Cheeseburger at Gott's Roadside- San Francisco, CA

With 3 Bay Area locations in St.Helena, Napa and in the SF Ferry Building, Gott's Roadside has the reputation for making one of the best burgers in the city. Gott's has a wide menu selection ranging from seafood to burgers to hot dogs to salads, beer, wine and shakes and is a popular hangout for pre-Giants game fans.

The burgers are by far the most popular item on the menu and are chargrilled, 100% family farm raised Niman Ranch Beef- ground fresh daily. One of their signature burgers is the green chili cheeseburger ($8.99) with jack cheese, lettuce, grilled onions, salsa verde, charred Jalapeño mayo on a toasted egg bun. Once chargrilled and assembled, all burgers are given a quick steam in a contraption that softens up the egg bun.

I ordered the Cheeseburger ($7.99) medium-rare, however, the first one came out medium well- their standard doneness- so I sent it back and asked for it medium-rare again. I was sitting at the bar overlooking the kitchen and watched as they prepared my second burger. The burger went on the grill and one minute ran into another, then three, flip and repeat...and it was again being overlooked right before my eyes. The cook didn't even poke the meat to check for doneness, which should have been a given since I just sent the last one back...but instead it arrived at my table- well done again- sans the quick steam.

The cheeseburger arrived topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and special sauce on a toasted egg bun. The special sauce is mayo based, slightly sweet and a tad spicy with dill or sweet pickle relish chunks. The well done burgers weren't as juicy as they should have been, however the flavor was quite beefy even though it was drier than I'd like. The cheese could have used additional melting and in the rush to send out my second burger, it missed the quick steam that my first burger received and the bun lacked the softness that it needed. I took a bite or two and sent it back and asked for my money back...I wasn't about to wait another 10 minutes.

Apart from my 2 returned burgers, what I did eat was acceptable but it definitely would have been a better experience if I got it the way I ordered it. Gott's normally has a good reputation for their burgers and is often rated as one of San Francisco's best...but not on this day.

Aburgeraday rating: 6/10