Burger Gourmet

So I had my first Downtown Oakland burger at a competing joint just a few weeks prior, and given that it was a grand experience, I tried another similar-​looking spot a couple of blocks away. When our job first moved to Market, I would often take BART to the 19^th street exit, then walk to Webster on my way to work, and I saw this place advertising burgers, sandwiches and other foods, and figured I’d give it a shot at a certain time. Nearly nine months after the move, I finally did.
As to my experience — eh, it was alright, it was ok. Staff seemed knowledgeable if not particularly excited. Clientele seemed to have the attitude «Well, it’s a place that serves hot food, has chairs, is well-​situate, and is apparently safe, so why not?» And that’s my feeling — yeah, my hamburger was certainly adequate, just not particularly memorable. If you’re with a group where there might be somebody who doesn’t like their meals to be too exotic, just predictable, this might be ok…

They make decent enough burger for lunch. My problem has always been with their prices. They charge extra for bbq sauce. And don’t give you an itemized receipt. A $ 7.99 burger and $ 2 drink come out to $ 11.49. How the hell does that happen? Life’s too short to figure it out, so I just walk by and get a burger elsewhere when I’m in the mood.

Place is another bloody gem. Oakland, back in the day style. Owner bought me my coffee, for no reason. This joint is cheap, greasy, and awesome. Construction workers and bar folk eating lunch. Get the patty melt or tuna melt, it’s pretty good and it’s like 8 bucks. Heck yeah.

They have the LARGEST variety of food I have ever seen for such a small establishment. Thank goodness my mother work’s down the street or I may have passed up this gem. I’ve only eaten the breakfast (because that’s when I’m in the area dropping my mother off to work) and they have a wide range of breakfast meats. I don’t eat pork so having other selections is my #1 priority and burger gourmet has never failed me down.
Don’t eat me at all? Well they have a ton of veggie options too! I had egg, avacado and tomatoe breakfast sandwhich on a crossaint with cheese… mmmm it was so good. Whatever you want, however you like it, they can do it for you!
My mom has eaten their lunch here and said it was good too! They are really friendly here as well, so don’t be shy to hold a conversation if you have time to do so. I wish we had a burger gourmet by my job!

If I could give zero stars I would. Worst customer service ever. I ordered a bacon cheese burger fries and a can soda which came up to almost $ 13.00. When I asked him how much was the soda he flipped out saying you act like I’m trying to cheat you I have been in business 18 years. I told him he don’t have to be so rude I just asked a question, and he continued to argue with me. If I wasn’t so hungry and pressed for time I would have just gotten my money back. I will never spend another dime in this place again.

Not the worst or best place I’ve been too. Mushroom burger was average. Onion rings were average. Got very little too. Just an average place to be honest. Nice, big, and clean restaurant. Orders are a bit slow. Nothing memorable about the food I had really. Don’t think I’ll bookmark it on Unilocal,lets just lut like that.

Burger — OK (a little burnt)
Free water with cucumber **thumbs up, nice
Price: Over priced
Owner or dude that runs the register: ASSHOLE
Dude, dont act like your doing us a favor. Your food is OK–
Go to I’B’s Hoagies… the owner there is a cool dude and the food is better.

The owner here is super nice and cool. The menu is extremely versatile with some middle Eastern fusion and the variety of vegetarian options. Love this place.

You want a great fresh and tasty burger
This is the place, truly the best I ever had
The owner is so nice and friendly and you should meet his wife, she does all the cooking, and I’ll tell you she knows how to
Make these burgers just perfect,
They got my Business and support

Having previous experience running a sandwich shop, I cannot stress how important customer service is — it can truly make or break a place. I wanted to give this place a try even though others warned against it. I’m all about small business owners so thought I’d help support the business. Upon arrival, I wasn’t greeted by the cashier (an older gentlemen with gray hair, maybe the owner as owners usually handle the register). He didn’t say hi, hello, nada. he didn’t ask me if I had any questions about the menu, I mean not a single utter… so I asked, «do you take credit cards», he nodded a «yes» response so I place my order for a burger. Here was another opportunity for him engage in dialogue (what type of cheese do you want, would you like fries, soda etc.) and NOTHING, I mean he just rang me up and told me my total. When my order came, the lady asked me for condiments, so I knew the burger wasn’t assembled. I said sure. got back to my office and fine ONE pack of ketchup, ONE pack of mayo, ONE back of mustard, an unripe tomoatoe and lightly burised lettuce. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s important to save on cost but not at the expense of losing customers.
Please, get it together guys as the place has potential!

I got a western burger and ½ fries, ½ onion rings. I ordered to go. The cost of the half and half fries/​onion rings was $ 2.30. I opened the box and I had a few fries that I would expect to be free with the burger and two (2) onion rings. This was almost $ 11 for a burger and fries/​onion rings. For what you get, $ 11 was waaaay over priced — especially since I got two onion rings for the «half» of onion rings. For $ 2.30, I should have got a separate container with a decent amount of fries and onion rings. The burger was ok. Their soda machine was out of commission so if you want fountain drinks, you’ll have to go elsewhere. I don’t know, I think if I want another burger this place won’t be on my list to come back to. Its not that it was that horrible, but there are for sure better places to get a burger from.

