Anyone know a great East Bay Burger joint?

[ValHan]

The only one I have found that makes me go back again is at Cafe Rouge on 4th St. Any other suggestions?

[finleyr]

Cause the suggestions get buried when they are way down on the list, and because I feel so strongly about the burger (and other food) at 900 Grayson in Berkeley (at the corner of 7th St., a few blocks north of Ashby) I'm sending this again:
Fabulous thick, juicy niman ranch beef burger done to perfection the way you ask, with thick sliced apple-wood smoked bacon, cheese, crispy fried onions and a great bun that doesn't get soggy and fall apart at 900 Grayson (at 7th St.) in Berkeley. Comes with julienned garlic fries. Yumm-m-m

[ML8000]

Anyone try Ahn's Quarter Pound Burger on Grand near the Lake? Yelp gives it 4 stars with close to 200 reviews. Says old school, hole in the wall. I've ridden by there a million times but never figured to stop but I'm curious...and it has private parking out front.

[drewskiSF]

I've been once.

Pretty standard. Thin griddled patty on toasted seedless bun. Patty was still slightly pink in the center which is a plus. Wasn't particularly juicy.

OK for a fast food type burger fix, though for that type I'd choose Sparky's.

[ML8000]

Thanks. I'll have to check it out.

[shanghaikid]

tried Ahn's a while ago. ordered burger, no cheese, medium rare, got well done. burger tasteless.

noticed a del monte box lying around. the preformed patties came in this box.

[Mission]

Ahn's Burgers

Cheap meat.
Cheap buns.
Cheap condiments.
Cheap frozen Crinkle cut fries.
Cheap flavorless produce.

Why go there when in Oakland?

[ML8000]

Okay, Thanks...now I probably won't check it out.

[Pius Avocado III]

I occasionally get takeout from Anh’s to satisfy a very specific craving for an unreconstructed, old school, non-chain fast food burger with no apologies. I wouldn't go out of the way if it weren't right down the hill from home.

The fries are to be avoided.

[GH1618]

I recently went back to Sparky's on Piedmont, after the discussion above, to pay closer attention. We went away satisfied. It's still my choice near downtown Oakland.

Pluses:

Service was fast and courteous — no complaonts at all.
Good choices — I usually get the blue cheese burger, but without the jack cheese.
Excellent location, as I go to other places on Piedmont.
Not too busy — foodies are lined up elsewhere.
Price — a whole lot less than $16.

Minuses:

Too much noise from the dishwasher, especially if he drops something. Next time I'll sit up front.
Size choices are 1/4 lb and 1/2 lb. If I were extra hungry, I might want a 1/3 lb burger. I would never order 1/2 lb.

Note: The menu says burgers are cooked medium well, but mine was cooked medium. That's just the way I want it, so all was good there.

[eldub]

I second Plum Bar, but my first choice is Pappo in Alameda. Their burger is $16 and worth it. Well constructed, perfectly cooked, and served with great pickles.

I've had one very good burger and one badly overcooked burger at Sidebar. I hope it was an off night, but I haven't been back since that experience. It only takes one. I also had a very overcooked burger at Chop Bar as well, but somehow I trust that was also an off night, because I like most of their food.

Trueburger is a tasty fast-food-style burger. They don't use small-farm meat; otherwise I'd have a hard time staying away.

[GH1618]

Has no one mentioned Sparky's on Piedmont Avenue? I like it but don't get around eating enough hamburgers at different places to rank it. That's where we go, in that neighborhood.

[drewskiSF]

For whatever reason, the Sparky's on Redwood Rd seems to have consistently juicier burgers and better service than the Piedmont location.

I do like it better than Barney's which seems to have gone way downhill in the last couple years.

[Ruth Lafler]

Yeah, I had a really disappointing experience at the Piedmont Ave. Sparky's, both food and service, and won't be going back.

[Mission]

Even the Sparky's on Redwood Rd is not as good as it used to be.

I grew up off Joaquin Miller Road and have been eating at that Sparky's since the 70's.(remember the Lucky Lion?)

I used to love playing golf at Chabot GC in the 80's and 90's and then phoning in a order after the 19th tee, to be picked up on the way home.

It was usually the highpoint of my day of golf...LOL.

But now its...just ok.

Don't know why...I think the same two Sisters run it.

