Trueburger — Restaurant in Oakland

TLDR; Great ingredients and attention to detail make this burger a standout. The garlic breath is worth it!

This was my first time at Trueburger, so I went simple—a Cheesy Trueburger (a 5 oz, certified Angus ground burger made of all natural, pasture raised beef with cheese, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayo served on a griddled brioche bun), garlic fries, and a (Mexican) Coke.

The grind on the burger was fantastic; not too fine (which results in a tight, dry patty) and not too coarse (which can result in more moisture, but produces patties prone to falling apart). The blend of the beef was great too as the patty had enough fat to get the full flavor of the beef without too much drippiness.

The mayo did a good job of keeping things moist, while preventing the burger juices from soaking through the brioche bun. The griddle added just enough flavor and crunch to the bun to keep it structurally sound throughout the meal. While minimal, the lettuce was a great touch, supplementing the crunch from the griddled bun and the crust from the patty, while the tomato added a little umami to balance the sweetness of the bun and the flavor of the cheese and the beef. In short, this is a really thoughtfully constructed burger and it shows.

The garlic fries were great on their own, but better with ketchup. They’re shoestring-cut and came hot and crisp, if on the oily side. I’d recommend eating these on location rather than getting them to go. The garlic was powerful on these fries, so wearing a mask on the walk back wasn’t the best, but definitely worth it.

I’d absolutely come back for another burger and another round of fries. To top it off, I got a burger, fries, and a drink for under $15 and it was...

A quaint burger joint packing one hell of a flavor punch! This is a meal you will remember for years to come. I ordered the True Deluxe Burger (their cheeseburger but it comes with a delicious savory fried portobello mushroom infused with gooey mozzarella cheese) with one extra patty, onions, pickles, mustard, ketchup, jalapenos, and a side of their sweet and spicy smoky chipotle sauce, as well as garlic fries with a side of cheese sauce. First the fries - they were thick and long, exactly how French fries should be - the perfect ratio of crunch to warm and soft potato. And the garlic sauce was immaculate. Dipping the fries into the chipotle and cheese sauces elevated the flavor. I believe the fries are beer battered which is why their texture is so perfect. Honestly, forget the burger for a second, these are the best fries I've ever had in my life. Now for the main event - The True Deluxe. One bite and I was in burger heaven. It was a messy burger (probably due to that extra patty, but it doesn't matter), I couldn't stop eating! The flavors and the textures of each ingredient perfectly complemented each other, the meat was perfectly cooked to medium rare and juicy, every bite melted in your mouth, an explosion of flavor! After the burger I couldn't stop reminiscing on what I just experienced. This is the kind of burger you go "damn that was a really good burger!" One of the best you'll ever have in your life. Wish I had stopped to take photos but I promise you, do yourself a favor and go to TrueBurger. Try their true deluxe, get their garlic fries, try their chipotle sauce. I also hear they have...

The mushroom burger is hands down an amazing delight on first bite. The fried portabello mushroom is sealed with garlic aoli and mozzarella cheese. It starts oozing out of the fried coating, and a sight and waif of that ooze excites every single taste bud. The mushroom burger felt relatively light even though it is fried.

The Trueburger is an unadulterated goodness as well. Since the meat patty is not overworked, the patty actually comes across quite fluffy with the egg bun.

The thin cut fries were crispy and consistent. I would probably not go for the cheese next time and just stick with traditional fries and ketchup. The Velveeta-ish American cheese topping was decent, but I felt it took away from the perfectly crisp fries.

The vanilla ice cream shake with chocolate sauce was delicious and flavorful. The shake did not come out too thick and did not require a separate spoon. Just a simple suck of the straw. The special was a french toast shake, which I wish I had room for. Similar to their Twinkie shake, the french toast is pulverized into vanilla ice cream. Next time!

All-in-all the portabello mushroom burger far exceeded my expectations and won me over. That is a first for a...