Phyllis' Burgers - san rafael
The fries (ordered extra crispy) are fantastic, the cokes are great, but the burgers! Why is the medium burger gray, dry, done to death? Bun and accessories were fine, but the burgers were a disgrace, ruined by overcooking. Would/should have complained or returned, but it was a mob scene (as always?) and have taken forever to get replacement burgers... not a fast food joint.
Sarah
Jun 23, 2007 07:13PM
I've had burgers there many times over several years and they've always been great and done just as I ordered (medium rare) and dripping juice, except for a couple of times the "head cook" wasn't there and the burger was too well done.
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It was deceiving -- dripping juice -- but in retrospect I think it was tomato juice from the sliced tomatoes! First time there since many years ago when they were in MV so not familiar w/head, reg or sub cooks. Next time I'll ask for medium rare.
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>Next time I'll ask for medium rare.<
But "medium" there should have been a bit pink, not all brown.
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I know, I know!
Edit: not even brown but gray.
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Good to know they re-opened. I heard they had a fire and were doing a slight re-model. Does it look any different?
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What was the set-up when you were last there? I've never seen the old, but can describe the new in comparison...
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There's a few pictures in this link but no real good photo inside
http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=3951
There was a counter with a few stools to the left of where orders were taken and a few tables against the window. It looked 'lived in'.
Previous Chowhound post with mention of fire at the end
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/366018
Huh ... just read the IJ article about the fire. There's a Cafe Gratitude in San Rafael. Man, I'll take bets about how long that lasts.
So the IJ food writer was at Cafe Gratitude eating for a review when the fire breaks out at Phyliss'
"From the corner of my eye I saw smoke, did a classic movie double take, spluttering on my beet/carrot/ginger juice and macro-bowl of grains and seaweed as I watched a line of flames shooting through the little burger place across the parking lot.
People poured out of its door as smoke poured out of its windows.
:I'm so glad I don't eat meat," our Cafe Gratitude server said.
... I am Amused. Bad news for Phyliss but that was a funny report. I guess that would be a good argument for not using heat to make food.
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Sounds the same - about 6 small tables inside to the left of the ordering station and 4-5 tables outside. It shares a parking lot with Cafe Gratitude (ironic) and while Phyllis' was jammed, CG was an oasis of calm with about 3 parties partaking at 1:00PM-ish today.
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Thanks ... re Cafe Gratitude's "crowds" ... I am Unsurprised.
That just isn't the nabe for that type of restaurant. If Roxanne's couldn't make it in nearby Larkspur, just can't see CG doing much better.
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I lived in Larkspur during Roxanne's tenure there. I never went to the restaurant because it seemed very overpriced to me. I did enjoy a few items at their take-out a few times. Roxsnne herself started out by getting a bad local rep even before it opened after talking to a few local people. But back on the subject of Cafe Gratitude, I see no good reason to eat there; the gratitude-attitude about their food would alone be enough to keep me out, and yes I do have some vegetarians for friends :-)
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Roxanne's failed not due to a lack of business, but a lack of marital fidelity.
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I'll take a look in and see if the same long-time cook is still there (I'm "off" big burgers and other bad stuff for a while).
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Doesn't Phyllis' have a couple of "branches" now -- the head chef is probably at the newest outlet to set things up... Anyhow, it'll be a couple of months (or weeks) before we have another burger seizure!
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There's been a much larger Phyllis' in a shopping center in Novato for quite a while with burgers I don't like as much as those from the small San Rafael place. And the San Rafael "head chef" stayed right there all the time as far as I could tell. But I will stop in and see who is there.
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Santa Rosa opened up a few months ago.... and has been dishing out mediocre burgers and chili fries since then. Was the head chef a 40ish Asian male... if so he is here not doing greatness.
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>Was the head chef a 40ish Asian male<
Nope.
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First of all ... Phyllis should fire the current crew there. No love went into that burger.
Secondly, as much as I want to support local businesses, I have to agree with Sarah and it is unlikely I'l go back ... Cafe Gratitude was actually looking quite excellent, if you know what I mean. I take back my snarky CG comments.
The place looks the same. The counter seems new and IIRC, the red stools are replaced with Japanese-style benches that look like they could have been lifted from Cafe Gratitude ... that look. Same table seats though.
I asked for my burger medium with a little pink. No pink. Grey ... the medium part I guess was that one section was softer than others.
The apethetic order taker bordered on rude and impatient ... I was the only customer there. It seems the three person crew was more interested in watching the Spanish channel on tv. For the entire time I was there tables went unbused with the remains of meals while these guys watched tv.
They didn't bother watching my burger either. No one bothered to scrape down the grill and there was lots of crud from previous burgers. There was one customer half way through his meal ... no excuse.
How they managed to keep the bun on the grill the entire time and have it untoasted remains a mystery to me.
As to the "juice'. They use a variation of the Niki Rothman burger method. Instead of incorporating water into the patty, just before it is finished ... right before the cheese is put on ... they douse it with water ... ta da ... juice.
I didn't like the bun. It was too solid for me. Maybe it would have been better with detectable toasting.
It was sloppily dressed with mayo and mustard. Lettuce was good ... could have been Romaine ... nice tomato slices with flavor and nice thinly sliced white onions. There was a jar of pickle slices on the counter, but none in the bag.
The shake would have been better if the ice cream didn't have freezer burn. I got a mocha and it was excellent flavor-wise with a strong hit of coffee. However, either they put ice in that shake or the ice cream was over the hill because there was a gritty graininess to it.
Cafe Gratitude looks very nice with lots of parking and a pleasant outdoor patio.
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It sounds like it's a different cook than was there before the fire (I still haven't checked). If the "old" cook is really gone, that's a big loss. They had an operation for a while in the food court of the Village shopping center in Corte Madera, and the burgers weren't nearly as good.
>As to the "juice'. They use a variation of the Niki Rothman burger method. Instead of incorporating water into the patty, just before it is finished ... right before the cheese is put on ... they douse it with water ... ta da ... juice.<
I don't think so :-) They've always put some water on the grill near the burger at that time so the steam helps to melt the cheese (I think they covered the burger and cheese then also). The juice that was in the burgers I've had there certainly wasn't from that water.
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I went there today for the first time in a while. The "regular" cook wasn't there (they said he works four days a week) so I was prepared for the worst. I was pleasantly surprised. I had the junior burger (1/4 lb) for the first time, ordered it medium (after confirming that medium was "some pink"), and it arrived with a "little pink" and very juicy. I think I'll do medium rare next time, but this was quite good anyway. There was a giant burger being eaten a short distance away and I could see more pink in that one (of course I don't know how it was ordered) and it also was dripping a lot of juice. The young cook couldn't have been nicer or more gracious. I always say "no mayo" and ask for grilled onions and it came that way. Love those grilled onions. From the bad reports above, I suspect this place is inconsistant. I don't know if they have more than two cooks or what the problem is. But for me it's still very good and I'll try medium rare next time.
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Have you tried the mini-burger at Milano in Tiburon's Cove Shop. Ctr.?
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>Have you tried the mini-burger at Milano in Tiburon's Cove Shop. Ctr.?<
No, thanks for the reminder. I don't think of that place for burgers, just full meals (and not very good the last time I went so I've not been in a long time).
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