I will check them out and give a current review.

[Pius Avocado III]

I went to Sparky's on the Ave once; won't be back.

[rubadubgdub]

Not to pile on but we went to Sparky's Piedmont the other night and were told by the server that the burgers MUST be cooked medium well to well. They wouldn't cook it less. Some mumbojumbo about how the health inspector told them it had to be so.

[GH1618]

The restriction to medium or more is really a distinct topic, however, which has been discussed in another recent thread. If you insist on a medium-rare burger, your choices will be reduced.

[Magelet]

I really liked Victory Burger on Alcatraz at San Pablo. We had the burger on the Arepa Bun and it was really quite good. It wasn't the best burger ever, but it was really good and the Arepa bun was awesome.

[escargot3]

I just had an impeccable burger at Chop Bar tonite -- meat was perfectly cooked: medium rare. Add'l onions seemed to have been sauteed in perhaps red wine. And the bacon... flavorful. Even the half sour pickle on the side was good. And a generous portion of baby greens as well.

Oh, can I add that the margarita was fabuloso: big, strong and tasty...

[mariacarmen]

did take out last night at Grazzy Burgers in Albany.

Ordered over the phone at about 7:20, and were told it would be 30 minutes. at the end of placing our order, they said more like 40 minutes. i showed up 45 minutes later and they were just bagging my order. we had the Classic Burger, with cheddar, just to see what the baseline is, and fries. We ordered them medium rare.

The drive home took maybe 4 minutes. The place is very concrete-y, bare, LOUD. They were not full, so I don't know why it took so long; perhaps they're still working out the bugs.

The burgers held up well, the fries less so. Very flavorful meat, bun held up perfectly to the fillings, and the whole thing had a very clean, meaty flavor to it. fresh tomatoes, fresh lettuce (nothing wilted), and their horseradish mayo added plenty of moisture to what might have been a drier burger owing to the grass-fed beef. And it was cooked a perfectly pink medium rare, maybe a tad more than i would normally like. This is not a big sloppy, juicy, burger; again - it's clean, neat, tasty, and a reasonable size. I'd have it again, and try their other burgers too. The fries are hand-cut, very good, tho not crispy enough, even considering the drive, i think. but i'd probably get them again.

http://grazzyburgers.com/

[The Dive]

Went to Grazzy on Saturday. Had the blue and bacon burger, which was very good and flavorful. Nice bun. the sweet potato fries were much better than the regular ones. Beer list okay (brought from next door's Tap Room). The list is long and looks like it would have something special, but too many ordinary selections and/or poor producers.

[Robert Lauriston]

I had the Hopscotch burger with beef tongue. Great toasted Semifreddi bun (reminded me of their challah). Good beefy flavor, juicy, excellent overall flavor from the addition of of pickled onions and sesame aioli. One of the best griddled burgers I've had.

I stopped by Mua first but couldn't stand the music.

[cometraveler]

A different part of the East bay - has anyone food good burgers in the Walnut Cree, Danville/San Ramon, Pleasanton side of the East Bay????

[rahnsibley]

I forgot to mention Scolari's in Alameda. Their Burger Au Povire is unique and delicious.

[stravaigint]

One more for Scolari's, although I haven't had the au poivre. The times I've been they've always had a bacon blue cheese burger as the special, which is what I get.

Was really disappointed by Trueburger. Bleh.

[The Dive]

Finally tried Scolari's yesterday. Had just the basic burger and was really impressed by the flavor and correct cooking (I asked for medium rare and it was actually that). Fries lost some of their appeal in transit, but I can definitely understand the alure, especially if hanging out at Lucky 13 (on the Lucky 13 note, I hadn't been in a while and found the beer list to be rather lackluster).

[The Dive]

My favorite burgers of the East Bay:
- Plum Bar (high-class dive bar burger)
- Trueburger (great griddled burger with american cheese)
- Triple Rock (my favorite for a thick, beef-centric burger)

I also like Mua, Sidebar and Luka's, but I find them a little less interesting.

I recently had a bite of the cheeseburger at La Pinata in Alemeda -- it was very good. The bun was a torta roll and it worked really well.

[...tm...]

