TrueBurger

Update:
Oh. em. gee. Trueburger: I just got a burger that was mostly salt. Seriously. I called you on the phone, and you’re nicely replacing it (and the fries, which are also the saltiest fries I’ve ever tasted.)
But still. If someone spills salt on the food in the kitchen, you can’t serve that! Even the kids on Masterchef Jr who don’t make it past the first round know that.
This is yet another thing that speaks to your lack of consistency. You’re not a neighbor who’s throwing a couple of burgers on the grill a couple of times in the summer: you’re a food establishment.
Be consistent. Get it right. I _​want_​to like you, Trueburger.

I really like the burgers from here! They have a lot of flavor and never seem to disappoint in addition to the fries. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because it is a little on the pricey side for what you get but still addicting
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I had a burger here and I didn’t much care for it. I couldn’t place what was in there that was the issue, but it didn’t taste good. Later, I realized it must be garlic something-​or-​other. in any case, the flavors really didn’t work for me and I gave up midway through.
The garlic fries are ridiculously garlicky. I haven’t tried them myself because I’m just not that into garlic, but my roommate brings them home occasionally and it is a straight-​up garlic bomb. Like, whoa.
I also received very weary and lackluster service here, the kind of expect from people having worked the job for 15 years. Not from a place that had recently opened. For example, I smiled at an employee and received a dead-​eyed state in return.
Anyway, not a fan.

Amazing. I went here unexpectedly, and i will definitely go again and bring more people. The burgers are juicy and I could have multiple in one sitting. The fries are good as well. I must try the milkshakes next time i go!

My family likes you True Burger, by you shorted us on the fries today. I normally check my bag before we leave the store but forgot to today, only to get home and find one that one of the containers of fries had an extremely skimpy serving. My kids were disappointed…

The toasted marshmallow milkshake is a necessary item in my life. It’s just… so good. I added strawberries to it today, and loved it even more than I normally do.
Oh yeah, the burgers are great too. There’s nothing quite like biting into that cheesy mushroom on the deluxe… true love in a burger.
I think the fries could be improved, but they are well-​loved by others. I’m just not a fan of skinny fries.
We come to Oakland just to come to Trueburger sometimes. Love it!

This place is exactly what I like in a burger joint: casual, quality food, simple but nice. Good beers available. I’m thankful to have this in my neighborhood!

Best burger in oakland !! So yummy on a hungry afternoon. Love the fixings and the hot sauce !

I ordered the mushroom burger because Shake Shack has a really good mushroom burger and I thought it would be similar to that (but I was wrong!). They’re similar in that its a deep fried mushroom filled with cheese, however the taste is not the same. I didn’t think the burger was extraordinary. It was packed with lots of fresh vegetables, but flavor wasn’t anything special.
Also the burgers were all dripping/​leaking as we ate and it was just very messy/​gross.
I had the garlic fries and the taste was good because the garlic wasn’t too overwhelming or strong. However, the fries were very greasy/​oily so that made me not want to finish them. Some fries were practically dripping in oil. You can see the entire kitchen because of the open space and I watched as the lady grabbed frozen pre-​cut fries out of the freezer.
This place is pretty new — the interiors are nice and it’s pretty clean. It’s also full of high schoolers during lunch time since it’s nearby a high school.

I’m not big on burgers But true burger has made a believer out of me. You can taste the freshness in every bite. The meat is fresh, the buns are soft /​good and we’ll it’s overall delicious. Can’t remember the name of one of the men that’s always there but he’s always so friendly and kind to both my boyfriend and I. Expect to spend about $ 15 for the full meal (burger, fries, soft drink) but trust me, well worth it.

Bacon Cheesy Trueburger — unbelievable good. As a man from a burger city, LA, I’m a big burger fan and one thing I know to be true, TrueBurger is the real deal. Thick, delicious, juicy Niman Ranch burger. Soft, almost fluffy, bun. Excellent cheese, top-​notch bacon and better tomatoes than the last gourmet salad I had. Add garlic mayo and there is literally nothing else I could ask for in a burger. Nice, bright space. An upgrade over the original location.

Greasy fries, fake American cheese– conducive to very average food!
The service is also average
This is food you eat only in the run!

