The Grill

Sadly, this place is now closed :(
I loved that as a vegetarian, they let me order weird things (the bbq sandwich, no bacon, extra onions, veggie pattie + onion rings on the sandwich).
They’ll be missed!

It’s ½ block down from Hall of Justice and right next door to Turtle Tower II.
I had Chicago style dogs on the brain since my trip to Chicago a few months ago, and wanted to curb that desire. So we hiked over from Moscone while everyone else was at the Giants ticker tape parade.
Hubby ordered two traditional Chicago style dogs while I had one. A side order of French fries to go with our order.
The dog was good, but still not quite like Chicago’s as the bun ended up soggy with each bite.
Still have the craving…

Now that I’ve eaten here several times I think I can honestly say that I like this new restaurant which took over the space once occupied by the Luna Taqueria. I had a mixed opinion after dining in the first time on their second day of business, but things have improved steadily over the weeks enough to satisfy me into dropping in at least once a week. The lady at the counter is extremely nice as is the head chef.
Among the menu (
) items I’ve tried everything has been made with quality using generous, fresh ingredient portions. Taste is a matter of opinion and there have been hits and misses among the things that I have tried. They have three sides to choose from and I love both the crispy seasoned battered onion rings as well as the garlic fries (
) which are very garlicky. I know this because my co-​workers step away from me after I’ve had The Grill’s garlic fries. The regular fries are good too, different as they are seasoned with a bit of black pepper.
So here’s what I’ve tried so far starting with one of my favorite items:
Foot Long Traditional Chicago Dog (
) — I love Chicago dogs, and this is one of the best I’ve had. They use authentic Vienna Beef sausages cooked to perfection. What surprised me was the foot long roll baked by Metropolis Baking Co. that it came on. It was fresh and soft enough that it worked well with the hot sausage and it was sturdy enough that it didn’t fall apart with all of the ingredients piled on top.
California Burger! (
) — In my opinion it was better than the burger I ordered here on my first visit. They give you a mountain of fresh alfalfa sprouts and ripe avocado. The burger is cooked to order and cheese is your choice. I selected provolone. My medium burger was perfectly cooked and delicious. A bit more juice in the burger would have made it outstanding.
The Works! Burger (
and
) — This was the first thing I ever ordered at The Grill. The third pound hand-​formed burger is round, but it is served on a toasted rectangular French bread roll. This was one busy burger with generous portions of thick bacon, ripe avocado, sauteed mushrooms and grilled onions. Jack cheese is standard but I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if you chose your own cheese. I ordered the burger medium and it was, but the portion of the other ingredients actually masked the taste of the burger itself. I’d be willing to order this again however.
Heart Attack! Sandwich (
) — This was my least favorite of the things I have tried here. There are lots of quality ingredients such as thick bacon, ripe avocado, pub cheese, jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, onion and The Grill’s special sauce all served on sliced sourdough with a side of your choice. The jalapenos were not fresh cut but were of the canned, jarred variety. The special sauce didn’t work either. Instead of accentuating the flavors of the other ingredients it actually did the opposite and overpowered the other flavors. I didn’t like the pub cheese either which was much too gritty in texture.
One bad sandwich won’t ruin my experience though. I just won’t order that sandwich again. The Grill is opened daily Mondays through Fridays from 7 AM until 5 PM for now. They have a breakfast menu (
) and they serve Blue Bottle Coffee for you coffee drinkers out there. They also serve beer. Too bad I have to return to work after my visits so no beer for me!