I think everybody has their own Platonic ideal of a burger--mine is a thick, juicy, very beefy medium rare cheeseburger where the primary taste is beefiness, and the other elements add and not detract from this. Also, I hate ketchup. I haven't tried too hard to seek it out, but I haven't found a great version of this in Berkeley. I was disappointed, in particular, with Cafe Rouge, as I've enjoyed all the meat from the couter there, and many cuts of BN Ranch beef from there specifically for their beefiness, but found their burger lacking in both beefy flavor and juiciness. I only had it once, so it could have been an off afternoon. I did have a good example of this at Revival recently--a very juicy and reasonably beefy burger with a nicely griddled bun. The fries were nice and crispy too.
I tend to be less enthused about diner style griddled thin patties, but have really enjoyed 510 burger, and I would go back to Trueburger. I've found the burgers at Al's to be okay (though I like how they have fried zucchini and mushrooms, and prefer to order these). Nations has been acceptable, though I've mostly consumed them at a late hour after drinking.
One place I particularly didn't care for was Sam's in San Leandro. I was drawn in by their cute, old-timey design, but the burger was relatively flavorless and served on a blah untoasted bun. The fries were good, though--very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

[psb]

I realize this isnt EBay, but for you, tm, have you tried the Mission Bowl Burger? Based on what I had at the precursor, back at Duc Loi, might be worth trying. Dunno if they still have the significant "happy hour" discount.

It was very ... beefy.

[...tm...]

I still curse the day when I made it mid-day to Duc Loi and got the fried chicken sandwich rather than the famed burger because I was more in the mood for fried chicken and I'd heard good things about on the hound. Unfortunately I didn't like it at all--though the idea of separately fried skin and thigh meat only appealed to me, it ended up being a greasy mess with a weird, large mess of tenkatsu with okay chicken thigh in the center. I should give it a try.

[GoldMember76]

Top 3:
1) Chop Bar
2) Plum Bar
3) Sidebar

[Robert Lauriston]

Have you had the new burger at Plum? One big patty, cheese, aioli, sauteed onions, good for that style (I prefer charcoal-grilled to griddled). The chef recommends the optional bacon, but they were out that night.

[rahnsibley]

The Woodminster cafe is one of the best burgers in my recent memory. A rather homey sparsely appoint cafe in a very quiet area of Oakland. My current favorite is Honor Kitchen and Cocktails on Powell St at Hollis in Emeryville. The whole menu is good, yet the Honor Cheeseburger stands out above many of the places listed here, They serve to midnight and also have a great cocktail list.

[billsay]

The burgers at Gather and Sea Salt were great.
Also, Phil's Sliders are awesome. Small taste bombs.

[Robert Lauriston]

Sea Salt changed hands, name (Eat+Lounge), and menu, may not be the same burger.

[OaktownGrubbn]

My husband and I really dig Flipside's burger over on Lakeshore. When I was pregnant, we were there almost every week. They never fail to impress. I've tried all 3 bun offerings, but their signature classic but is the yummiest. And I'm not a huge onion ring fan, but they're beer battered onion rings are pretty bomb, too.

[10foot5]

Surprised no one has mentioned Disco Volante yet.

The fries are excellent and the burger easily beats other nearby options (Sidebar, Mua, Luka, Hopscotch). Plus the kitchen is open until Midnight.

[The Dive]

Had the cheeseburger at Disco Volante for the first time yesterday. It is basically perfect, but very rich (well-seasoned juicy patty, good cheddar and bacon jam). The fries are first rate. The rest of the menu looked great as well (squid salad, fried pig ears, etc.), but I had to focus on the burger. It is probably the front runner for me now in the East Bay.

[finleyr]

Fabulous thick, juicy niman ranch beef burger with thick sliced apple-wood smoked bacon, cheese, crispy fried onions and a great bun that doesn't get soggy and fall apart at 900 Grayson (at 7th St.) in Berkeley. Comes with julienned garlic fries. Yumm-m-m

[Stephanie Wong]

Sssshhh, it's already too crowded!

[majordanby]

anyone have an opinion on oscar's in Berkeley? I always walk by there, but have yet to try it out. whenever im in that area and need a burger, i typically go to triple rock.

[psb]

If a friend was insistent on going to OSCAR, I probably wouldnt burn my veto on it, as I havent been there for years inspite of walking/driving by it many times a week. Probably because I've forgotten why I dont go back ... whether I just didnt like it or thought it was overpriced etc.

