in search of the best burger in San Francisco. . .

R.I.P. the cheeseburger at Mission Burger, SF

I’m really missing Mission Burger today. There are lots of decent burgers out there but there was a certain “something” that set the Mission Burger apart from the pack. It tasted a little more like the ones my dad used to make on the grill (except this one had sautéed onions and a garlic/caper aoli sauce!). Local celebrity chef Danny Bowein used to make these burgers for the take-away lunchtime crowd, in a non-traditional place: he was a pop-up sensation working out of the Duc-Loi supermarket butcher/deli section. Taking inspiration from the burgers of U.K. chef Heston Blumenthal, Bowein prepped his meat in a particular way which ensured a better-than-average burger. (Read more about this unique process here. ) Lamentably, he stopped making burgers however to start Mission Chinese Food (see my review of MCF here) and my burger hook-up was no more.

Where is your favorite burger in San Francisco? Tell me. I want to know.

PS, I do however know my favorite hamburger in the East Bay, and that is True Burger in Oakland. And you’ll be happy to know they have the best fries around, too!