I admit it. While most of the time I try to eat veggies, seafood, and lean meats every so often I crave a hamburger. And I am of the opinion that if you are going to eat a hamburger, you should eat the best possible one you can get your hands on. Let's face it, it's a lot of calories. It's an indulgence of sorts. Life is too short to eat lousy hamburgers. Or lousy anything for that matter, but that's another story.
So about now you are probably wondering which fine establishment will I recommend for a hamburger? Perhaps you're thinking Barney's or Zuni Cafe or even In-N-Out. Well, if you were thinking any of those places you'd be wrong. My pick for an excellent hamburger, cooked to order is Mo's.
Mo's Gourmet Hamburger is on Grant Avenue in North Beach. They do everything right at Mo's. The bun is fresh and crusty, spread with a homemade slightly mustardy mayonnaise; the beef is center cut chuck ground in house, a full seven ounces. They grill 'em over volcanic stones on a round revolving grill that you can see from the moment you come in and while I'll take mine as is, you can choose from bacon, cheese, grilled onions or mushrooms or a combination.
What's a burger without fries? Mo's fries are shoestring, the type that don't come out of the freezer and if you order them extra crispy, they actually come extra crispy! They make old fashioned milk shakes and they bring you the canister too. Or you can have a coke. That's what I do. This is the perfect place when the craving hits, or if you have visitors in from far away lands that want to know "what do Americans eat?"
I do believe that they have turkey burgers and veggie burgers, but why bother? Go to Mo's and have a fabulous hamburger. But if you order it rare and it comes slightly cold in the middle, don't come crying to me. In my book if it's not cold in the middle, it's probably overcooked.
Mo's Gourmet Hamburger
1322 Grant Avenue
San Francisco
(415) 788-3779
