Polker's Gourmet is much more than Burgers: UPDATE
Written: Aug 29 '04 (Updated Jan 09 '07)
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Pros: Excellent food at reasonable prices; nice staff.
Cons: A bit run down.
The Bottom Line: I would definitely say to try Polker's. I wouldn't bring anyone you are trying to impress before of the ambiance!
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| jo.com's Full Review: Polker's Gourmet Burgers |
I ate here last night. It was as good as I remember. My rating is applicable two years later.
Polker’s is a restaurant known to locals. My stepson lives in San Francisco, California and eats here frequently. When my husband visited him in April they ate at Polker's. One night during our stay in San Francisco during our 3-month journey we decided to eat here. Unlike my usual visits to restaurants I had to go back the following day to get a menu and to look at the restaurant. The reason for my lack of attention was because a man who was homeless, who had been bothering people on the street, decided to hit me on the head so I was a bit dazed when we were eating. I do remember my experience though. Menus are not found online nor does Polker’s have a website.
Basic Information, decor and service:
Polker’s is located on 2226 Polk Street in San Francisco. They do not take reservations but take out orders can be called in at 415-885-1000. They accept Visa and MasterCard.
Their hours are 8:00AM to 11:00PM daily. Polker’s is very casual. I could tell that even in my daze and I could also tell that it needs a bit of work. As soon as we walked in we took a round table to the right. No one greeted us. You seat yourself. The seating is primarily booths. Our table was next to the door which I was sitting closer to than the rest of our party of 5. Every time someone came in or left, the door didn’t close and it was chilly so I spent about the first 15 minutes closing the door. Eventually I switched seats with my stepson so he could close the door. (I was holding ice on my forehead making closing the door a nuisance.) Unless this has been fixed when you eat here I wouldn’t recommend this round table. On top of my dazed state, Polker’s is dark so it wasn’t easy to see what was ahead of us. It isn’t dark as in romantic. It is just dimly lit as in not enough lights.
It isn’t a large restaurant. It is one room and narrow but long like much of San Francisco’s housing so I really couldn’t see past the first 1/3 of the restaurant until I went back the next day.
When I did I saw a bar and two rows of booths on each side of the restaurant. I also saw a restaurant that is in need of painting and some decorations. However, the food makes up for this. Polker’s is a popular restaurant and though it may not look or feel sparkling clean, it was a good choice.
Our waiter was very nice. He came over to us as soon as we sat down and asked if we wanted drinks. Polker’s serves beer and wine only. My iced tea was filled frequently and he came over often and asked how our food was. At 9:00PM on a Monday night the restaurant had plenty of people eating but it wasn’t crowded.
The day I went in for a menu, the staff was very nice. They do not have "to go" menus but when I told them I wanted to review their restaurant they took a menu out of the folder and gave it to me making sure this wasn’t going to cost them anything!
The food:
Polker’s wouldn’t be my stepson’s choice nor would it be popular with local residents if the food wasn’t good. The menu is eclectic in spite of the name Burgers. Breakfast is served until 3:00PM along with the regular menu. You can pick from 15 kinds of omelet and egg dishes ranging in price from $7.00-$10.00. All these dishes come with Polker’s Crispy Grilled Potatoes.
Polker’s French Toast and Pancakes are made from scratch with 100% maple syrup and pecan butter. These dishes range from $8.00-$9.00.
Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays. These dishes such as Fresh Salmon Florentine ($9.50) and Crab Cake Benedict ($11.00) come with Crispy Grilled Potatoes.
For dinner you can start with one or more of 9 appetizers including Tempura Style Fried Calamari ($7.95) or Onion Rings ($3.95). Six burgers are on the menu. These can be made with meat, turkey, garden (veggie burger) or chicken breast. They come with fries or salad and are $7.95 except for the chicken breast burger which is $1.00 more.
My stepson got his staple steak sandwich which was on a sub type roll and topped with saut�ed mushrooms and onions. He had a choice of fries or salad and chose the fries. The portion was quite generous. I wouldn’t have been able to finish his platter which cost $9.95. The rest of us got one of the 10 salads offered. Chicken can be added to any salad for $2.50 and salmon for $3.00). the house and classic Caesar are offered in half ($3.95/$4.95 or full ($5.95/$7.95) sizes.
One of my daughters wanted the Shrimp Louie but they were out of shrimp so she got a house salad with chicken. That salad comes with mixed greens, cucumbers, onions and tomatoes. My other daughter and I got the same dish my husband got in April and which he got again. That dish is the Grilled Salmon Cobb for $8.95. This comes with bacon (which we all held), avocado, egg, blue cheese, croutons (two of us held these) tomatoes and herb vinaigrette dressing topped with salmon for $8.95. This dish is delicious and I would get it again without a doubt. The salmon was fresh and tasty. It is served cold. The vegetables were also fresh and crispy. There was nothing wilted! The dressing is excellent. Not too tart, not too sweet – just right.
These salads are obviously made to order so leaving out the various items was no problem. The waiter seemed accustomed to having various items changed. We weren’t rushed at all – he was very patient with us.
Jo’s final thoughts:
It is always nice to go to restaurants in which the locals eat. This is one of them and I can highly recommend it. I would rate the d�cor 2 stars. I wish I could say it was charming or bohemian cute but the fact is it looks run down. Perhaps that is the intention but some may not like the looks of it. If you can ignore the chipped paint and the door that doesn’t close, do so. I’m giving the service and food 5 stars.
Please feel free to leave a question or comment.
I am keeping track of this trip. If you would like to read other reviews they are posted below.
Please feel free to leave a comment or question. Reviews of our 3-month summer journey follow:
Applebee's in Ohio
Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky
Bella Notte This is a restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky
Buckstaff Bathhouse in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas
Bicentennial Mall State Park in Nashville, TN
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, TN
Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN
National Civil Right Museum in Memphis, TN
Graceland in Memphis, TN
National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma
Souper Salad in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Taste of Thai a San Diego restaurant
Handlery Hotel in San Diego, CA
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations They will make changes so ask if you want to substitute.
Best Suited For: Friends
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