Brave Horse Tavern – Seattle, Washington

I was back in Seattle on a business trip, and met up with a friend for dinner. We initially tried to go to a couple different pizza places, but they both were packed so we ended up at Brave Horse Tavern. I have never heard of it before, but it is owned by Tom Douglas, who owns a ton of great restaurants all over Seattle, in every style of food. Sounded like a good sign.

Their food menu is pretty simple. They have homemade pretzels with some interesting dipping sauces – peanut butter and bacon being my favorite. They also have an apple mustard, which I hadn’t heard of before. When I asked about that, the waitress said, “Why, do you think it’s strange? Well your face is strange.” It was odd, and I was wondering if they had a thing where they talk like that to customers, but they don’t. It was just strange, more so than my face.

Anyway, their burger menu is basic; you can pick from beef, veggie or chicken.

Beef is $6, cheese is $1 more, and bacon, a fried egg, or avocado are an additional $2 each. I went with cheddar and bacon

for a total of $9. The burger is not that big, and was interestingly served only with lettuce and pickles (the pickles were quickly removed).

First bite in and I knew it was a winner. The buns are nice and buttery, with the perfect amount of crisp skin to them. But the real star here was cheese treatment. As you can see, they really melt the cheese down over the meat, but what you cant see is the crunchy cheese that melted off the burger and was scraped off the grill along with the meat, just hanging off the side. This definitely was a high quality gourmet burger made like a true fast food burger. The bacon broke apart easily, but the only real difficulties with this burger was the lettuce. The giant leaves of lettuce went awry on my first bite and never fully recovered for the rest of the burger.

The only issue I really had was it seemed a bit small. I also ate a pretzel and the fries (which were separate and $3) and was pretty full, but putting away two of these burgers would be doable, save for the $18 that would cost.

Brave Horse Tavern is a pretty cool place, and if you drink beer it’s probably even cooler as they had a ton of beers to choose from. I got a root beer that was on tap and it was decent, but nothing all that special. They also have a shuffleboard table, so there’s another plus. But it was very nice looking inside, albeit dark, if I have led you to believe otherwise. Definitely the best burger I have had in Seattle so far, and would consider eating there again next time I’m in town.

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More info at bravehorsetavern.com

Straw Carnival Fare – San Francisco, CA

Fate works in strange ways. Every week I drive across the city to get to the Bay Bridge. Always in the left lane going across Octavia, not paying much attention to whats passing by. But recently I glanced over and saw a wonderful site. A tilt-a-whirl seat in a window of a small restaurant. I glanced up and just barely caught that the place was called Straw Carnival Fare. That was more than enough to pique my interest. Growing up, I was convinced I would design rollercoasters, I had bought Coaster, a floppy disk based rollercoaster building simulator from the Scholastic Reader, and I was set. I later found out that excessive math skills would be needed, and dropped that idea pretty quickly.

But I have always had a love for theme parks, fairs, carnivals, games, all of that stuff. Rides, and corndogs; there is little else I need. I even built the website for the Marin County Fair a few years back. So I called my girlfriend right away and asked her to check it out. Reservations were made, and two weeks later we were there with 2 friends of ours.

The reason?

The Ringmaster. I have heard about burgers like this before, but it was only from a chain, and maybe only a combination of food from one chain with food from another chain. But when served up at a proper restaurant, it just seems much better.

What is the ringmaster exactly? A cheeseburger (that I obviously got with bacon) served on two glazed donuts. Many words can be used to describe this. Some would say “that’s so American” or “Gluttony”, but those people are annoying and should not be here. I would say Awesome and Must-try. There was a lot of anticipation for eating this, as we had made plans a few weeks ahead, so it had been lingering around in my mind for awhile.

I was definitely wary of how this would actually taste, as some things that are both awesome don’t always work together (i.e. those bacon chocolate bars). But first bite in, and you could just tell it worked. The sweet and savory was balanced just right.

The burger was very simple; bacon, cheese and meat, which has to be deliberate. The only thing that bothered me was having some of the grease end up on the donut buns, but the burger was really not that greasy. I don’t know how often I would describe something as being fun to eat, but this definitely was.

