MSF: Mission Burger

He says, she says and I say this joint jazzes up the basic meat patty sandwich with some good old fashion TLC. So this burger is really good, but not something I can enjoy the way I burger guru wants to. I need a confortable seat, some background sounds other than loud mouth bad asses and crying kids, not to mention thieving pigeons and barking hounds. But the burger is big, beautiful and a bad ass meat sandwich. The bun is just ok, but the meat is delicious and cooked to order with enough juices to fill a pool. OK, the burger rocks but I prefer comfort along with my burger so I am only dealing a 4 star hand to Mission Burger.

For a burger that didn’t have any vegetable components on it aside from a smattering of caramelized onions, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed my first one. It wasn’t that I *didn’t* expect to enjoy it, but normally I tend to prefer my burgers dressed up with lots of refreshing lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, etc., to round them out.
Mission Burger, however, somehow transcended that. Not only did I enjoy their burgers, I craved them like no other that had come before. I think the secret ingredient must’ve been magic. Is granulation another word for magic? I also really dug the college-​living-​room set up of the small eating area.

There are a couple of places to get a «good» burger in the City, but finding a «great» one has been elusive. One that tastes like the kind my dad makes on the grill in his backyard. The burger at Mission Burger is very nearly that good and I suppose it has something to do with the thickness and consistency of the patty and the taste of the grill on the seared and caramelized surface, protecting a very juicy, pink interior. Your burger will come with grilled onions and cheese and a nicely grilled bun, too. It’s a messy sandwich but man, is it good.
The interior of the supermarket is no place to eat it though. There’s a park on the other side of the block. Take your sandwich there. I also understand you can eat it in a nearby bar, if you buy a drink there. My only criticism is of the fries which were on the bland side, and went cold quickly.

As reported on many blogs, today is the last day of Mission Burger as the people involved are moving onto other more exciting projects. Congrats to chef Danny B. who is getting married in June. If u plan to drop by to order the burger or the chicken sando, u have until 3pm today.
Coincidentally May is national hamburger month.

Sounds like this was the last week to get Mission Burger at Duc Loi, and I’m glad I made the effort to come here before they closed.
The burger is a big juicy grease bomb — and that’s in a good way. Not sure what to make about the «granulated» beef but it was very tasty. Really awesome with the aioli and caramelized onion. I liked the acme bread as well, a nice change from the usual buns. Sure hope it turns up somewhere else in a couple of months!
Though some reviews say the burger is huge, in my opinion it is not big enough to share and not still be hungry. Though it’s rich enough to keep you full well into the evening.
Since it was the last week and there was just the one guy, there was no chicken sandwich on offer. Also glad I got there soon after noon because by 1 PM he had run out of «granulated» meat and had to make some more — 30 minute wait for those who didn’t get here early enough.
The burger was pricier than I expected at a dive. However, not a big deal as you pay at the register so you can use your credit card. Fortunately, or rather luckily, since there were so many orders going out we got some fries for free with our burger.

Like the Unilocal definition of a three-​starred joint, this place was A-​OK.
Nestled inside an unassuming Asian market, this tiny corner grill offers a short menu of delicious items, but only serving them for three hours a day. Today, we tried the ¹⁄₃ lb burger, fries and the mint lemonade. The guy behind the counter was nice and the order was ready in just a few minutes.
The mint lemonade is a bit strong, but delicious. The fries were really crispy, but you can taste the residual fish flavor leftover from cooking fish in the same oil. The burger was massive: huge hunk of fresh ground beef, seared crisp on the outside, moist on the inside. We got ours well-​done and it was still very moist. The caper aioli, Monterey jack cheese and caramelized onions give great gourmand-​esque flavor, but like a previous poster mentioned, the burger is very salty. I enjoy a salty burger as well, but Wow! There needs to be something, like a big slice of tomato, added on there to cut the salt.
All points considered, this is a great hole in the wall burger place and a must try if you’re looking for a hefty, meaty burger in the Mission.

There comes a time in every man’s life when he must claim he’s had the best burger. Not the best burger in the world, necessarily, but at least the best burger he’s had in his lifetime.
I’m not ready to make this claim…
To the dude with the Megadeth t-​shirt who made my burger:
Rock on bro. Rock on.
PS: I know I was supposed to get the best chicken sandwich because as everyone knows, I have an unhealthy obsession with fried chicken, but my doctor said I will die if I eat anymore fried food and I wanted to live long enough to finish writing this review.

