Best Burger Joint in the Bay Area?

[asthmodeus]

the trick at in/out is to ask for the the fries crispy...or just get them animal style and stop bitching. anybody that thinks animal fries suck has faulty taste buds.

 

[Abacinator]

the trick at in/out is to ask for the the fries crispy...or just get them animal style and stop bitching. anybody that thinks animal fries suck has faulty taste buds.

Bullshit. I shouldn't have to tell the restaurant how to cook fries or order them slathered in nasty ass sauce for them to be "good." If a place can't properly cook fries, forget it.

 

[carries an axe]

Bullshit. I shouldn't have to tell the restaurant how to cook fries or order them slathered in nasty ass sauce for them to be "good." If a place can't properly cook fries, forget it.

dude its just Thousand Island dressing. mayo and ketchup
and they add onions and cheese
it's like American poutine

fucking delicious

They do fries that way cuz it saves them time
I wish they would just use bag fries though

 

[asthmodeus]

Bullshit. I shouldn't have to tell the restaurant how to cook fries or order them slathered in nasty ass sauce for them to be "good." If a place can't properly cook fries, forget it.

it's not a restaurant, it's a burger joint...and personally, i like the choice of getting my fries done like they normally serve them, crispy, or covered with nasty ass sauce. i also enjoy that they are actual potatoes, so no. u bullshit.

 

[Hooli]

Who remembers this? Bob's used to be the shizznit.

 

[Abacinator]

dude its just Thousand Island dressing. mayo and ketchup
and they add onions and cheese
it's like American poutine

fucking delicious

 

[asdfghwy]

This is always the go-to argument about their shitty fries (but, but, but FRESH!). Yes, they ARE freshly cut. However, if you cook a fresh-cut french-fry incorrectly it is still going to be a shitty fry.

I find them delicious... I think you're the only person I know who doesn't like in-n-out fries. Just a dash of salt = goodness

 

[TheRobSJ]

I find them delicious... I think you're the only person I know who doesn't like in-n-out fries. Just a dash of salt = goodness

In-n-out fries have a lot more haters than you think.

How can a place who pretty much only has two base menu food items, and does one of them really well, do so bad on the other?

McDonalds on the other hand. You get those suckers pretty fresh out of the oil...excellent. Some of the best, even against proper restaurants too.

 

[Jdizzy92]

I'm one of those that hate the fries from In-N-Out. I don't like the taste because the oil they use to cook the fries.

 

[carries an axe]

I'm one of those that hate the fries from In-N-Out. I don't like the taste because the oil they use to cook the fries.

They are using the same oil as most.
the problem is that they're taking potatoes and cutting them right into the frier. That makes them soggy.(you taste more oil)

Fries are more complicated than you think.

The correct way:

Potatoes are peeled and cut.

They are stored overnight in salted water.

They are drained.

They are oil blanched at 275-300°f.

They are drained.

They are sometimes tossed in starch

They are frozen (essential for texture)

They are fried @ 350-375°f

They immediately salted and served.

almost no one does this^^^^ correctly.

which is why I prefer when most places just buy bagged fries.

 

[mrmarklin]

In-n-out fries have a lot more haters than you think.

How can a place who pretty much only has two base menu food items, and does one of them really well, do so bad on the other?

McDonalds on the other hand. You get those suckers pretty fresh out of the oil...excellent. Some of the best, even against proper restaurants too.

McDs used to have worlds best fries when they cooked them fresh. Which they haven't done for many years. After slicing the fries were cooked in rendered beef fat. That stopped 10 years ago. Their fries are good, but I'm old enough to remember the good ole days.

For those of you who think frozen fries of any sort are OK, I'll just say that I won't be following any of your restaurant recommendations.

 

[carries an axe]

McDs used to have worlds best fries when they cooked them fresh. Which they haven't done for many years. After slicing the fries were cooked in rendered beef fat. That stopped 10 years ago. Their fries are good, but I'm old enough to remember the good ole days.

