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Categories: Burgers, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Union SquareMon-Thu. 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
"The Queen and I were sipping our teas (well, I had coffee) in a lovely cup and saucer.. Well, it was more like lunch at 1 plus with my…" read more »
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Hubert Keller's brand as a chef is clearly expanding, as seen by the huge amount of people which crammed into his latest venture, Burger Bar SF. On a Thursday evening, the place was packed with a 45 min+ wait. Tables are cramped, it's fairly noisy, and it's just kind of sensory overload at this point. None of this is really surprising, but it's worth stating.
The Burger Bar is terribly named. The logo is terrible. The font faces throughout the menus are hideous. The photos which the Burger Bar team use for promotional purposes seem about 20 years out of date. The photo of Keller on a motorcycle drinking a milkshake.. well.. let's just say that HK isn't too concerned about being taken seriously anymore. (To be fair, he's pretty much the nicest guy in the world - we met him at Fluer De Lys a few months before the whole Top Chef Masters madness).
The burger selection and selection of condiments is quite impressive (in addition to a sizable beer/wine menu), although the basic menu seems like it could be designed in a much simpler format. It's so incredibly busy. I went for the buffalo burger w/ avocado, sprouts, and peppered bacon w/ a vanilla milkshake. The portions are fairly large, and the burgers are so large that keeping them together is a definite problem. Everything tasted quite good, and afterwards, I was in a definite meat coma.
Two people. Burgers, milkshakes, one beer, 70 bucks pre-tip. Expensive burger meal, no doubt, but that's to be expected. You can even go big and get the $60 Kobe burger w/ foie gras and truffles. Oy. I like the concept of the Burger Bar, I just don't really like how it was executed.
CAVEAT: I have not eaten here, but I sent my mom here last week and feel compelled to relay her experience.
I suggested this place because mom was going to be in Union Square and because I love Hubert--his food at Fleur de Lys is incredible and I found him to be a classy and worthy competitor on Top Chef Masters unlike some of his colleagues (cough, Chiarello, cough).
My mom and her friend remarked on the slow service (rendered by a very friendly waiter) and both very much enjoyed their burgers. However, just before my mom tucked into her sliders, she asked the waiter for some Grey Poupon as the table only featured French's. A little odd that it wasn't readily available but no big deal. Until the bill arrived. And that bill included a .45 cent charge for the Grey Poupon. Um, WHAT??? McDonald's provides all-you-can-eat condiments. Shouldn't a place that features $16 burgers (and is owned by a French chef)?
Mom complained and the waiter asked her to write a note to "management" on the receipt as it was not the first time they had received that same complaint--no surprise there. Mom wrote to say that she couldn't imagine Hubert would EVER eat a burger without Grey Poupon and that while she expected (and was happy) to pay $16 for her burger, she was shocked by the surcharge.
I was literally blown away. How can this be?
Hubert--you're better than this!!
The milkshakes are amazing! I had the Nutella Milkshake and it was out of this world.
Sadly...... that's about it. The burgers are over priced and flavorless.The fires aren't much better.I don't think I will be coming back.
The two stars are for the Milkshakes and the service.
Over the summer, I've tried the burger bar in LV and that made me fall in love with burgers all over again. Now that i have a burger bar open right here at home i would get the same experience right? nope i was wrong. My burger came out a bit burnt on one side. From that on, i was just disappointed. My friend loved his burger and even ordered dessert. Their black and white milkshakes were even better than their burgers. The one thing i notice about their service is that you have to order your dessert in the beginning of the meal or tell your server when they are taking your plates because if you don't, they will just give you the bill without asking if you want dessert.
The night wasn't a complete disappointment when i actually saw hubert keller walk through the doors with his head chef. Never thought i would see him unless you go to fleur de lys.
Came here on opening day and had to leave due to the line being so long and my friend having only an hour for lunch. The next morning I picked up a friend from the airport, and persuaded her into going to BB with me at 9:30 a.m. in the morn...since it was my b-day weekend. We were in and seated as soon as the doors opened at 10 a.m., got to greet Chef Keller, and enjoy our breakfast of champs: burgers.
I had the Angus burger with prosciutto and jalapeno bacon, Dijon and zucchini. I also had the fat fries which were yummy.
I do remember the burger being super tasty but small. Fast forward to this past Tues. when I went in again. Same burger, this time it was significantly larger, and more satisfying.
It's not the greatest, but it sure is a tasty burger, and why not support some as likable as Keller, right?
I'll definitely be back!
All in all, I had a great experience here - there was one disappointment, but everything else was fantastic.
The restaurant is not enormous, but big enough for something in San Francisco. The fact that you can look-out over Union Square is incredible.
The menu is great - so many options from special creation burgers to a build-your-own option, this place offers something for everyone as long as you're into burgers. A ton of options including meat, toppings, sauces, cheese and bread are plentiful. They also have specialty milkshakes as well as build-your-own milkshakes, which is nice because you can customize something to your liking with ice cream flavors, mix-ins and toppings. The sides (fries and onion rings) are also great.
Many have complained that the biggest problem is the flavoring of the burger and I really do have to agree: the burger lacks flavor. I can tell that the quality of meat is incredible and very tasty, but the fact that the meat itself is under seasoned causes a lack in the burger experience. Everything else is great - the buttered toasted bread, the fresh vegetable and special toppings, even the sauces are great, but the fact that the burger lacks seasonings (really just a bit of salt and a hint of pepper) leaves one a bit unsatisfied. When a customer is being asked to pay $10 or more for a burger and the burger is from a world-renowned chef, it should be close to perfect and it wasn't quite there. Honestly, the remedy is simple - add a bit more salt and a bit of pepper and the burgers will be fantastic.