Pros–
Walking distance to 1800 Harrison, Kaiser regional office hub where I have to attend lots of training classes and meetings.
Awesome buns; light and fluffy.
Free flavored infused water
Wide variety of salads; sandwiches, kabobs; and of course burgers that include turkey and garden.
Cons
Just so so Hawaii turkey burger; pretty bland.
Odd smell to the restaurant; maybe due to the indoor grill? Also I think there are some middle eastern items on the menu which may leave strong odors due to the spices that are used.

This place has great food, not just burgers. They are quick and the food is super fresh! They have great catering too.

I dig this place — — The owner and his wife are sweet as pie. The food always hits the spot as well. Love the avocado + bacon burger… and breakfast is always great! To-​go orders are my usual as I am always running a mile a minute… Thanks guys!!!

Unilocal smash personally to the krusty owner.
I pass by this place every now and then, decided to give it a try.
I stroll in check the menu out leaning casually against the pillar.
The owner — silver mustache middle eastern guy counting his money earnings at the register,
he then looks over at me after a –head to foot– stare down (I notice he must judge first so he thinks he knows the right approach),
then asks in a rude manner, «What do you want?»???
I was internally turned off on the split second reply so I asked for a to-​go menu instead.
From there he already thinks no sale and replies back without any eye contact or respect gesture, «No» and quickly goes back counting his money. Wow really?
This is the kind of business that loses future customers and doesn’t realize why due to being stuck in his own stubborn ways.
The only reason this place has customer is because there is really no where to go walking distance for a burger. The owner is cocky and thinks his establishment is due to his platinum service but is far from.
Why the hell would why I give you money to run a business with a cocky attitude, unappreciated low quality ingredients, dam I can just imagine how the owner treats his staff if this is how he handles customers.
If your not wearing desk job attire or come in carrying a laptop bag then be prepared to be judge first, and this is for the folks coming from 24 hour fitness with gym attire, sweats ect, looking in for an after workout protein bite.
Price: Wow $ 8 for a burger itself and for some fries add another $ 4. Overpriced.
Keep in mind I started observing and looking around and wow, your so called gourmet burger… is a frozen patty. 0 stars just for using a fake name.
Visualization: Just check the submitted Unilocal pictures, sure the burger looks high and piled but 4 – 6 onion rings? 14 pieces of fries? I then look around to see how portioned the food was on the dining table and the burgers look like they got maybe 1 gram over on the In & Out burger.
Overrated even with 3 stars.
I scrolled down and found a few Unilocaler pretty much with my same experienced…
Here is his review and there’s plenty more similiar…
Michael P 1 star
Went to get lunch here. The restaurant was quiet. I tried to ask questions about the menu and got looks from the owner like I was boring him. My friend was with me and he gave him a look like what’s up with this guy. I asked if I am wasting his time and told him I can leave. He said go ahead. Never been treated so bad at a restaurant for no reason. Food was ok. Owner terrible!
Allen S. 1 star
Not a great burger. Also, the owner is very rude. He is the one on the cash register taking the orders. He is not only rude to me. but my girlfriend say’s he has also been very rude to her. Bad burger. Simply put, it’s very greasy and tasteless. The fries suck too.
Andy L. wow 2 stars what a already nice person
I had high expectations from the reviews.
Only thing it’s got going for it is the grass-​fed beef.
Other than that. Flavorless beef. Expensive burgers. $ 18 for a meal for 2 people. I had the onion ring-​french fries combo and my friend had the salad. Not enough food or flavor. At least give a big heaping of fries!
I would recommend to pass this place up anytime you can to another. The owner just may ruined your already positive day.

Perhaps I was on crack when I first reviewed this restaurant. Either that or someone there cares to review their Unilocal and made some updates. Regardless, I did as promised and returned for another burger run.
I asked for the same burger, Bacon Cheeseburger with Brie, extra Brie and some sweet potata’ fries.
Can I just say DAYYYYUUUUM — it was delicious. My burger was dripping with Brie which made my feet tingle. The sweet potatoes were aplenty and they had a lot of flavor. The bread tasted more toasted than hard this time so I must have been trippin’ previously.
I experienced the same great service. It was quick, the gentleman behind the counter was very nice and la mia pancia è piena (my belly is full). A happy belly it tis.
I’ve included a photo but you didn’t pay for the smellivision or tastivision so you won’t get the full experience unless you go there. Heard you didn’t pay for «smellivison» on a food channel and have been dyyyying to use it… so there.
They are not an expensive joint and the burgers are damn good. I’m pleased that I was able to update my review with the five stars my burger, fries and service deserved today.
Also, after I ordered and paid for my burger and fries I saw the Baklava. Delicious layers of goodiness in a neat little package screaming out my name. I’ve never been one to walk away from a good thing so I gave one package a great home. It will hit the spot come 4pm.
I bring it up because I only had my credit card with me — so I added a bag of chips and an iced coffee drink from the fridge so spend more. I offered to pay extra for the credit card fee but he refused. Thank you Burger Gourmet, see you next time I’m craving a great burger :)

Decent burgers at decent prices.

