Eat Drink Play
Burgers and beers make perfect fit.
There are few foods that pair more beautifully with spring sunshine than a fine craft beer and a juicy burger — but not just any burger. Bay Area chefs are crafting some epic burgers these days, using humanely raised meats, farmers market veggies and custom-baked buns. They’re grinding fresh daily, pickling in-house and whipping up creative sauces to elevate your impression of this all-American classic.
You’ll find the entire gourmet burger spectrum in this meaty roundup, from a classic, double-quarter pound cheeseburger at San Francisco’s Almanac Beer Taproom and onethird pound, grass-fed beauty slathered in soy-spiked shiitake mushrooms at San Jose’s Konjoe Burger Bar to a stellar veggie burger at Oakland’s Drake’s Dealership.
And to help you navigate the incredible and ever-rotating beer taps at these eight restaurants and taprooms, resident beer expert Jay Brooks has offered spot-on beer pairings to help you enjoy the burger — and the sunshine — even more.
Magnolia Pub & Brewery, San Francisco
What began as founder-brewmaster Dave MacLean’s basement brewery in 1997 is now a San Francisco brewing institution. Magnolia Pub & Brewery is reminiscent of Britain’s best brewpubs, with a hippie slant, thanks to its location at the iconic corner of Haight and Masonic streets. Balanced session beers (typically 16 or so on tap) are in great company with the lineup of snacks, salads, housemade sausages and six entrees.
THE BURGER: The one — the only — Magnolia Burger ($16) is a sensationally flavorful 6.5-ouncer made from a custom blend of houseground Flannery Beef tri-tip, dryaged steak trimmings and dry-aged steak fat (yes, steak fat). It’s cooked perfectly, with a slight char on the outside and pretty pink inside, and topped with shaved red onion, romaine chiffonade, a bread-andbutter style pickle, spicy pimentonspiked aioli and tomato. MacLean suggests adding Fiscalini smoked cheddar ($2.50), which works well with the complexity of the dry-aged beef and spicy aioli. We concur.
THE BEER: Go for the malty smoothness of the Sara’s Ruby Mild, or the Dark Star Mild on cask — although the delicate Kalifornia Kölsch is a refreshing choice, too. If you opt for the smoked cheddar, the roasted malt of Magnolia’s Stout of Circumstance or the Oysterhead Stout offer the best pairing.
DETAILS: Opens at 11 a.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. weekends. 1398 Haight St., San Francisco; www.magnoliabrewing.com/haight
Danville Brewing Co., Danville
Open just seven months in the new Danville Hotel development, Marcus Maita and Randy Negi’s Danville Brewing Co. is a sprawling, industrial-style brewpub with an inhouse brewery, outdoor patio and some serious eats, including eight gourmet burgers that come on your choice of house-baked ciabatta or brioche bun, along with house-cut fries or salad.
THE BURGER: The Money Burger’s ($15) reputation is richly justified by its epic, drippy glory. This juicy, 7-ounce beauty is made from Durham Ranch grass-fed beef, topped with smoked gouda, housemade roasted tomato relish, Little Gem lettuce, fresh herb aioli and Millionaire’s Bacon. This chef fave bacon is dry-cured and doublesmoked in Oakland, then candied in the restaurant using brown sugar, maple syrup and a touch of chile flakes. Don’t think — just trust us, and add the sunny-side up egg for $1.50 more.
THE BEER: A burger this big deserves an equally massive beer, especially if you go with the sunnyside egg option (which you should), so pair it with Danville’s Tres Diablos, which has an intensity that matches the burger. Should the limited Tres Diablos be gone, the Chux Double IPA also fits the bill.
