From Nopa's late-night wood-fired patty to a double-smash on a North Beach counter open for decades, these are the SF burgers worth going out of your way for.
SoMa · 500 Brannan St, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
Plush banquettes, dark wood, and dim lighting give Marlowe the feel of a proper neighborhood bistro, the kind that has taken the burger seriously since 2010. The Marlowe Burger is the draw that keeps the room full, but …
Marina · 3199 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94123, USA
An institution where the original wood bar still stands and the room still draws the way it always has. The Balboa Burger arrives on a baguette with butter lettuce and housemade pickles; the Wednesday Chicken Paillard t…
NoPa · 560 Divisadero St, San Francisco, CA 94117, USA
A high-ceilinged wood-fired restaurant running organic, farm-sourced California cuisine through a menu that changes daily around what's freshest. The pork chop (brined and wood-grilled, arriving with a rotating seasonal…
Mission · 3174 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
A long, serious bar on 16th Street that stays open until 2am every night, which is the first signal that this isn't a place built for a quick round. The cocktail menu is organized by spirit (classic to inventive) and th…
North Beach · 618 Broadway, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Counter seating for a double-smash burger that Bourdain called 'top three in the world.' Enough said. Kitchen runs until 2am on weekends.