Burger Gourmet maybe is. the vibes are ones you get from a dineer.
menu: sammies, breakfast, kabobs, salads, burgers of many types, fries.
eats: hamburger (5.55)
–½ burger on gourmet bread with tomato, lettuce, red onion
bread really gourmet, magg…
–mett med. rare, not juicy, but tasty
–satisfying menu at good price
3.5 stars.
crumbs:
–lots of seating
–friendly service
–open grill.

Size Does Matter
I had lunch with my friend Suyon here yesterday.
I know from being laughed at over the years that size does matter.
I like this place overall (I’ve now gone here 4 times), but my main problem has always been with the portions.
They’re fine for most people, but I’m so damn special that I just received a star from my teacher.
Where did that come from?
Anyway, a big eater like me may need to order 2 meals in order to get full.
I got here early and waited outside for a few minutes (the front of the restaurant is nicely shaded). A woman just stopped a man from giving her a parking ticket (she shouted as she raced to her car).
Suyon was running late, and an Asian girl stared at me after I ordered.
I’m pretty sure that she expected me to remain alone at the table.
Later on, a woman stared at us when I was showing Suyon some pics of my son.
This place is huge (it’s pretty good for groups).
The seating capacity is well over 100.
The layout could be better, however.
Some tables are too close to each other.
There’s also not enough room by the counter (I had to wait a little while yesterday for this guy to get out of my way).
The green carpet is old, but it’s kept clean and really stands out.
The restaurant is in the midst of a very busy area.
If you come here for lunch, it’s fun to sit at a window and people watch.
It was always packed inside when I went a few years ago.
It was pretty dead inside yesterday, though (it was a nice surprise). A friend of mine told me that this has been the norm for awhile now.
The guy who is usually my cashier may be the owner.
He’s kind of sullen (someone should send him a smile to wear), but quite competent (my orders are always right).
After you order, you’re given a number to bring to your table.
My food was brought to me after about 7 minutes (5 – 10 minutes is the norm).
Suyon’s soup was brought to her quickly too (I brought a drink from work, and I don’t believe she drank anything– the cashier offered me some water, and there are cups kept at the counter for this purpose).
Breakfast is served from 7 – 10:30 a.m.
The menu is fairly diverse, but burgers and sandwiches comprise many of the selections (there are over 40 total).
There’s also a large fridge full of drinks.
Every table has a salt and pepper shaker, and a mustard and ketchup bottle (I always ask for mayo– you’re given a cheap mayo packet for each meal).
The name puzzles me.
There’s really nothing «gourmet» about the burgers or other selections.
The word «plain» even comes to mind.
According to another reviewer, the tri tip sandwiches are great (I think tri tip is overrated, but that’s probably just me).
I took some notes in front of Suyon (she couldn’t read my glbperihs– gibberish).
I tried to tell her about my Unilocal account before. Well, she really knows now.
Bacon Cheeseburger ($ 6.55): 7.5÷10.
I wasn’t given any fries with mine, and my burger wasn’t worth $ 6.55 alone.
It wasn’t greasy, but it was somewhat bland in taste.
My bun and cheese were fine.
I received a fair amount of bacon, but the slices were too small and fatty overall.
A side of fries is only $ 1.99, but I decided not to order one. I think all burgers should come with fries.
Hot Link Sandwich ($ 5.75): 8.25÷10.
Suyon was impressed when she saw mine.
I was happier in the past, though.
My hot link was good and juicy, but just barely hot (they were hotter before).
I received a decent serving of fries, but they were lukewarm and about average in taste (I offered, but it’s good that Suyon didn’t have any).
My nice score partly has to do with the low price.
Lentil Soup with Spinach:
I didn’t ask her for a score, but Suyon really enjoyed her soup (it was «so good»). She loves spinach and has it everyday.
Her soup was small, but it took her awhile to finish it because of how thick it was.
I received 3 plastic knives for some reason. I didn’t use any of them.
At one point, I basically choked on my food while talking about something emotional (this is my fault). It made my voice so low that I sounded heartbroken even though I felt fine (poor Suyon– she started to tear up like I was delivering an Oscar-​worthy performance in a dramatic movie).
With tax, my total was $ 13.38.
Although I didn’t feel full when I left, my food kicked me in the stomach later and demanded the rest of my lunch money.
We had a nice time, but I can only mildly recommend going here.

I’m sitting in burger gourmet drafting this review on my iPhone. Strangely I see more people around me munching salads on their lunchtime breaks than burgers. Oh, the irony.
I like that they use char-​broilers for their burgers here. I think that Is probably the most proper way to cook a decent burger. The meat is good quality with hand-​formed patties and a good meat/​fat ratio as it came out quite juicy. There are all the familiar burger options on the menu with most toppings available. They also have chicken for the less commited vegetarians and veggie burgers for those that just don’t want to be honest with themselves.
If I didn’t work at kaiser would I eat here? Probably not. There are better burger options. But since I am forced to spend an hour every day perusing the neighborhood for nourishment, this place will do the trick.