On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Burgers, Breakfast & Brunch, American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Inner SunsetMon-Fri. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
Best clam chowder I've had.
Mochabeam smoothie was awesome.
Turkey burger was great too.
I cant believe it took me a long time to come here. Great place, price is great for what you get.
Good stuff.
I use to live just a N-car away from this place, when this place opened up! I would always get the Turkey Burger with fries... I love turkey burgers! and the Owner who was always running around working her A**off and chit-chatting with the customers was great!
Nice place to stop in before heading over to the park or the beach!
Ate here for the first time this past weekend. Cozy little spot tucked away next to the BofA on Irving & 9th. Had a nice mini diner feel to it and to me it seemed like a perfect date spot... My boyfriend and I came here to eat after a visit to MoMA and I must say that I enjoyed eating here. Great spot for first dinner dates!
The menu isn't too big or too small. Just enough that you're able to have some variety and still be able to choose something without spending so much precious eating time trying to figure out what to order.
We were greeted warmly with a "Hi! Sit anywhere you'd like!" I think she was the owner. Very nice Asian woman who made you feel very comfortable eating there. She was kind enough to tell me where she had gotten one of her wooden sign decors saying "Live well. Love much. Laugh Often." Gawd, I love that sign and it was from Target!
The burger was great and so was the french onion soup! It may not be the "best burgers yet", but it was cooked the way I wanted and the burgers were seasoned perfectly with just salt and pepper. The avocado was fresh! mmm.... I was SO full... I couldn't take any cocktails for a good hour because I was so full. lol..
Service was excellent (granted maybe because it was a little slow). Strawberry Fanta on tap?! +1!!! haha
omg.. the free small brownies after every meal... savory and moist goodness.... awesome for chocolate lovers! one of the best brownies I have ever had...
+1!!! Bathroom is CLEAN!!!
I'll definitely come back here again.
if you're familiar with the inner sunset, you'll know that there are two burger places within an arm's reach- darla's and jenny's. in my mind, darla and jenny are throwing down celebrity death match style and crowds are hootin' and hollerin' for their favorite burger queen.
...and no, i don't know if either of them had a rendezvous with the burger king. judging by darla's skill at concocting a delicious hunk of beef between some dough i'd say she didn't.
ok, enough babble.
sure, you can label darla's as a diner or greasy spoon, but it's better than that. it's kind of a greasy spoon meets west coast neighborhood joint. it has the feel of one of those small town restaurants that'd be the place everyone goes to in the middle of the square, except it's plopped right in the middle of san francisco.
that being said... you feel welcomed when you step into darla's.
one reason to love darla's: breakfast all day. i don't know about you, but brinner is one of my most favorite things in the world. sure, it's the same bacon and eggs you could have in the morning. but having it for dinner just makes it taste so much better. they have some tasty omelets here. bacon, avocado, tomato and cheese? yum. i took my mom here for brunch this morning after her flight out here, and the french toast hit the spot.
and try the mocha bean shake. you won't be sorry. even the servers know how delicious that thing is. when she handed it to me it was like she was bestowing upon me a gift of goodness.
the club sandwich is massive. layer upon layer of thick deli meat, perfect bacon, and toothpicks failing to keep the monster together make for a doggie bag worth attacking later. and when you get a choice of fries, rings, soup, or salad- i'd go for the fries. they're pretty darn good.
but darla's doesn't get it's accolades from the gargantuan club sandwiches or their tasty hit-the-spot breakfast foods. darla's is known for burgers. and darla can make a heck of a burger. i've had two of them in my travels- the house burger and the avocado and cheddar. i'm not sure why putting a burger on a french roll throws me for a loop, but it does. darla's burgers for dinner mean a light lunch earlier in the day. you'll need to make sure you have room for it's awesomeness.
if i'm in the neighborhood and need a comfy place to have a meal in good company, darla's is the place.
Plain and simple...........Darla's has the best burger in town, just like the sign reads out front. The house burger is amazing!! It comes with sauteed mushrooms, sauteed onions, bacon and mozzarella cheese, served on a french roll. If you are craving a burger this where you need to go. You will not be disappointed and I guarantee you will add this place to your favorites. I am one of their biggest fans and in my book they get five stars!
The service is fast and friendly:-)
I have had way better burgers at in-and-out and carl's junior. Completely disapointing since the price is more than what i mentioned, I expected the taste to be better at least! I ordered a burger, it came in a sub like bread. for shame! I will stick to johnny rockets if i must choose between the two places.