Recently, if you are getting a burger that is way out of the ordinary, it’s either got some stupid gourmet thing going on like a caviar aioli, or it’s all about how massive this is. The Ringmaster is neither, and it’s one of the most fun things I have eaten in years. On their own, the burger ingredients are tasty with the bacon being done very well. The patty was a really good size, not too thick, and thankfully not too greasy. The donuts were… well donuts. I can’t say I’ve really had a bad one, and these were no different. For buns, they are a bit tall, so you have to do the ole burger squash method to make it work, and you are going to get messy. But this restaurant definitely caters to that. The Ringmaster and a side of homemade chips is $11.75 and it’s another $1.50 for bacon. Pretty standard for an SF restaurant.

For non-burger lovers (ridiculous I know) there are still plenty of options, and some that are close to as interesting as the Ringmaster. A friend order the fried chicken and waffle monte-cristo, and that looked pretty delicious too. Everyone had fun here, and it’s just a great atmosphere for a smaller group of friends. Straw is very small, so it’s best to make a reservation, but I can’t recommend this place enough if you can’t decide between a nice dinner out and a burger place. I’d say the Ringmaster, or an equivalent, is something all burger lovers must try at least once!

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Check them out at http://strawsf.com/

Johnny Garlic’s – Santa Rosa, CA

Love him or hate him, you all know who Guy Fieri is. Guy has been one of the heavy hitters in the super-celebrifying of the chef, and I am definitely guilty of going out of my way to stop at places featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. My girlfriend’s parents are fans of the show, and enjoy visiting featured places when they are traveling as well. So naturally they wanted to check out one of Guy’s own restaurants when they came up to visit.

So up north, beyond the outskirts of the Bay Area, is Johnny Garlic’s. It’s called a pasta grill, but the dishes are pretty all over the place, especially for its location. The menu has something for everyone on it, including vegetarians and generally picky eaters. But then it also has bison burgers, and some exotic animal as the Hunter’s Special. I’ve actually been a few times, and had things like the pizza, and everything has been pretty tasty. The bread they bring out is always a huge hit too. But that is not why we are here. We are here for this.

Checking their website and menu now, it looks like this burger has been updated. I had the Snake River BBQ Burger, but now it appears to have been replaced by Guy’s Big Bite Burger. They have added a pretzel roll (one of my personal favorites), and swapped the pepper-jack for cheddar. The BBQ burger was really good. Should this be surprising or not, I don’t know, but it really was solid. The bacon is thick and crispy, breaking apart cleanly with each bite. There’s some onion straws on top for some added crunch, though not overwhelming. The bun was actually really good, with a little bit of crunch to it. Almost a bummer that they went to a pretzel bun, when their regular buns were already rather good, and so many other places would benefit much more from it. What really pulled this burger together though was the BBQ sauce. Definitely a top notch and delicious sauce. It was sweet enough where it balanced the kick of the pepper-jack and brought the whole thing together. They use higher quality ingredients, and its definitely noticeable.

This messy burger caught me off guard, as it was a bit better than I was really expecting. I figured it would be good, albeit standard, but everything worked really well together. It’s a bit higher priced at 13.95 with a side of fries, but that is most likely a balance of local meat and a sprinkle of unicorn dust for that bbq sauce. As a whole, the restaurant is a good place for friends or family; it’s a little loud, there are tv’s up, and the waitstaff is pretty consistently great. The onion rolls they serve with oil and vinegar get devoured plate after plate, and if you can survive for dessert they have some pretty decadent options as well. Prices seem a couple dollars too high on some items, but it is good food and a good time.

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You can get more info at http://www.johnnygarlics.com/

Carls Jr

So being a San Francisco based website, this would probably be unthinkable for most. But then again, this is about burgers, and then again one more time, people too snobby to go certain places aren’t truly happy. We all know this. They are only lying to themselves. So – the review.

The great cultivator of my love– the Western Bacon Cheeseburger from Carl’s Jr. Was this my first western burger? No. It was actually from Jack in the Box when they originally had them, and also called them a western burger. We picked it up, and I ate it in the parking lot of a lamp store in San Rafael while my mom shopped. I was young, but the memories are still so vivid. It was my first taste of true love. Sadly, one’s first love is almost always fleeting, and Jack discontinued the burger shortly after (they brought similar burgers back a few times, but you know, it was never the same). Thankfully, the Western burger has been a staple at Carl’s Jr.