DETAILS: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. SundayThursday; until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 200 Railroad Ave., Danville; www.danvillebrewing.com
Konjoe Burger Bar, San Jose
You may know SoFA Market’s Konjoe Tei for its beloved spicy coconut ramen. But chef-owner Joey Camacho also crafts seriously crave-worthy burgers at the San Pedro Square Market, less than a mile away. Camacho’s Konjoe Burger Bar uses the same Asian influences on its six sandwiches, pork-belly buns and housemade condiments, like kimchi cucumbers and pickled apples. Dine-in and take advantage of the massive selection of craft beers at Market Beer Co., also inside the square.
THE BURGER: Mushroom lovers, your match is here. The Shiitake Jack ($11.50) is a third-pounder of Painted Hills grass-fed beef, grilled to medium and topped with a medley of Japanese mushrooms that have been sauteed in garlic, soy sauce and mirin. To that, Camacho adds lettuce, pickled jalapeños, and r.g.s.t. mayo — which stands for roasted garlic, scallions and tomato. Camacho drapes it with pepper jack for a mild kick, the perfect complement to the custom-made Elite Bakery buns, reminiscent of pandesal, a slightly sweet Filipino breakfast roll.
THE BEER: To emphasize the burger’s shiitake mushrooms, look for a sweeter, maltier beer, like a brown ale, but not a hoppy one. Or try something along the lines of a Belgian dubbel, a German doppelbock or Scotch ale. If you’re looking to complement the spicy pickled jalapeños instead, try an IPA or go really big with an imperial or double IPA.
DETAILS: Open at 11:30 a.m. daily. San Pedro Square Market, 87 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; www. konjoe.com/burgerbar
Drake’s Dealership, Oakland
Drake’s Dealership, which opened in 2015 in an old Dodge car dealership, is the taproom of San Leandro’s award-winning Drake’s Brewery. The 10,000-square-foot brick-and-wood “dealership” offers seating for 350 in the dining room and beer garden, plus 32 beers on tap and a selection of woodfired pizzas, salads and sandwiches.
THE BURGER: Executive chef Taylor A. Smith grew up vegetarian, so creating “a tasty and nutritious veggie burger was pretty important,” he says. The result is Smith’s Black Bean Burger ($13), which starts with black beans and adds quinoa, farro, Bhutanese red rice, onion, bell pepper, chiles and dill. The burger is pan-seared, then finished in the wood-fired oven and served on an organic whole wheat Panorama bun with a delightfully spicy slaw dressed in housemade hot sauce and chimichurri vinaigrette, plus a housemade lime crema made with creme fraiche, a ton of garlic, lime and cilantro. The whole thing is memorable, complex and lovingly prepared.
THE BEER: The Aroma Coma IPA is brewed with pungent Citra hops which match the spicy complexity of this burger perfectly. It’s a seasonal beer, though, so if it’s not available, substitute the also-seasonal new Hop Vice IPA, which adds melon and tropical fruit sweetness for contrast, or go simple with the classic Drake’s IPA.
DETAILS: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. SundayWednesday; until 1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday; 2325 Broadway Auto Row, Oakland; http:// drinkdrakes.com/visit/dealership
Almanac Beer Taproom, San Francisco
Gypsy brewers Damian Fagan and Jesse Friedman opened this taproom late last year to showcase their signature barrel-aged beers. Retro bottles and cans adorn the space, which has seating for about 75 and another 25 or so outside in the year-round beer garden. The food is beer-friendly, of course, with seasonal offerings including housemade charcuterie, musubi, sandwiches and one burger — the only one you’ll need.
THE BURGER: The Almanac Burger ($16) is a cheeseburger made with love and integrity. Two juicy, quarter-pound grass-fed, “antique beef” patties are draped with melty cheddar and topped with housemade tomato aioli, Sonoma Brinery pickles and crisp red onion on a perfectly toasted (and custom-baked) Panorama white bun. Antique beef is the term they give to these Central Valley old dairy cows that have been set out to retire. Think of it as dry-aged beef. We think it’s absolutely delicious.
THE BEER: It’s hard to go wrong with Almanac’s Galaxy Low Rider Session IPA, which beautifully complements the burger’s spiciness. In some ways, Almanac’s Grand Cru Red, a sour Flemish red ale brewed with grapes, raspberries and vanilla extract, works even better by contrasting the burger with fruit and vinegar character — but only if you love sour beers.
