Editor's note: Burgermeisters! I'm totally psyched about this. This is the first in a series of excerpts from George Motz's book Hamburger America. George and his publisher were kind enough to allow us to run them here, along with George's beautiful photos. We'll be running one every other week. Eat up! —The Mgmt.
The meat grinder is in the window. What more can I say? "It's there mostly for dramatic reasons, but it's there so the customer can see what they are getting," says Joe Obegi, owner for over forty years and the man responsible for some of the freshest burgers on the west coast. The grinder is only five feet from the huge flattop griddle.
Joe takes his burgers very seriously. Don't look for 1/2 pounders and other fractional designations here. Joe prefers to use what he calls "actual sizes," 4, 6, and 8 ounce "fresh ground beef steaks." The burgers are cooked medium-rare unless specified. The menu explains, "Order your beef steak the way you would like your steak cooked."
About halfway through my "beef steak," Joe made a strange but characteristically brazen move. He grabbed a fork and delicately pried loose a small portion of meat from the center of my burger. "Eat that, just like that with no bun or other stuff." My burger experience had been altered and I had seen the light — Joe's burgers really were ground steaks.
A butcher dressed in all white with a white paper cap starts the burger making process by trimming a large chuck steak, behind glass, for all the patrons to witness. The meat is coarsely ground, measured and portioned into balls with ice cream scoops, then gently pressed into patties 6 at a time with a special press of Joe's design. When the patties hit the griddle they contain 6-8% fat.
Driving down Mission in the Excelsior neighborhood it's hard to miss Joe's. A huge sign, larger than the one with the actual name of the restaurant, announces with incredible candor, "JOE GRINDS HIS OWN FRESH CHUCK DAILY." He really does and it makes all the difference.
Joe's Cable Car Restaurant
4320 Mission Street, San Francisco CA 94112 (b/n Silver and Tingley streets; map)
415-334-6699 joescablecar.com
Hours: 7 days a week, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Hmm i wonder how's the special press of Joe's design looks like? Pressing the meat into patties is the most complicated thing i've ever done, since i only had a very traditional tupperware's design to make them into patties :p hahaha
Press and spin...
mmm this blog actually has inspired me to make some burger again,
thx AHT !!!
As a recent transplant to San Francisco, I was eager to test Joe's burgers. While they were tasty enough, I was appalled by the prices. My husband and i each had a 4-oz. burger, shared an order of fries and a vanilla shake, and I believe a Diet Coke. Our check came to over $40!!!!! Needless to say, we won't be becoming regulars at Joe's, despite our love of burgers and the restaurant's proximity to our house.
@ Penelope...I've eaten at CCJ's many times (but ahven't been in SF for 18 months)...and I have to cry " Male Bovine Poop" on you...however, CCJ's is where many off duty chefs hang and have a burger...if they would only have black truffles available....peace
Do you see the guy in the picture? He's grinding fresh chuck, right next to the griddle. That's why the prices are a little high. You'll have a hard time trying to find fresh ground burgers (at least that fresh) anywhere.
WOW! I wish I could find a burger joint over here in England that took its burgers as seriously as Joe' does. I second Nadyas curiosity over Joe's special designed patty making press,... anyone?
@iwannacook:
Prices from Joe's menu, applied to our meal--
Two 4-oz burgers @ $9.75 each = $19.50
Add 2 slices of cheese @ $.85 per slice = $1.70
One Large order fries = $3.95
One Milkshake = $4.50
One Diet Coke = $2.50
TOTAL: $32.15
Add tax, tip, and health insurance surcharge and you are well over $40. If you have anything other than a plain burger with cheese add another $2 per burger.
It's a fine burger, but it's not worth the price, IMHO.
Great to see slices of HAMBURGER AMERICA... I picked up (the must have) book about a week and a half ago and funny enough I read this excerpt earlier today. Yeah, Yeah. I know. I should be much farther in by now…I’m savoring it.
So what about the price @ Joe’s! You get what you pay for these days. I haven't been to Joe's yet, but can't wait 'til the day. My recent travels have brought me to quite a few joints though. Radius in Boston, $17, and I will say mighty tasty. The copper pot of fries really did it for those of us into presentation. And the horseradish really added to the burger. Definitely a thumbs up for me. Last Friday I tried to do 3 burger stops in NYC while on route to Shea. I finished 2 and a half and was quite disappointed. Shake Shack lived up to the rep except for the dweebs in front of me who ordered 30+ for their entire floor at work. brgr sucked. The bar stool chairs were rad. But I'll never be back. And Corner Bistro was a letdown. Cheap beer, but I won't become a patron anytime soon.
