American food

My Top American Food Choices 

Best restaurant burgers and more

Bandit (Dogpatch, SF: makes a killer cheeseburger and other sandwiches)
Cheeseburger from Bandit
Bandit is a small hole-in-the-wall in the Dogpatch that serves American favorites, including some very good burgers and sandwiches. Everything is affordable and delicious; plus, it all can be whipped up so quickly it's hard to believe.

Gather  (Downtown Berkeley: Best organic burgers)

 

Gather is a local farm-to-table restaurant that serves yummy American fare from fresh, local, ethically sourced, organic ingredients. They offer great pizzas, burgers, and salads.

Original Pollo (Downtown Berkeley: most classic American diner)

Cheeseburger and fries from Original Pollo

Original Pollo is a down-to-earth American diner in downtown Berkeley with good, inexpensive food. It gives off nostalgic, old-fashioned vibes. The food quality is rock solid. The burger is not to be forgotten.

In the Wood (Elmwood, Berkeley: Most relaxed casual environment) 

Classic Burger from In the Wood

In the Wood is a casual eatery in the Elmwood neighborhood of Berkeley serving American favorites like burgers, sandwiches, and pizzas. The menu is full of salty, savory, and satisfying options, but the burger is a safe bet. 

Barney's (Downtown Berkeley: My favorite, thick gourmet burger)

Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers-Bacon Cheeseburger

Barneys is a famous sit-down restaurant that specializes in gourmet burgers and fries in downtown Berkeley. They also have fantastic milk shakes! These are some of the best burgers in Berkeley; I find them hard to resist!


Eureka! (Downtown Berkeley/Downtown Mountain View: Most sophisticated burger recipes)

Eureka is a sit-down restaurant that brings out some of the tastiest, most elaborate burgers with convenient locations in places like downtown Mountain View and downtown Berkeley. The food here is sophisticated but still standard and what you would expect.

Best Fast Food Burgers

Gott's (Berkeley/Mission Bay: Most satisfying)

Cheeseburger and fries

Gott's is a premium spin on the classic fast-food burger. Simple, satisfying, and crave-worthy, these burgers and fries always hit the spot.

In-N-Out (San Francisco: The most classic)

Double Double

In-N-Out is the California fast food classic that keeps it simple, elegant, and satisfying! For an incredible price, you get a burger experience that is hard to beat! It's hard to get enough of the few menu items they specialize in.

Mel's Express (Currently closed but worth remembering: Best prices)

Cheeseburger from Mel's Express

Mel's Express is a chain with inexpensive but yummy burgers and shakes. It's a very good burger for an unbeatable price!

iniBurger (Berkeley: Best texture combo)

Yummy cheeseburger from iniBurger

IniBurger serves delicious, reasonably priced, and satisfying fast food burgers. It's pretty much love at first bite!

The Melt (Palo Alto: Best cheese) 

Burger and fries from The Melt








The Melt serves fast food burgers made with cheesy, gooey, yummy goodness! These burgers are slightly cheesier and more sophisticated fast food burgers.

Burgerim (Berkeley: Thickest and sauciest)








Burgerim is an amazing place to get a cheap but gourmet burger. It's a chain that operates in Berkeley on University Avenue. The fat, juicy burgers and crispy, thick-cut fries make an excellent combo.

Burger stands
 
Station Smashburgers (Berkeley: Best informal family vibes)


This burger stand is popular and worth its salt! Every item on the menu is masterfully crafted and served in a lively, informal environment!
 

Steamer Lane Supply (Santa Cruz: Best views)

Smash burger from Steamer Lane Supply

Steamer Lane Supply is a stand near the beach in Santa Cruz that serves great burgers, hot dogs, and fish tacos, among other wonderful munchies.


Sandwiches


Crave Subs (Berkeley: Most creative theme)

Sub sandwich from Crave Subs
Crave Subs has a menu that offers a variety of elaborate meat, vegetarian, and vegan subs that will quench your hunger in downtown Berkeley along Shattuck. These sandwiches are expertly crafted and addictive.

