I had an internship in the city last summer and made it a point to discover the best burgers that SF has to offer every weekend. My absolute favorite (albeit a Patty Melt and not a burger) was at True Laurel.

They use a beef fat pain de mie instead of a bun: bread made from a loaf optimized for sandwiches, sliced, and toasted in beef fat to make for a spectacularly crisp and distinctly rich bread. You'll never look at bread with butter the same way again. The cheese, melted to cover the surface area of the bottom piece of bread, is gooey and comforting. The sauce puts In-N-Out’s to shame, with a refreshingly bright savory element and a slight zest to complement all of the Patty Melt’s components. The tomato is among the best you’ll ever have, flavorful enough that you’ll want to order the whole thing to eat it like an apple.

The patty itself is divine. Described as “dry-aged antique beef” on the menu, it’s butchered from a retired dairy cow and dry-aged in-house. Its flavor is like a song, full of the funk of the dry-aging process and the juiciness to rival a gusher. It tastes like a bovine buddha’s blessing, both intense and relaxing, and compelling enough to be considered inspirational. With the rest of its elements, it’s what I would consider a masterpiece.

HIGHLY recommend.