I am no longer in college, or high school, where cheap and easy far outweigh any other quality in my food. But as I’ve gotten older there is a quality I have come to appreciate, and that is consistency. Will I get fast food much anymore? No. But if I want a solid burger, I know where to find it, and this is it. There are only 2 fast food burgers I will eat now, and this is one of them. And it never lets me down.

The thing this burger has that some $18 burgers lack is balance and restraint. It is simple, but each aspect is portioned perfectly. The size of the onion rings, for example, sets up each bite with the perfect amount. They also snap cleanly, making sure every bite gets its fair share of onion ring. None of that pulling out half of the toppings on the burger because you couldn’t bite it in half business. I don’t like having to shove stuff back on my burger if I don’t have to. The patty is not too thick, and is instead just a larger diameter. The bacon isn’t great, but is the most passable for fast food that I can recall. The barbecue sauce really works well with the other tastes on this burger, and it’s all wrapped up in a bun that is actually pretty decent.

And then you have the seasoned criss-cut fries. If there is ever a choice between regular or curly, I will always go curly. And criss-cut fries are the curly fries mysterious brother, the narwhal to a beluga per se. I don’t know why you can’t find criss-cut fries anywhere, but they are delicious. That is, unless they are from a certain place in Seattle that decided they shouldn’t be seasoned and should also completely lack flavor.

So for what it is, this is a great burger. Fast food is best in moderation, blah blah blah. Sometimes you just need to stop and grab a burger, and the Western Bacon Cheeseburger will always come through for you. It may not have been my first love, but it is an old friend, and it’s nice to catch up every once in awhile (please note I avoided the absolutely terrible pun there. All for you).

Also, I know Hardee’s and Carl’s are supposed to be the same, but I’ve been told they do not have a western burger? Blasphemy. Don’t stand for that, East Coasters.

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Prather Ranch – San Francisco Farmer’s Market

Every Thursday and Saturday, the Ferry Building has a farmer’s market, with Saturday being the big one. The whole building is surrounded by local foods and concoctions, and more often than not it is crowded beyond belief. In addition to all the vendors selling fruits and veggies, there are about 10 different stands preparing breakfast and lunch, with two meat companies vying for the burger crowd; Prather Ranch and 4505 Meat. I’ve had both numerous times, and today I chose Prather Ranch.

Now eating at the crowded Ferry Building isn’t much of a dining experience; you get your food on a compostable plate, and find somewhere just better than sitting on the ground to eat it. If you luck out you can get one of a few tables, where you then gamble on if the tourists you are sitting with will be interesting, talkative, smelly, gross, or rude. Otherwise it’s the foot tall wooden parking block for you. So most importantly, the food has to be good.

Prather Ranch, as it may sound, is a meat company supplying the bay area and beyond with high quality, humane beef. I’ve been meaning to pick up some of their meat for a barbecue of my own, I just have not gotten around to it. Briefly reading over their website and you can tell how serious they are about quality and standards. That’s always nice to hear, but doesn’t guarantee great taste. Thankfully, Prather comes through.

This is a straightforward burger grilled outside in a tent, but since they are showcasing their meat it is no amateur job. I got a simple cheeseburger with lettuce, which ran me 8 bucks, a little high for a burger with no sides. They did use two slices(!) of a great white cheddar that tasted rather similar to one we tried walking around the farmer’s market, and I wouldn’t doubt if they went that route. The meat is buttery and almost melts in your mouth, reminiscent of one of my favorites, 510 burger. Consistency was top notch, and it was cooked just right. This was another sesame-bunned burger, though that was my only gripe.

Overall, this is a real good burger. On a nice Saturday, it makes the perfect lunch, and it’s a good reason to go to the Farmer’s Market, a gesture your significant other may appreciate. The burgers are basic, but satisfying. They are serious about their meat, and it shows. You can also find their meat being used at Weezy’s Burger Shack in Marin, which is pretty tasty, and Mission Beach Cafe, which I wasn’t all that thrilled with. I’d definitely recommend grabbing a burger direct from the source!

