Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers: A Step Down
Written: Jun 14 '04 (Updated Jun 16 '04)
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Pros: Large variety, large portions, vegetarian friendly
Cons: Mediocre food, slow service
The Bottom Line: There are better burgers elsewhere.
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| ladygumby's Full Review: Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers |
Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers
3344 Steiner Street
San Francisco, CA
Telephone: (415) 563-0307
(Other outposts in Oakland and Berkeley)
I didn't set out on this dining experience with Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers in mind. As a matter of fact, I was wandering around on Fillmore Street intending to catch a quick bite at City Tavern, but it happened to be closed temporarily for remodeling. Venturing even further to Chestnut Street, I happened upon A16 and was curious to try it after hearing all the raves about its pizzas. Unfortunately, they informed me that they quit serving food at 2:30 p.m. (it was about 2:40 p.m.) and wouldn't be serving again until 5:30 p.m. I didn't want to be surrounded by the yuppies thronging Left at Albuquerque, Betelnut, or East Coast West, and ended up passing by Barney's. Since my red meat craving was seriously kicking in, I though this was as good a time as any to give it a try.
I walked in and stood by the sign which stated "Wait to be Seated." While waiting, I gave the décor a quick once-over. There were dark wooden walls, chairs, and square tables; blue leather banquettes; and other walls suffused in pale yellow/orange (rather saffrony). The front had arched windows, ceilings had recessed lighting, and the orange-y wall sconces were reminiscent of Murano glass. The floor appeared to be of some type of stone. Oil paintings of tomatoes, eggplants, onions and other vegetables were displayed on the wooden wall "gallery" style. The yellow/orange wall was covered with various awards the restaurant had received. The kitchen was open. Business was thriving on the back patio. In fact, several of the flies from outside were hovering around inside. My wait seemed to be 7-8 minutes before someone came over to seat me. It was quite some time before my order was taken. Once I sat down, I noticed that some of the tables have a sunken "slot" on the end where condiments (salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard and Dijon) are stored, which I found convenient.
The menu was extensive. You can indulge in not only your basic beef, but also in chicken, turkey, tofu, or portabello mushroom burgers. Each of those come in quite a few inventive combinations. A few examples are the Russian Burger with sautéed mushrooms, sour cream and scallions on dark rye; the Caribbean Burger with jerk sauce and vegetables julienne; and the North Beach Burger with cheddar cheese, sautéed mushrooms and artichoke hearts. Salad selections include a cobb salad, a falafel salad, a spinach salad and a Chinese chicken salad. There are also turkey and eggplant sandwiches. The best part is -- you can have your preference of skinny or steak fries.
Once I had decided on my red meat for the day, eons passed before anyone came to take my order. My choices were a small Greek salad and a French burger (with blue cheese and bacon). However, I wanted a turkey burger with no bun and no lettuce. [Barney's gives you the option of ordering without the bun to cut down on carbs.] When my Greek salad arrived, I had to check and make sure that they'd brought the small size, which they had. Their "small" is most definitely a normal portion anywhere else! The salad was composed of mixed lettuce, two large cucumber slices, two Greek peppers, four red onion ring slices, one tomato slice and a few Greek olives scattered throughout. It was quite light on both the feta cheese and the French vinaigrette dressing. Overall, the salad was nothing special. The burger was slightly burnt and the bacon was far too chewy for me; I prefer crispy. The flavor was passable, but the meat had an indescribably strange texture. Throughout the meal, my water was refilled frequently. As had come to be expected, it was quite awhile before my check was produced at the end of my meal. I must add, in his defense, that the waiter was friendly, yet quite apologetic for the sluggish service. If my memory serves me correctly, the bill came to somewhere between $12-$15 with tax and tip. I can't be more specific as the prices were as forgettable as the food. In addition, I stopped to peruse the "facilities" on my way out and found them in slight disarray (i.e. paper towels thrown all over).
For a place that specializes in burgers, Barney's was hugely disappointing. They'll only find me back there if desperation hits me; I'll continue to get my turkey burgers at Lori's Diner from now on!
Recommended:
No
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
ladygumby
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Member: Tina
Location: San Francisco, California, USA
Reviews written: 49
Trusted by: 13 members
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