Restaurant - 4 stars
Service - 4.5 stars
Burger - 3 stars
Fries/Onion Rings - 4.5 stars
Milkshakes - 5 stars
OVERALL: 4 stars
Overpriced mediocre burgers with BAD service! Don't waste your time here....seriously. OVER HYPED & NOT WORTH THE WAIT!
Despite Mr. Keller being at the restaurant there that night, service was horrible. We should have known the moment we found out that they gave our table away. We were a party of 10 and had been waiting for 1.5 hours. Cheesecake Factory was the original plan but the estimated time was 3 hours there.
Flag #1: We were seated and they brought waters for 7/9 people. We ordered our food and asked for water, but it never came.
#2: Food came out and we were missing 2 burgers and a side of fries. We thought they were going to bring it out. No one noticed for about 5-10 mins and we had to flag down multiple people to inquire about it. They kept saying, "It's coming out." Then one guy goes, "It's coming right out.....By the way, what did you order???" You mean bullshit is coming right out?
#3: They brought out one burger that was missing and we were wondering why he was scraping off the mushrooms. He said I didn't order that (btw, he's 10 years old). He ordered the plain basic burger, but they brought out a kobe burger with mushrooms. Since he was hungry, he ate it anyways.
#4: About 25 mins after the manager got involved with our missing burgers, the chicken burger finally came out and the rest of the party was already done eating by then. They did not even comp this burger even though we had to ask 10 times about it before they took action. Also, the server said the chef would bring it out himself. We were kind of excited and got our cameras out, but that never happened even though we saw him walking around the restaurant. We noticed everyone started avoiding our table after that burger fiasco, especially the managers. They would avoid eye contact or turn around before they reached our section.
#5: When the bill came, they charged us for the kobe burger even though we had ordered the plain burger, but was given the kobe. It was a $7 difference so we asked the server about it. He implied that since he ate the kobe burger that we should pay for it. Seriously? We have to pay for your mistake?? Then after realizing that NO we weren't doing that, he reluctantly got it taken care of. Needless to say, we didn't leave a good tip.
#6: Bad Customer Service. My friends and I have been in the hospitality industry for years, so we understand issues/problems that come up, but the way they handled everything was appalling. They weren't sorry for making the mistake and even tried to make it sound like it was our fault. They could have simply comped the 2 burgers that came extremely late. ANY other restaurant would have done something for their mistake like comping the meal or providing a free dessert. How everyone handled the situation, including the managers, server, busboy, runners, was to "cover their ass."
FOOD:
- Grilled Shrimp Salad: over drenched with dressing, shrimps & grilled vegges were okay
- Kobe Beef Burger: nothing special, served with basic tomato, onion, lettuce side, bread good texture
- Onion Rings: taste like any other place
- Sweet Potato Fries: good, but a little surprised this gourmet restaurant didn't serve any type of aioli sauce to accompany the fries
Frankly, I think the server messed up and simply forgot to put in the order for the last 2 burgers. He was busy with 2 large parties and had a few other tables. That's a lot of people to handle for one server. Either have a seasoned server or don't be short staffed like that on a busy Saturday night.
Everyone knew about our table and how we were upset. We complained to the manager (Edward) again after paying for our meal. He was nice enough to listen but they didn't do much to make us want to come back. He simply said we could write to the GM on this card. It was a basic restaurant card with no email address and no name.
Yeah, Burger Bar is located in a prime location where the amount of tourists alone that visit will pay for the rent, but good luck surviving when it's off season. Also, it's logistically a nightmare to get in & out of the place, especially when Macy's closes. They only have ONE ELEVATOR. Be prepared to wait and panic if there's a fire or earthquake. The only good thing is they have a very extensive beer list and you can watch the game. The bartenders are efficient.
I would rather wait 3 hours at Cheesecake Factory. At least their service is much more efficient and food tastes much better for half the price. Or just go to In-N-Out!
Finally hit Burger Bar last week--the highlights of the evening were the milkshake and seeing Hubert Keller in the dining room. Note that the highlight of the evening did not include the purported star of this place . . . the burger.
I have to echo some of the sentiments of the other Yelpers--the burgers here are good (except they are shaped in that obnoxious way where you have like half the damn bun left over with no meat). The problem is that the burgers are pretty much as good as other joints that offers burgers for half the price or less. I also ordered my burger with sweet potato fries, which were incredibly disappointing. They were lukewarm and subpar given the "upscale" decor and prices.
The milkshake, however, was excellent. Ice cream blended into a shake--can't really mess that up. If I ever hit Burger Bar again, I would skip the burger and go straight for the shake.
This is probably as good as it gets, when it comes to burgers. The ingredients are top notch, which help give the burgers their rich robust flavors. You can choose what kind of meat you want; angus, american kobe, country natural, and buffalo. Next you can choose pretty much any topping you can think of or choose one of their prefixed burgers creations. They serve salads and sandwiches as well. The service is so so, no different than a TGIF's or chili's, still pretty good. How panache does the service really have to be for a burger joint anyway?
It's amazing how many bad reviews this place received. I think everyone was expecting a "Fleur De Lys" experience since it has Hubert Keller's name tied to the place. Lighten up nay sayers, relax and enjoy a quality burger with your family and friends.
I entered the Burger Bar and the hostess was blahzey .I told her just me and I was on my lunch. She told me to sit at the bar .I did but she didnt even follow me to give me a menu I had to go back and get it.I proceeded to check out the menu.The bartender was nice and suggested a hamburger after I told him I didnt know what to have.I had the deluxe bacon cheeseburger and fat fries.I ordered it well done. When I got my order the hamburger was small and undercooked and the bun was cold .I had less than a hour
left for lunch so I took a bite. The burger was tastey but could have been way better.For the price I expected so much more. I doubt Ill go back
This is a great new location for a meal while shopping downtown. Portion sizes were perfect (hate places that give oversized platters) and it was very tasty.
