Causwells

This review is for a reservation this past weekend. Upon arriving it was not overly busy, once we got seated we had to wait almost 15 mins to get a drink ordered and that was because we had to ask someone. So customer service could have been better to start.
Once we put the order in we both tried the burgers, ricotta, and corn bread with cultured butter, and two ciders from beer week.
The food was good. The burgers were HUGE as the pictures showed them and definitely juicy. A little overpriced. Considering the food isnt
organic $ 75.00+tip for two burgers, ricotta with lavish chips, and two corn breads with two ciders is a bit much. Had the customer service been better might have rated it a bit higher. Idk if we would return.

Can’t say enough good things about Causwells. Had previously been in with a rough experience and the team here more than made up for it.
First and foremost get the hush puppies. 5 is not enough Bc they’re so absurdly good. Def eves dropped on our neighbors and told them to order the hush puppies…
We both had the amazing burgers that I ate far too much of and tried to save a bite to being home for my puppy!
Colin was incredibly knowledgable about all the wine on the menu and couldn’t have been nicer! Some of the best food with some of the best people!
We’re happy and stuffed! Can’t wait to come back!

Fab burger! Everyone has their opinion on the qualities of a great burger. My preference is two thinner patties, basic toppings, melted cheese and a fresh great warm bun! So I think their burger is great, they serve it with these crisp thin onion rings. I have also tried other items on the menu they did not disappoint.

Only two things will bring me to the Marina:
(1) The Mr. Marina Competition:
.
(2) A good burger.
The Mr. Marina Competition kinda reminds me of the Save By The Bell episode where Bayside holds a date auction to raise money sans Slater’s mullet.
Them dimples though!
Ok, back to that burger…
So Causwells supposedly has a spectacular burger. It’s so spectacular that it has been featured on Eater, Thrillist, SFist AND 7×7 as being one of THE very best in SF (and in America). Needless to say, my expectations were high. When I took my first bite, I thought the burger angels were going to play on their harps and unicorns were going to dance in my mouth. Alas, Causwells’ Americana Burger ($ 15.99 + $ 1.50 bacon) is just a fancy In-​N-​Out Double Double or Big Mac, on par with Super Duper:
. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that but why go all the way to The Marina when you can just go into any one of the six Super Duper locations in SF?
Instead of one thick patty, the Americana Burger has two thin ones and they only cook the burger medium well:
which is a cardinal sin IMO. Team medium rare!
The burger was juicy (high fat ratio?) but excessively salty, greasy, and heavy. I love animal spread but the Causwells sauce (thousand island dressing based) made it unnecessarily heavier. No one eats a burger for health but only one of my friends (out of 5) could finish their burger and only because he didn’t eat the entire day. Leftovers went uneaten. Don’t get me wrong, the burger wasn’t terrible — just terribly overrated and overhyped.
But…
Those accompanying onion shoestrings were like crack especially with Sir Kensington’s ketchup. I would have gladly face shoveled an entire tray and forgo the burger.
My pick for best burger in SF is Rove Kitchen, where the chef uses a chuck, ribeye, and shortrib blend for his thick patty that is cooked to a perfect medium rare and served between house-​baked buns:
.
We also shared the following small plates:
+ Baby Kale Salad w/​baby yam, bacon, cured yolk, mustard ($ 13):
.
My favorite dish of the night next to the onion shoestrings. The salad was perfectly dressed and I really enjoyed the sweet yams and salty bacon bits. Didn’t taste or see any yolk though.
+/​-​Crispy Pork Belly w/​apple, fennel, baby yam, horseradish crème ($ 15):
You can never go wrong with pork belly — pork flavored butter with a crunchy chicharron-​like skin but at $ 5 a cube, this was overpriced. You can get a big mound of lechon kawali for less than this.
— Deviled Eggs w/​smoked trout, paprika, mustard ($ 6.25):
Mediocre compared to Marlowe/​Park Tavern, Wayfare Tavern, and Hog & Rocks’ deviled eggs.
— Creole Shrimp w/​crispy cornmeal, scallion ($ 16):
Ehhh, tasted more like an Indian dish than a Creole one. The small shrimp (5 pieces) were overcooked and rubbery, and at more than $ 3 a pop, it was another overpriced dish.
— Shacksbury Classic Cider, ABV 6% (Draft — $ 9):
Tasted watered down.
Without a doubt, the service surpassed the food. 5 star service from the welcoming hostess, amiable and attentive server and busboy — our plates were quickly cleared and water glasses were always refilled. Kudos to them because they rocked!
The space is small and lively with seating for about 22 – 24 in their narrow dining area, 2 communal tables, and bar seating. There’s also outdoor seating with heated lamps (yay for dog-​friendly seating!). Not recommended for large groups over 6. The bathroom is located next to a two-​top so it was awkward having to hover over a couple’s table while waiting the restroom to become vacant. I’m sure it’s far more awkward for them so do request a table away from the restroom.
Maybe my friends and I visited Causwells on an off night but we thought that collectively the food was exceptionally mediocre and overrated. I felt bad for even suggesting this place for dinner because my friends came all the way from the Peninsula and South Bay. We should of went to nearby Spaghetti Bros instead. At least we could have bro’d out with the Mr. Marina contestants there…
My vote goes to Mark, the aerospace engineer holding the adorable golden retriever puppy:
! Take my paycheck!

