Best Burgers in San Francisco: Bay Area Beef

The best burgers in San Francisco are built on Bay Area beef and serious bread. The city’s best-known burger is Zuni Café’s grass-fed hamburger on rosemary focaccia, a Market Street fixture at a restaurant open since 1979. Beyond it, burger counters and bars are spread across the Mission, Hayes Valley, SoMa, North Beach, the Marina, the Inner Richmond and the Sunset.

San Francisco’s food culture leans on Northern California ranches and bakeries. Grass-fed beef from ranches in Marin and Sonoma counties shows up on menus across the city, and Zuni’s own burger has used it for years. Sourdough, the city’s signature bread, makes the obvious case for a patty melt. The Ferry Building marketplace on the Embarcadero is the place to see that ranch-to-counter supply chain in one hall.

Burgers in San Francisco: key facts

• Neighborhoods to explore: the Mission, Hayes Valley, SoMa, North Beach, the Marina, the Inner Richmond and the Sunset.
• Local ingredients: grass-fed beef from Marin and Sonoma ranches, and San Francisco sourdough.
• Local institution: Zuni Café serves its burger on rosemary focaccia with aioli and house pickles.
• Getting around: Muni buses and streetcars cover most neighborhoods; BART runs under Market Street and through the Mission.
• Currency: US dollar (USD); prices exclude sales tax and tip, and some restaurants add a surcharge that must be shown on the menu.

Every guide we publish on San Francisco is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For other cities, browse all our burger restaurant guides.