The best burgers in San Francisco

If you haven't tried the brussels sprout chips, burger and poulet vert at Marlowe, you may be the only one in town.  The near-mythical Marlowe burger—a combo of beef and lamb, with caramelized onions, cheddar, bacon and horseradish aioli— is something of a local legend. 

4505's claim to fame might be its Best Damn Cheeseburger. The quarter-pound pattie comes on a griddled sesame and scallion bun with freshly cut iceberg lettuce, sliced red onion, a slice or two of melted Gruyere cheese and house secret sauce. 

Almanac Beer finally has a tap room to call their own, offering a draft source for the craft brewery’s signature farm-to-barrel brews. The hefty burger is best enjoyed on the sunny outdoor patio. Head on over during Happy Hour (Mon–Fri 3–6pm) to take advantage of the $10 Cheeseburger and a Beer combo. 

Yes, you can still get a gourmet burger for under $7 in San Francisco. Beep's all-Angus beef quarter-pound burger comes slathered with a secret sauce (a mix of mayo, ketchup, paprika, and cayenne) and layered with leafy romaine and melted cheddar on a soft Semifreddi’s bun. For sides, crispy onion rings and Twinkie milkshakes complete the meal. 

The Black Sands burger is an American classic: two pressed patties, special sauce that incorporates both soy sauce and garlic aioli, pickles, and heaping amounts of American cheese underneath a white bread bun. It comes with a side of thick cut fries. We recommend washing it all down with Black Sands Brewery’s iconic Pinot Passion beer. 

Gott's offers ten different burger variations made from a hefty 1/3 pound of Niman Ranch Angus beef cooked to juicy pink perfection, as well as veggie, Diestel Ranch turkey and ahi tuna burgers. Try the classic cheeseburger or go rogue with a Western Bacon Blue Ring, topped with blue cheese, bacon, pickles, barbecue sauce and an onion ring; or the green chile cheeseburger with grilled Anaheim chiles. 

This award-winning burger boasts two char-grilled patties and perfectly melted cheese topped with house sauce and crispy onions. Pair with a side of garlic aioli French Fries and stock up on napkins—this is a messy endeavor. 

Chef-owner Traci Des Jardin is one of the consulting chefs at Impossible Foods, a vegan meat company, and has feature the Impossible Burger on the bar menu from the beginning. Try it topped with avocado slices, mashed avocado, caramelized onions, tomato, gem lettuce, and vegan dijonnaise on a potato bun. 

This SF staple is made from house-ground Marty Ranch beef and comes topped with house-made pickles and your choice of Beecher’s Flagship cheese (we recommend Bayley Hazen blue) as well as grilled onions and portobello mushrooms, served between grilled rosemary focaccia bread. Pair it with shoestring potatoes or marinated olives. 

Heirloom Cafe's off-menu, epoisses-topped burger is an ode to simplicity. Shallots are ground into the hella thick patty, which is charred on a cast-iron pan, then finished in the oven till medium rare. In lieu of traditional fries, slices of pickled carrots accompany each order.