I came for the infamous burger as it’s on quite a few top burger lists in SF.
It’s a very solid burger, I’ll admit that. But I don’t think I would name it the top as I’ve had better. All subjective though!
It’s quite hefty, could definitely have been two meals so if you think of it price-​wise, it’s pretty good! You can definitely share it and try something else if you’re coming with another person. Since it’s actually multiple thin patties stacked on top of each other, it’s easier to eat and evenly cooked and still moist. They did well with bun choice (I love bread so I’m picky!) — if memory serves correctly, I believe it was a brioche bun (YAS) — which definitely held the burger (ugh, soggy, fragile burgers are the worst and thankfully it wasn’t a problem here. Savory and delicious but not amaaaaaaazing, in my opinion.
I did like that it came with crispy fried onions (vs fries) but they weren’t that flavorful or crispy, kind of a waste. Great for pictures though.

I’m writing this review as the first of my 2016 new year resolution to finally give back on Unilocal!There was no doubt in my mind Causwells had to be my first review since I dine here at least once a week.
Diving right in, this is, bar none, the BEST burger I’ve ever had.
Before Causwells opened their doors my favorite burger in town was the Marlowe burger. That burger, served with its magical horseradish aioli, still has a special place in my heart (quite literally); however, the Causwells burger is now what I NEED to satisfy a burger craving.
In my opinion, a great burger starts with a fresh bun, and their seeded bun has the perfect amount of softness for allowing every bite to melt in your mouth. The sauce, onion and pickle combine as outstanding complements to the juicy beef patties topped with melted American cheese!
I could write an essay on the joy of taking the first bite into the most tender, flavorful burger you’ll ever have, but it’s just something you need to experience for yourself.
If I didn’t make it clear enough, their burger is the all-​star, but every dish I’ve eaten here has been fantastic! The staff and service have always been A+ as well.
*Side note: I recommend asking for a side of ketchup with the burger – they use an all natural brand named ‘Sir Kensington’s’ that blows Heinz ketchup out of the water. I also recommend ordering the donut bread pudding if you have room for dessert!

I’m still on the hunt for a GREAT burger in the city and I thought Causwells would be the solution to my #firstworldproblems. The burger looks great on many food bloggers instagram accounts BUT to my disappointment i was let down.
at $ 14 a pop the burger was juicy but very unforgettable. The only thing i remember was paying $ 14 for a burger with salad on the side??! I wonder if i could have gotten potatoes instead?
Great customer service and atmosphere. Smaller than i thought it would be. Great mimosas (not unlimited).
i probably wont come back here again.

We arrived at Causwells after running the Nike Half Marathon thinking, well it’s close by and fairly well rated. So let’s go! But overall… I wished we didn’t come here. Efficiency and effectiveness is not their forte for service and their food was just ok. I won’t be coming back for sure.
Parking — Well we actually walked from the Presidio as the bf had already found parking there as he waited for me and my friends to finish running our half marathon, but parking will be tough as it’s all street parking.
We arrived and they basically told us half an hour… it was not half an hour. After seeing two open 2 table seats they couldn’t just ask the people who just sat down to move so that we could get a 4 person table. no no no, they said, the table next to one of the open 2 person tables would soon be out as they already had their bill. Well news flash, they were taking their pleasant time talking and didn’t even look at their bill or put any kind of payment. So instead of the easiest solution, the hostess did nothing. We waited another half hour for another group to leave to finally get seats. We were already ready to order and get going, but it took more time for the waitress to get to us to order. I wanted to die. I was so hungry. Our burger was juicy and delicious and the donut bread pudding was a downer cause it was spiced and not so great. Also got the waffles with seasonal fruit but was disappointed when it came as their seasonal fruit were some pomegranate seeds… Did I mention there was no water refill the whole time?
Even if the food was mind blowing, I don’t think I’d ever come back again just because of how we were treated. But if you do go, make sure to get reservations because others who came after us, just sat right away due to it.

