Super Burger with Cheese at Super Duper- San Francisco, CA

With a couple of locations popping up in and around the bay area, burger purveyor Super Duper is making quite a reputation for itself- and it's a mighty good one as it was recently listed on SF grubs top 50 burgers in San Fran list.

Super Duper

Burgers are made with 100% all natural Niman ranch beef, ground fresh daily and flat top cooked to create a great sear that locks in juiciness.

I tried the Super Burger with 2- 4 oz patties and cheese ($7). The bun came nicely toasted and had enough weight to hold the whole burger together without turning into a mushy mess. Toppings included onion, tomato, lettuce, cheese and special sauce. Each bite revealed ample juiciness- not the run down the arms type, but juicy none-the-less. The 2 cheese slices and sauce added to the burgers richness but didn't weigh it down. It was a burger you could easily get your mouth around and didn't fall apart due to excessive toppings bulging in all directions - everything just seemed to be in the right proportions. It was simply fantastic!

Super Burger at Super Duper

I really found Super Duper to be very Shake Shack-esqe and it rivals some of the best burgers I've ever had, and for that, I put Super Duper on my bucket list as my top fast food style burger in the city thus far.

Aburgeraday rating- 9/10

A Giant with bacon and Cheese at Nation's Giant Hamburgers- Fremont, CA

I should have heeded to the warning that the yellow conditional health inspection pass communicated to would-be patrons. It was hanging from the entrance window like a yellow beacon shouting "look at me" to every passer by. I really should have turned away- but I didn't, I was too hungry and too bothered to find somewhere else. I wanted a burger, I had that craving, and I'd been to Nation's before and it was actually pretty good- but not on this day.

Visitor's to Nation's (at least at the Fremont location) shouldn't expect a modern building with fancy decor, but rather something more akin to a old school diner or greasy spoon. The building is old, in an unassuming and partially run-down strip mall which would normally be perfect for an old school burger joint.

Nation's Giant Hamburgers

The burgers are done on a flat top in an open kitchen that the entire restaurant can see- and as I watched the cook making my order I knew that my bacon cheeseburger didn't have a chance right from the start. I watched her cook, mash, poke, flatten, flip and squeeze every last ounce of juice out of the burger during the cooking process.

Giant with cheese at Nation's Giant Hamburgers

My Giant burger with bacon and cheese came topped with ample ingredients- letttuce, tomato, and wayyyy too much onion. I think I could have knocked down anyone with my breath for hours after eating this baby. The meat was crumbly- mostly due to dryness, and the bacon was thin and too crispy- I prefer my bacon thicker. The sauce tasted a bit weird to me and overall this just wasn't a very good burger. This place could do so much better!...but maybe next time...but for me I doubt that there will be a next time.

Aburgeraday rating- 4/10

Double Decker at Foster's Freeze, Milpitas, CA

On a Saturday afternoon my wife's cravings for some ice cream, and my hunger for a burger brought us to Foster's Freeze in Milpitas, CA. Foster's freeze has been serving up ice cream and burgers since 1946 and has multiple locations across California. Famous for their soft serve, they have a decent array of carnivorous choices on the menu including hot dogs and hamburgers.

Foster's Freeze

Visitor's and families with small children beware- the parking lot and area around the building is infested with  somewhat aggressive squirrels that have no problem chasing you if you have food. Although none enter the building, the limited seating inside forces people to the parking lot and leading to a non-stop frenzy for squirrels and a serious problem for children afraid of of them. The owners really need to do something about it.

Anyways, I was here for the burger, not the ambiance...the Double Decker burger comes with 2- 1/4lb griddle top cooked beef patties, bacon, Swiss cheese, Lettuce, tomato and pickle along with their "All american sauce" which is similar to McDonald's Mac sauce. Even though the burger patties weren't all that appealing, the bun not so fresh and the bacon crisped beyond recognition, the sauce saved the day.

The Double Decker Burger at Foster's Freeze

I won't be going out of my way to find a Foster's freeze when I'm in the mood for a burger, and if I find myself there again, I'll probably go for another one. The burger is OK, but not great.

Aburgeraday Rating- 6/10