Service was good though. Fast and a brownie.
Overall my burger was very good. I ordered it medium, and it actually came that way, which doesn't happen often. I was a little weirded out that the burgers came on french rolls, I prefer traditional buns.
It hit the spot, but wasn't fantastic either. Oh, and do yourself a favor, skip the side salad in favor of fries, they're much better.
When I want a burger, I drive from Burlingame up into the Inner Sunset and go to Darla's. Darla offers a cheese burger the way it ought to be: moist and red inside, perfectly brown on the edge, possibly the best in the Bay area. For a better burger, you'll have to go very very far. I haven't found one in the bay area.
Darla herself is prompt and friendly; a real fine businesswoman.
Came here with two friends last Thursday after Night Life at the Academy of Science. Great customer service! Darla was great. All three of us order vanilla milkshakes and burgers. It was the BEST vanilla milkshake I have ever had. All three of us finished our shakes even before the food came. (And normally... I can't finish a whole shake.) Burgers were good. I would definitely go back.
chalk this one up as one of those reviews that's been several months in coming.
let's see if I can recapture the moment:
it was like a scene straight from film noir. a lovely friend who i had met just a few weeks prior; the occasion of her company was a farewell breakfast. i couldn't help but wonder if something might have happened between us if circumstances were different, but our callings were to separate lands.
it was a cloudy and blustery morning; entering the diner was a haven from the cold, crisp air. the ambience was just right for the occassion- friendly and sentimental. but what made the experience truly special was meeting Darla herself.
she had a disarming charm combined with a familial cordiality, as if she were that aunt you've always loved and admired. she made you feel special. this was home.
my friend had the blueberry pancakes, and i an eggs Benedict muffin with hollandaise; both were flavorfully created and textured just right. the meal was satisfying and just the way a wholesome diner breakfast should be. we were lucky that the diner wasn't too crowded, as Darla was able to share with us some of her stories from being manager of such a fabled diner.
Darla, thank you for creating a memorable experience.
so my friend and i said our goodbyes, and i was left with a wistful wonder if someday i'd see her again in another time and another place.
but i guess i'll never know.
because earlier this week, i called her by accident, thinking she was someone else- someone with her same name that another friend was trying to introduce to me. i spent a full 10 minutes talking to her in a conversation that made no sense, until it was painfully obvious that i had the wrong person.
so, in her eyes, i'm either a player, or an idiot, or both. doh.
ah well. time to go douse my sorrows over a plate of blueberry pancakes.
There are many other restaurants where I wish I had lunch today, other than Darla's. The burger was so greasy and the bun was loaded with butter. I felt like the place had a diner type menu and a diner feel. There were a bunch of little kiddies, too. The staff was nice and they have a decent outside dining area in the back. I am just afraid that the quality of the food could have been done much better. I will not ever go back, as there are many other restaurants in the area of 9th and Irving.
My bf and I came here for brunch on a Thursday at a weird time (10 am), so the place was pretty empty save for one other person. There was, however, a gang of youngish people standing by the door looking in. At first we thought Darla's was closed because of this, turned out to be a group waiting for a to-go order. The interior decor was all art for sale, on our wall was what looked to be anime girls and lots of moonlight scenes, and expensive to boot!
We sat down and Darla herself brought us water and promptly took our order. We both ordered breakfast items, I 2 eggs sunny side up and maplewood and apple sausage, my bf the same except with bacon instead. When we were finished ordering, Darla went off on a tangent about how she was so happy to live in the U.S. and experience the freedoms we enjoy. Endearing, albeit unexpected.
Our food was out in record time, Darla was quick on the coffee refills and bringing our check, including brownies as a treat. Yum! I will definitely be back to see if it's true the best burger around.
UM yes...Fuckin awesome!!!!
Steak needs no steak sauce. And don't ask for steak sauce cuz she won't give you any! LOl. She's a little pushy but OH so fuckin yummy... Everything there. Free brownie is good too if you have room to stuff it after your dripping cheeseburger with the works on a roll, house fries and a cola. Get a stellas mid way through the meal.
I had a build-your-own burger (bbq sauce, grilled onions and mushrooms, medium well) here today, and it was pretty darn good! Good, attentive service, and they gave me a little brownie at the end - how sweet (but I think they give that to everybody)! I'd come back!