After a couple months of hype and some shy away’s from some extensive wait times we were finally able to sneak into Casuwells.
After months of Unilocaling and thrillisting their much adorned burger, I am sad to report at I was moderately underwhelmed. Note underwhelmed, not disappointed.
The brunch burger was the only option available. The bacon, the egg, the patty, were all perfectly cooked and married to the onion and pickle, but it was all rather one dimensional. Nothing screamed «this burger is special» to me. It tasted like a homemade big mac (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). It’s just that I expecting an epically awesome throwback to your flat-​top grill 1950’s diner kind of burger.
The deviled eggs were pretty good though, and the service was also quite good.
Good burger, just don’t get your hopes up. Super Duper a couple blocks away is just as good.

I came here by complete serendipity and stumbled upon one of the BEST burgers I have ever had. Firstly, the burger is pretty generously portioned. There are several thin burger patties that are moist and flavorful. The sauce is very reminiscent of in-​n-​out. There is a generous amount of grilled onions and american cheese, but it isn’t each ingredient that makes this burger a ten out of ten knockout. It’s the combination of everything into several incredibly moist and flavorful perfect and tidy bites. After I finished my burger, I was so stunned that I considered eating another one just to make sure it had happened.
I continued to think about this burger months after I ate it. KO

Causwells is located in a very beautiful part of town near the marina. We came here for brunch on Saturday morning and were seated right away on the patio out front. The server was very friendly and made our dining experience pleasant. The breakfast burger was awesome, my husband bailed on his breakfast for half of my burger. He had the 2 egg plate with bacon, potatoes, and 5 grain toast. Our friend had the belgium waffles which he described as «perfect.»
Tip: order a mimosa and take time to walk down to the marina after your meal… delightful.

Great burger place! The customer service is awesome here. They seated us about 30 mins late but they were really apologetic and even gave us complimentary appetizer and drinks.
The burger by itself was really tasty and super juicy. It was a pretty big portion as well. I was really satisfied after.
Overall, really good burger spot with excellent customer service!

Yes, this place totally lives up to the burger hype. It’s everything I want and more in a burger; the bun, the American cheese, the crispy bacon, the sauce, complete perfection.
However, paying $ 18+ is not the most ideal price especially for lunch. $ 4 for onion straws… I’m getting robbed.
The price is the only thing that detracts from my review but the burger was solid and I’ll probably be back for another round. We also had the deviled eggs with smoked trout that were sinfully good.
Overall, I was very pleased with the quality of the food and service. Everything seemed fresh and perfectly seasoned. Service was quick, friendly and efficient.
I’ll be back but I’ll make sure it’s on the week where I get paid.

I had to try the much talked about burger at Causwells.
I couldn’t snag a popular weekend reservation time so I arrived early and had a drink at their bar while waiting for a table. The bartender was cool and super down to earth.
A table opened up and we were promptly seated! The menu had a lot of appealing options. We went with the popular choices: deviled eggs and the burger. No sharing! Everyone got their own burger (with additional avocado and bacon because why not). Eggs were creamy. And the burger was so good. Thin patties, cheesy, juicy — delicious. The crispy thin onion strings were okay, they reminded me of a carnival. Probably could’ve skipped them entirely! Definitely coming back even though it’s a $$ burger.

Appetizers were all standard (heirloom tomato salad, ricotta, and ribs) — they were fresh, had good balance but nothing special
The main thing I wanted to try was their famous burger. In a nutshell, the beef had an amazing crisp exterior yet retained a moist flavorful center. It reminded me of eating an elevated 4×4 from In N Out. The price point is a little steep in comparison but on its own I thought it was pretty rock solid.
Overall Thoughts
Solid burger, appetizers not so much

Nice spot for a sunny afternoon if you get a table outside. Their burger with onion strings is very very good. No wonder everyone around us was ordering the burger, I mean everyone! The rest of the food was good but not as good as their burger.
The thing I didn’t like so much was their bread pudding. The sauce is too liquid for my taste.
Will come back for the burger though :)

Corn soup — ²⁄₅
Cornbread — ⁴⁄₅ — Nontraditional. Light and herby. Could use honey butter instead of regular.
Carrots — ⁵⁄₅ — Pistachio and mint went well together with the olive vinaigrette.
Baby back ribs — ³⁄₅ — While the sauce was unique, it really wasn’t to my liking. Very tender though.
Burger — ⁵⁄₅ — Really solid burger all around. Patty had good flavor, crumbly and intentionally medium well. Added bacon and avocado. Good bun. Instead of a side they give you a mountain of really tasty fried onion strings which you can treat as both fries and a topping. Normally this burger would be an for me but the onions add an extra point here.
Donut bread pudding — ⁵⁄₅ — Exactly what it sounds like but it also comes in a small pool of nutmeg milk. Very unique and very good.
Overall, for a number of their dishes Causwell’s is «as good as it gets.»

