In San Francisco, there are so many excellent veggie burgers that there’s bound to be a great purging of frozen Boca pucks any day now. Classics in the city — true institutions like Bourdain’s favorite Sam’s, expanding newbies like the Hamburger Project, and labor-inducing mystics like the sandwich at Spruce — generally don’t care to cater to non-carnivores. But the ones that have alternatives make a compelling case for leafy cheeseburgers.
San Francisco, CA
Highly Opinionated: An Eater Editor’s Favorite Veggie Burgers in San Francisco
Many of the top vegan sandwiches in the Bay Area are outside the 48 hills. Toriano Gordon’s Vegan Mob is a powerhouse of combo plates, mac and cheese, and burgers from Vallejo to San Bruno. Oakland’s newcomer Hyphy Burger is a head-turner, the black bean patty blanketed in bright yellow cheese not to be forgotten. Let’s not even get into my raw, primal love of soon-to-be food truck Malibu’s. I’d weep.
Don’t get it twisted: There’s a rubric. The burger has to be well-composed like any meaty bedfellow. That means crisp lettuce, a splashy and firm tomato, plus whatever other topping may be applicable, done to the most outstanding quality. The patty, the main character, can’t be just an Impossible patty slid in, presto chango; if not adjusted for flavor, it can be bit metallic. Nor can the patty be crumbly, mealy, or cloying. A smart burger-aiolo makes their own handiwork, with dialed-in black beans (or other malleable legume) and veg, though more than a handful of these selects make the Impossible patty work.
Why you should trust me: Much to the chagrin of some readers, not every single one of my meals is an opulent Mughal Empire-esque spread of fine food. In fact, I’ve eaten quite simply since 2016 — and strictly vegan at home for almost 10 years, indulging in what I call “freeganism” once out and about. Unlike the dumpster diving version of that term, my version means that if a friend or family member makes me non-vegan food, I’ll dig in. Further, once going in-house at Eater, I began eating whole hog at restaurants, though my preference is still to err on the leafy side of life. I’m an old head on the plant-based burger front at this point — we’re familiar frenemies. Note that, while some of these burgers fit the definition of vegan, a few due include dairy and other non-vegan ingredients.
For the bougie bites: Roam
Few burgers in the Bay come standard with Umaro’s Berkeley-based seaweed bacon and Violife’s dairy-free cheddar. Marin County-raised Joshua Spiegelman’s upscale fast-food spot has one of the most impressive homemade patties in the scene. It’s comprised of quinoa, black beans, brown rice, and dates, amongst other things, making it a high scorer in my personal categories. At $15, it’s also not much more expensive than its competition. This restaurant’s veggie patty can be subbed into other sandwiches, too — a rarity. Roam Burgers (1923 Fillmore Street)
For the trend-chaser: Smish Smash
No one reading this needs a smash burger intro. For those looking to keep it crispy and thin, this recent Saluhall addition is a must. There’s a real meatiness to the smash burger that’s tough to oversell: The onions reduce atomically, the meat nearly dematerializing into all crispy edges, making for an oily, beefy delight that’s eaten as quickly as the magicians behind the grill can make it. Such unrefined joy can be made vegetarian with an Impossible patty for just $1 extra, and most of the burgers go for under $13. Keep it cheap and powerful with the Reggie Miller, a cheeseburger through and through for $11 total. Smish Smash (945 Market Street)
For the late-night: Om Sabor
Chefs Dhanistha Rivera and Luis Flores’s restaurant tucked inside Hayes Valley’s Phonobar is famous for diners routinely yelping, “This is vegan!?” like paid extras in a margarine commercial. Same goes for its burger: a $10 medley of Impossible meat, roasted onions and peppers, salsa macha aioli, and pickled red onions on a pretzel bun. Sized appropriately, the Impossible is paired with enough flavor to keep that metallic edge at bay. Plus, the kitchen stays open until 10 p.m. For this level of quality, and in an area not known for nightlife, that’s pretty late! Om Sabor (370 Grove Street)
• Aiso: The newest in the game is this all-vegan bar and restaurant that took over the longtime Lark location on 18th Street. Here, it’s the jerk slider, a tiny construction of Impossible patty, miso mayo, and pineapple slaw. Aiso, 4068 18th Street
• Gott’s: Gott’s is the new classic. I recommend going with the veggie patty over the Impossible, as you get less of that cloyingness that Impossible can impart, and it’s a cost-free swap. Try it on the Gruyere and caramelized onion burger if you know what’s good for ya. Gott’s Roadside, 1 Ferry Building #6