Interestingly enough I thought their beer list was way too long. I couldn't make up my mind because it was overwhelming. So Plan B was a chocolate shake which was very satisfying.
Booths not near windows have mini TVS which is a bit distracting. You are too close to actually watch it comfortably and there is no way to shutter it or turn it off if you don't want it. I think next time I would ask for a table without one.
add a ".5" to this three star review.
When you enter the restaurant you can see why they have one in Vegas. I'm sad to say but, I think this restaurant does better and would do better just being there. We went here on a Sunday at around noon-ish and got a table right away (sweet!). We sat down and our waitress came damn she was loud! Then again, there was loud Top 40 music playing. Her tone and pitch of voice definitely thew me off a little bit. I mean it wasn't THAT crowded.
I ordered the Burger Bar Veggie Burger and the BF created his own. I was a bit shocked at how pricey the add-ons were. We also had a Mint Chip Milkshake (homemade whipped creme, marshmellows & marshmellow sauce) and an order of the sweet potato fries and chipotle aoli.
Veggie Burger- I really like the concept! Not just a Garden Burger Brand Burger for vegetarians! But the pumpkin in the burger made the texture a bit pasty. Tasty, but pasty.
BF Build his own burger- He was satisfied with the portion and taste, but he wasn't blown away (He was looking to be wowed.)
Milkshake- filling and yummy!!!
Sweet potato fries- delicious with the chipotle aoli.
***Fries cost extra! The BF was really disappointed that complementary fries were not apart of his EXPENSIVE meal.
Consensus-Tasty, but overpriced.
For you ADHD types who can't read more than a sentence, I'll get this out of the way- the burger at Nopa tastes much better.
I figured I'd check out the quality of their simplest burger offering and tried the basic no-frills grain fed Black Angus Beef burger.
The burger came out cooked to order on an onion bun (you get several choices, including standard issue burger bun and ciabatta, just like at Jack in the Box...) with the optional blue cheese that I added. The onion bun had a nice, sweet, buttery taste with good spongy texture. The accompanying dill pickle slice had a nice tart briny taste to it and was nice and crunchy. The tomato, red onion slices and lettuce were good quality and tasted nice and fresh.
The big letdown came in the form of the beef patty. It's probably better than what's in 90%+ of the burgers you encounter in the City, but it wasn't anything special. The patty itself was nice, juicy and thick, around 1/2 inch thick. Unfortunately, the patty was pretty bland. Perhaps chef Keller doesn't believe in over-seasoning the beef in the patty, but it really could have used something stupidly simple like salt to improve the taste.
I suppose the "flavor" gets introduced in the $12+ signature burgers via the additional sauces and toppings.
In contrast, the grass fed burgers at Nopa (which currently costs $13, and includes fries) do not require ketchup or A1 steak sauce to taste good. Nor salt for that matter. Incidentally, Burger Bar provides those condiments along with good old yellow mustard. It's a bit of a shame that no attempt is made to serve up house versions of those condiments. Maybe it's cost control, but it would be nice to eat the gourmet burgers without using typical foodservice condiments from Heinz and Kraft. To be fair, I asked for aioli for my fries and I was pleasantly surprised that I had a choice of garlic and chipotle.
The skinny fries (ordered separately, not included in burger) were good, although they could have been a lot hotter temperature-wise.
The onion rings (ordered separately, like fries) were quite good. Surprisingly so. In fact, I'd come back to this place just for the rings. The fat onion rings had an awesome panko breading batter that had a very nice crunch when you bit into them, the oniony innards releasing tendrils of steam.
The rings and fries were both expertly fried with good quality frying oil. Not a soggy fry or ring in sight. Kudos to the cook manning the fry station!
I also tried the Caesar salad. Nicely executed. Good quality chilled romaine lettuce was tossed in a creamy dressing with a hint(?) of anchovies. The shaved parmesan added a nice kick to the salad. The wafer thin crouton slices added a nice crunchy contrast to the lettuce. I was surprised that the server didn't offer freshly ground pepper for the salad, but then again, it really didn't need it.
I was eyeing a milkshakes and/or desert burger but the preceding burger, salad, and rings did me in. Perhaps next time.
Both bottled and draft beer lineup was decent, with a good selection of micro and macro brews. Wine list? Yeah, they have that too, but I couldn't be bothered. Their full bar is a nice feature for a place located in a prime location on Union Square. The Red Bull logo'd cooler in the bar kinda tells you who the targeted demographic is for the restaurant.
Service in general was efficient. The front of house hostesses were okay, going through the motions. They did their best to manage the quiet chaos in the front lobby. They could have been work release workers from Cheesecake Gulag Factory for all I knew.
Burger Bar provides a decent dining alternative in Union Square to the madhouse cum tourist trap and formulaic corporate restaurant known as Cheesecake Factory. Oh hang on, Burger Bar is a formulaic corporate... At any rate, after a long day of shopping, you're probably going to get a table at Burger Bar in the time you manage to get one of those buzzer gizmos at Cheesecake Factory that starts your long-ass wait.
Oh, and I managed to get a dinner and a show on the night I went. Chef Keller was chatting up with guests and mugging for photos with starstruck diners. Bah. Gimme a break. I wished chef was in the kitchen checking on my burger before it was served to me. One can dream, eh? Maybe I'll get that pleasure when I visit Fleur de Lys, if he's actually there...
If you were considering this spot because of its famous french chef, forget about it.
