Best Damn Cheeseburger at 4505 Meats- San Francisco, CA

The San Francisco Ferry Building Farmers Market is a virtual food cornucopia, a foodies dream come true, a place where local Bay Area farmers and vendors peddle their wares- and where some of San Francisco's most famous chef's come to shop. It's not uncommon to spot familiar Food network TV personalities or some of the Bay Area's top sports celebrities. I've spotted famous chef Chris Cosentino at least twice but that could be due to his ownership of Boccalone, a Ferry Building cured meat shop that features "Tasty Salted Pig Parts" 

4505 Meats at the Ferry building farmer's market

The story behind 4505 Meats is an interesting one- the idea was born from Michelin five star chef Ryan Farr and brother Cessalee. Their full story can be found here, but eventually led to the opening of the 4505 butchery location in 2011, however to this day, they don't operate a full time restaurant, but rather an outdoor stand at the farmer's market.

The Farmer's market menu is limited to only a few items- a featured burger, hot dog, sausage on a bun and fries. 4505 does like to include seasonal vegetables as enhancements to popular menu items- in this case it was Heirloom tomato.

I ordered the Best Damn Cheeseburger ($9) and added a sunny side up egg ($2). The burger uses 100% grass fed, hand butchered beef and is served on a homemade buttery sesame scallion bun topped with Gruyere cheese, lettuce, onion, sliced red onion and secret sauce.

Best Damn Cheeseburger at 4505 Meats

The burger arrived in an unassuming cardboard fast food tray with a couple of toothpicks holding it together. To the average passer-by it would just look like your run-of-the-mill burger...but boy would they be wrong.

The meat was tightly packed and cooked to a perfect medium. The patty had a subtly gamey, grass-fed taste to it however this was not off-putting at all- in fact, it was the start of something wonderful. The heirloom tomato was as sweet as candy and with each bite, mixed with the burger's oozing juices, the runny egg yolk, heavenly melted gruyere cheese, and special sauce to deliver what I think is the widest flavor profile I've ever experienced in a burger. This burger was so juicy that it would run down your arms if you let it...it was nothing more than- well just spectacular.

I don't give out too many ratings this high...I mean the burger needs to be really special, memorable, craveable...Oh best damn cheeseburger, how I dream of you at night!

Aburgeraday rating: 9/10