Restaurant Review: Flavor Overwhelming

Located at 73 Cambon Drive in San Francisco, Hall of Flame is a classic burger joint featuring seating with a window available to watch the cooks go to work. The restaurant is located near an apartment complex, making it a local favorite among the occupants.

The average price for their food is between $11-30 for a meal, relatively inexpensive for the quality of food you’ll be receiving. They serve a variety of food, ranging from three different types of salad, to burgers that suit any craving, to Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. They do have the standard selections of sides, different types of fries, chili, and onion rings, along with the typical soft drink selection.

Upon walking into the restaurant, there are some very distinct aesthetics, notably portraits, posters, and signs of various sports teams. Some examples are Stephen Curry’s face near the ceiling, a cutout of Muhammad Ali near the back, and a San Francisco Giants logo near the billboard on the right. Note that the memorabilia changes from time to time, so your experience may be different.

The eating area is shaped like an L within a rectangle, with the empty space occupied by the kitchen area. The inside as a whole is quite well maintained, with no noticeable damage or decay. The tables are cleaned off regularly, and the seats are perfectly comfortable for a passerby looking for a bite.

In respect to the subject of the food itself, one must always remember that burgers are a complex and varied type of food. Nonetheless, the burgers here possess a level of craftsmanship and exquisiteness that questions if it is food or an art piece. Served upon a metal tray covered by a red and white checkered cloth, the food is separated when first given, allowing the customer to dabble with the burger’s composition, to create truly modular food. Biting into it allows one to taste what makes a burger great, the ingredients. A burger is merely a concoction of flavors that seamlessly blend into one another, and this burger, is no slouch. Rather than a mash of flavors that may interrupt the euphoric experience, they become one, harmonizing flavor into a single object, the burger itself. Upon consuming the first bite, it will become plain to see, that this is pure flavor itself. You can taste the quality of the patty, soft and tender, yet rigid to give the burger a spine and something solid to focus on. The cheese will be melted, expanding through the senses, contacting you rather than remaining a side note. The lettuce, strong, healthy, and a deep vibrant green, adds a texture and crunch, breaking up the mundane consumption a lesser burger would have. The buns retain an eye-popping vibrancy, possessing delicate details that showcase the expert work that went into creating it. When consuming it as a whole, a flavor that seems closer to joy than any physical concept will surround you. Nothing here defies each other, a smooth flavor that keeps going until finished. The fries expertly serve as both an accompanying item, and as a meal in of itself.

Those who go here often have noted some items that others should try if it is within the customer’s palette. The Ally-Oop is the most popular item, a standard half pound burger, except it has avocado, bacon, and French fries in it, producing a complex assortment of flavors. Next up is the Buzzer Beater, exactly like the Ally-Oop, but without the avocado and bacon.

Despite its popularity, the store is never filled to the brim, usually seats are available for a party of four or fewer. To top it all off, the price, quality, availability, and close proximity to San Francisco State University make it an extremely popular and appealing place for students to eat at after classes are done with. To make it simple, anyone with an appreciation for burgers should try to eat at Hall of Flame, the food is memorable and the price is great. Anyone attending San Francisco State University, or looking to, should seek out and attempt to eat here.