Bacon Bacon Food Truck, SF Bay Area

Bacon Bacon is a food truck. Devoted to bacon.

This is exactly the reason food trucks are awesome. It would be very difficult for an actual storefront like this to exist, though if it anywhere could support it, I think SF might have a chance. When I first heard we had a bacon truck , I had to check out the menu to see how they were pulling it off, and was impressed. They have good lunch offerings, and a few tasty looking desserts. But the greatest surprise was the root beer they had on tap- Devil’s Canyon. It was real creamy and didn’t have an overbearing amount of bite; probably one of the best root beers I have ever had.

Now on to the burger. I have ordered it twice, and eating it again really cemented how i felt about it. The bacon bacon burger consists of two smaller patties, bacon, and cheddar cheese. The bottom bun was slathered in some almost melted cheeselike mayo-esque cream, which I believe the current catch-all is aioli. I, as usual, opted out of the grilled onions. The burger rang up at 8 bones.

So how does it stack up? Well, the first time I had it, the two patties weren’t the size of the bun, and instead covered different sides, and met in the middle. Took me a little while to realize it was indeed two patties, but it didn’t actually detract from the burger, and just recently that was not an issue. They give you some reasonably thick slabs of bacon, and don’t skimp with it either. The buns are nice and doughy, which I prefer. A good contrast to the melted cheese and sauce surrounding the meat. This burger is serious though. Not in a huge way or anything, it is decently sized and will fill you up for a lunch, but it will knock you off your feet. The whole thing tasted a little saltier than the average bacon burger, and throw in the cheese and mayo-cream on the bottom and you’ve got a heavy sitting burger. One of the burgers that make you really question eating it all too often. It is good, but it just tasted like it was dangerous. Is it not good for you? For sure. But that is not what we want to be thinking while eating one, so I guess I prefer my burgers a little less up front about it, unless of course it is completely over the top. And in that case, by all means sign me up.

Worth giving a go, but be prepared to have a sit down/get the burger sweats after this one. And definitely get the root beer!
Also, upon further research they do indeed have a storefront now doing breakfast, and soon lunch. So I guess I am underestimating bacon.

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Find and follow Bacon Bacon on twitter and facebook to find out

their current schedule.

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/

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.