4505 Burgers & BBQ
705 Divisadero
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-231-6993
http://4505meats.com/4505-burgers-bbq/
I saw 4505 Burgers & BBQ featured on Best. BBQ. Ever. on the Food Network. The barbecue looked good, so I thought I'd give it a try.
I visited around 11:30am on MLK Day. Not too many people there when I arrived, but the crowd built steadily over the next hour. First, let me say that parking was a drag. As is common in SF, there's only street parking in the commercial and residential streets surrounding the restaurant and I probably circled the area for 15 minutes before finding a spot. There were several points at which I seriously thought about giving up, but my patience finally paid off with a choice parking space right in front of the restaurant.
The first thing you notice is the chain link fence surrounding the outdoor dining area. Are they trying to keep people out or trying to keep diners in? Actually, I assume the fence is to keep the picnic tables, benches and outdoor cooking equipment from "walking away" in the middle of the night. I guess chain link fencing is just part of big-city barbecue, but I have to admit it was somewhat off-putting at first glance.
The restaurant building itself is fairly small, with just a few high-top tables and chairs inside, the order counter, and the kitchen. Restrooms are accessed from outside the building. The place was funky and tidy and clean and I liked what I saw: An open kitchen with lots of people hustling to get the food out.
I place my order: A rib plate for lunch and a pound of brisket and a pound of pork butt to-go for later at home. The rib plate consisted of 3/4 pound of spareribs, two regular sides (or two deluxe sides for +75¢ each), pickles, onion, and a buttery Parker House roll. The prices were a bit shocking, but you have to remember a) you're in San Francisco where everything costs more; b) they use high quality meat from local providers; and c) did I mention that San Francisco is an expensive place to do business? The rib plate was $17. I chose fries and Frankaroni (+75¢) as my sides. Craft-brewed coke for $3.50. $28.75 for a pound of brisket. $19.75 for a pound of pork butt. Add 10¢ for a paper bag, $2.76 for SF ordinance fees, and $6.35 sales tax and my total was $78.96. Wow. This barbecue better be the Best. BBQ. Ever.
Seating outside consists of picnic tables and benches. There's a small Southern Pride smoker parked in the dining area, but it appeared most smoking action occurs in the pit inside the restaurant. You are given a number on a stand and your food is brought to your table. Tables are stocked with lots of napkins, moist towelettes (nice touch), ketchup, hot sauce, a mustard-based BBQ sauce, and a tomato-based BBQ sauce.
My rib plate came out and I immediately forgot about the $17 price tag. Two big, full, thick, meaty spares and one smaller one, cut from untrimmed spareribs. Lots of meat on the bone. Tasted so good I didn't put any sauce on them--a good sign. I tried the two sauces and didn't care for either. The tomato-based sauce had a strong taste of chili powder without enough sweetness for me. The mustard-based sauce? Meh.
The fries were hot and crispy. Good stuff. But the Frankaroni was the star of the side dish show. Moist, creamy mac and cheese with little bits of hot dog mixed in, breaded and fried until crispy. You take a bite...super-crispy fried outside, super-soft, creamy inside. Hot dog is meaty and salty. Mac and cheese is not dried out as happens too often with deep-fried mac and cheese. Just really good stuff! Wish I had one right now!
Later that evening, I unpacked the brisket and pork butt. Both were strongly seasoned, the pork butt with their house rub and the brisket with rub plus lots of coarse black pepper. Both were quite fatty but good. The brisket was a mix of sliced point and flat, and the pork was pulled into large shreds.
I think 4505 Burgers & BBQ makes some good barbecue. I gave the chef my compliments on his ribs...they were outstanding for restaurant ribs. But it's not cheap and parking sucks. I guess the same can be said for most big-city dining.
Anyway, I'm glad I checked it out. Here are some photos from my visit. Hope you enjoy them!
Continued...
705 Divisadero
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-231-6993
http://4505meats.com/4505-burgers-bbq/
I saw 4505 Burgers & BBQ featured on Best. BBQ. Ever. on the Food Network. The barbecue looked good, so I thought I'd give it a try.
I visited around 11:30am on MLK Day. Not too many people there when I arrived, but the crowd built steadily over the next hour. First, let me say that parking was a drag. As is common in SF, there's only street parking in the commercial and residential streets surrounding the restaurant and I probably circled the area for 15 minutes before finding a spot. There were several points at which I seriously thought about giving up, but my patience finally paid off with a choice parking space right in front of the restaurant.
The first thing you notice is the chain link fence surrounding the outdoor dining area. Are they trying to keep people out or trying to keep diners in? Actually, I assume the fence is to keep the picnic tables, benches and outdoor cooking equipment from "walking away" in the middle of the night. I guess chain link fencing is just part of big-city barbecue, but I have to admit it was somewhat off-putting at first glance.
The restaurant building itself is fairly small, with just a few high-top tables and chairs inside, the order counter, and the kitchen. Restrooms are accessed from outside the building. The place was funky and tidy and clean and I liked what I saw: An open kitchen with lots of people hustling to get the food out.
I place my order: A rib plate for lunch and a pound of brisket and a pound of pork butt to-go for later at home. The rib plate consisted of 3/4 pound of spareribs, two regular sides (or two deluxe sides for +75¢ each), pickles, onion, and a buttery Parker House roll. The prices were a bit shocking, but you have to remember a) you're in San Francisco where everything costs more; b) they use high quality meat from local providers; and c) did I mention that San Francisco is an expensive place to do business? The rib plate was $17. I chose fries and Frankaroni (+75¢) as my sides. Craft-brewed coke for $3.50. $28.75 for a pound of brisket. $19.75 for a pound of pork butt. Add 10¢ for a paper bag, $2.76 for SF ordinance fees, and $6.35 sales tax and my total was $78.96. Wow. This barbecue better be the Best. BBQ. Ever.
Seating outside consists of picnic tables and benches. There's a small Southern Pride smoker parked in the dining area, but it appeared most smoking action occurs in the pit inside the restaurant. You are given a number on a stand and your food is brought to your table. Tables are stocked with lots of napkins, moist towelettes (nice touch), ketchup, hot sauce, a mustard-based BBQ sauce, and a tomato-based BBQ sauce.
My rib plate came out and I immediately forgot about the $17 price tag. Two big, full, thick, meaty spares and one smaller one, cut from untrimmed spareribs. Lots of meat on the bone. Tasted so good I didn't put any sauce on them--a good sign. I tried the two sauces and didn't care for either. The tomato-based sauce had a strong taste of chili powder without enough sweetness for me. The mustard-based sauce? Meh.
The fries were hot and crispy. Good stuff. But the Frankaroni was the star of the side dish show. Moist, creamy mac and cheese with little bits of hot dog mixed in, breaded and fried until crispy. You take a bite...super-crispy fried outside, super-soft, creamy inside. Hot dog is meaty and salty. Mac and cheese is not dried out as happens too often with deep-fried mac and cheese. Just really good stuff! Wish I had one right now!
Later that evening, I unpacked the brisket and pork butt. Both were strongly seasoned, the pork butt with their house rub and the brisket with rub plus lots of coarse black pepper. Both were quite fatty but good. The brisket was a mix of sliced point and flat, and the pork was pulled into large shreds.
I think 4505 Burgers & BBQ makes some good barbecue. I gave the chef my compliments on his ribs...they were outstanding for restaurant ribs. But it's not cheap and parking sucks. I guess the same can be said for most big-city dining.
Anyway, I'm glad I checked it out. Here are some photos from my visit. Hope you enjoy them!
Continued...