Burger/soup/coke+tax+tip = $13
After 3 years away, I was craving a burger and decided to give Darla's a visit. Ordered a medium Build A Burger with mushrooms, swiss cheese, and jalapenos with fries. The burger came surprisingly quick, about 6 minutes. Fries were hot and crispy, not too salty. Burger was cooked perfectly medium, cheese was nicely melted. My only gripe is I could not use the lettuce as it was a bit withered. Overall, the burger was really tasty, quite juicy. I left with my burger craving satisfied.
Darla's milkshakes bring all the boys (and girls) to the yard ;)
Yes, her burgers are "possibly" the best in town, but my chocolate milkshake was most certainly the best I've had in a lonnng time! Add to that some hot & crispy mozzarella sticks, nicely spiced fries, and that admittedly amazing 3 cheese burger, and Darla's was close to perfection.
The service was fantastic, too, and the prices are really not bad at all. But the push from 4 to 5 stars happened in that beautiful moment when I was given a free chocolate chip brownie along with the check. Darla's knows how to bring this girl back to the yard!
The burgers are pretty good...many different options. I love the Asian waitress there...she's awesome!
Also, they give you free brownies for dessert. :-)
Its been a little over a year since my first visit to Darla's, and in this time frame I've stopped in once or twice for veggie burgers, with nothing really standing out or changing enough to warrant a re-write.
Today, though, I was having beefy red meat cravings (it happens occasionally) and met up with a friend here for lunch. We sat in the outdoor patio area, which was pretty nice, and our server was very attentive and friendly.
The burger... oh, the burger! It was SO good! Granted, not being much of a meat eater, I'm not the authority on hamburgers, but I think I understand the high ratings now. I want to say that it totally satisfied my meat craving, but I don't know if thats really the most accurate statement since I already kind of want another one...
Wow, this place has a pretty good rating. I almost feel peer pressured to give them a better review… Read more »
Ok, but not great. Sandwiches and burgers were ok, but not extraordinary.
I am a fan.
We were starving coming home from the beach, and this place did not disappoint. I couldn't eat my cobb salad fast enough. It was massive enough to constitute two average-sized meals for me, but it was so delicious that I ate it all in one go.
My two meal buddies had the burgers, which looked pretty fantastic too. As for drinks, just give me a good Hefeweizen and I'm happy.
The mini brownies at the end were a very nice touch
Best Burger in town? It's possible, although I'd rather have a nice, juicy Big Mac or an In N' Out Double Double...don't judge me!
I tried plenty of items from the menu and I have yet to be disappointed. Darla (duh, the owner) is a total sweetheart and the staff are always welcoming and friendly.
But what really keeps me coming back for more? Those little brownie bites at the end...what a tease!
I've had worse, and I've had better.
I've had smaller portions, and I've had bigger.
I wouldn't call this place average but it's not phenomenal.
I've had drier burgers and I've had juicier.
Would I come again? Maybe.
Do I live out this way? Not at all.
Service was...different. Like shoulder stroking weird.
Good, but hardly the best burger around.
The Good: The grilled ham and cheese sandwich . . . yummy. The complementary brownie is a huge bonus.
The Bad: Other than the grilled ham and cheese, everything I've had as been OK. Not bad, but not great.
The Ugly: I really don't eat here very often, honestly, it's nothing special.
If you like good surprises, do not read on...
A few friends and i went to eat here today because they participated in San Francisco Women Against Rape's annual "Dine for a Change" fundraiser.
Our group of 4 didn't all arrive at the restaurant at the same time, and the staff was very patient. They'd come around and ask us if we wanted to order drinks or food but didn't rush us. We asked a lot of questions (like...."what's the soup of the day?", etc...)...or one question many times (from different people), and they were also very patient.
The tables were ever so slightly sticky, but the utensils were clean and wrapped nicely in a paper napkin. They had plants everywhere and art for sale, which was cool. They also have a small patio in the back, so you can eat outside on a nice day.
The food was good. I didn't try the burgers, but they looked good. I like how breakfast is available all day. I had the NY Steak and Eggs. You get steak cooked to order, 2 eggs any way you want them, potato cubes (that seem to be fried as well) and toast all for $9.95. Not too shabby.
the good surprise: you know how at some restaurants, they give you a mint or piece of candy with the bill? At Darla's they give you a bite size piece of chocolate chip brownie with your bill...one for each person! And! it was actually a really good brownie (and i have high standards for brownies)...with just the right amount of chewiness, moistness, and flakiness on the top!