Your destination is on the right.
You have arrived at your destination.
Bewildered but determined.
Oh there it is!
Tucked between Underwood Café and I believe a Barbershop is True Burger. I walked in with a pretty big appetite. Greeted almost immediately, I said my «hello, how you doing?» After that I remained almost fixated on the menu for about 10 minutes. The menu wasn’t lengthy at all. True. True with cheese. True with bacon and mushrooms. Can I have a true with cheese… Do you have avocado? No avocado okay. How about regular mayo (not garlic, I’m allergic) and raw onions. Oh and fries please. And a beer. Thanks.
After ordering I found a window seat, and sipped my brew. My order was called and I practically ran to the counter, starved. I grabbed my ketchup and went to town on my burger and fries. The fries were perfect piping hot, and fluffy on the inside. I could tell the burger was made with quality ingredients, cooked medium well and seasoned okay. I was satisfied. I did feel like the burger was missing a «wow» ingredient. Perhaps the garlic mayo I unfortunately couldn’t indulge in. Oh well.
I found True Burger to be a fresh, «clean» burger experience. Great quality ingredients. Smooth service with a smile and located in a pretty good area for those driving down Broadway looking for a bite. I was eyeing their milkshakes and saw quite a few people order them. I’ll be back for another Burger, Fries and shake.

We finally made it to the Broadway location, and are impressed. Modern, unassuming architecture and a really nice vibe both inside and out. Some good beer and when we were there a nice soundtrack of 80’s crap rock.
The burgers are excellent — freshly-​ground meat lightly but deftly seasoned, with a substantial and perfect coarse-​ground consistency. The challah-​like buns are lightly toasted and a terrific vehicle for burgers this fine. Crisp lettuce and tomato and a splash of garlicky mayonnaise round out the picture. Cheeseburgers come adorned with some nice melted goop — sort of like what you might find in the nacho cheese machine at the best bottega in town. The fries were skinny and crisp and outstanding.
In sum, these guys absolutely do burgers right.
A few demerits: fountain drinks are products of the Pepsi Corporation. This is always a bummer, especially at a restaurant as good as this.
The bacon I ordered for my burger was well-​smoked, but impossibly chewy. If I’m going to have bacon on my burger I want it to be crisp and I don’t want to strain my jaw eating it.
A couple of kids menu items would sure be nice.
There has been an inspiring renaissance of the modest hamburger in the East Bay of late. TrueBurger was at the forefront of this welcome movement at its first location, and the quiet revolution now has spread to Broadway — and soon, hopefully, beyond!

Came here after a long day at work, even though they were going to close in 45mins the place was hustle and bustle, the ladies and gentlemen in the back were working their butts off and the place had a decent amount of people in it. The garlic fries were crispy and REALLY strong, I liked them, but towards the end I kinda started feeling sick from the rawness of the garlic. My crispy portabello with stuffed cheese was very unique and admit that I am now a huge fan. I also ordered the twinkie shake and was not disappointed. I would definitely try this place again. I like that the menu is limited, but that may be a con for other people.

So much magic in between these buns!
After a rough day, I come here and order what I’m calling The Happy Place Combo:
1. Bacon Cheesy
2. Garlic Fries
3. Vanilla Milkshake w Oreos
4. Drake’s 1500 (if it was a really really rough day)
Does the job. Every. Single. Time.

I know it’s all about, «location, location, location», but damn. Between my meal here and the mildly disappointing one I had at the location by Lake Merritt, the difference between the two is like night and day! Honestly, if I had eaten this burger right after the other, without knowing anything else, I never would have guessed they were both from TrueBurger.
As I mentioned in my other review, TrueBurger is essentially like an Oakland version of Super Duper (though not quite as good). Not only are the look and concept quite similar, but they fill that same market gap — better quality burgers than your average spot, but much more budget friendly than premium burger joints. Plus, both of their menus are a little more narrow, focusing more on handful of menu items than offering anything and everything under the sun.
Wanting to compare their two locations equally, I repeated my order of a BACON CHEESY TRUEBURGER ($ 7.50), but with Raw Onions this time, and a side of GARLIC FRIES ($ 3.75). In almost every way, the burger was better this time around. The bacon and cheese were just as good, the condiments were spilling out, the patty was much more seasoned/​flavorful, and the bun was a lot less bready, which was my biggest qualm with the first one I tried.
Ironically though, while I enjoyed the Garlic Fries, I thought the regular fries I had the first time around were better. There was a good amount of garlicky flavor and I liked how the fries weren’t soggy from the oil. However, I think the regular fries were just done really well — crispy, crunchy, and delicious (based on what I remember, at least).
Having had a much improved experience (albeit at a different location), the prospect of coming back to TrueBurger one day is much more exciting now. Even though their prices seem to have gone up slightly since my first trip a couple of years ago, the burgers here are still a pretty solid value. And really, that means saving more money for more burger adventures! Which is especially handy as I continue to search for the best burger in the Bay Area…

