Broken Record – San Francisco, CA

There used to be a time, not so long ago, when bar food was outright disgusting. It was no coincidence that the first four letters in bar food spelled “barf”. We’re talking nasty unappetizing things like jars of pickled pig’s feet and hot dogs that have been sitting in a steamer since who knows when. Eating in a bar was just something that you didn’t do unless you were completely sloshed and oblivious to the potential dangers of ingesting a week-old sausage. I guess when you’re that wasted anything looks appetizing, including that colorful candy-like puck in the urinal. Thankfully, a growing number of drinking establishments have realized that people like to eat when they get drunk and have seized the opportunity to sell good food alongside their libations without losing the pool table and turning the place into a full blown restaurant. Broken Record in San Francisco’s Excelsior district is one local bar that is cooking up some really good grub and an exceptional burger.

Broken Record has been around for a few years and has a faithful following that seems to grow more and more each day. If you are a whisky aficionado then you will be right at home with BR’s extensive whisky collection with shots ranging from $5 all the way up to over $65. Not all people come for the whisky – they come for the food. The few times I have been to the BR a crowd of hungry bar patrons queue up right before 6PM to order food made by chefs James Moisey and Shane Lavalley. The duo left the Firefly restaurant about a year ago to take over the kitchen at BR and have come up with an ever changing menu of fresh food, homemade ice cream desserts. Their burger is hailed by many as one of the best in the city.

My burger wingman and fellow photographer David Paul Morris joined me at BR to try out the Beef and Bacon Burger ($9.00) that people have been raving about. We arrived at the bar just before they opened up the kitchen, which is situated in the back room behind the main bar. We made our way back and ordered before the crowd got big. The house-ground burger comes with house made mayo, Tillamook cheddar cheese and ketchup on a locally made toasted brioche bun. I asked the guys where they get their buns and was told that it was a secret but that it comes from a bakery that is within a mile radius of the bar.

I watched one of these burgers being made from start to finish. First, Moisey ground chunks of fresh brisket and pieces of thick dry cured applewood smoked bacon from Zoe’s Meats in small grinder that was tucked away in a corner below a painting of a nude woman. He proceeded to grind the meat and bacon a second time, giving the meat an almost paste-like texture. Once the carefully formed patty was made, it hit a really hot grill and was showered with salt. The next move was the most interesting. While the burger cooked, Moisley used a knife to slice off about a quarter inch thick piece of Tillamook cheddar from a block of cheese and tossed it on the grill right next to the burger. It bubbled and sizzled for a bit before he carefully flipped it over. A crisped shell had formed on the thick cheese slice and the middle was becoming nice and molten. Once the burger was done he used the spatula to masterfully lift the cheese off of the griddle and drape it over the patty before placing it on the toasty bakery bun. Needless to say, I was in heaven after watching that display of burger erotica.

The Beef and Bacon burger looked so nice that I almost didn’t want to eat it. That fleeting thought didn’t last long. All systems go. The first bite was an incredible burst of smoky beef goodness mixed with a perfect amount of the crispy and gooey cheddar. The perfectly cooked bacon infused beef was super juicy from start to finish and the flavor was outstanding. While the burger dripped juice and oozed cheese, it never turned into a mess or suffered from blowout. The bun had spent a good deal of time on the griddle and was toasted well giving you a nice crunch with each bite with the inside remaining pillow soft, absorbing the excess moisture. The house made mayo was good and the ketchup complimented it well. I’m not really a “ketchup on my burger” kind of guy, but it worked.  Lettuce and onions come on the side but did not add them. In the summer when tomatoes are in season, they add a slice of fresh heirloom tomato. I have to come back in the summer to try that.

It didn’t take us very long to finish our burgers and after the last bite I was still craving more and contemplated getting another. My belly advised me against it. Maybe next time I will get a double patty, I think they mentioned that they could add a second patty for some extra coin. By the time we were getting ready to leave, the small back room was nearly full. Groups of people were eating, drinking and having a good time. The bar had filled up too and a dj was spinning records while people played pool. There was a nice community vibe, people were friendly and nobody had an attitude. Though I’m not really into whisky, I stopped to gaze at their impressive collection for a while. There had to have been over 100 different kinds. The tequila collection was not as impressive and was limited to a few bottles which were tucked away out of sight below the bar along with the other non-whisky bottles.

I’m glad I made the trek out to the southern edge of the city to Broken Record, the burger was well worth the trip. I really liked the bacon ground into the meat, it provided well distributed flavor without the hassle of having to manage strips of bacon that usually just end up falling out of the burger. I will definitely be coming back to BR to try more of Moisey and Lavalley’s delicious looking menu and, of course, I will have to savor another burger. If you find yourself out at the Cow Palace for a gun show or maybe making a trip to Daly City, drop by the Broken Record for a seriously good burger and a fun crowd. I think you’ll like it.

RATING: 4.5

Broken Record
1166 Geneva Street
San Francisco, California 94112
(415) 963-1713
www.brokenrecordsf.com
Bar Hours:  Sunday -Thursday 5:00PM – 12:00AM
Friday – Saturday 5:00PM – 2:00AM

Kitchen Hours:  Monday -Saturday 6:00PM – 11:00PM
Sunday  6:00PM – 10:00PM

Tagged as: broken record, burger, burger review, burgers, cheeseburger, hamblogger, hamburger, photo, photographer, photography, photojournalism, photojournalist, san francisco, whisky