It's a nice little spot (yet not so little on the inside after all- though it looks little from the outside).
I usually like cheap places with this type of food but I ate there today with friends and actually felt sick later in the day. I had a patty melt and fries. The patty melt tasted good but the fries, which had the potential to be good - they were the small size that used to be popular when I was growing up - smelled like they were cooked in rancid oil or something. The place smelled like rancid oil and my wife thought the waitress was kind of unpleasant.
We only ended up there on a Sunday morning because the other place on 9th street between the park and 9th street (can't remember the name) had a long wait and Darla's sure didn't.
The price is reasonable if you don't get sick.
I like to think of Darla's burgers as an equivalent to Top Dog in Berkeley. So many selections and no matter what meat or vegetarian filling you choose, it's tasty. It's got to be the nice toasted crunchy sandwich roll you get with every burger that makes it taste extra delicious. Like a Top Dog hot dog (i typed god twice at first, lol), the crunchy bread is perfection added to an already perfect meat. I had an Old West burger and my friend had a Salmon Burger. Both were absolutely scrumptious! And don't forget the free brownie at the end! (No brownie points however, good try Darla!)
The best burger in town? That is a hard promise to live up to.
But it was a good burger. Really good, but with the best burger in town promise, I had higher expectations for the place.
Cute neighborhood place, and the waitress, I assume is Darla. When we went in she seemed really busy and flustered but was nice and quick to take our orders, when she finally got around to taking our orders! (She was running all over the place) It was okay for the little wait because I was with good company and we had time to chat a bit. :)
The menu has a full page of breakfast options that are served all day, (yay, I like those kind of places) but we were there for the burgers and that is what we got. The burger was good, yummy in taste and good in size. To substitute with the onion rings, meant that instead of fries, I got instead 4 really large onion rings which were also yummy. Once our order was in, the food came out fast, and everything went well! And of course the free brownie bites delivered with the check was the delicious and perfect way to end the meal.
Came here once, and i haven't ever been back. I guess you can say that i wasn't all that impressed with this place. Their fries are good, and their burgers aren't your typical burgers. The meat is served on sourdough bread? I dunno, it tasted pretty ordinary to me... but then again, I'm trying to recall a memory from 2 years ago. I remember it being kind of expensive for a burger...
The only thing that I thought was impressive was that they gave you small pieces of brownie after your meal. I wouldn't mind eating here again... only if I was craving a burger and nothing else... there's just so much more to food than an american burger...
I love Darla's and there is an internal debate over which is better, the burger or the breakfast. It an extremely tough argument with no losing answer as they're clearly both winning options.
For lunch today I went a little coo-coo and deviated for the aforementioned usual options by ordering Darla's Monterrey Melt.. a delicious little number containing turkey, jack cheese, tomato, and green chillies on grilled sourdough.. throwing a new conundrum into my debate.
You really can't go wrong with breakfast here and the prices aren't bad at all. They have a patio in the back that is perfect for Sunday mornings when the weather is right (it is the Sunset).
Do it.. Do it.. Go try Darla's and tell her yelp says hi!
After hitting up Wishbone..I was hungry and looking up and down the streets for some place to stop and eat...
I saw Toasties and then I saw Darla's..checked out the menu since I was feeling a burger..
I ended up ordering the charbroiled chicken sandwich with bacon and cheese..came with a side of fries...I must say it was delish!
Darla, the owner and one waitress working that day was all over the place..she was quick and friendly..I found it funny how she kept calling my bff "baby"..haha!!
I'd def come back again to try a burger..
oh .. you get a piece of brownie when you get your check..nice way to sweeten up the customers!
Been dying to check out the place. And it met every expectation.
The place is a bit cold - plank wood chairs, stark - almost cafeteria like. The kind of place where you could eat dinner with a fleece on, and it'd be ok. Given it was a Wednesday night, so I'll give a little grace here.
However, don't be fooled. The salad dinner starter was pretty weak. Service was good. But the Southern Fried Chicken was mama-jama! I mean, not your flimsy fast food fried, but really heart felt patient frying. It had the complex fried skin - very crispy (like Grapenut crispy) and the chicken itself was juicy. You can definitely tell it is gourmet fried chicken.
The mash was good. The steam vegetables were boring and need some work.
