A local restaurant owner's honest guide — updated April 2026
I've been making burgers in San Francisco since 1997. Opened my first grill in San Bruno, then a second spot on 24th Street in the Mission. I eat at other burger places all the time — partly because I'm obsessed with burgers, partly because I want to know what everyone else is doing. Here's my honest take on where to get the best burgers in SF right now, including a few places that do things I wish I'd thought of first.
Last updated: April 2026 · By Abraham Dababneh
Yeah, I'm putting us first. Call it bias. But we flame-grill half-pound patties over open fire using humanely-raised beef, hand-cut our fries from whole potatoes, and make shakes with Mitchell's ice cream. Nobody else in the city does all three. Two locations: San Bruno (851 Cherry Ave) and the Mission (3392 24th St).
These guys do it right. All-natural Brandt Beef, buns baked daily by a local bakery, organic Straus ice cream. They've scaled to multiple locations without cutting corners — which is harder than it sounds. Their mini burger is a smart move for lighter appetites. I respect the consistency across their spots.
Small operation in the Outer Sunset. Their smash burger is excellent — thin patty, crispy edges, melted cheese. It's a different style than what we do (we go thick, they go thin) but both approaches have their place. The lacy-edge technique they use gives a crust that's almost impossible to get on a thick patty. Worth the trip to the avenues.
Wes Rowe knows what he's doing. Creative burgers without being gimmicky. Their signature has a fried egg and bacon that somehow stays structural through the last bite. The Mission location has real neighborhood energy — people hanging around outside, music playing, no pretense.
A restaurant that happens to make one of the best burgers in the city. Dry-aged blend, potato bun, house pickles. It's the kind of burger that makes you forget you're in a sit-down restaurant. Not cheap, but the quality justifies every dollar. Get the fries too — they're legit.
Grass-fed beef, organic ingredients, and they don't drown everything in truffle oil like the name might suggest. The burgers are clean-tasting and well-seasoned. Good option if you want a quality burger without the fast-food energy. Multiple locations, all solid.
Dark, moody bar with a seriously good burger. Thick patty, cooked on a flat-top, served with no frills. The kind of place where you sit at the counter, order a beer, and eat something that doesn't need a description longer than three words: meat, cheese, bun. West Portal gem.
Old school. They've been around since 1962 — longer than most buildings in their neighborhood. Basic burgers, basic setup, prices that haven't caught up to inflation. It's not the best burger you'll ever eat, but it might be the most honest. When a place survives 60 years without rebranding, they're doing something right.
Multi-location mini-chain that takes the "artisan" thing seriously. Grass-fed beef, locally baked buns, seasonal toppings. The build-your-own approach gives people options without overwhelming them. Their Fillmore location has good people-watching from the window seats.
Filipino-inspired burgers in the Outer Richmond. The longganisa burger is something I would never have thought to make, and it works perfectly. Garlic rice instead of fries is the move here. This is the kind of creativity that keeps the SF food scene alive — taking a format everyone knows and flipping it with real cultural perspective.
The Nopa burger is a restaurant-quality experience — wood-fired, perfectly medium, served with thick-cut fries. It's the burger you order when you're on a date and want to look like you have good taste without ordering a steak. Probably the best bun game in the city after ours.
After 27 years of making them and eating them everywhere, I think it comes down to three things. First, the beef itself — quality matters more than technique. You can char a mediocre patty perfectly and it'll still taste mediocre. Second, the bun. A great bun holds everything together without fighting for attention. It should be soft but not squishy, and it absolutely should not be the first thing that falls apart. Third, the cook. Whether you're grilling over fire or working a flat-top, the person holding the spatula needs to care. Speed kills a burger — low and slow on a thick patty, hot and fast on a smash. Get those three right and everything else is just toppings.
Honestly? I eat at a lot of these places. I grab a smash burger at Calibur when I'm out on the avenues. I take my kids to Super Duper because they like the mini combos. When I want to sit down and not think about running a kitchen, Causwells is my spot. Being a burger guy doesn't mean you only eat your own burgers — it means you eat everyone's burgers and bring the best ideas back to your own grill.
Two Bay Area locations. Flame-grilled since 1997. Hand-cut fries. Mitchell's ice cream shakes.