And I suspect after that, I'd go back to not going there.

I think prefer Barney's to Triple Rock. But frankly in that zone, cheeseboard, that slider place, gregoire, possible local butcher sando, now sliver, brasa ... many options crowd it out.

I certainly wouldnt single out OSCAR for an inquiry covering the East Bay, i.e. "not a destination" ... not even "worth a detour", in Michelin-speak.

ok tnx.

[Robert Lauriston]

The food at Triple Rock improved a lot at some point in the last few years.

[Glencora]

I used to go, but it's been quite a few years. I remember thin patties grilled over a flame. Good fast-food style burgers. (I actually prefer thin patties.) Driving by, I've noticed veggie and chicken burgers advertised in the windows. Don't remember that in the past.

Any recent more reports?

[ML8000]

Oscar's is meh. Use to be okay in context of food in the 80s but not now with Barney's, Triple Rock and other options. Of ocurse Oscar's is cheaper. Flame grilled but thin patty and not much taste, very shallow.

I did stop by Oscar's a few years ago because I was driving and realized it had a free parking lot...but free parking isn't a good enough reason to go.

p.s. it also has a drive in..never noticed it before.

[mariacarmen]

since we moved my elderly dad up here, we've tried a lot of non-restaurantish burger places. Oscar's is meh, Smokehouse is meh, Al's is meh, Nation's is meh.... Red Onion, across the street from the Home Depot is slightly better than all these, in our opinion.

[ML8000]

Have you tried Val's? Better than most and the ones you listed.

[mariacarmen]

No, where is Val's? yeah, the ones i listed are just the ones closeby that the Oldster will eat.

[kc72]

Hayward/Castro Valley border

[mariacarmen]

oh, thanks. that's a little too far for us to go just for a burger for my dad. (he lives in Albany.)

[Robert Lauriston]

What about Al's Big Burger?

[bigbruin]

Can't believe no one has mentioned George's Giant Burger in Walnut Creek on Newell across the street from Kaiser. They grind their meat daily. Wonderful juicy burger that hasn't changed in 20 plus years.

[Robert Lauriston]

I don't think most of us who live in the Oakland-Berkeley area get to Walnut Creek very often. Personally I don't even think of it as the East Bay, it's in a different watershed (Suisun Bay).

[mariacarmen]

i mentioned Al's. it was a go-to for awhile because it's close to my dad's, but we like Red Onion's better.

[mr_darcy]

I know some people who like Nation's... there's one in Orinda and one in Moraga (perhaps others). Might want to call in your order ahead of time - they can be slow.

[Stephanie Wong]

Back in the day, I enjoyed the Nation's Giant Hamburgers locations in Alameda, Jack London Square, and El Cerritto -- BUT haven't gone in ages (gotta love a joint where the cops eating inside offer to escort a single gal to her car in the wee a.m. hours!) Use to love a juicy burger that once I started in, couldn't put it down cuz too messy!

http://www.nationsrestaurants.com/loc...

[psb]

The biggest problem with NATION'S is too often they will use the heel -- or whatever the thick white bitter part is called -- rather than just the leafy, green part of the lettuce head.

Somewhat generically, like a lot of the more modest place, various food and non-food aspects of the whole experience can be highly inconsistent/variable ... ranging from getting a grilled cheese instead of burger in my to-go bag, to breaking the burger patty into two pieces, the long waits mentioned above ... and then we get into the long tail ... customer-chef knife fights, being locked inside the restaurant [actually that used to happen a lot at the one that used to be in Southside Berkeley] ... to my favorite episode ... "Uh, what happened to my fries? (after like 40min)" "You wanted fries?" "That's all I ordered! ... yes, I'd like fries for my fries."

If you like mayo on your burgers.

Yes, messy to the point of I dont like to consume them in public with with company.

[Stephanie Wong]

You just made me remember that I alway omitted the lettuce because the iceberg core made the whole thing slide off the bun at first bite -- LOL! Same reason for getting the onions grilled. And, God forbid, forgetting to have at least 3 napkings opened and ready to sopped up whatever fallout happened.

[psb]

Yes, opting for GRILLED ONIONS is essential for taste, structure, and the breath weapon-factor. But unfortunately they often under provide the grilled onions as much as they over do the raw.

