San Francisco’s Best Burger Joints

The hamburger is a staple of American cuisine.

A bun, lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and a large meat patty are typical on a hamburger. But in San Francisco, nothing is “typical”.

May 28th is National Hamburger Day, and to celebrate, we’ve compiled a list (in no particular order) of the top eleven burger joints in the City.

1. Garaje, 475 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107. M-F 11:30 AM-10PM, Sat. 5-10 PM.

Garaje is part taqueria, part burger joint, part micro-brewery showcase. Serving up tacos and burritos alongside burgers and brews, this cash-only joint in SoMa is known for their Drive-In Burger, which costs $6.

2. Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers, 708 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94109. M-Sat. 11AM-10PM, Sun. 12-9PM.

Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers are known for being huge and juicy, with most burgers coming in at a 1/2 pound. One of the most popular menu items – the Spicy Sly – comes with grilled peppers, onions, jack cheese and a pumpkin-habanero sauce. Another favorite is the King Burger, that comes topped with a hot dog, two cheeses, and thousand island. There are tons of options, and Yelp reviewers raved about the onion rings.

3. The Dark Horse Inn, 942 Geneva Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112. Tues-Fri 5-10PM, Sat 1-10PM, Sun 11AM-3PM, 5-9PM.

The Dark Horse Inn is a small pub right by Balboa Park BART Station. With 9 taps all from California breweries, burgers and other pub food will be perfectly paired with a local beer. The burger features lettuce, pickles, pickled onions and mayo, with the addition of bacon and a fried egg.

4. No No Burger, 428 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103. Tues.-Sat, 11AM-3PM, 5-9PM. Sun. 11AM-5PM.

It wouldn’t be a San Francisco burger list without a vegan option, and the most sought-after vegan burger joint in the City is No No Burger. Currently run out of a trailer in the SoMa StrEat Food Park, No No’s most popular “burger” is the Ring of Fire, with lettuce, jalapeños, cheese, BBQ sauce, fried and raw onions, tomatoes and their infamous No No sauce. For added fun, ask for it extra-spicy to have ghost-chili sauce on it.

5. Smokin’ Warehouse Barbecue, 1465 Carroll Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124. M-F, 11AM-4PM.

Smokin’ Warehouse Barbecue is run out of an electrical warehouse in the Bayview District. Their signature burger is topped with chili, cheese and a deep fried onion ring. Other notable menu items include their 14-hour slow cooked pulled pork and their 5 hour slow-cooked brisket.

6. TJ Cafe, 724 La Playa St, San Francisco, CA 94121. W-M, 8:30AM-7PM, Tues. 11AM-7PM.

TJ Cafe is situated across the street from Ocean Beach in the Outer Richmond, serving burgers, sandwiches and fries. The most popular burger is the California Burger, featuring bacon, cheese and avocado. Yelp reviewers rave about the garlic fries.

7. Beep’s Burgers, 1051 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112. M-Sat, 10AM-10PM, Sun 11AM-9PM.

Beep’s Burgers is a relic here in the City, being a burger drive-up reminiscent of the 1950’s in the foggy Ingleside neighborhood. Most popular menu item here is the Beep’s Burger, which comes with lettuce, tomato and their signature sauce. With 8 different types of fries, Beep’s will surely have the perfect pairing for your burger. (Author’s note: try the Twinkie Shake).

8. Calibur, 68 W Portal Ave, San Francisco, CA 94127. Sun-Thurs, 11AM-9PM, F-Sat 11AM-10PM.

Located near the West Portal Tunnel, Calibur is a mostly organic burger joint that is know for its extra-juicy burgers. The burgers are fully customizable, starting from the size of the patty to adding eggs, mushrooms, bacon or jalapeños. The fries are cooked in beef tallow for extra flavor.

9. Marlowe, 500 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94107. M-F 11:30AM-10PM, Sat-Sun 10AM-11PM.

Marlowe is a rustic-chic restaurant in SoMa, known for its burgers. With caramelized onions, cheddar, bacon and horseradish aioli, a Marlowe Burger was so popular that it had its own restaurant for a while. The Marlowe fries are the perfect pairing, as are the brussels sprouts or the baked cauliflower.

10. Super Duper Burger, multiple locations with different hours.

Super Duper Burger is a local San Francisco chain that uses local, fresh ingredients. Mayor Ed Lee even named a day after the establishment. A standard burger with “everything on it” comes with tomatoes, red onions, lettuce and their Super Sauce. Grilled onions, jalapeños, bacon, blue cheese and more can be added on, and there are house-made pickles available at the counter. Their garlic-parmesan fries are the perfect pairing with your burger, as is the milkshakes which can be spiked with a shot of soju.

11. Roam Artisan Burgers, 1785 Union St, San Francisco, CA 94123. M-Sun, 11:30AM-10PM.

Roam Artisan Burgers was initially missed on our list, but Reddit user /u/PutLotionInTheBasket pointed out that we absolutely needed to have Roam on our list. Start assembling your burger by deciding your choice of meat – beef, turkey, bison, veggie or elk. Choose your bun, then either create your own burger or choose one from their menu. Shown above is the “Sunny Side” with an egg, white cheddar, caramelized onions, watercress and dijon mustard.

Did we miss your favorite? Let us know in the comments.