Mak’s
Brickhouse
Super Duper Burgers
Beep’s Burgers
Sides:
Umami Burger
Wes Burger ‘n’ More
