When I'm at work and I get a text message from my partner that says, "Don't eat lunch yet," I know that another opportunity to share a new food experience with PlanJam readers is on its way. This time, it was Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers, and, as a burger connoisseur, I am happy to report that the result is most favorable.
I'm all about dressing up a burger, be it at home, at a barbecue with friends, or by asking rather obnoxious favors of my wait staff at a restaurant. At Barney's, they eliminate the need for questions and explanations, having a menu full of options that pile on excellent toppings in delicious combinations.
Cooked to order and marked with perfect grill diamonds, the burger was flat enough to keep it from being a monstrous mess, and wide enough to support the tremendous number of bacon strips they added. Throw onto that the melted cheese and a small side of delicious dressing, a slice of fresh tomato and a large crisp piece of green leaf lettuce, and you've got a classic burger from which robust condiments would only detract.
A "half" order of their curly fries puts most extra large orders elsewhere to shame, and even after being transported from Noe Valley to SoMa, they were hot and crispy, as curly fries should be. The slice of cantaloupe that came with the burger was refreshing and perfectly ripe, rounding off the meal nicely.
Halfway through the burger and after only a small portion of the fries, I was completely full and couldn't even begin to think about finishing it. Both the remaining burger and the still enormous bag of curly fries reheated brilliantly in the oven and provided a whole second meal that night.
If you're simply looking for the best "plain" burger you can get for under ten dollars, you can definitely satisfy that need at Barneys. If you're more adventurous and want a burger with unusual fixin's, this is the place to go for that, too. And if you're not a red meat eater, or not a meat eater at all, don't despair! With comparably constructed chicken, turkey, and vegetarian burgers, everyone can leave Barney's with a hefty sandwich that makes for an amazing meal, or two!