So I was looking for a meal my carnivore obsessed friend and my veggie self could agree on. This was a good compromise place.
I got a Mushroom burger, no mayo and added grilled onions. Menu said crispy portobello mushroom stuffed with smoked mozzarella cheese. I was worried it would be breaded, deep fried and therefore be super greasy, but it was not. It was as the description said. crispy :) I could still taste mushroom. Cheese was good. Onions added in was good. They has had mustard and jalepenos out, so I added a few those. Nice taste.
My friend and I also split a side of fries. They are the small little ones, that usually get soggy fast. But these had a nice crisp texture that held throughout the meal. A little salty, but since my burger wasn’t greasy or salty, I didn’t mind the extra salt on the fries.
I was pleasantly surprised with this place.

Trueburger was a longtime favorite since the grand ave. location. they grind their own meat daily… simple menu-​single, cheeseburger or doubleburger, fries, shakes, drinks, beers.
eats: burger (5.5)
–cooked medium, no juice with tomato, lettuce, added onions
–disappointed medium rare isn’t an option anymores.
–burger cooked to order in plain view, tasted above average.
3.5 stars

Time: 2:31pm/63°F sunny
Purpose: Unilocaler from east bay message me about place is serving it’s first day as soft opening. Scan the list and nothing was going on for the rest on day, smash the gas pedal trying to beat traffic on my way.
Ambiance: Located on corner of 41^st/​Broadway this place is really patriotic about city of Oakland and all things Oakland. It starts out with the former iconic tribune newspaper building located in downtown Oakland as their representation of the place. There’s really not much to say here. Pretty standard eatery set up. Wooden floor with wheelchair ramps, 3 – 4 tables for 4+, counter front seating facing Broadway w/​square backless stools, wooden trash bin hand built, white brick walls adjoining business next door. L-​shape counter area with massive drawing city of Oakland and surrounding areas. Tucked away in corner utensil area and self served soda fountain. Most of the front of place seems design by architecture then carefully crafted. I dig the design here modern and basic.
Staff: I counted like 8 – 9 workers of mixed race. Since it’s soft opening and expecting a rush some of these will be let go when it settles down. They look like they know their duties but, still a little lacking. On this first day I’ve seen couple of faces that looks like they didn’t want to be there. The cashier that help me didn’t look friendly as, I try to make it better with tips, no avail.
Cleanliness: Grade A, clean enough to start the opening. How it’ll be couple of months down the stretch, unpredictable.
Eats/​Drinks: Bacon cheesy trueburger (medium well) $ 7 and garlic fries $ 3.75. First I went after the fries since it was piping hot. Nothing special just frozen shoe string version with garlic powder salt mixed in. Taste almost similar to McDonald’s only small in square circumference. Burger was just okay freshly grilled hot patty the weight is too light for this type of burger. Tomato slices were more than quarter inch thick stacking 3 slices on burger made it so difficult to eat. I had to eat them on the side. The lettuce are not enough three flimsy pieces of romaine lettuce that was cut into 1’in pieces. I wanted a bed washed dark green lettuce leafs not the white end parts. My meal looks like they rushed through it without any care for presentation. Burger was a little on bland side not enough seasoning in patty while the buns were average break apart from bag type.
Products/​Services: Burgers, naked hot dog, mushroom burger, fries, cole slaw, dill pickle, shakes, root beer floats, ice cream scoops, bottled drinks, beer (bottled or can), iced tea. Add ons are extra.
Punch Lines: New, clean, patriotic, over staffed, not too friendly, leaning the ropes, high school level staff, close together seating, self served soda fountain, pricey for the sizes, no TV/​music, 3 – 4 kinds of can jalapeño pepper slices, self pump ketchup, Restaurant Depot items can be seen, happening place, wooden counters/​walkways, zippy service, light bites, lively atmosphere, casual, street parking, AC transit #51 stop, gas station, 7 – 11, cafes/​restaurants, veterinarian clinic, car rentals.
Tradeoffs: Paying food truck prices but, getting small to semi medium portions.
Final Thoughts: Nice place to people watch and all but, for the value is not happening. Most would say let them iron out kinks but, this place is not their first location. For some reason their Grand ave location taste better. I could’ve take the amount I spent here and have two double-​double combo orders at in/​out, at least they have hand press fries.