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Learn more about them at:
http://www.pratherranch.com/

Henry’s Burgers – Novato CA

Growing up in Novato, there were only two places I held as truly special to go out and get burgers; Henry’s Burgers in Novato, and In-n-out all the way in Santa Rosa. Novato, and even most of Marin, has had a serious lack of Burger Joints for as long as I’ve been around and kicking.

Henry’s was on the opposite end of town from me, and I usually only went for a friends birthday, or after riding my bike across town (awesome to note a bmx bike was waiting outside when I got there. Some things never change). It’s been awhile since I had been back, and it is still pretty similar. They ditched the artwork of human shaped vegetables in the middle of very human activities for retro car prints and typical diner art. I can’t say if this is a plus or a minus though, those ridiculous posters were very deeply tied into what this place was. They do have a lot of new signage out front, which is great because they are located in what seems to be a dying shopping center, with only Tagliaferri’s Deli (delicious, by the way) seeming to help bring people in. Henry’s is a Novato staple, in a small city with very few staples. It seems there has been a lot of turnover of restaurants here and its great to see our little burger joint last for over 30 years now.

Henry’s still has that small hometown feel, though the menu has grown tremendously. Someone obviously has been having some fun here with all kinds of crazy burger combinations, and a ridiculous spicy and huge burger challenge to boot. There are pesto burgers, a nacho fries burger, mozzarella stick burgers, and all kinds of subtle twists on what we known and love. These definitely aren’t the gourmet gruyere type burgers, moreso just fun variations of whatever sort of diner food they can add on with it.

No surprises with me, I went with a Western Bacon Cheeseburger, and my buddy ordered the Garlic Ranch burger. I got mine with fries, and instantly wished I went with curly fries, but that one is all on me. These specialty burgers are available in a combo with fries and a drink for $8.99, which is a great price considering what I normally pay in the city (a la carte they are $5.99).

The burger was big, and juicy. First off, I have to give them props for melting the cheese over the onion rings. Little details like this always impress me. I was only a few bites in and my friend was already done with his burger, a good sign. The bacon here had some nice crusty edges and just the right amount of crispiness. The buns were airy and buttery, which are probably the best qualities a bun can have. The Cheddar melted across the onion rings was rather delicious, and also helped keep things in place. As for the burger itself, it was probably the perfect sized patty. Just the right thickness to be substantial but not overwhelming, and I was more than full after eating it and my fries. The meat was tender and carried the flavor of the rest of the ingredients very well. The barbecue sauce was solid, nice and sweet, but not the most memorable.

I am a huge fan of small burger joints like this, and this is my hometown burger place. I didn’t go often, so I am only mildly sentimental for it, but they are serving up some pretty good burgers here. My friend and I were both very satisfied with ours, and after that lunch we really didn’t even need to eat dinner. The prices are reasonable, and the service was nice too. These are the small places I feel good supporting.

The only negatives are they are calling themselves “the chronic burger joint” which, to put it mildly, is rather juvenile sounding. Sure, if this was a bustling college town or if you are solely marketing towards bros that might make sense, but that isn’t really Novato’s demographic (and the bros here are most likely not the wealthiest consumers). It sounds like the owners son got a little too much responsibility or something…

So if you happen to be in Novato or just passing through, they are definitely worth the stop. A wide variety of burgers for everyone, and more than enough food to make everyone full.

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Check out their menu at:
http://www.henrysburgers.com

2027 Novato Blvd.,
Novato CA 94947

Johnny Memphis’ Smokehouse Barbecue – Manhattan Beach, CA

Well this was a surprise. I spent 4th of July weekend in LA, and I have built up a decent selection of burger places to try out there. We ended up being rather busy the whole time and never made it to any of those places, but I still got a burger in. After a long and almost stupidly-hot day somewhere in “the valley” (my LA geography is terrible) we wanted to grab some food on the way back. Johnny Memphis’ Smokehouse Barbecue was mentioned, and thankfully the whole car agreed.

I hadn’t heard about this place before, and it was a typical strip mall location. It has somewhat recently changed names and ownership. Not being a local I am unsure if there were menu changes or just behind the scenes stuff, and their website is absolutely of no help (I really need to push my web design services to all these restaurants, but that is a whole other story). Anyhow, this place is totally non-assuming from the outside. I have no judgement over being in a strip mall, as I have had great and terrible burgers in terrible and great looking places.

