Luxe hamburgers are my official food of The Economic Downturn. Straddling the increasingly disparate worlds of white tablecloths versus paper plates, they're comfort food with class. A little bit PBR, a little bit Grey Goose.Gobbling upscale hamburgers made with pedigreed beef, drizzled with aoili, tarted up with house made pickles and truffled fries feels like a ridiculous indulgence at a bargain-basement price. Consider them your entree into some of the area's best restaurants on a lunchtime budget.
Not that a good burger won't run you upwards of $10-$15 -- an eye-popping amount for the Mickey D's set. A cost-per-bite steal for Michelin-rated restaurants.
What's worth the price? BiteClub navigates the grills to get the lowdown in a continuing investigation. Keep in mind that many of these burgers are only available during lunch.
Today's Bite: Syrah, Mike's KRUSH burger & Equus...
Best bet: Syrah's Grilled Chuck Burger ($11.50)
Josh's secret is all about ratio: Not too much meat or bun or toppings. Everything in perfect balance. It works. Grilled to medium rare, the meat is just pink enough to sink your teeth into. Fresh buns, secret sauce, Soda Rock tomatoes and (here's the kicker) fresh french fries. Not the frozen stuff that even top restaurants are pushing. Ick. I nudged Josh for some of his killer fennel pollen aioli to dip my fries which made the whole thing all the sweeter.
Extra credit: Housemade pickles, Point Reyes blue cheese or Bravo Reserve Cheddar and a generous portion of Applewood Smoked bacon. Big enough to take home half for later. Minus: Cheese and bacon will cost you an extra $2 each, bringing the price up to $15.50 for the works.
Syrah Bistro: Burger available for lunch only. Open for lunch Tues-Sat, 11:30am to 2pm, 205 5th St., Santa Rosa, 707.568.4002.
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Mike's at the Crossroads KRUSH burger
It's hardly haute, sitting on ripped vinyl and sipping out of a "Stolen from Mike's" tumbler, but the KRUSH burger brings a touch of class -- and Zinfandel glaze -- to this hole-in-the-wall joint. Extra credit: Fries on Friday, really flavorful meat, sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic. Minus: Buns can't withstand all the deliciousness. You'll do better to lose the top bun and eat it with a fork. $9.25
Mike's at the Crossroads: 7665 Old Redwood Hwy., Cotati, (707) 665-9999
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Equus
I was stoked for the renovations. I was bummed by the burger. I'd heard a few folks talking about the half-pound Angus cheeseburger at the newly remodeled Equus. Chef Jeff Reilly's no slouch, so hopes were high. For $10, I got a greasy, nearly raw-in-the-middle (I asked for medium rare) burger that really fell short. What's surprising is that even the presentation was poor -- a real surprise after getting a beautifully plated bowl of Roasted Green Chili Soup ($7) that set the bar high. The fries were standard-issue. The service was rushed and cold, with what appeared to be a single waitress staffing the entire room. Overall: Burgers clearly aren't a focus here. Equus: Burgers available at lunch only, 11:30am to 2pm daily. Fountaingrove Inn, 101 Fountaingrove Pkwy, Santa Rosa.
Remember the old Burger Smackdown? There's still some good stuff...
Coming up: K&L, Stark's and more...
Josh's secret is all about ratio: Not too much meat or bun or toppings. Everything in perfect balance. It works. Grilled to medium rare, the meat is just pink enough to sink your teeth into. Fresh buns, secret sauce, Soda Rock tomatoes and (here's the kicker) fresh french fries. Not the frozen stuff that even top restaurants are pushing. Ick. I nudged Josh for some of his killer fennel pollen aioli to dip my fries which made the whole thing all the sweeter.
Extra credit: Housemade pickles, Point Reyes blue cheese or Bravo Reserve Cheddar and a generous portion of Applewood Smoked bacon. Big enough to take home half for later. Minus: Cheese and bacon will cost you an extra $2 each, bringing the price up to $15.50 for the works.
Syrah Bistro: Burger available for lunch only. Open for lunch Tues-Sat, 11:30am to 2pm, 205 5th St., Santa Rosa, 707.568.4002.
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Mike's at the Crossroads KRUSH burger
It's hardly haute, sitting on ripped vinyl and sipping out of a "Stolen from Mike's" tumbler, but the KRUSH burger brings a touch of class -- and Zinfandel glaze -- to this hole-in-the-wall joint. Extra credit: Fries on Friday, really flavorful meat, sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic. Minus: Buns can't withstand all the deliciousness. You'll do better to lose the top bun and eat it with a fork. $9.25
Mike's at the Crossroads: 7665 Old Redwood Hwy., Cotati, (707) 665-9999
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Equus
I was stoked for the renovations. I was bummed by the burger. I'd heard a few folks talking about the half-pound Angus cheeseburger at the newly remodeled Equus. Chef Jeff Reilly's no slouch, so hopes were high. For $10, I got a greasy, nearly raw-in-the-middle (I asked for medium rare) burger that really fell short. What's surprising is that even the presentation was poor -- a real surprise after getting a beautifully plated bowl of Roasted Green Chili Soup ($7) that set the bar high. The fries were standard-issue. The service was rushed and cold, with what appeared to be a single waitress staffing the entire room. Overall: Burgers clearly aren't a focus here. Equus: Burgers available at lunch only, 11:30am to 2pm daily. Fountaingrove Inn, 101 Fountaingrove Pkwy, Santa Rosa.