Couple of the other guys had burgers - both looked pretty darn delicious and they finished it up. Came with skinny fries.
Overall, the food is good. Stay away from any of the salads - basically a real generic chop. Food was hot, the place was clean, and the lighting sucked. But the chicken? Move over, Colonel.
My boyfriend and I went here tonight after some shopping at target(ugh) and needless to say we were exhausted so we skipped going to red robin like we'd been planning. But as we got back into the city, we were hungry. We turned down Irving hoping for something open at 9:45pm.
We stopped at Darla's thinking at least we could get a cheap burger. We both ended up getting the Cobb Salad. It was amazing! Full grilled chicken breast, perfect tomatoes, real bacon, ripe avocado, huge chunks of blue cheese just absolutely delicious and fresh tasting. I had mine with honey mustard, the boyfriend had his with blue cheese both were fantastic.
Chatted with the waitress, she asked about the food and really listened to what we said. And the brownies with the check were a lovely surprise.
We'll definitely be coming here again.
With out a doubt not the best burger I'm town but it's tasty, affordable and family friendly. Service was a bit erratic when there for Saturday lunch.
I'm not the kind of person who labels things as 'cute', but this place is totally cute. I have gone past this place so many times and never really thought twice about it, but I was a fan once I walked in to the low-key local environment. I had no idea that our server was Darla herself, but she was the sweetest woman ever. Work. It. Darla.
This place has fried zucchini sticks, which were fantastic. My veggie burger wasn't holy-ish-this-is-the-best-burger-ever, since veggie burgers are usually the same everywhere, but I loved my fries and then the brownie that we each got afterward. Oh, and my fries had some seasoning stuff on them that I wanted to snort it was so good.
Every time I walk into this place, I am greeted with the aroma of burgers and other delights. Never a disappointment, the food is delish, and that little brownie at the end makes everything perfect.
Try the back patio on a warm, sunny day! Love it!
My portabello sandwich (burger) was excellent, with melted cheese and red pepper. Nice veggie option. My wife's mushroom, swiss cheesburger was good, but not filling. The meat wasn't a large portion (she's spoiled), and the bread was a little too soft. They have a nice kid's menu and my son enjoyed his chicken nuggets (though they scrimped on the fries).
The service was a bit slow, as my wife had to wait a bit too long for a water refill, and I with my iced tea. However, the free brownie that came with the check almost made up for it.
I love Darla's! Darla herself is really friendly, and the place has a great neighborhood feel.
I'll admit I haven't tried the burger, so I can't say whether it's possibly the best around, but they do serve the best breakfast burritos around. I recommend getting it with the chicken apple sausage and avocado.
Reunited and if feels so good...
It's been maybe a year since I've been back. The menu's changed a bit... they no longer have the Build Your Own.. but the food is still delightful. Parking still sucks.
We came in today and it was pretty busy at 1pm. But just like the Diner Dash game, Darla's got skills. She totally remembers everything and works her time management effortlessly.
New thing the boyfriend tried: Cheeseburger Club. It's basically a club sandwich with burger as the protein. He really liked it. Also, Darla's has an option to add Onion Rings for $1. They looked good...
It places like these where I have City Withdrawls...
I LOVE Darla's. I hate the parking. But aside that, their burgers are juicy, tasty and perfect. I… Read more »
Unfortunately, it was not the 'best burger in town' but it was a good quick and easy bite on the way home from the beach.
Had turkey burger with fries (and jalapeno), which was pretty good, hit the spot. The free brownies everyone mentions were actually unexpectedly good...
Only complaint is that the bench we were sitting on had this absolutely filthy black cover on it, you know how everything shows up on black? I felt like I could see what the last 15 people who sat there ate, so that was kinda gross.
Overall, I'd prob go there again if I was passing through and craving a burger, though I'd avoid sitting on the benches...
Tried Darla's because JatBar talked it up. It was OK, but I think I was expecting "Best Burger Around".
Pros
- Nice small place to come to eat.
- OK burgers - but like I said, I think my expectations were set too high.
- Brownie freebie.
Cons
- Street parking only - good luck.
Return Visit
- Possible.
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Inner Sunset
Category: American (Traditional)
Eating at these places stir up my inner Miss…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Dates, dates, and not of the fruity variety. Nice…
I have a bad habit of forgetting to bring my lunch…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
I cannot get enough hamburgers lately....here's…
My favorite burger places on the cheap. You will…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
