If we’re reviving this thread, and I can add the peninsula because someone said Kirk’s (which I would not agree with, they are fine but not at the top of the heap), I’d say my current favorite is Refuge (San Carlos / San Mateo), for their Pastrami Burger. While I’ve had a few other people trying to do pastrami burgers, Refuge does great pastrami so the burger is most excellent. The fries are also excellent in the double-fried belgian style to go with your belgian beer. They used to have a burger called the Mole burger (the oaxacan paste not the varmint), but it’s been discontinued. The price is not really ok, it’s quite high, but between atmosphere and taste I’m willing to bend a little on price.
Downhill alert goes to my prior second favorite burger, at Stein’s. I’ve had really ugly meals there something like three times in a row now. Those “pulling a thing from your mouth because you can’t choke it down”, along with “so greasy I didnt feel good for a few days” kinds of meals. It’ll be off the list for a while.
