High School newspaper reporters from Archbishop Riordan visited the best burger spots in San Francisco last month- and they put the Balboa Burger on the top of their list!
Carlos Rocha ’10
& Brendan Herger ’10
Three friends wait for a bus at a little past eleven. Their stomachs are growling, though by day’s end they will never want to imbibe another greasy morsel. One of them, Crusader editor Carlos Rocha has contacted various establishments around San Francisco and arranged for burger tasting, unwittingly opening himself and his friends to an unexpected complexity of cuisine. This is the tale of three friends, four burgers, and and a day full of greasy, delicious delights.
Balboa Cafe
& Brendan Herger ’10
Three friends wait for a bus at a little past eleven. Their stomachs are growling, though by day’s end they will never want to imbibe another greasy morsel. One of them, Crusader editor Carlos Rocha has contacted various establishments around San Francisco and arranged for burger tasting, unwittingly opening himself and his friends to an unexpected complexity of cuisine. This is the tale of three friends, four burgers, and and a day full of greasy, delicious delights.
Balboa Cafe
3199 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA
Balboa Burger: $10.50
Enter the Balboa Burger: a thick, juicy, 8 oz. burger served on a lightly toasted baguette. The patty, a hearty delight in itself, is further complemented by house made pickles, which offer only more flavor. Presented with a range of condiments, available cheeses and sauces, this burger allows the freedom of personalization because who really knows what tastes good better than you? Accompanied by thinly sliced French fries, this is the kind of burger you enjoy when you go out to eat yet want something with a familiar comfort food feel. The Balboa Burger is our favorite burger because it is packed with flavor, is well-portioned, and has an array of condiments such as sautéed onions and mushrooms to add that extra explosion of flavor that many other burgers lack.
Burger Bar
251 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA
Hubert Keller Burger: $22.00
Named after the famous chef Hubert Keller, this burger captures the essence of what a burger can be. The succulent burger is decorated with caramelized onions, baby spinach, and blue cheese served on lightly toasted ciabatta bread. These ingredients blend together to create an exceptional, unexpected flavor, complete with an almost buttery texture. The buttery spinach completes the burger, adding an unexpected yet sensational twist that sets this burger apart. This burger is well-sized, so bring a date or come hungry!
Extra: For those with room left to spare, try a dessert burger.
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
Building #6
1 Ferry, San Francisco, CA
Wisconsin Sourdough: $8.99
An almost antiquated simplicity, in a matching nostalgic feeling 1950’s setting, takes this burger a step ahead of most others. Mushrooms, bacon, cheddar, tomatoes, and mayo served on toasted sourdough: these are the makings of the Wisconsin sourdough and it’s one messy burger. This burger’s focal point is the patty, not the condiments. While other burgers get their size from mounds of vegetables, the patty makes up this burger. To further the emphasis on the meat, the burger adds crispy bacon, giving an added crunch. The secret behind the success of the burger is the BBQ sauce. Distinctive and yet not over the top, the Wisconsin Sourdough is definitely a classic man’s burger.
Johnny Rockets
2201 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA
The Original: $5.60
The Original is your classic American burger: cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, mustard, and mayo served with fries. The fact that it is classic and yet tastes so good is why it works. The thinner patty allows the condiments to give off a variety of tastes that are held together by a soft bun. The meal is well portioned and leaves you feeling satisfied. The Original proves that burgers don’t have to be fancy to taste great.
San Francisco, CA
Balboa Burger: $10.50
Enter the Balboa Burger: a thick, juicy, 8 oz. burger served on a lightly toasted baguette. The patty, a hearty delight in itself, is further complemented by house made pickles, which offer only more flavor. Presented with a range of condiments, available cheeses and sauces, this burger allows the freedom of personalization because who really knows what tastes good better than you? Accompanied by thinly sliced French fries, this is the kind of burger you enjoy when you go out to eat yet want something with a familiar comfort food feel. The Balboa Burger is our favorite burger because it is packed with flavor, is well-portioned, and has an array of condiments such as sautéed onions and mushrooms to add that extra explosion of flavor that many other burgers lack.
Burger Bar
251 Geary Street
San Francisco, CA
Hubert Keller Burger: $22.00
Named after the famous chef Hubert Keller, this burger captures the essence of what a burger can be. The succulent burger is decorated with caramelized onions, baby spinach, and blue cheese served on lightly toasted ciabatta bread. These ingredients blend together to create an exceptional, unexpected flavor, complete with an almost buttery texture. The buttery spinach completes the burger, adding an unexpected yet sensational twist that sets this burger apart. This burger is well-sized, so bring a date or come hungry!
Extra: For those with room left to spare, try a dessert burger.
Taylor’s Automatic Refresher
Building #6
1 Ferry, San Francisco, CA
Wisconsin Sourdough: $8.99
An almost antiquated simplicity, in a matching nostalgic feeling 1950’s setting, takes this burger a step ahead of most others. Mushrooms, bacon, cheddar, tomatoes, and mayo served on toasted sourdough: these are the makings of the Wisconsin sourdough and it’s one messy burger. This burger’s focal point is the patty, not the condiments. While other burgers get their size from mounds of vegetables, the patty makes up this burger. To further the emphasis on the meat, the burger adds crispy bacon, giving an added crunch. The secret behind the success of the burger is the BBQ sauce. Distinctive and yet not over the top, the Wisconsin Sourdough is definitely a classic man’s burger.
Johnny Rockets
2201 Chestnut St.
San Francisco, CA
The Original: $5.60
The Original is your classic American burger: cheddar cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, onions, mustard, and mayo served with fries. The fact that it is classic and yet tastes so good is why it works. The thinner patty allows the condiments to give off a variety of tastes that are held together by a soft bun. The meal is well portioned and leaves you feeling satisfied. The Original proves that burgers don’t have to be fancy to taste great.
Stop into Balboa Cafe on Fillmore and Greenwich or visit us in Mill Valley at 38 Miller Avenue for your next Balboa Burger!
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