If you want an average overpriced burger in an average environment in a department store, then the Burger Bar might just be fine for you. With a minimal menu of burgers with a salad or two you would think a "famous chef" would make an effort to make everything sing. I didn't try the fries but the salad was overdressed, and though I asked for a MR I received Raw burger seared on the outside, with toppings that could have been interesting if a chef was involved. But a chef was not involved in this meal. The toppings were indistinguishable and the cole slaw found in a supermarket deli. The underpaid immigrant prep cook of chain restaurants across the country was probably running this show.
The bar had a nice selection of microbrews and the alcohol milk shake bar had possibilities. But it all came with a tourist price tag, and coupled with the small print % surcharge to "cover the SF health initiative" expensive. I'm sorry but this just reeks of BS. If it is part of your overhead put it in the price. I didn't see a % surcharge for AT&T's overpriced charges. This appeared to be an effort to make prices look less than they actually are, and an offensive political soap box.
Service was generally friendly but involved a rotating team of everchanging faces. The Rare burger was dropped off and I was not approached about how the meal was until it was time to clear the table. And then, he did, he asked, do you need change? This has got to be one of the most telling signs of servers that have very little to no idea of what service really is.
Solid 3 stars. Nothing great, nothing bad. I had the Hubert Keller burger, fried zucchini, fried pickles, and Nutella milkshake (okay I didn't order all of that, but that was what the table ordered). The Hubert Keller burger was tasty, but not worth the price. The fried zucchini and fried pickles were just that, fried food, really how bad could it get? The french fries that came with the burger were also okay (I firmly believe that deep fried + salt can't ever be that bad). The Nutella milkshake was way too thick and rich for me. I swear it was probably a week's worth of calories in a glass, which wouldn't be so bad, but it crossed the line from guilty decadence to wow this is way too fat and rich.
Oh Hubert! Are you not ashamed?!?! I guess when those big checks come in I wouldn't be either. You go to the website, you see Hubert Keller on tv talking about Burger Bar and you envision a slightly upscale, trendy restaurant that serves inventive burgers.
Reality:
You walk in you're greeted by a hostess who probably just got hired from IN and OUT. The decor is blah. Cheesecake Factory right above Burger Bar has a better decor and Ambiance than this place.
The bartenders rocked. They knew their drinks and liquors and were what I expected of a place like this.
The servers and hostess just seemed for a lack of better words, very amateurish. We went on a slow night weren't in a rush so we said we would wait for a window table. Se moved to the bar literally less than ten feet from the hostess so she could see us. We waited patiently and went through a few drinks. Luckily the bartender was knowledgeable so we didn't mind waiting. We even told the bartender that we were waiting for a table. We see three tables seated by windows and we wonder hmm those people just walked in.
So we walk over and ask if a table was ready since we saw three that were open. The hostess goes "oh yes they are". We look down and for no reason she had crossed us out.
The service from the waitress was just ok.
Now the food. I've had a Kobe Beef burger on several occasions at different restaurants. This was by far at the bottom of the list. It was cooked medium yet still kinda dry. It was an ok burger. I've had better burgers at Holy Grill for a fraction of the price.
I'd go back to have a drink and maybe some onion rings and zuchinni sticks but I'd say skip the burgers.
Oh the topper of the night was the piece of plastic that my girlfriend had to pull out of her mouth from our desert. We got a quarter of the way through and asked the waitress to take it back and off our bill.
I'd have to say I've eaten at bad restaurants but it's rare that I walk out irritated. I work in the service industry and understand things happen that the waitress can't control. But I can't believe Hubert actually stands behind this restaurant.
I love a great burger. Especially a great gourmet one.
1st visit: Came on a weekday night, waited about 10 minutes for a table. We were seated at a booth in the back. The service was pretty slow, but we were waiting for a friend so it was OK. They have a good menu selection - all different burgers including the $60 kobe beef burger with shaved truffles. Um...we didn't have that. We did go for the natural, the American Classic, and the Burger Bar sliders, all with skinny fries. The meat was flavorful, the toppings were fresh, and the ranch was really good. Oh, and you have to try the onion rings!
2nd visit: My mom wanted to eat at a restaurant where we could see the Christmas decorations in Union Square. The hostess seated us at a table for four near the bar with a perfect view of Union Square. We all ordered different burgers - the natural, the angus, the kobe. All different toppings, all different fries - and we enjoyed them all. The sweet potato fries were just OK. I like the skinny fries better.
Overall, probably one of the best burgers I've had. I do have my favorites, but if you're shopping in the Union Square area and want a good burger, this is the place to go.
Seems like a great place to go for dessert. They're open late and they have ice cream sundaes, beer floats, chocolate burgers...next time!
I must say, I had quite possibly the best experience I could've asked for at a restaurant during my trip to Burger Bar. I have no problem giving the 5 stars in this case--if I could, I would give more.
First, after being told there would be a 40 minute wait (and happily choosing to wait because we got the opportunity to shop a bit in the meantime), we came back after about 20 minutes to check in. Although we were still pretty far down on the list, the maitre d' just bumped us to the top and sat us immediately (what luck).
The place was super busy (I think it was a Friday night or something) and although we managed to get our drinks promptly (two Speakeasy "Burger Bar" Blondes--which, by the way, are quite good), the food took quite a while. Our waiter, however, was amazing. You could tell that he was extremely busy--he was sort of frantically running around--but never failed to check up on us.
After the food finally arrived, it was worth the wait. Everything was just simple, fresh, and impeccably well thought-out. I had the sliders and fries while my boyfriend had the country natural burger. Even though the meals are simple, the food just tastes good. It's the combination of great meat, freshly baked buns, and fresh veggies. And to top it off, everything is pretty reasonably priced.
But here's the icing on the cake: during various parts of our dinner, Hubert Keller was walking around to all the tables and asking the patrons how their meals were. He seemed to truly have cared about the service and everyone's satisfaction regarding the food. He even agreed to a few photo-ops from other customers, and didn't seem even remotely perturbed, nor did he try to run off (though he appeared to be busy as well). It isn't every day that you get to eat an amazing meal and then have the opportunity to meet the chef, who has become sort of a celebrity because of his appearance on Top Chef. It was amazing. I could not have asked for a better experience.
