buzz burgers in the richmond.....isn't it just the cutest little place!
San Francisco is a big city, either that, or we just get lazy thinking about going to another neighborhood to do something. Usually it's because you gotta take MUNI to get there, and we all know what that is like. Still, one of the hoods I get to semi, sort-of, occasionally, sometimes is the Richmond district. (Point of note: some maps try to say this is Laurel Heights, but that is just too much neighborhood crunching! How many more do we really need!) My first stop is always Green Apple Books and from there, it becomes a wander to kill time, check things out, find some new or different place to get a bite. When not out with the SO, I usually will veer towards places on the low end price scale which specialize a particular dish. That way I don't have to be a glutton and get three or four things. Though, not like I haven't done it before!
I find myself wandering up Geary, headed back towards downtown, checking out the food spots. Mexican, no, Korean, no, Chinese, no, KFC, God no! Yes, this is what is like when I go on a food hunt. I'm never really sure what I want or am in the mood for, until I see it. Drives the SO crazy, but I can't just eat anything now can I? This is when I come across Buzz Burgers. A cute tiny space with an industrial front window and a nice little menu of burgers and fries. This'll hit the spot.
Buzz Burgers (yes I ignored the part that said salads)
You can get your burger in beef, turkey, veggie (if you must) or chicken breast. You can build your own or go for one of their named burgers. Here's a tip: unless you only want one topping on your burger, it is always a better bargain to get a burger joints named combos. You'll find once you add it up, building your own will run more. Here, the combos are $8.75, which falls somewhere in the mid-range of burger prices in San Francisco. And no, these don't come with fries, that will be extra, of course. For my burger, I picked the Northern.
the Northern burger
A grass fed beef patty, sauteed mushrooms and onions, Swiss cheese and mayo on a toasted kaiser roll. And because it is me, I coughed up the extra $1.25 for some applewood smoked bacon. That is $10 for a burger, no sides, ugh, par for the course in SF I guess.
It's a decent size, not as small as Super Duper, not as big as Barney's, just somewhere in-between. Probably around a six ounce or so burger cooked medium, with more a glow of pink as opposed to a medium rare. The burger was juicy and you do get ample toppings including a good serving of crispy, tasty bacon. Flavor wise, what you see is what you taste. The beef, the onions, the bacon. It is a solid burger. Sort of the burger you get from a decent neighborhood joint--if you live in the neighborhood and don't feel like going to far from home because it has been a long day at work, you don't want to cook and a non fast food burger sounds really great right now. Not necessarily something you need to go out of your way to track down.
I think most of it is because you can get good $10 burger at any number of places in this town, as various "best of SF burger lists" will show you. I guess if I lived near here, I could see popping over every now and then, since other burger choices nearby seem sparse. Well, there is Mel's Diner, but, they are usually busy and aren't really any cheaper. Would I feel different if this were a couple bucks cheaper? Eh, it would make me say if you are in the hood, then definitely worth a try. As is, eaters choice.
sweet potato fries
Yes, I splurged the $3 for the sweet potato fries. Originally, I was in the mood for some onion rings, which they have on the menu. I did ask if they were made in house and the guy did admit they did not, they were frozen. Unfortunate, but props for the honesty at least. If I'm gonna eat some formerly frozen fried things, it will be some from of fries, like these. I think I've said before, it is really hard to mess up fries. Cook them right, sprinkle with salt and there you have it. They pretty much did that here. Hot, crispy and salty, all my high points. But you know, their fries, not something really worth going across town for.
Overall, it's $13 (plus tax) for a burger and fries. Sad when it seems as if that is standard pricing for such in this town. But it also means, you really need to be doing something exciting to stand out from all the other $10 burgers. Buzz is fine, if you are nearby and not down for Chinese food or something. Just not ride MUNI across town to necessarily try good.