DETAILS: 3 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; until 9 p.m. Sunday. 2704 24th St., S.F.; www. almanacbeer.com/taproom.
Broderick Roadhouse, Walnut Creek
Chris Jarosz’ Sacramento-based burger establishment arrived in downtown Walnut Creek last year, adding rustic chic to the former Hubcaps location with distressed wood paneling and glowing Edison light bulbs — and drawing crowds with its boozy milkshakes. The massive, irresistible menu includes all manner of libations and 12 colossal burgers, made with everything from bison and lamb to — wait for it — duck.
THE BURGER: So many burgers, so little time! But Broderick’s Boar Burger ($16) is the stuff of piggy dreams: ground wild boar topped with crisp, applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, fried onion crisps, a fried egg and housemade apple butter. If you’re one to drizzle maple syrup on your breakfast bacon, this is the burger for you. THE BEER: Two of Roadhouse’s most popular beers, Track 7’s Panic IPA or the Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, will be a great match for this flavor-packed, sweet-and-savory burger. Or try the Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ — its wheatlike character will pick up the fried-egg flavors, while the intense hoppiness takes care of everything else. DETAILS: Open at 11 a.m. weekdays; at 10 a.m. weekends; 1548 Bonanza St., Walnut Creek; www.broderickroadhouse.com.
Liquid Bread Gastropub, Campbell
Naturally, beer is the star at this hip gastropub, where local craft brews dominate nearly two dozen taps. After all, the very name “liquid bread” is a play on beer as a food group. Nosh at the bar or a hightop table, or grab a seat on the cozy back patio. Executive chef John Burke creates mouthwatering, beer-friendly dishes that go beyond your typical pub grub. Think kimcheebraised octopus, mussel soup and rabbit pasta — and yes, The Burger.
THE BURGER: The $20 price tag might give you pause, but this ample burger is just luscious. Attack it with a knife and fork or go full-on bare hands. The 80-20 half-pound patty, topped with Holey Cow cheese (an American fontina), pickled onion and bearnaise will drip, but the toasted sesame-seed bun from Santa Cruz’s Kelly’s French Bakery holds it all together. Sop up the lemony sauce pooling on your plate with the garlicky, anise-tinged fingerling potatoes. (You can always ask for extra bearnaise.)
THE BEER: The Red Seal Ale from North Coast Brewing is a solid choice to match the rich bearnaise. For a little more spice, try either the 21st Amendment Blah Blah Blah Double IPA or the Saint Archer Rye IPA.
DETAILS: 5 p.m.-midnight Tuesday-Sunday (full dinner menu served until 11 p.m.) 379 E. Campbell Ave., Campbell; www.liquidbreadcampbell.com
Moxy Beer Garden, Berkeley
This popular Berkeley beer garden has all the elements of a brew lover’s hangout: picnic tables, flat-screen TVs, an everchanging chalkboard beer menu and 14 taps dedicated to local craft beers. Best part? The beer-friendly menu includes sausages, sandwiches and eight gourmet burgers.
THE BURGER: The Moroccan lamb burger ($10) is a tender, 6-ounce patty of Australian lamb spiced with cumin, fresh mint, rosemary and roasted garlic, topped with house-pickled red onions and a feta-mustard aioli. Serious grub. It’s served on a Semifreddi challah bun, which perfectly complements the spiced lamb.
THE BEER: Lost Coast’s Downtown Brown or a sweeter dark beer is great with lamb. But a hoppy pale ale or IPA, such as Iron Springs Brewery’s Casey Jones IPA, Bear Republic Racer 5 or Drake’s 1500 Dry-Hopped Pale Ale, is great with any juicy burger.
DETAILS: Open at 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday; noon Friday-Sunday; 3136 Sacramento St., Berkeley; www.moxybeergarden.com