Roam Artisan Burgers — Restaurant in San Francisco

Service: The cashier was very friendly, personable and worked well under pressure. She was the only one behind the counter, she would have to be the barista/bartender/milkshake maker and deal with the line of people who want their burger. She did exceptionally. She told me it would take a bit of time to make my shake, instead of not informing me, which I know some people tend to do and make it in their own sweet time. So I was very grateful.

Food: I had the beef burger, french & fries style with a traditional bun. It was DELICIOUS. I loved the mixture of flavors, although it did fill me up and I had to give half to my boyfriend. I definitely would come back and try their other styles. My boyfriend got a bison burger, sunny side style with traditional bun. I had intended to take a bite or two, but my boyfriend found it to be so yummy, by the time I wanted to take a bite, it was already gone...

Fry-Fecta: I love variety, I go to buffets for variety, not quantity. So the fry-fecta was perfect! And the seasoning was awesome, so good on my tongue. I couldn't finish it all, so I had to get a box, and it was still so damn good hours later...

16 oz Coconut milkshake with bruleed marshmallow: Definitely tastes like real coconut, very refreshing, great with a burger. I shared with my boyfriend. It was enough for the both of us. And the cracker with the bruleed marshmallow was an excellent small dessert.

Atmosphere: Very casual, a little cramped sometimes. The furnishing exudes high class hipstery, but everything else feels very casual and easy going. But I prefer this setting more than Umami burger, where you have to have your whole party with you...

Been to ROAM quite a few times now and have always enjoyed my meals there. I cannot say I ever enjoy my hike up Gough back to Pacific Heights afterwards, a telltale sign that the food filling and always satisfies.

This place has good variety in their burger menu (including a make-your-own-burger option), TVs (so you don't have to miss the game ... although I probably wouldn't come here with the explicit purpose of watching a sporting event), and awesome sweet potato fries. I have not tried their milkshakes but friends who have do rave about them.

The place is pretty casual but I mean it's Union St so occasionally you're of course gonna see some girls dressed to the nines. I'm not sure what an artisan burger is exactly but the name alone makes it seem a little more classy than whatever you'd find at like a Johnny Rockets. The space is kind of small but I can't remember ever having to wait for a table (they have a few big communal tables, which is always kind of fun) and they have outdoor seating as well, I believe with heaters.

I like a lot of the establishments on Union in theory, but sometimes the crowd gets a little too yuppie / bro / douchetastic / [fill in adjective here to describe the atmosphere we both know all too well] for my taste. ROAM benefits from (a) being a little farther east and (b) not having become a bar in earnest. They serve alcohol, but to me it's always a restaurant (ie unlike its next-door neighbor Brick Yard, I wouldn't ever go here just to drink). I find this...

Delicious. To-date, one of the best burgers I've had in SF at any price level. Though it's much more expensive than other local burger options like Super Duper -- especially for a single patty -- both the quality and execution were spot on.

I was worried that, as a single patty, it wouldn't be enough food since I typically get a double patty when offered. That said, the toppings were solid and we ordered two orders of fries -- so I left quite satisfied. I had the Tejano burger (pictured), and we ordered two orders of fries -- plain russet potato fries + chipotle-maple dry-seasoned sweet potato fries (pictured) -- which were also well-executed.

Ultimately, it was all very tasty and not too greasy, which has sometimes been my experience at Super Duper. To be fair, this is my first time to Roam, so I'll need to return to get a better sense of their consistency. Admittedly, they're not necessarily playing in the same tier of burgers/restaurants, but I just thought I'd offer them as a point of reference.

For 2 burgers & 2 fries (with a couple of $1 add-ons), our lunch came out to about $35 (not including your preferred tip %). (Receipt pictured) I'd say that's pretty pricey, but of course that price point likely strikes each person differently, especially here in SF. I'm at least happy that the food did...