Every restaurant that survives thirty years has one dish that carried it early. Ours is the San Francisco Burger, and we have been making it the same way since 1996.
The idea is simple and a little rebellious: lose the bun. Instead, the fresh beef patty gets pressed between two slices of grilled garlic cheese sourdough, so every edge of the sandwich turns buttery, cheesy, and crisp. Swiss cheese melts over the top, sauteed mushrooms and onions settle into the patty, and our garlic rosemary aioli ties the whole thing together.
The result eats like a burger and a grilled cheese at the same time, and the first bite explains three decades of loyalty better than we ever could. Add crispy bacon, the Bacon San Franciscan, and you have what many of our regulars consider the definitive version.
Why sourdough? Because this is California, and garlic cheese sourdough off a hot grill is one of the great pleasures available to humanity. The bread does not just hold the burger; it participates.
Order it with fries, onion rings, or a side salad if you want to pretend balance is happening. Pair it with a cold draft at the bar and you are eating the way this restaurant intended from day one.
New dishes come and go, menus evolve, and we love our whole lineup. But the San Francisco Burger is the founder's story you can order, still served daily at 6751 Painter Ave in Whittier for dine in, pickup, and delivery. Come taste the dish that started everything, and bring napkins. You will need them, and we consider that a feature.