My reviews are based 80% on food, 20% other. My husband and I had a fun night at the Burger Bar about a month ago. It was crazy busy. The burgers, fries, onion rings, and shakes were delicious!!! I ordered a shake with nutella and it was superb. My husband and I both ordered our burgers cooked medium. Mine was what I would consider to actually be medium-rare. My husband's was much more rare than mine.
I really wanted to like this place. I mean seriously, after I went on a trip to New York earlier this year, I've been searching for a burger place that can meet up with NY's standards. So I heard about this place because of a friend's bday and I never knew there was such a restaurant inside Macy's let alone a restaurant from restaurateur, Hubert Keller famous for Fleur de Lys, which has been mentioned in pretty much every review on Yelp. So anyway, I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately I was very disappointed.
First off, I know I'm in a Hubert Keller restaurant, so it's going to be a little pricey, but I find it hard to justify paying more than $10 for a burger. And if I am paying more than $10 for a burger, it better be damn good because I've had plenty of burgers cheaper than that to satisfy (heck, a Six Dollar Burger that's less than $6 at Carl's Jr. can sometimes do me good). So the price supported my mind that this burger experience is going to be the one that I'm looking for.
I order from the "Chef's Burger" side and being a little tight on cash at the moment, I order the Black Jack Burger, which looks to be a pretty classic burger but with tapenade (yeah, I didn't know what that was, and even my web browser thinks I misspelled it, until I tasted it, and it tastes like chopped olives), so I thought this should be a safe bet with the extra savory flavors that I'm paying for. The wait time was decent, the place was packed and I was at a table with 14 people, but the service was fine. I get the burger and my impressions are good... the garnishes looked the freshest I've ever seen with everything cut perfectly for you. The patty looked pretty standard and I added ketchup and mayonnaise on it and put the burger together. I took a bite. I took another bite. And another bite to be sure. And that's when I got verified that this burger tasted no different from any other burger I've had before. I would go as far as to say it tastes the same as a burger from Chili's or Red Robin or TGI Fridays. I mean, it's not a bad burger in any way, but I was so disappointed from all the visceral hype I gave myself when sitting down in this fancy burger joint. I asked my fellow adjacent guests about their burger and they all felt the same way. Oh, this burger also came with fries, but nothing really to note here... it tastes like your typical french fries that you can get anywhere and I would still rather have McDonald's fries over this one. I was definitely not feeling it that night.
An upside though, I got one their $8.25 shakes, I got Black & White, and that was pretty damn good. The shake wasn't overly thick or overly sweet and that was the only thing that gave me enjoyment of the meal and the 2 stars for this review. Though, I thought it was a little weird with the consistency because someone else at my table got the same shake, but the difference being that mine had chocolate chips on top while the other didn't. Just a little detail that I noticed, but otherwise I'd recommend the Black & White and there was another with alcohol (forgot the name) that tasted even better.
In conclusion, I expected so much, but nearly all my expectations were crushed and I am yet to find a burger place to fill in my void ever since I went on that NY trip. I really wouldn't spend my money on a burger here where I can get virtually the same burger down the street for half the price. I would even say In N Out burgers were better than here. I'd be open to try it again with a different (and unfortunately more expensive) burger, but if that doesn't meet my expectations, then I have no choice but to update my review with a 1 star, no matter how good the shake and atmosphere is at the place (the place does have an awesome view of Union Square). This doesn't give me any negative impressions for Fleur de Lys, I still desire to go there one of these days because I'm sure that can't go wrong, right?
This was my first trip to the San Francisco Burger Bar location. I had previously dined at the Las Vegas location in Mandalay Place. That experience was very good so I was happy they opened an outlet in my city.
My dining companion and I went in for an early lunch at 11am on a Saturday. It is inside Macy's and from their front entrance you use the elevators to the left. There was no line for the elevator. However the elevator to the right, for Cheesecake Factory, was packed!
We were seated fairly quickly. The hostess was chatting with the waitstaff for a bit but then acknowledged us and brought us to a table by the window. Some of the seating is a bit awkward. They fit the space around a previous showroom area and the result for us was that the tables were 2 deep and to get out we had to maneuver around the other couple that had been seated after us.
The Burgers are truly the star. I had the Angus burger, medium rare, with Portabello mushrooms and carmelized onions. Accompanied by Zucchini fries. My dining companion had the Country Natural burger, medium rare, with Swiss cheese, Portabello mushrooms and caramelized onions with a side of skinny fries.
The burgers came out within 10 minutes. Both were hot, fresh and very juicy. They were closer to rare than medium which suited both our tastes. We were glad we did not go overboard with the toppings since they also give you lettuce, tomato and a slice of red onion.
First a word about the sides. The skinny fries were ok. Nothing special really. The zucchini fries were not good. They were very greasy and had a thick italian bread crumb coating that just held in the oils.
Next up the burgers. Outstanding. Really well cooked, constructed and presented. And most importantly delicious. So delicious in fact that conversation stopped at the first bite and did not commence again until they were consumed! We both agreed they were actually better than BB Las Vegas. We both had a case of Burger afterglow as we paid our check, did the airline seat slide around the other couple, and headed back to the elevator.
Our motto now is "No Bad Burgers" and I believe the next time I decide to indulge in some ground red meat it will be back at Burger Bar!
Why doesn't In-N-Out charge extra for their thousand island sauce?
Why doesn't Carl's Jr charge extra for guacamole in their Six Dollar burger?
Why doesn't McDonald's charge extra for f*ckin' pickles in their Big Macs?