• Greens: It doesn’t get much more classic than one of the city’s oldest, finest riffs. This one comes in at $22 and is the most expensive of my long-list picks. That said, the lentil mushroom patty and avocado crema also make it one of the most iconic in the city. Greens, 2 Marina Boulevard
• Native Burger: This unfussy Geary Boulevard burger spot offers a straight-up Impossible patty with crisp lettuce and juicy tomato. To be clear, this is a straight-hamburger — no cheese in sight. Native Burger, 3420 Geary Boulevard
• Rad Radish: There are rotating specials at this relative newcomer Hayes Valley restaurant from the Back of House group. Try the Le Rad Royale Burger for $16 — crowned with vegan provolone — while you can. Rad Radish, 301 Hayes Street
• Whiz Burger: Like Beep’s on Ocean Avenue, Whiz is one of those San Francisco burger spots that’s held on through the many tech makeovers. The Impossible burger here goes for a cool $9.30, which is basically absurd. Whiz Burgers Drive-In, 700 South Van Ness Avenue
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The 4,140-sq-km bay is the largest estuary on the west coast of the US. Before 2018, this species of whales wasn’t known to stop seasonally or consistently in the bay, bypassing it on their migration route down to Baja California and back up the Arctic, said Josephine Slaathaug, who led a recent study on gray whale mortality in the bay.
One of San Francisco’s busiest freeways remained shut down Saturday, creating major traffic delays and dampening business for some local restaurants and shops.
All eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 just before the Bay Bridge are closed as crews work around the clock to rehabilitate the roadway. The 55-hour shutdown, which began on Friday night, is scheduled to last until Monday morning in time for the commute.
The closure has forced drivers onto detour routes, leading to heavy congestion for those trying to reach the East Bay, including Oakland and Berkeley.
The impact is being felt beyond the roadways.
At MoMo’s, a restaurant across from Oracle Park, staff found business noticeably slower.
“A little bit more mellow than usual. We usually see a little bit more foot traffic, a little bit more people on Saturdays,” said Daniel Bermudez, executive chef at MoMo’s.
Bermudez believes the freeway closure may be discouraging visitors from coming into the city this weekend, despite favorable weather.
“The weather is beautiful today. It’s nice and sunny. So we have plenty of tables outside,” he said.
With the San Francisco Giants playing an away game, the restaurant had hoped fans would still gather to watch, but turnout during game time remained light.
“This is kind of like our off-season Saturday. A lot slower than our baseball weekend,” said Casandra Alarcon, general manager at MoMo’s.
Other small businesses in the Mission Bay and South of Market neighborhoods reported similar trends, saying most of their customers are regulars who live nearby rather than visitors.
“A little bit slower for sure. Before, we had tourists come and walk to the baseball park,” said Ajaree Safron, manager at Brickhouse Cafe & Bar.
Caltrans has shut down eastbound lanes between 17th and 4th streets to repave the 71-year-old roadway. The goal is to extend the life of the Bayshore Freeway by another decade.
City and transportation officials said the timing of the closure was intentional, noting fewer major events scheduled in San Francisco this weekend, aside from the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Westbound lanes remain open, and officials said traffic heading into San Francisco from the East Bay has not been significantly affected.
“Getting into the city, it wasn’t too bad. Regular [traffic], what we expect on a Saturday morning,” said visitor Andrea Inouye.
While the closure has posed challenges for businesses, some workers said they are taking it in stride.
“Hopefully, it’s not for too long and we get past it, and get back to our normal routine,” Bermudez said.
Despite early concerns about widespread gridlock, transportation officials said the region has avoided the worst-case scenario. Traffic remains heavy in areas near detours, but the anticipated “carmageddon” has not materialized, in part because many drivers chose to avoid the area or take public transit.
Bay Area High School baseball fans are treated to a rare opportunity Saturday (April 18) with three games at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, including the famed Bruce-Mahoney clash between West Catholic Athletic League rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral.
The first pitch of the 20th annual Dante Benedetti Baseball Classic starts at 11 a.m. and pits two more San Francisco private schools as University (9-7), winners of four straight, taking on Riordan (5-11).