The menu is large, and has a good variety. They offer 6 burgers, which seems like a lot for a BBQ smokehouse. They have plenty of other meaty goodness, and the giant stuffed potato and pulled chicken sandwich my girlfriend and her sister ordered also looked great. A little something for everyone, which isn’t always the case at a place like this.

Obviously I went with the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. Applewood-Smoked Bacon, Onion Rings, Sharp Cheddar and Barbecue Sauce. I am capitalizing these words because they are all important. This was one hell of a burger. $8.99 and it came with seasoned shoestring fries. 4 items on a bun, and nothing more could be needed. Where do you even start when breaking this burger down? It requires some serious smashing if you are trying to go bun to bun on your first bite, but you will be doing yourself a favor if you can manage the complete bite. They have house-made bbq sauce in two varieties, and it is great. Real sweet style barbecue sauce, and you can really taste the honey. Even in the pictures you can see how strong a base honey is in the sauce. My mouth is literally watering thinking about it. Not in the cute writery sense, but am I actually wondering why I didn’t smuggle a few containers of it back on my plane.
Ok, so a delicious barbecue sauce does not an amazing burger make. But that onion ring. It was a beautiful thing. I have never had a better onion ring on a burger. At one point, I thought there was some cornbread involved (which I later may be experimenting with in a segment possibly titled “Failures in my Kitchen” or “How I Lost Everything in the Fire”). The batter is just absolutely stellar. And that ring was massive, and covered just about every bite of the burger. Success. The bacon offered its own hint of unique flavor too, and though it was much more subtle it was another reason this was so good. A blt with that barbecue sauce would make a killer sandwich on its own, that is if you ended up there for breakfast.

The patty here is large and mine was cooked just right. And while it was large, it had the perfect thickness to surface area ratio. With the bacon and onion ring on top, you definitely want a lot of area, and it delivers. This was a messy burger, but the meat was nice and juicy without sogging up the bun or getting everywhere. I thankfully was only covered in sauce and not grease. It reached a point where I was dipping fries on my hands, but what more could you ask for from a bbq sauce claiming to have the best sauce west of the Mississippi (I think they have a chance)? The bun was nice and airy, and complemented the rest of the burger well. Nothing out of the ordinary, but definitely tasty.

This was a total surprise for me. We stopped here so randomly, and it’s now a go to place whenever I head back into LA. I haven’t had a western barbecue bacon onion-ringed burger this good in a very long time. If you are anywhere nearby I highly recommend you go!

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Johnny Memphis’ Smokehouse Barbecue
http://jmsbbq.com
3564 N Sepulveda Blvd,
Manhattan Beach CA 90266

Burger Meister – Cole Valley

After going to a few bike shops with a friend, we looked up places nearby to eat, and realized we were two blocks away from Burger Meister in Cole Valley. I didn’t even know they had a location there, but I have been to their other two in the city a few times. The Cole Valley location is the most tucked away of the group, and they have a handful of tables inside and outside.

From my previous few trips, I had the notion that they lean on the expensive side for a typical burger joint. After my last visit I think their prices are fairly standard, though the sides and add-ons are where the cost will creep up on you. They use all Niman Ranch beef, so the quality is definitely there. I ordered the Western Burger, which for a 1/3 pound burger is $10.25 including a side of fries. I believe the 1/3 pound option is relatively new, and does help make the price more reasonable. A standard 1/3lb cheeseburger and fries is $7.75. Sides of sweet potato fries, onion rings and the like are from 4-5.25 dollars.

Somehow on this visit I managed to escape the wrath of my BBQ sauce, but my friend was subsequently drenched from his Meisterburger. I am a staunch believer in that once you pick your burger up, you never set it down again, and I am usually not so lucky. These are all messy burgers, usually at least a 3 napkiner.

The western burger is a solid burger. The bbq sauce is nice and sweet, the onion rings are massive and perfectly crisp, and the bacon and cheese tied it all together. No soggy bacon here. The burger is thin and wide, giving enough surface area for their variety of toppings, which is one of the main reasons Burger Meister is so good.