Because they're not cheap bastards, and they know that patrons don't appreciate being charged for condiments. They realize that even from a fast food joint, minor embellishments should be included with a burger.
Burger Bar: Country Natural Burger $10.50
Doesn't come with ANY sauce or flavoring- nothing but ONE slice of tomato, ONE leaf of lettuce, and ONE 2mm slice of red onion.
Thanks, Hubert Keller, for charging me an extra $2 for guacamole, $0.95 for a slice of green tomato, $1.15 for bacon, $0.75 for a slice of cheddar cheese.
So my ten dollar burger actually ended up costing over fifteen bucks. I LOVE feeling jipped and cheated like that. My boyfriend really enjoyed his twenty dollar burger too. I mean, who wants to pay the actual menu price for anything? How blasé. Getting an honest meal wouldn't match the obviously high class establishment you have on the 6th floor of Macy's. Gary Danko ain't got sh*t on you.
Hey Hubert, why not charge extra for ketchup too? That way you'll for SURE get to tack on an extra dollar or two per table! Since we ordered your zucchini fries, we had to order ranch sauce or we'd be stuck with dry fries. Smart one.
We also really enjoyed the table, which was basically set up in what was clearly supposed to be a hallway. Keep it classy, Hubert.
If you are STARVING, and you're already in Union Square, take the next level up and go to Cheesecake Factory. Or pick up a ciabatta sandwich at Jack in the Box, where they *gasp* give you all the buttermilk sauce you desire. FOR F*CKING FREE.
So a group of us decided to go to this place for dinner after watching the MJ movie. Big waste of time and money.
EXPECT THE FOLLOWING:
- overpriced mediocre burgers
- be ignored by the hostess and servers
- not getting what you asked for, even after 3 times with 2 different servers
The only good think I can say is that the $60 burger is really really good. Since it was $60, we decided to order this as an appetizer so that everyone in our group can get a taste. If it wasn't for this $60 burger tasting so good, I wouldn't have even bother to give this place a star.
By the way, just to warn others, I made sure to select "NO" on the question that asked if this place had waiter service.
Have you ever had something for lunch/dinner and thought it was the best thing you have ever tasted? You loved it so much that the following day you have it somewhere else only to be left disappointed? i.e The burger I had today in Half Moon Bay, eh
On a recent late afternoon, I met up with a friend to celebrate the fact that her mother was finally after seven months moving out of her apartment. Did it cramp her style? She may not realize it, but it kind of did.
My friend decides to head into the City and find the best burger possible. She was a bit afraid that downing a huge grease filled burger may add a few unwanted inches to her butt so she armed herself with her tight butt building walking shoes and hopped on Caltrain. I offered to pick them up at the station but was told that she needed the walk and get trim for the much anticipated calorie packed burger.
I was a bit skeptical of her choice to try Burger Bar. The reviews were not the best and my favorite burger place in the City is just hard to beat.
The place was packed and a little more ritzy than I expected. There were lots of pretty people and a pre holiday vibe that added some excitement. Since we didn't have reservations, we chose to sit at the bar. It turns out the bartender is from Burlingame and opened up his burger playbook and helped us with our orders. He recommended that I try the basic Angus burger, which at under $10 was much less than I had expected to pay. My friend upgraded hers to the organic which was only like a dollar or two more.
Our bartender suggested I get the sweet potato fries, which I must admit did not thrill me. But the "skinny fries" on my friends plate were very good. Just wish they were more willing to share.
The hype here is that you will spend a small fortune, but I found that you can keep things more than reasonable by ordering the basic burgers and keep your toppings to a minimum.
Burger Bar is not my number 1, but is in now in the ballpark as one of my favorite burgers in the City.
Like alot of carnivores, I like a good hamburger. As a matter of fact, after dating a "gourmet" hamburger addict, I've become rather an expert on all things hamburger. That said, when my daughter suggested we have our post Black Friday Shopping Expedition dinner at the Burger Bar, I was sooooo "in".
Imagine my huge disappointment when my "Kobe" burger arrived way, way, way over cooked. It looked more like a charbroiled hockey puck than a top-of-the-line hamburger. It was so dry and overdone I sent it back...in spite of a lifelong pledge to never, ever return food. So, the sweet waitress acknowledged the meat was over done and returned it to the kitchen...they quickly sent out another burger...only slightly less over cooked.
I suppose I should back up to clarify that I had asked the waitress how her chef defined as burger with a "sliver of pink"...medium or medium well. She said the kitchen had a tendency to UNDER cook their meat, so she recommended medium well. Now, one would think when I sent it back, the chef would rethink the original order and go for medium...e.g., that sliver of pink. At any rate, beyond being over done, the burger really had no flair. It didn't taste like the kobe steaks I've had in the past....quite honestly, it tasted like a plain, ol', regular, not overly flavorful hamburger. Not to mention, with all of the rework that was done to the burger, my bun was dry...dry...dry.
Not to mention, one of the managers stopped by to ask how we were enjoying dinner...I told him about the over cooked burger and he mumbled something about the kitchen having a tendency to under cook and walked away!?
My daughter said her burger was nicely done...
Oh, well. Either I got a sous chef who was overworked and tired, or this place really isn't the hamburger heaven so many people say it is. Let's hope its the latter, but quite honestly, I was not impressed enough to go back/give it another try.
Overhyped
I was really excited to try Burger Bar, after all that's all I've been eating since moving to Pittsburgh and it seemed like a great meal before boarding my flight back to PGH. The prices were a little high, especially if you come here for lunch. I don't think the menus change for lunch/dinner. I got the classic cheeseburger from the chef's section of the menu and it was okay. I loved the beef patty but it sogged through the bun and the bun fell apart making it very awkward to eat my cheeseburger :( I'm all about hands, knives and forks are for little kids. The portion was more than generous though, so I didn't feel like my $16 burger was a complete rip off, it came with fries too (which were delicious, and thick!)