Step 1: Go with a friend or three because sharing is caring.
Step 2: Gawk at strangers’ food (left of line). Point and talk about them like zoo animals. Out loud.
Step 3: Place order.
–Crispy fries for those who flirt with hypertension. $ 2
–Gourmet Burger dressed with caper aioli, monterey jack and caramelized onions between a griddled bun. It’s a ¹⁄₃ lb. Heston Blumenthal style salt bomb patty composed of «columns» of aged Harris Ranch brisket, short rib and chuck.
Excellent high-​temp outer sear (in beef fat), but the center has a mouthfeel of a hundred slippery sea cucumbers. If this sounds less than palatable, it probably is, so be sure to request yours well-​done. $ 8
–Fried Chicken sandwich. What a Herculean spectacle. The first towering sandwich I’ve faced (clutched onto for dear life) that could take flight right off your paper tray like some military transport aircraft. Those aeronautical extensions of fried batter from the (still obscene) portion of dark meat are deceptive, only making it appear as if you’ll be challenging an entire mother bird, but it’s really not going anywhere except inside your tummy. Best bang for the buck, $ 8.
Step 4: Take a spin around Duc Loi. Pick up Passport Everything Flatbread for a fraction of the price it goes for at Whole Foods. Pay at register.
Step 5: Return to deli counter, take the food to-​go or scoot a couple doors down to the tables at Lung Shan/​Mission Street Food should you wish to enjoy a civilized lunch, averting being stared at like zoo animals (see Step 2).
Step 6: Write off the rest of the day. Sleepy. Body. Can’t. Fight…
I’ll be back when MSF substitutes the tablespoon of salt with a couple strips of bacon. You know you love it.

Likely the best burger in the Mish. I thought the trimming of the top of the bun was unnecessary. And apart from the whatever jack cheese, the toppings are great: caramelized onions, caper aioli, and some roasted peppers on the side. The guy presumably cooks the meat on high heat, because there’s quite a contrast in color in the patty (very rare on the inside, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing). The fries are nothing special though – you don’t need them.
Another Jules Winfield-​approved «tasty burger.»

I felt like I had to post a review because I’ve recommended this place to everybody I know as having the best veggie burger in town and discovered today that they NO LONGER SERVE THE VEGAN BURGER. Worst part — they replaced it with a fried chicken sandwich, so there is now not a single vegetarian option.
My (meat-​eating) friends and I went elsewhere for lunch (yay Jay’s Cheesesteak!). What a disappointment. I wish zero stars were an option.

The best $ 8 burger and $ 2 french fries you’ll ever have!
Easily puts Big Mouth Burger, Urbun Burger, Whiz Burgers, Burger Joint, Barney’s and Bistro Burger to shame. Only NOPA has a better burger, but those are twice as much.
I can’t wait to go back and try the chicken sandwich.
There is no atmosphere whatsoever, as it’s hidden inside the Duc Loi Supermarket near the butcher’s counter.

A big big fan of the burger and fried chicken sandwich. The Mission Burger is pretty damn tasty. Some people may be turned off by the saltiness but I love salt and I didn’t mind it at all. $ 8 for a tasty burger in the city is a steal!

Dude. This might be the best burger I’ve ever had. Yeah, I said it.
Seriously, I don’t know how to describe the amazingness of this burger. It was cooked to perfection, had the right condiments and was presented on a scrumptious bun. Utterly flawless.
And to think, I came here seeking out their chicken sandwich only to be informed that it was sold out.
Because I’m a total fatass, I came back the next day to try the chicken sandwich. It was just ok. I’ll stick to Bakesale Betty’s for that.
But the burger. Oh man. Life changing.
And it’s kind of heartwarming that a $ 1 goes to the food bank. I mean, that’s just nice. Even nicer, the guy gave me a free order of fries.
Mission Burger, you complete me.

The burger was so good. Crispy! But, I wish I only ate half because I felt TOO full for a long while afterwards. Not sick, but just bloated. The chicken sandwich was a little less good to me, b/​c of cukes (overdominant flavor). Also, my friend said she could taste the oil. The fries were delish and crispy too. But, I am toooooo full. Also, the whole system is sort of cool (ordering and then getting in line w the rest of the grocery store), but also sort of awkward, as is the seating. Still recommended.

$ 8 for a 1/​3lb burger is fine by me!!!
The patty was pretty damn good, but a tiny bit on the salty side for me (I have a pretty bland palette). It might’ve been because we walked home with the burger so it got cold and the salt juices rose to the top? Anyhow, it was a good burger with a good bun and tasty sauteed onions and sauce. We felt so special; on our way home people kept staring at our food. One girl tripped while she was staring. HAH.
Oh, so this is now one of my favorite burgers. The only thing I would change would be the less salt and sauce stuff. I like tasting mainly meat and cheese.
The fries ($ 2) were AMAZINGGGG!!! They’re perfectly salted with coarse salt and SUPER CRISPY. I think these are now my favorite fries (unless they’re not consistently good) because they’re even amazingly crispy when they’re cold. Oh man. Crispy fries. Yumm…
I’m coming back to try the fried chicken sandwich. I’m just drooling thinking about it…
— — — — –
UPDATE: 1÷17÷2010
Finally had the fried chicken sandwich. Quite tasty, but awfully hard to eat if you don’t have a large table to stable your elbows on. Tender, tender chicken with a lot of crispy batter. Great flavor. My only wish is that they had a larger bun so things don’t fall out of my sandwich so much. Very yummy though.