That will be followed by the Bruce-Mahoney game at 2:30 between St. Ignatius (12-5, 4-2 WCAL) and the Irish (7-10, 1-5) and finished off with a North Coast Section clash between North Bay’s Marin Catholic (9-7) against Acalanes (7-6-1).
The Benedetti Classic, founded by Dante’s Boys Foundation board member Tom Lounibos and Giants president Larry Baer, benefits the DBF which honors the spirit of Benedetti who for nearly 40 years owned San Francisco’s Mr. Baseball nickname for his kindness and generosity to baseball-playing youth in the area.
Among their philanthropic efforts are glove and baseball equipment drives, field renovations and contributions to scholarships and sponsorships.
After starting the season 0-4 — three of those losses were by one run — University, under head coach Andrew Suvunnachuen, has found its way, winning the last four, all in Bay Counties League play, by a combined 51-6 count over Lick-Wilmerding (16-1 and 11-3) and San Domenico (13-2 and 11-0).
Senior catcher and pitcher Jett Messenger leads the way with a .447 average, while getting on base at a .638 rate. He also leads the team with 20 stolen bases. Junior third baseman Tate Gebhart is hitting .419, while Leo Felder and Behbart share the RBI lead with 15 each.
Junior Matthew Foley is 3-2 on the mound with a 2.38 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
Riordan, under second-year head coach Craig Sargent, was 5-5 in nonleague games but lost six straight in the rugged WCAL, losing two tough games this week to Mitty (3-2 and 7-4). Junior third baseman and pitcher Santiono Williams leads the team in batting average (.371), on-base percentage (.488) and stolen bases (nine). He’s also been the team’s top pitcher at 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA.
The teams have split two previous games in their history, with Riordan winning 2-0 in 2023 and University prevailing 5-0 in 2021.
St. Ignatius, led by ninth-year head coach Brian Pollzzie, has already secured the Bruce-Mahoney trophy with four straight wins — one each in football, girls volleyball, boys basketball and girls basketball — but this rivalry is always spirited.
The Wildcats, who are ranked fourth in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle, are coming off a tough 3-0 home loss to No. 2 St. Francis on Friday after beating the host Lancers 10-6 on Tuesday.
The team is led by Stanford-bound Archer Horn, who is hitting .486 with four home runs and a .604 on-base percentage. The shortstop and pitcher also has not allowed an earned run in three pitching appearances while registering one save.
Pitching is a team’s strength with a 2.59 ERA, led by a brigade of strong arms including Leo Rhein (2-0, 2.38), Tycco Giometti (2-1, 2.62), Charlie Stecher 1-1, 0.72) and Chase Gordon (1-0, 2.80). The team is missing standout Finn Demuth, out of the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Sacred Heart Cathedral, led by fourth-year head coach Gregg Franceschi, has scored 60 runs on the season and given up 61. The Irish are coming off two losses to eighth-ranked Valley Christian (5-2 and 10-1).
They are led offensively by junior outfielder Brody O’Sullivan (.381) and senior infielder Jacob Vines (.378). Johnny Nepomuceno and Max Nylander are other run-producers. Zach Stallworth (37 strikeouts, 29.2 innings) and Cooper Rogers Lewis (0.25 ERA) have been the team’s top pitchers.
The series has been remarkably close since 2005 with Sacred Heart Cathedral holding a 27-20 edge, though St. Ignatius won both games last season (5-0 and 6-3) after the Irish won 9-7 and 1-0 in 2024.
Marin Catholic hopes to get back to winning after starting the season 9-1, but have since lost six straight, four in Marin County Athletic League play, including 4-2 to Novato on Thursday. Senior outfield Luke Martin is the team’s leading hitter at .478 while senior infielder and pitcher Cooper Mitchell is at .455. Senior infielder Walker Untermann leads the team with 15 RBIs.
Acalanes is at the other end of the spectrum, winners of five of six after a 2-5-1 start. Junior infielder Tyler Winkles, also a highly recruited quarterback in football, leads the team with a .383 average and nine stolen bases. Riley Gates (2-3, 2.49 ERA, 30 strikeouts) is the team’s top pitcher.
The teams have played three times, all since 2022, with Marin Catholic owning a 2-1 lead. Acalanes won last year’s game 8-7.
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