The service was top class, super fast and attentive, I loved it!
There are better places to get a burger in this city.
I'm going to start by saying that this is an incredibly biased review.
The atmosphere was more like an upscale Chili's (complete with oversized plastic menus) than what I would expect from a high caliber chef like Hubert Keller, the prices were over the top expensive and we had to pay extra for mustard for our burgers. So why the five star review? Because we met, chatted and had our picture taken with none other than Hubert Keller himself. Does it negate the above mentioned flaws? No. But it does make for a foodie fan moment.
Instead of going whole hog and scarfing down the $60 kobe beef, foie gras and truffle laden burger, I decided to take it down a notch or two and built my own burger, starting with the country natural grass fed beef, then chose the house-made pickled beets, grilled onions and yes, I paid extra for what the menu said was homemade dijon mustard. The burger was really amazing, as far as burgers go. I'm no beef aficionado, but I have to say, the beef was so flavorful on its own with no seasoning and it was served perfectly pink, just as I requested, which doesn't seem to happen a lot of times.
Unfortunately, I didn't save room for what sounded like a dreamy way to end a nice meal; a Nutella milkshake. I can't even begin to describe what a Nutella fanatic I am and to see that on the dessert menu nearly sent me over the edge. However, after a couple of drinks, a burger, sweet potato fries and a conversation with Hubert, I really couldn't fathom how I was going to enjoy that shake. Just another reason to return.
The conversation with Hubert about his grandmother's apple meringue pie from his "Secrets of a Chef" series on PBS was enough of a dessert for me.
What can I say? It was a foodie fan moment.
The specialty burgers looked fantastic, but I'm a vegetarian so I was disappointed to find out that you couldn't simply substitute the veggie burger for the meat burger. I decided that I wanted the Hubert Keller burger, so I had to order the veggie burger and add the toppings from the extras menu. That said, it just may have been the best vegetarian burger I've ever had. So good.
The only issue I had with the place is unfortunately a biggie, otherwise this would have been a 4 star review: they charged me $3.25 -- 3.25! -- for a fountain soda! Craaaazeeee. And I didn't even get a refill. Seriously, who do they think they are?
Next time, I'm definitely getting the Vegetarian Hubert Keller burger. And a water.
The higher expectation, the greater disappointment.
The inefficient services ruined our appetite.
We'd waited to be seated for 30 minutes, another 10 minutes waiting for taking order, 45 minutes for having our burgers served. It only took us 20 minutes to finish our dishes, yet, another 15 minutes waiting to pay the bill. Ugh..way too much waiting, waiting and waiting.
The burgers are ok but not worth the the price, plus an hour and an half water and beer drinking. Ugh..again!
I'm glad that at least I've tried but would never go again.
Two things were very cheesy at burger bar.
1.) The Hubert Keller burger with caramelized onions, spinach and strong yummy blue cheese.
2.) The photos on the menu & website of people smiling and eating and enjoying eating a milk shake more than anything else in the world.
The service was impeccable, the restaurant not too loud and the little fry holders that resemble deep fryer containers adorable. Great view of Union Square which makes it a good enough place to take visiting friend that wants to be near the shopping.
One star for the man himself approaching our table as we were leaving and shaking my hand. Minus the other four for his creation "SF Burger Bar", the hype that led up to its opening, the sub par experience and the Fat Tire neon sign and Macy's linen department I stared at while dining.
The sliders were okay, I've had better. What I'm opposed to is the audacity to have such expensive fare and hyped up hype over nothing more than Red Robin decor and sitting among bath towels on Costco furniture.
The swanky music on the website didn't lead me to think I was going to the department I'd normally go to source 1000tc sheets. I believed I was headed to a plush lounge with loungy music. I believed I was headed to upscale meets easily obtainable food aka burgers. That's the gimmick right? Unexpected food in an unexpected environment. Common' Mr. Keller you can do better. But thank you sir for escorting us out, that was very nice of you.
I'm really confused as to why there are so many 1 and 2 star reviews for Burger Bar? If it's because of the price- I don't think that's fair! Burger Bar is a gourmet burger joint with higher-then-average burger prices- And i think this place rocks!
Yes- the average burger here will run you between $16-$22, although they do have $9-$11 options. Since this was my first time trying Burger Bar(and i wanted to give Yelpers my best assessment), I decided to go all out and get "Hubert's Favorite Choice" as advertised in their menu; the Hubert Keller Burger. Hubert Keller is the head chef and creator of Burger Bar, so if this is his favorite burger it had to be good!
Folks, this burger was much better then good! It was outstanding! I understand for $22 I could have purchased a hell of alot more double cheeseburgers from McDonalds- But I could sincerely taste a difference and believe this burger is WELL WORTH IT! The juiciness of the burger was just awesome! The caramelized onions were just falling out of the ciabatta buns! The blue cheese was so pungent, yet so delicious. The Hubert Keller burger was so flavorful- it was down right amazing.
My Girlfriend purchased a Buffalo Burger- which tasted great as well! I had a few bites, each seemingly more tender than the last. You can really taste the difference between the Angus beef and the Buffalo beef.
On top of this- they serve really unique milkshakes such as Nutella and Twinkie flavors. Plus, they have a really huge selection of beer and wine. My jaw dropped when i saw their beer list! I ended up picking some random pilsener from Germany I'd never heard of- that's always fun lol.
I really do plan on coming back to Burger Bar soon. I might not drop $20 on a burger again since i'm sure the quality of their lower priced burger is just as great! Who knows, i might get crazy and throw some black truffles or some foie gras- or heck, even lobster on my burger. I'm definitely a fan of this place and recommend it!
