It’s almost Independence Day, and people love to celebrate with a burger on the grill! So welcome to the next installment of my quest to find the best burger the city has to offer. I’ve recently found a new favorite with The Rabbit Hole, but everywhere deserves a chance to try to take the top spot. This month, it’s burgers from Uncle Boy’s, Sam’s Pizza & Burgers, and Wilkommen! Will any of them break into the top five?
1. El Jefe Burger from Uncle Boy’s
I saw a bit of buzz about Uncle Boy’s online, but weirdly enough I’ve heard plenty of people talking about it on the bus when I happen to be nearby, so it seemed like a no brainer to give it a try. After trekking out to the Inner Richmond, I decided on the El Jefe Burger, a 4 oz. patty with pepper jack cheese, bacon and their house made spicy sauce. I also ordered onion rings (but they gave me fries instead, although they did also bring the onion rings out later). While the inside is small, there is still plenty of outdoor seating, so I got to enjoy my burger in the fresh air. The burger was actually a pretty tasty burger with some fresh toppings. It was way better than what I was expecting, and their house sauces are fantastic, so I can see why people really enjoy this place.
2. Double Cheeseburger from Sam’s Pizza & Burgers
Sam’s is a local legend. Everyone seems to talk about it, and everyone who does knows that the late Anthony Bourdain called it one of the three best burgers he’s ever eaten, so it was definitely another place I knew I needed to try. Sadly, their hours are unpredictable, as several times I tried to stop in at their opening time and they were completely shuttered. I finally managed to stop in when someone was there, so I ordered the double cheeseburger and fries. The irony is they no longer have pizza on the menu though, so don’t expect to get much else besides something fried or between a bun. The burger itself was way better than I expected as it was seasoned well and had a ton of flavor. It was a solid burger, but definitely nowhere close to my top three burgers. However, the sanitary conditions of the restaurant were questionable to say the least, so that had me concerned about my decision making process for the day.
3. Burger from Wilkommen
Finally, I headed to Wilkommen by Black Sands Brewery to try their burger. (And a beer while I was at it, because you kind of have to get a beer at a brewery, right?) This is a fairly standard burger with the addition of their curry ketchup and candied bacon. It was a nice burger too, and the curry ketchup was a great touch, however, it was also served with the fries so it felt a bit overwhelming at one point. I can’t say I was really wowed overall though, except my stout was incredibly tasty.
Winner: The Rabbit Hole
It was a solid month for burgers, even if none of them were outstanding enough to be the best, I definitely enjoyed the three burgers I ate. And while I was dubious about the sanitary conditions of Sam’s, it was a good enough burger to be an Honorable Mention, as well as Uncle Boy’s for their delicious tasting meat and sauces. The Rabbit Hole and their amazing ketchup still stand out in my mind, but I’m sure there can be somewhere else that could surprise me and outdo them. As always, any suggestions are welcome in the comments!
My current top five:
1. Rabbit Hole
2. Maillards
3. Niku Butcher Shop
4. Flash Crash $6 Burger
5. Flippin’ Burger
Honorable mentions:
Classic toppings/burgers:
Sam’s Pizza & Burgers
Louie’s Original
The Laundromat SF
Monsieur Benjamin
Nopa
Epic Steak
4505 Burgers and Barbecue
Magnolia Brewing
The Showdown
Spruce
Frankie’s Java House
Wayfare Tavern
Fort Point Valencia
Burger Littles
Unusual toppings/burgers:
Sons Addition
ABV
Biergarten
Rock Club Burger
Multiple toppings/burgers:
Uncle Boy’s
Barney’s Gourmet Burgers
Flipper’s Gourmet Burgers
Papa Mak’s
Brickhouse
Super Duper Burgers
Beep’s Burgers
Sides:
Wes Burger ‘n’ More