But it is the LETTUCE CORE which drives me crazy ... I keep wanted to say "Can i give you a $.25 for a decent piece of lettuce?"

[Pius Avocado III]

Ah, Nation's- my opinions having been formed exclusively past 2am at the JLS location, I occasionally walk down from downtown for a burger to this day. In all likelihood this says more about the daytime burger possibilities downtown than it does about the quality of Nation's per se.

Rocky's was OK when they were here; Rico's has gone down a steep hill.

I've never experienced a lettuce problem at Nation's. I specify light onion, add pickle. They go crazy with the pickles- 3-4 longitudinal slices of shelf-stable dill- and it somehow works for me with the mayo and slightly diminished amount of onions.

[ML8000]

Nation's is okay...if you have to have a burger...but it's always done well and they put on the giant crappy slice of tomato and the giant piece of bitter lettuce (as described) and giant slice of onion. It seems it's there to provide bulk and hide the beef. Last time I went was 3 years ago...had to yank out most of the lettuce, most of the onion and the tomato was still over powering (bc it wasn't ripe).

[dcfb]

My favorite for quite a while was at B in Old Oakland. Still trying to find a buttered, toasted, brioche bun with a burger that is well-built and doesn't slide all over the place. Will check some of these out.

[TopoTail]

I had the basic burger at Hopscotch recently (not the one with tongue on top) and it was fantastic. Somebody mentioned the Burger Depot at the foot of Solano, which I also like for some reason, though it's just a char grilled frozen patty. People have mentioned problems with buns. I agree that the bun at Cafe Rouge is too dense. A hamburger bun should be soft. Pearl's in Alameda has surprisingly good burgers for a chain place, and they make a 1/4 pound version, which I appreciate. (Sorry, I don't need a half-pound of meat.) Can't Fail Cafe does a pretty good burger too.

[bbulkow]

If you like frozen pattys, and you're in berkeley, you might like The Smokehouse.

[Mission]

I used to eat at Smokehouse regularly in the 1990's after a late night at the pubs and parties.

Always thought it was quite tasty (do they still charge extra for tomatoes or mayonnaise?)

Then I made the mistake of eating there during the day completely sober...

Holy cow it was so bad and nasty that I have not returned in over 20 years...LOL.

[psb]

Yeah, I agree ... I know people who'd drive there at office lunch time and never understood why. Some kind of Cognitive Dissonance ... "it's an uncomfortable place to eat, so the food must be fantastic, otherwise why I am sitting on a picnic bench on telegraph ave".

And after late night occasions, we didn the drive through jack-in-the-box next door instead. So no apostasy for me.

[Robert Lauriston]

I stopped at Smokehouse one night on a hot dog crawl. Not as good as Top Dog, better than Sumo Grub.

[edgrimley]

While not a burger place per se, Hopscotch has a marvelous specimen with "griddled duck tongue." I had the luscious fried chicken when we were there and got to sample my friend's burger. A great reason to go back.

[mariacarmen]

oh i forgot, i had that burger, it's wonderful!

[mariacarmen]

curious about this place, opening next month...
https://www.facebook.com/GrazzyBurgers

[ernie in berkeley]

Grazzy Burgers is open and I stopped by today. The "classic" (plain) burger had a flavorful patty, cooked exactly medium rare as requested, but a bit dry, probably because the beef is grass-fed. The menu said it came with mayonnaise, which I said no to before seeing that it's a home-made version with horsradish and dijon. This would have moistened the burger nicely.

The hand-cut fries (extra charge) were good, but could have been a little crisper.

They appear to be single-sourcing their beef from a ranch in Oregon.

http://grazzyburgers.com/

[lmnopm]

First trip there today:

(1) Burger was tasty enough, but in the good, not great, department. I certainly wouldn't recommend that anyone order it more done than medium rare. I appreciate the beef quality.

(2) Open until 10 or 11, depending on the night. That is a big plus. One would be relegated to Nations or Taco Bell or similar in the 'hood at that hour, otherwise.

(3) The fries were odd. Plus- they come with 2 dipping sauces (choice of many) which were tasty. Minus - they looked extra crispy / well done, and were pretty floppy. Taste was ok.

(4) They brought over taproom beer/wine menus, but we had to ask. Service was friendly.