There are no complaints here, the 1/3 lb burger and curly fries filled me up just fine. Everything tastes real good consistently, making it a great go-to restaurant. Nothing too memorable, but you’d have a very hard time being let down here, as they have something for everyone.

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(zoom out for all locations)

Lombardi’s BBQ – Petaluma CA

Lombardi’s is a great barbecue spot, and it’s quite apparent from when you drive up. The front is lined with large oil-drum barbecues, and you often have to walk through a wall of smoke just to get inside. Inside its a pretty typical deli market, with plenty of barbecued meats. They also have a good selection of obscure root beers and other sodas, a great compliment for any meal there.

My girlfriend swears by the BBQ chicken sandwich, and I always rotate through the menu. Although it’s only around 45 minutes away from San Francisco, Petaluma has that country essence, which is probably why the bbq is much better than anything nearer to the city.

This time we came with a bunch of friends, and since it was my birthday I decided to give the burger another shot. It had been awhile and I couldn’t remember what I thought about it. They have one burger, a BBQ cheeseburger

with pepper-jack and a side of potato salad, for $7.99.

The kicker for this burger is it comes on a soft and crusty Dutch Crunch roll. The bun can make or break a burger, and the crunch elevated this burger. My burger was real simple; meat, cheese, and bbq sauce. The cheese was melted to absolute perfection, and a long strand stayed attached to the paper, a la in-n-out. This is a real pepper-jack, where you can see and taste the peppers. It’s not too spicy, but combined with the sweet bbq sauce it’s a winning combo. The flavors aren’t too strong and it is not going to blow you away, but it is a simple and delicious burger made by guys who know how to run a barbecue. This is a burger I will definitely look forward to eating again.

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Lombardi’s BBQ
3413 Petaluma Blvd. North,
Petaluma, Ca 94952

Fiveten Burger Truck

As we all know by now, the newest culinary craze, especially in San Francisco and other big cities, is food trucks. Just about anyone who writes has exhausted this topic, but I have been pretty excited to have them show up a few times a week within walking distance from my work. Without a fresh cycle of trucks though, I’ve gotten bored of them just like the nearby restaurants, but the more options the better.

Then, everything changed.

I heard of a burger truck that would be somewhere in the Financial district. A good 20+ minute walk for me, but there is a severe shortage of decent burgers around my work. I hustled on over to a makeshift food truck get-together, as I’ve never heard of them being there before or after this visit. And there a good size line awaited me. All in all I waited about an hour to order and receive my burger, a fiveten burger with bacon ($7.50). But was it worth it!

I devoured it on the way back to the office, and I believe this was the first time I’ve ever been burned by a burger. Be warned, these are very juicy burgers, and should be eaten immediately, or unwrapped before you transport them. My only complaint is that the juiciness can make your bun soggy quickly if you leave it all wrapped up. And that is rather problematic, seeing as these are some of the best buns I’ve had. They are sweet, fluffy, and flaky, on par with the gourmet Zazie burger (who make some of the best rolls in town). Apparently they are custom buns baked fresh locally at north beach bakery co, which I now need to visit.

As mentioned, the patties are juicy and flavorful. Every aspect of the burger compliments each other, and nothing is too overpowering, including the bacon. It is all extremely well balanced. It’s a pretty averaged sized patty at 60z, so it’s definitely good for lunch. A side of the garlic fries will fill you up, and from what I’ve seen they are generous with their portions. Not a big fan of garlic fries or putting my coworkers through its ill-effects so I have held off on them for now, and always end up being full afterwards anyway.

The rest of their menu looks pretty good even though I probably won’t touch it. Chicken, steak, sausage, or truffle-scented grilled cheese sandwiches for those not feeling like a burger (i.e. girlfriends). They also offer a grassfed organic burger for $8.75 that I have yet to pony up for. They are Oakland based, and seem to rotate between Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville and SF.

I’ve trekked to fiveten 3 times now, and I’ve been very satisfied every time. This is the best burger in downtown San Francisco, yet sadly it is only around once a week. You will be hard pressed to find a better burger, especially at the price.

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Find and follow Fiveten Burger on twitter and facebook to find out their current schedule.