CHECK OUT SOME OF OUR FAVORITE BAY AREA BURGER JOINTS,
We’ve scoped out three places that do a (mostly) fabulous job with the classic American chomp
There’s a reason cheeseburgers are considered the quintessential American food. Done right, they’re simply sublime. So we set out to find some of the best burgers around, from Super Duper’s super specimens to San Jose’s Main Street Burgers. Here’s the scoop.
Gott’s Roadside
Address: Town & Country Village, 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto (plus locations in San Francisco, St. Helena, Napa and soon, Walnut Creek) Contact: 650-326-1000; www. gotts.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. MondayWednesday until 10 p.m. FridaySunday
Gott’s Roadside is an iconic burger joint, especially for those of us who recall breezy road trips up to St. Helena to taste too much Napa chardonnay and wind up at the original spot (then called Taylor’s Refresher) for hamburgers and fries. The ahi poke crispy tacos also soak up chardonnay quite nicely.
The restaurant has since expanded outside wine country, with locations in San Francisco and Palo Alto — and soon to come to Walnut Creek. On a recent Saturday, we beat the lunch rush in Palo Alto and figured our position near the front of the line would result in juicy burgers (they offer 11, from a bacon cheeseburger for $9.99 to a kimchee burger with fried egg for $12.99) and hot french fries ($2.99$5.99).
Dare I say, we were disappointed? Our cheeseburgers ($7.99), while fully loaded inside their egg bun with American cheese, lettuce, pickles, ketchup-based secret sauce and (mealy) tomato, were cold upon first bite. Also, Gott’s states that all of their one-third pounders are “cooked medium well, a little pink inside” but isn’t that the definition of medium? Our fries were delicious, perfectly cooked and generous, but also cold. (Perhaps it was an off day. Is Gott’s allowed to have those?)
Typically, burger joints with dizzyingly long menus annoy me (aren’t they in the burger business?), but the nonburger offerings here are reliable and delicious, from the loaded Chinese chicken salad ($11.99) to the beer-battered mahi mahi fish and chips ($16.99). And yes, those delectable, sushi-grade ahi poke crispy tacos ($14.99) were indeed delectable. That’s the wine country taste I’ll never forget. — Jessica Yadegaran, Staff
Main Street Burgers
Address: 1100 Lincoln Ave. #160, San Jose (plus a Los Gatos location)
Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m. SundayWednesday, until 9 p.m. ThursdaySaturday Contact: 408-645-5571; www. mainstburgers.com
Burger and shake ... nirvana? I tilted my head at the slogan that runs across the bottom of the Main Street Burgers logo. Nirvana is a word that typically spurs thoughts of spiritual transcendence, not delicious, 100 percent all-natural beef burgers.
Then I ordered the Barbeque Burger ($10.95), a one-third pound patty, topped with a couple of large onion rings and honey-barbecue sauce. Served on a soft brioche bun, the creation that sat before me had everything I’d expect from a fancy restaurant, but served with the energetic atmosphere of a fast-casual dining location.
The Tuesday promotion delivers $2 sliders (which are two for $6.50 the rest of the week). The seasoned Angus beef draped with cheese on a sweet roll might have been enough, but the caramelized onions and dill pickles amped up