[Robert Lauriston]

Taproom? Is the space split in two?

[lmnopm]

It is split in two, with a very large opening between the two.

[j mather]

I'm surprised 900 Grayson hasn't been mentioned. Of course, you need to like Nueske's bacon and crispy onion strings on your burger to enjoy the Grayson burger.

[Glencora]

Bistro 1491 has a good burger on a bun that doesn't fall apart. The ambiance isn't great, but I'm always struck by how nice the service is there. I think the burger is actually a cheeseburger (cheddar, American, blue, Swiss or jack) though I didn't have any. And the side is a choice of fries, potato salad, green salad and something else I'm forgetting.

[ernie in berkeley]

I just had a really good burger at the Berkeley Bowl West cafe.

[foodrocks]

Telegraph in Oakland does an awesome 50/50 burger, made with ground beef and ground bacon. The patty is ridiculously juicy, so much so, I don't even pay attention to details like the bun and toppings.

[rubadubgdub]

Surprisingly the one at Townhouse in Emeryville is memorable, more so than the ones I've had at Luka, Mua, Sidebar. I could actually taste the meat.

[jaiko]

Not surprising at all. Townhouse/Emeryville is a GREAT steakhouse. Their prime rib is better than anything we've gotten at any of the East Bay steakhouses.

[mariacarmen]

wow, it's been at least 10 years since i've been to Townhouse..... really good to know about the prime rib.

ETA... Wah, it's not on their regular menu... was that a special?

[Robert Lauriston]

There are steakhouses in the East Bay?

[Pius Avocado III]

And Townhouse is one?!?!? Please elaborate.

[Robert Lauriston]

Wait, you called Townhouse a steakhouse? The only steaks on the menu are a tenderloin and a "Thai steak salad." It's kind of Italian / American / comfort food / whatever.

http://www.townhousebarandgrill.com/Dinner.htm

I've gone there a few times for work meals and the food wasn't memorable. Around there I'd rather go to Bucci's.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/330253
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/418561

[exploserous]

I've become a big fan of the freshly opened Victory Burger, next to the Actual Cafe on Alcatraz and San Pablo in Oakland/Emeryville. The burgers are great, it's always easy to find parking and you can grab a pretty good coffee next door.

[flavorenhancer]

Yes, Victoryburger is worth checking out. The space is small and sparse, the staff are young and friendly and the burgers are tasty. My $8 bought a basic 1/3 lb. burger with 3 dot ranch beef grilled (not griddled) to order. Medium rare was the request and medium rare was the result. A good quality bun contained the burger and basic fixings and held up well right to the last bite. They have plenty of add-on options which, as a burger fundamentalist, I did not try. They have a few non-burger options which I have not yet tasted, though the chicken banh mi looks good.

[hungree]

Checked out Victory burger. Liked the Veggie burger more than the veggie arepa, which is not really a burger since it falls apart immediately. Also the tofu needed some more flavor. I did really like the Arepa and if they somehow got the insides to stick together it would be a lot more enjoyable. My thought was that instead of multiple small pieces of tofu and plantain, they could cut them longer or wider.

The fries were good but a bit soggy, and the fried veggies were much better. Homemade ketchup is great because it is not too sweet. The house hot sauce, though, is too sweet and not hot enough. Wish they had a turkey burger instead of a chicken banh mi.

[Robert Lauriston]

I had Nizza's burger recently. Good except the bun was too dense and chewy for my taste.

[wolfe]

Nizza La Bella.
BELLA BURGER WITH FRITES/ 11.50
Half Pound Burger with Grilled Onions, House-Made Bun & Frites
Juicy burger, toasted bun, crispy fries.

[theomordha]

Val's in Hayward. Burger and Fries for two with a chocolate shake. None better.

Fatapple in Berkeley. Do not forget the slice of Ollalieberry pie. Remarkable.

The others are OK but these are the top of the pile.

[Mission]

Val's made a solid B grade burger.

But I will not go go back since the last two times I went the burger cook smashed down the burgers as they cooked...that is a cardinal sin of hamburger cooking,never squeeze out the juices of a cooking burger...never...ever!

Same reason why I won't go to Barney's hamburgers.
They do the same lame thing.

I'm not gonna pay $9 for a burger cooked by a fool.