For those of you who think frozen fries of any sort are OK, I'll just say that I won't be following any of your restaurant recommendations.

what about freezing do you not like?
it actually serves a purpose beyond preservation

 

[Mike95060]

They are using the same oil as most.
the problem is that they're taking potatoes and cutting them right into the frier. That makes them soggy.(you taste more oil)

Fries are more complicated than you think.

The correct way:

Potatoes are peeled and cut.

They are stored overnight in salted water.

They are drained.

They are oil blanched at 275-300°f.

They are drained.

They are sometimes tossed in starch

They are frozen (essential for texture)

They are fried @ 350-375°f

They immediately salted and served.

almost no one does this^^^^ correctly.

which is why I prefer when most places just buy bagged fries.

I would say this is pretty close to perfect. The big step is the blanching and re-frying. Frying them twice is key. I have never experimented with the freezing step. The mom and pop burger joint I worked for would always fry twice. Their fries were bought frozen in a bag and were in my opinion delicious. They also used a mix of shortening and veg oil to fry in. The oil was a costco product.

 

[Wormwood]

Al's Big Burgers in Albany is my go to favorite.

Been stopping in there for 30+ years and the place remains unchanged.

 

[Eldritch]

Phyllis' Giant Burger in Novato was the damn best, but they built the shop too big and the overhead closed the store. The San Rafael one is pretty good, but Novato was the best because it was all nice new construction and didn't feel so divey. I haven't been to the two up in Santa Rosa, but I bet they are good.

 

[mrmarklin]

what about freezing do you not like?
it actually serves a purpose beyond preservation

Maybe if you're in Bolivia a want to eat some chuno. (which isn't bad BTW)

But in general freezing degrades the quality of almost any food. Spuds freeze well, but fresh is better IMNSHO.

 

[Bay Arean]

They are using the same oil as most.
the problem is that they're taking potatoes and cutting them right into the frier. That makes them soggy.(you taste more oil)

Fries are more complicated than you think.

The correct way:

Potatoes are peeled and cut.

They are stored overnight in salted water.

They are drained.

They are oil blanched at 275-300°f.

They are drained.

They are sometimes tossed in starch

They are frozen (essential for texture)

They are fried @ 350-375°f

They immediately salted and served.

almost no one does this^^^^ correctly.

which is why I prefer when most places just buy bagged fries.

Does it violate TOS when somebody actually KNOWS something?

Axe, are you a Brit or what??? Only Brits love chips enough to make a post like that! And they will drive miles and miles to a place that does em right. A few pints, a giant bowl of chips, makes the evening. I paused on the freezing part, though. I don't know if they do that there..I remember seeing these potato washing machines there, about the size of an old ndustrial white porcelain wastebasket. This was at a great pub near Totnes.

 

[GO.]

Just tried Super Duper Burgers, pretty good.

 

[carries an axe]

Maybe if you're in Bolivia a want to eat some chuno. (which isn't bad BTW)

But in general freezing degrades the quality of almost any food. Spuds freeze well, but fresh is better IMNSHO.

While this true for many ingredients it's important to understand the why and how.

The reason vegetables suck when frozen (conventionally) is that a normal freezer is slow and ice crystals that form within the cellular structure pierce the cell walls allowing the contained water to escape.

You are left with floppy asparagus (yuck)

However,
Freezing is now being recognized as a useful tool for when this effect is desired.

In French fries, overnight freezing helps dehydrate them slightly, so that they crisp uniformally. It also provides a creamy interior. Any floppiness or mushyness is defeated by the fryer with the addition of added starch.

Like sushi? Most fish pervayors are required to flash freeze all whole fish before import.
Chef Yasuda, (everyone's apparent choice as the new sushi Yoda)
now intentionally freezes his tuna as he desires the textural effect.

Flash freezers are now being employed for vegatables with some success as the rapid freeze keeps most of the ice crystals small (the cells are preserved) not as good as fresh but better than 10 years ago.






or maybe I made it all up.

 

[m_asim]

I do not get the in n out craze. Their burgers are mediocre at best, and the fries are shit.

What you are saying about the fries is blasphemy!