EDIT: TONIGHT IT RETURNS!
This might be the best burger I’ve ever had. It’s definitely one of the best.
I can’t remember the last time I felt so good after eating such a greasy meal. I didn’t feel bogged down or anything like that.
It really makes me realize that I should just cook everything in beef fat.
The caramelized onions definitely were the best I’ve had.

Wow-​nice customer service and reply from MSF: Mission Burger. Um, yeah, cooking ‘vegan’ food in the same oil as ‘non vegan’ food is a problem for MOST vegans. It’s nice that you offer a vegan burger and people really seem to like it, especially carnivores because it’s not 100% vegan. If that’s your target audience, go for it. I really wanted to try your vegan burger, but like the reviewer, I think I’ll stick to Weird Fish, especially after reading your last snide remarks:
«Is the seaweed used in the vegan mayo NOT VEGAN because it has been sharing the same environment as fish? Do my fingerprints on past sandwiches invalidate their VEGANITY?»
Way to get vegans to patron your restaurant!
aisha e.
San Francisco, CA
1 star rating
10÷5÷2009
Major bummer! After reading this post today, my husband and I excitedly walked over to Mission Burger for lunch. But, we found out that the «vegan» burger is actually fried in the same oil as fish. Which makes it NOT VEGAN. Maybe it was just today because their Special was fish and chips. But be advised.
Thankfully, Weird Fish was across the street and saved us with an incredible vegan Philly Cheesesteak. Deelish!
Comment from Anthony M. of MSF: Mission Burger 10÷5÷2009
Thanks for pointing this out. We take the vegan burger seriously and so may end up discontinuing it or changing our cooking method if we find this to be the prevailing sentiment.
In fairness, a properly battered piece of fish is sealed in a thick crust and probably releases no more transferable animal matter into a 10 gallon tank of 350 degree fryer oil than, say, ambient meat particles in the air in a grocery store. Is the seaweed used in the vegan mayo NOT VEGAN because it has been sharing the same environment as fish? Do my fingerprints on past sandwiches invalidate their VEGANITY?

HOLY YUMMI-​NESS BATMAN. seriously, the meat burger was the bomb, I actually want to go out and get hammered so I can eat it again with a hangover. Pretty messy, but thrillingly delish. Run, don’t walk.
10÷30÷09: introducing the NEW chicken sandwich. I know the vegatarians out there are all upset about the loss of the vegan burger,…Blah, blah, blah, if you all weren’t so afraid of a spec of meat juice touching your stuff, you would still have it!
who cares anyway when chef boy has given the meat-​a-​tarians another gift from heaven in the form of the light crispy chicken sammy. It looks too huge to even eat when you get it, but it was super light and oh so gooood. Chef says it is a «labour of love» and I believe it. Also I have probably only been here about 5x, but every time, someone eating in the store who didn’t order french fries get a small order (once it was even lucky me) – usually just the what was left over in the fryer once someone else’s order was filled. Unlike Mickey D’s, he’d rather those orphan fries go to a good (tummy) home than let them sit there and get old or wasted. GREAT, COOL place, I will be back for that Chicken!
SADNESS UPDATE 2÷5÷10: The chicken sammy has been discontinued, they moved to a Fish sandwich – I’ sure it is good, but I don’t eat fish, so I am SAD, SAD, SAD, SUPER-​DUPER SAD.

Well, strolled into the funky market since I had heard they had a good burger counter but it was evening the first time a couple weeks ago and I saw the sign that said they are only open Fri-​Mon at lunch or something?
So it’s Friday last week and blazing hot out so I’m riding my bike and recall the Mission Burger counter and stop by. There are about six other people milling about wearing small amounts of clothing making the line quite an enjoyable wait.
I order ²⁄₃ of the entire menu: that day it was just 1) burger 2) vegan burger 3) fries and wait for it to be prepared. Luckily a few friends happened to be in there too so we chit-​chatted until our meat was ready.
Since it was so hot out I wanted to eat outside and sat down to enjoy a nice juicy burger. The meat was really tasty and cooked well. I am not sure what all the toppings were that they put into it so will have to pay more attention next time instead of just wolfing it down.
The fries though were nothing special so I’ll take off a star for that. I’m definitely gonna go back and try the vegan option even though I’m a meat-​lover since so many others were getting it too so it must’ve been worthy…

Who could say no to a burger fried in beef fat? It was awesome and was everything I expected it to be. I’m glad I added a hot pepper for a little extra kick, wow! The caramelized onion and Monterey jack were perfect but I’ll skip the fry’s next time.
I arrived at 11:40 to find that I needed to wait until noon and when I returned at 12:15 there were about six people in front of me but I only had to wait a few minutes for my order. I’ll be back next week.