Ike's (Berkeley: Most options)
 
Sub sandwich from Ike's
Ike's has almost an endless supply of options of satisfying, craveworthy subs! The chain has several locations, including downtown Berkeley, along Shattuck Avenue. 
 

Best snacks

Endless Summer Sweets (Most nostalgic) 

Vanilla Milkshake from Endless Summer Sweets

Endless Summer Sweets is a small shop along Shattuck in Berkeley featuring all sorts of nostalgic summertime favorites like milkshakes, kettle corn, ice cream, and corn dogs. Great for kids and kids at heart!

Best fancy options
 
Nola (Most unique)


Located in downtown Palo Alto, Nola is a cozy Cajun-style restaurant with a thoughtfully curated menu of interesting food, drink, and dessert options that appeal to a wide variety of people.

Beach Chalet (Most elegant and fanciest) 

lemon ricotta beignets from Beach Chalet

Beach Chatlet fancier restaurant with high-end food and a view of the beach. You pay extra for a phenomenal eating experience.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Noodle: Downtown Berkeley's small, fast, and casual take on yummy Thai food

Image
The Noodle The Noodle is one of Berkeley's hidden gems nestled into the downtown area serving lunch and dinner every day of the week except for Monday. A small, casual and down-to-earth Thai eatery that make flavor-packed food at a snappy pace, this is the place to go when you are hungry and craving an exotic yet still homey and comforting plate of Thai food.     The lunch and dinner menu is extensive; you will find a variety of salads, soups, stir-fries, appetizers, and noodle dishes, all created in their signature authentic Thai style. You can customize the spiciness of the dishes to your own spice tolerance. The freshly prepared food will be served hot in an aesthetically pleasing style.    Because of the welcoming environment and quality of the food, it's a great place to branch out and try new dishes. I am always finding new favorites. For example, my long-time favorites at this restaurant were the larb and the Pad Thai, but then I tried the Pad See Ew and fell ...
Read more

Dessert N Spice: Who in Berkeley wants coffee and delightful sweet treats?

Image
Dessert N Spice This cute little bakery can be found along University Avenue in Berkeley. The bakery is not large, so there are only about three tables and a few more stools along the bar against the wall. It's a nice place to stop for or pick up a sweet treat. Entering the bakery, you will see sunlight streaming through the big windows and three big glass cases illuminated by bright lights. Inside these cases are premium pastries like specialty cakes, muffins, baklava, croissants, cookies, and macaroons. Each one looks like a work of art.  They also serve caffeinated beverages. They have an americano, a caramel macchiato, a latte, a caramel latte, a dark mocha, a white chocolate mocha, steamed milk, hot chocolate, and chai tea. They also have a selection of canned sodas.  When you have decided which of the pastries you want from behind the glass, you can order and pay at the counter, where they accept contactless payment. The service is very good; the people are polite, and ...
Read more

iniBurger: Juicy and Halal burger chain capturing the hearts of the SF Bay?

Image
iniBurger I enjoyed my trip to iniBurger, the Halal burger chain that has several locations around Northern California. It was my first time trying this place, and I was very impressed. It is a brightly colored restaurant where you can order and pay either at the counter or on one of their kiosks. They serve burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, and fries. The prices are not displayed on the menus on display behind the counter, but they stay in a reasonable range, for the most part between $10 and $20.  There is room to sit in their brightly colored restaurant or outside. The music is relatively loud inside, and the atmosphere is lively and fun.   I ordered the Americano burger and had to admit it was a succulent and enticing creation. It was a juicy burger with a special sauce that tasted like pepper. I could taste the charred edges of the patty and the salty, savory seasonings on it. The cheese was gooey, salty, and sweet while the lettuce and pickles were slightly crunch...
Read more