Remember the old Burger Smackdown? There's still some good stuff...
Coming up: K&L, Stark's and more...
Agree wholeheartedly on the burger and fries at Syrah. Paying extra for the bacon and cheese is totally worth it. Never had a bad meal there ever.
Check out the burgers at the Healdsburg Bar & Grill, and the fries at Manzanita.
In Petaluma, Walnut Grill is also worth a visit.
I've never understood the hype around Mike's, in any of its incarnations. The burgers just don't appeal to me. And the "no fries" attitude is offputting.
I've had the Syrah burger and it is one of the best I have ever had and I am a true burger junkie. Another good place for a really good burger is Healdsburg Bar and Grill although their "medium" is way more rare than you'd expect. I just let them know I prefer a little more done and it comes out perfect.
I've had the Syrah burger and it is one of the best I have ever had and I am a true burger junkie. Another good place for a really good burger is Healdsburg Bar and Grill although their "medium" is way more rare than you'd expect. I just let them know I prefer a little more done and it comes out perfect.
I stick with Mike's standard burger, with bacon. Those burgers really need no accoutrements. Not that there's anything wrong with excess. ;)
I use to work at Equus in the late nineties and have a pretty good ideal of what is going on with that burger plate you ordered. The problem for Equus is a Catch 22. Actually for a restaurant of Equus caliber, for $10 is too cheap of a price to charge for that burger so my guess is that they are not making money off anyone ordering that burger. In my opinion and my knowledge of restaurant finances they should be charging at lease $14.00 and upgrading the quality. But the problem then arises, would anyone in this economy go into a Equus type restaurant, pay $14.00 for a burger plus tips and cocktails in this type of economy. On a sidenote, there are clients who will still pay that price and more for quality but the problem specifically for Equus is that they have had such a inconsistent run of quality and service it might be too late to turn this ship around; especially since most of the old customers that propped the business up for all those years are probably dead.
My favorite burgers were always @ Mike's, even without the fries (the homemade potato salad is great) until I had the burger @ Underwood. Surprised you didn't include this spot.
Or, do yourself a favor and just go to Happy Dog in Sonoma. A great hamburger is a great hamburger, and I'll take good eats on the (relatively) cheap over pretense and "ambiance" any day.
That being said, John Ash used to have a great hamburger on the lunch menu that was reasonably priced. Not sure if they serve it any more, but it was in the same range as the above burgers, and served on one of their excellent house rolls.
Lastly, in Windsor you can get a Torta Cubana at Castañeda's market off Old Redwood Highway. Something like $6.75, and you get carnitas, ham, queso fresco, lettuce, onion, tomato, jalapeño etc on a home made bun. It's HUGE and exceptionally tasty. Not quite a burger but generally the same concept.
Give Dempseys a go in Petaluma. Great burgers and fries. I worked there when it was first getting going 16yrs ago or so and the quality has never slipped. The owners are hardworking good people that farm alot of the veggies you get on your plate. Fresh tomato on a burger,thats pretty sweet. the aioli rocks as well.
The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma has the best burgers I've ever had, wonderful homeade buns, amazing fries...outstanding!
Oh, and Mike's serves fries on Fridays now. Haven't tried them, yet.
Tried the Fig Cafe (casual sister of Girl and the Fig) in Glen Ellen the other night and the burger was absolutely fantastic.
Healdsburg Bar and Grill has a great one too...get some smoked bacon, blue cheese, and carmelized onions on it! The parmesan/truffle oil fries are incredible.
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Can anyone recommend a place that makes a good Turkey burger? The Powerhouse used to make the best turkey burgers around (fresh ground daily just like their beef burgers, to die for when topped with gorgonzola and grilled onions) but after they closed no one else has picked up the slack. Help a poultry eater out!
IN MY BOOK THE BURGERS AT K & L BISTRO ARE THE BEST! AND, THEY'VE GOT GREAT CRABCAKES, MAC AND CHEESE, FRITTO MISTO...I COULD GO ON AND ON!
Big D.. Try Carmen's Burgers (in Town & Country - next to Pacific Market in Santa Rosa) They offer all of their specialty burgers using ground turkey. It's great because you can have a patty melt with 1/2 the grease/fat!! Besides that - they offer a full bar!!
There are good turkey burgers at Buns 'n' Burgers in the Larkfield Shopping Center, kinda near Molsberry's. A bit greasy, but tasty! They've got that kitschy drive-up feel, too.
Willie Birds in Santa Rosa has a great turkey burger and an even better turkey melt...
SYRAH Hands down!
BEST Burger in Sonoma County --- possibly this side of the Mississippi!
$15.50 is just a drop in the bucket for such perfection!
Actually Ravenous in Healdsburg has one of the best burgers hands down...all fresh ingredients...garden fresh tomatoes, balsamic roasted onions, mixed lettuces all on a homemade bun...we prefer it over the Healdsburg Bar and Grill
Thanks for the reccomndations, I'll definitely check this out!
Odyssey in Windsor has an amazing gourmet burger- it is boneless short ribs stuffed with foie gras and black truffles all stuffed inside grass fed angus beef on a homemade bun! It is $24 but worth every bite.