Hubert Keller is definitely a business man: all the burger accoutrements are a la carte and a two-second meet and greet with the chef himself will cost you a book (although he does sign it).
The $7 milkshake is a COMPLETE rip off. Its basically 1/2 whipped cream. I had a chocolate milkshake that was absolutely delicious, but after a few sips, I was done with the chocolate and left with a cloud of dense whipped cream at the top of my glass.
The burgers and fries are decent but not worth the price and don't even think about wasting your money on the watered down truffle oil either!
I was SO freakin' excited when I heard that Burger Bar in Macys of SF opened!! The first time I had Burger Bar was in Vegas at Mandalay and I was absolutely in LOVE.
I love the idea that you can make your own burger...
I love the idea that you can get lobster on your burger...
I love the fact that burgers from Burger Bar are absolutely delicious...
BUT
What I didn't love about my experience here was...
1) Peppercorn bacon was fried TOO hard. I'm glad I don't have dentures
2) Sweet Potatoes were over-fried, leaving them crispy and as they got cold, they turned hard.
3) Service was SLOW. SLOW. SLOW.
4) No Reservations
So, if they fix those problems, I would give Burger Bar 4 or maybe 5 stars. I'm down to try it again, but they honestly shouldn't strike out!
PS. The view of Union Square is awesome up here if you have a window seat. I recommend NOT sitting in the booths b/c servers can't see you and thus they conveniently forget about you.
My facebook buddy posted this on his recent status.
"Mcdouble 1 slice cheese=$1 dbl mc cheese brg 2 slice cheese =$1.19"
My trip to Burger Bar would of resulted in this facebook status.
Kobe beef burger with pepper jack cheese and portobello mushrooms and an Irish Coffee Shake = $33.
Although my burger tasted pretty good because it was juicy and had good flavor I would get the same overall satisfaction by going to Mc Donalds... Yes, it is because of the price.
The Irish Coffee Shake was also good but I was full by the time I was done with the burger.
The menu was a little hard to read at first until the server stepped us through it. We had an option of creating our own burger from a selection of buns, meat, sides, etc. Also, another option we had was to select from a preset burger meal ("no substitutions please").
The overall experience was just ok. The service was a little off for something a little more upscale. Our booth had a tv set to ESPN and we saw Hubert Keller roaming about the restaurant.
Other than that I would say stick to your local favorite burger joint.
Bullshead, Burgermeister, Big Mouth and Slow Club comes to mind.
Ohhh, Hubert....... :( How ashamed you must be.
Really, man? Your buns are packaged, your fries are delivered frozen, and your place is filled with the ugliest fixtures from the cheapest catalog. It's ok - you can be honest - please tell me you didn't actually have anything to do with this hot mess.
You have one of the greatest views of Union Square in the City and your bar faces away from the windows? Really? A twinkie shake? Really?
P.S. You're in Macy's - knock it off with the $60 burger unless it's going to stand up to it's name.
Shame, Mr. Keller. Shame.
It pains me that people are comparing Burger Bar to In-n-Out, or to any other random fast food spot, so my intent is to set the record straight.
First - if you're comparing this spot to In-n-Out, please: stay at In-n-Out. It's likely that you don't really know what you're looking for, anyway.
Second - Acknowledge the fact that there are TWO menus: the 'Chef's Burgers' menu, and the 'a la carte' menu where you get to build your own burger.
If you're ordering from the 'a la carte' menu, expect to pay per item that you choose -- I'm confused as to why that comes as such a shock to you? This isn't Burger King, but maybe that's why you thought you could 'have it your way'.
Expect something different, because that's what you'll get -- gourmet burgers, and yes, at a gourmet price, but isn't that what we expect from Chef Keller?
We held a team dinner here during our recent foray to SF for our annual sales conference.
Burgers, burgers, and more burgers - are the way of things at Burger Bar. There are other things on the menu, appetizers, other sandwiches, full bar - but Burgers reign supreme here! In addition to the lineup of burgers listed on the menu, there is a rather extensive toppings list - you can then customize your own burger - which is why I did.
We ordered a number of appetizers to share: Deep fried spicy dill pickles, fried Zucchini, and Onion rings. All were crisp and tasty - I'd never had a fried dill pickle before - wasn't bad - but I still prefer crisp, cold, dill pickles!
I ordered a custom Bison burger: Buffalo meat, with pepperjack cheese, jalapeno bacon, and Chipotle Aioli - with lettuce, tomato, and onion, on a wheat bun - cooked medium well. Ordered the burger with Sweet Potato fries. Plus I had a couple of beers - neither of which I had before - nor can I remember their names - both were good though!
When the burger arrived, I spread the Chipotle Aioli on the top wheat bun, slapped on the lettuce, tomato, onion, and took a big bite. Very tasty - BUT the Burger was cooked Medium Rare/Medium. Turns out pretty much everyone's burger came out at that temp - regardless of what temp was ordered.
We were sitting in a large private room of sorts - sharing it with one other group.
Service was decent - I would come back here again. Next time I send the burger back if it is not cooked to my specified temp!
Loved: Hubert Keller on Top Chef Masters
Liked: Burger Bar's Buffalo buger w/skinny fries & Macy's 6th floor view of Union Square
Disliked: Tourist trap prices
Saw a review here that the mixed drinks were not so great so I tried wine and a Peppercorn Burger (the only way to eat it is rare). It was great and the service was fine. The fries came in a miniature deep fryer basket which means what? It means they were not mixed with the salad dressing or anything else...great idea!
If you want the view of Union Square you have to wait for a table. If I had designed the restaurant, the seating at the bar would have been on the opposite side with the bar in the middle.
$3 Pints $3 Apps
Neighborhood: Mission
$3 & $5 Specials
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
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