[drewskiSF]

i haven't witnessed the smash, but their patties have always been super juicy.

their bun needs replacing though. it disintegrates under the juices. someone suggested the French Roll option for +$0.35

[Mission]

Here is my link to Victory Burger review...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/8808...

[JohnnyontheSpot]

Trueburger in oakland is the best burger I've found in the east bay IMHO

[Robert Lauriston]

Trueburger's exceptionally good for a place without a charcoal grill and a great value. The only griddled burger I've had that topped that was the Heston Blumenthal "granulated" one at the defunct Mission Burger / Duc Loi in SF (now being served at Mission Bowling Club).

[ThaDu]

super duper on market st in san francisco, grass fed beef not corn fed beef

[gordon wing]

before others chime in with more SF burgers ..... the OP wanted East Bay Burgers : ~ )

[shanghaikid]

concur with trueburger. fivetenburger (food truck) is also great.

[foodeye]

Another truck that makes a good burger is Doc's of the Bay.

[drewskiSF]

Haven't been impressed yet by Trueburger.

I've been twice. First time I didn't specify doneness and it was well done and dry. Second time I asked for med-rare and it was super rare; I like my steaks like that, but burgers I like more done.

A choice of cheese would be nice too.

[sundeck sue]

Ditto re Cafe Rouge.

The patty @ Wood Tavern on College in Oakland is great, but the hard roll is all wrong.

Haven't been for donkey's years, but recall liking the burger @ Fat Apple on MLK in Berkeley (w/ a side of good cole slaw and a great shake).

And Burger Depot is a hole-in-the-wall place on lower Solano that has an inexpensive, decent burger (and good shake--it's a shop that also features ice cream).

[Robert Lauriston]

Yeah, Wood Tavern's burger would be great if they used a brioche bun. The chunk of baguette just doesn't work for me for a burger, though I love it with their pastrami.

[obiwan]

Burger Depot is ok for the price, but it seems like they just use pre-processed patties. Haven't tried Wood Tavern's.

[nicedragonboy]

Cafe Royale in Albany has a surprisingly good burger. Maybe doesn't have the pedigree of other places, but I found it to be hand made, thick, juicy and very satisfying. Only open for Breakfast and Lunch though.

Also I really like Scolari's in Alameda.

[pane]

Are you referring to Royal Cafe, or is there a Cafe Royale as well? http://www.royalcafealbany.com/FinalR...

[nicedragonboy]

You are right, Royal Cafe.

[pane]

Great, thanks! I wanted to include your recommendation in this but wasn't sure if there was a deep underground, non-web indexed Cafe Royale I was missing http://www.chow.com/food-news/132896/...

[Robert Lauriston]

Cafe Rouge is my usual place when I've craving a burger, though the Kaiser rolls they use aren't may favorite.

I slightly prefer Mua's, similar style but with a brioche bun, but I don't go there often because of the loud boring music.

The old Namu in SF beat both of them. I haven't tried the burger at Namu Gaji yet.

[drewskiSF]

Mua in Oakland

[escargot3]

another vote for Mua. I also like the ones at Luka's (but even noisier than Mua...)

[Spatlese]

Had their burger once - the burger itself was tasty, but the fries were limp and cold. Rather killed the experience for me.

[Stephanie Wong]

Mua would be my fav (ahead of Chop Bar), but if the bun's not toasted, it's gets too soggy. And, lately, the noise level is just too much for me.

[Robert Lauriston]

I make it a habit of ordering my bun toasted even at places that usually do it without asking.

[bbulkow]

What have you tried, found lacking, and why?

[jaiko]

We've found the burgers at Sidebar/Oakland and Cafe Royal/Albany both lacking due to: not salting beef before cooking (a real sticking point for me; salt on top is NOT the same) but more importantly, fluffy fall-apart Kilpatrick style buns. I hate those.

Give me the great telera bun on La Calaca's Mexicanaburger any day. Or the properly trimmed, lightly toasted brioche at Vault 164 (which sadly, is in San Mateo and a loooong ride away).

Duck Club/Lafayette made a stupendous burger, but we haven't been back since the chef changed, so will have to wait a week before reporting back.

[Rapini]

Sidebar in Oakland.

[Stephanie Wong]

Chop Bar in Oakland