Love this place! So glad we found this place for dinner after spending some time at nearby Chrissy Park.
First of all, the atmosphere is great. It’s a well designed/​styled place where you can come casually dressed and have a laid back meal. Dim lighting/​candles, great music (remixed Phoenix and Ellie Goulding), marble countertops and tables. Sometimes it’s just nice to be casual at a nicer restaurant. They also did a good job with maximizing the space they have. The intimate table set up just works for them.
As for the food, also great. Farm to fork, not surprisingly. We chose to sit at the bar to avoid waiting for a table. The bar is awesome, full service. We started off with the corn bread for the appetizer. It was rich and moist and had a layer of herbs baked in. Very tasty. For dinner, I got the boneless short ribs with roasted vegetables… very flavorful and tender. I was incredibly pleased with the meal (and service too). You can also have any of the menu items served family style… great for sharing.
I read that they also make an incredible burger and donut bread pudding. I will definitely stop by again when I’m in the area. Highly recommended!

When I hear «best burger in America contestant,» my ears perk up.
I picture it. I salivate a little. I put it on the list.
SF has several best burgers. Zuni, Nopa, & Spruce are the classics.
Then there’s Marlowe, Mason Pacific, ABV, Rickybobby, Bartlett Hall, The Tradesman, 4505 Meats, & Tony’s.
Yes, Tony’s Pizza in North Beach makes a simply & utterly DIVINE hamburger. That guy…
So eagerly I booked Causwells to try for myself this latest addition to the City By The Bay’s Best Burger landscape.
My expectations were high. I know this is a mistake, since then you are just setting yourself up for disappointment. Expect nothing!
But who can really do that?
My expectations were high.
We were promptly greeted & seated for our early reservation.
Our server was great. Nice, upbeat, efficient.
The food…
Deviled eggs.
Spare ribs.
The burger.
The deviled eggs were good, but honestly nothing you haven’t had before. You get 3 different varieties. One classic, one w avocado mousse & toasted farro, one w smoked trout. The star was the toasted farro. What a unique & fabulous touch.
The spare ribs…
All the right stuff; cooked well & tender to the bone. But the sauce, while good for sure, lacked in depth of flavor. The accompanying coleslaw was fresh & light, w a citrusy tang. Not heavy or drowned in a watery or mayonnaise based dressing.
Now, the reason we came…
The Burger.
Aesthetically it is rather magnificent. It’s simply & classically done, not overridden w toppings that could be included in a brunch Bloody Mary & considered a meal.
It was also cooked perfectly; neither underdone or overdone. Kudos for this.
But taste wise? It was very good. But we both agreed that it didn’t seem to be «best in the country» good. That’s an awfully big distinction.
Service, from the hostess & waiter to the bus boys, was top notch.
Solid.
3 stars.

Packed on a Friday night, I had the honor to dine here for a beautiful, decked out 5 course meal with wine pairing. The service is excellent here. The general manager was super sweet and gave us complimentary house made ricotta spread on chips. Our server was cool and professhh! The food was overall delicious. I would probably go with my own wine choice next time, than do the pairing but it was a nice experience.
The recommendations:
– Burger is amazing! Yes, I said it. It’s the classic all American cheese burger w/​American cheese, 2 juicy patties, soft white sesame bun, and a side of onion strings! Pricey but worth it!
– Trout was super homey and hit the spot. I loved the crunchy skin texture of the fish. It was served over beans, tomatoes, and savory broth. Very well done!
– All-​star donut bread pudding was so delicious. It tastes like a warm cinnamon toast crunch bread over milk. Definitely hit my sweet tooth craving for sure!
Amazing service! Girls night out spot. Date night worthy. Or even dine alone at the bar solo for some am quality me-​time. Overall, great ambiance for a causal fun meal that fits any agenda.

Leckerer Burger, super freundlicher und aufmerksamer Service und lockere Atmosphäre. Top!