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.

Rating:

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

2027 Novato Blvd.,
Novato CA 94947

Super Duper Burger – Downtown San Francisco

A coworker and I had been excited about Super Duper Burger opening since we first heard the news, so when she was finally free for lunch one day we went over. I had already been once before they officially opened, and did a review on the whole restaurant experience which you can read here. We had to grab our food and go because of a meeting, but even though it was fairly crowded inside the line moved quickly and we got our food fast.

I was feeling hungry, so I ordered the 8 ounce Super Duper Burger for $6.50. I added cheese for 50 cents and bacon for an extra dollar, so $8 total. Also grabbed a vanilla shake for an additional $4.75. Our food was handed to us quickly, and we headed back on our one block walk to the office. Once I dug into my bag, I found that my burger was in a foil wrapper, like it was wearing a space blanket. Their motto is “Fast food burgers, slow food values” and it’s these touches that play into it. I’d never really think of it as “fast food” but it strikes a real good balance between the two.

The 8oz. Super Duper burger is actually 2 patties. I didn’t even realize this at first because my burger suffered some serious patty-creep. But this is a pretty hefty burger, especially with the bacon. The bacon was pretty crispy, but had some chewier parts. I had to do the rip-bacon-and-stuff-it-back-into-the-burger maneuver, but only once. They do add bacon above and below the patties; it is kind of hard to see in this last picture, but bonus points for that. Much more obvious is the cheese that is all kinds of melted deliciousness.

Unfortunately the further I delved into my burger, the soggier my bun got. I’ve been experiencing this more than I ever have lately, and really am going to try my best to eat right after ordering, not bring it anywhere else. My co-worker didn’t have this problem, so I’ll see how it goes next time. But the last few bites were impassable, as the bun was beyond saving. With the large amount of bacon, this ended up being a very rich burger and relented to it, leaving a few bites left. The cause of my soggy woes were the juicy patties, which are cooked real nicely, and you can tell the meat is high quality. The consistency is very good, and it is never too tough even on the edges.

I really want to love this burger, but its not an all star for me. It is a very decent burger no-doubt, but it seemed a little off-balance. For the neighborhood though, it is the only way to go. The milkshake was real good, but on the smaller side for just shy of $5. The fries I had previously are also tasty, but I don’t know how often I will specifically be craving a burger here. That’s probably for the best, as falling in love with a burger a block away from my work could be a dangerous thing.

I will definitely be adding this in to my lunchtime rotation, and if anything changes I will be sure to update. You won’t be making any mistakes coming here, but you probably wont be trying to have them name a burger after you either.

Rating:

http://www.superdupersf.com/
721 Market Street,
betw. 3rd and 4th streets
San Francisco, CA 94103

Grand Opening of Super Duper Burger in Downtown SF

Downtown San Francisco. I work here. I have worked here for almost a year now. And until the FiveTen Burger truck rolled into town,
I just have not eaten burgers during lunch. Nearby are the fast food chains, or burger bistro in the Westfield mall. You probably won’t see a Burger Bistro review here, because that means I’d have to eat it again. There’s also a fancy steakhouse on the top floor of the mall, but I forgot what that burger was like, so already it was not worth the price.

Great news came only a few weeks ago, a new burger joint was opening up a block away! From the logo alone I was pretty excited. Super Duper looked to be a non-pretentious place to grab a burger and a shake. And on Wednesday I got to go in before they officially opened, along with the rest of the social media nerds, and have a free burger.

Unfortunately, being in downtown SF, there are tons of social media nerds, and when I arrived the line was huge. These days, apparently nothing is really worth doing unless there is a big line you must stand in, but i digress.

The line ended up moving pretty quickly, and I got into the renovated space. They took over the storefront where Seller’s Market used to be, home of the $9 grilled cheese sandwich. The new layout feels a lot nicer, and you walk in and can see the menu. The loft area looks nice too, and they managed to squeeze a decent amount of seats in. They also are planning to build a little patio out front for a few more seats.

I won’t go into full details about the burger at this time, since I got it free, and it was churned out very fast. Not that it was bad by any stretch, I’d just like to back and take my time and order from their full menu. Their fries taste like what In-N-Out fries should taste like. I realize that is kind of a weird statement, but if you try them I think you’ll know exactly what I mean.

I am very excited to have Super Duper only a block away. They have a chocolate chip Super Shake that sounds real enticing. It is a very traditional kind of burger place, with a simplified menu. They only offer “cheese” and not a choice of what kind of cheese, which I do like. It shows they’ve thought about it and decided their burger is best a specific way. That or it’s just cheaper. Who knows.

It is definitely worth a trip, and if you are nearby it’s going to be your best bet for grabbing a good burger.

http://www.superdupersf.com/
21 Market Street,
betw. 3rd and 4th streets
San Francisco, CA 94103