Cole Valley pub patties, SoMa smash standouts, and North Beach old-school classics. San Francisco's best burgers, by consensus.
The full ranking
Cole Valley pub patties, SoMa smash standouts, and North Beach old-school classics. San Francisco's best burgers, by consensus.
The Laundromat (Richmond)
A Richmond District bar that has become famous well beyond the neighborhood for a smash burger with lacey, caramelized edges and a sauce program that draws comparisons to the best in the city. The name makes first-timers do a double take.
Lovely's (Cole Valley)
A grass-fed smash burger counter inside Woods Beer and Wine Co. in Cole Valley, serving doubles, chili cheese fries, and a seasonal fish sandwich sourced from Monterey Fish Market. The back patio spills out nightly, making it the neighborhood's most energetic gathering spot.
Beep's Burgers (Ingleside)
An Ingleside institution with a half-century of history, serving straightforward griddled burgers and milkshakes from a small counter that has outlasted trends and fads. One of the city's most deeply local burger destinations.
Maillards (Sunset)
An Outer Sunset counter that has built a devoted following with a well-executed double smash and a no-fuss approach to sourcing and preparation. A neighborhood spot that became a citywide destination.
Native Burger (Richmond)
A Richmond District counter on Geary specializing in tall, thick-patty burgers off the flat top, with builds like the mushroom-and-swiss Northern and the signature Native crowned with candied bacon. Twice-fried fries and some of the highest ratings of any burger spot in the city seal its reputation.
Flats Burgers (Excelsior)
An Excelsior neighborhood counter with a growing reputation for a flat-smash burger and loaded fries that have earned comparisons to the city's best, attracting pilgrims from across the city to a part of SF that doesn't usually get this kind of attention.
Smish Smash (SoMa)
A dedicated SoMa smash-burger operation focused on maximizing crust and minimizing everything else, with a short menu, quality beef, and American cheese as the constants. The name is accurate.
The Butcher Shop by Niku (Design District)
The bar and casual offshoot of Niku Steakhouse in the Design District, where the kitchen's Japanese-influenced beef expertise translates into a precisely sourced burger that draws from the same Wagyu-focused pantry as the main restaurant. One of the most technically serious burgers in the city.
RT Bistro (Hayes Valley)
A Hayes Valley bistro that treats its burger with the same care as the rest of its French-leaning menu, with a well-seasoned patty, house-made condiments, and a bun that contributes rather than merely contains. A reliable choice in a neighborhood full of options.
ABV (Mission)
One of the Mission's most respected cocktail bars, where the kitchen's griddled cheeseburger has become a destination order in its own right. The San Francisco Standard's panel of chefs and industry pros named it one of the twelve best burgers in the city.
Ranked across 5 sources: The Infatuation · Best Burgers in SF (by score) 2026; The Infatuation · Best Smashburgers in SF (by score) 2026; The San Francisco Standard · 12 Best, Pro Survey (unranked) 2024; Yelp · Ranked by Rating · 0.5x Weight (June 2026); Google Reviews · Ranked by Rating · 0.5x Weight (June 2026). Full scoring is on the Methodology tab above.
Related lists
Browse every Top 10 List, see the experts and aggregators behind them, or play the day’s puzzles.