Sorry for the ramble...but it is a blog site. Anyway, back to the price thing. Every time I go to Le Tub I always spend over 40 for my part of the check. But that definitely has something to do with the wait and the need to continue to quench my thirst with cans of beer.
Moral to the story = cry to someone else about your wallet...you'll get no love here.
@ penelope....my bad then...I left Sf before a 'health insurance surcharge' was added...but if ya' want a cheaper burger, I guess ya' gotta make it yourself then....peace
c'mon hamburgamerica, we grind fresh chuck everyday , we charge $5.75 for an 8 oz natural black angus beef BURGER in our great tax state of connecticut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are not allot of people doing fresh ground meat these days as George would attest to, so lets give a thataboy to the guys that are doing it the right way, the diffference is second to none and the added up/charge is worth every dime.
A'men Joe!
Just had a burger there at Joe's Cable Car, George. It was amazing. I love what he does with the bit of butter. And the cheese he's using is great. Melted perfectly and stayed nice and gooey (probably thanks to the butter). It turns out the place is within easy walking distance of my GF's parents' place, where I'm staying right now. How 'bout that!?!?
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The meat grinder is in the window. What more can I say? "It's there mostly for dramatic reasons, but it's there so the customer can see what they are getting," says Joe Obegi, owner for over forty years and the man responsible for some of the freshest burgers on the west coast. The grinder is only five feet from the huge flattop griddle.
13 Comments:
As a frequent visitor to San Francisco, Joe's Cable Car is a "must dine" during each trip. The hamburgers are PERFECT!
And parking is no problem!
Tazzo at 10:35AM on 07/30/08
Hmm i wonder how's the special press of Joe's design looks like? Pressing the meat into patties is the most complicated thing i've ever done, since i only had a very traditional tupperware's design to make them into patties :p hahaha
Press and spin...
mmm this blog actually has inspired me to make some burger again,
thx AHT !!!
nadya loves hamburger :D
nadyogaga at 10:44AM on 07/30/08
Welcome George! I hope this inspires those that have yet to pick up a copy of Hamburger America to do so, it is a wonderful book.
Nick Solares at 11:14AM on 07/30/08
As a recent transplant to San Francisco, I was eager to test Joe's burgers. While they were tasty enough, I was appalled by the prices. My husband and i each had a 4-oz. burger, shared an order of fries and a vanilla shake, and I believe a Diet Coke. Our check came to over $40!!!!! Needless to say, we won't be becoming regulars at Joe's, despite our love of burgers and the restaurant's proximity to our house.
Penelope at 11:21AM on 07/30/08
@ Penelope...I've eaten at CCJ's many times (but ahven't been in SF for 18 months)...and I have to cry " Male Bovine Poop" on you...however, CCJ's is where many off duty chefs hang and have a burger...if they would only have black truffles available....peace
iwannacook at 4:16PM on 07/30/08
$9.75 is the lowest price and that's for a 4oz hamburger. From the restaurant's website
gaffer at 5:19PM on 07/30/08
Do you see the guy in the picture? He's grinding fresh chuck, right next to the griddle. That's why the prices are a little high. You'll have a hard time trying to find fresh ground burgers (at least that fresh) anywhere.
Hamburger America at 6:44PM on 07/30/08
WOW! I wish I could find a burger joint over here in England that took its burgers as seriously as Joe' does. I second Nadyas curiosity over Joe's special designed patty making press,... anyone?
joecameron at 7:32PM on 07/30/08
@iwannacook:
Prices from Joe's menu, applied to our meal--
Two 4-oz burgers @ $9.75 each = $19.50
Add 2 slices of cheese @ $.85 per slice = $1.70
One Large order fries = $3.95
One Milkshake = $4.50
One Diet Coke = $2.50
TOTAL: $32.15
Add tax, tip, and health insurance surcharge and you are well over $40. If you have anything other than a plain burger with cheese add another $2 per burger.
It's a fine burger, but it's not worth the price, IMHO.
Penelope at 10:16PM on 07/30/08
Great to see slices of HAMBURGER AMERICA... I picked up (the must have) book about a week and a half ago and funny enough I read this excerpt earlier today. Yeah, Yeah. I know. I should be much farther in by now…I’m savoring it.
So what about the price @ Joe’s! You get what you pay for these days. I haven't been to Joe's yet, but can't wait 'til the day. My recent travels have brought me to quite a few joints though. Radius in Boston, $17, and I will say mighty tasty. The copper pot of fries really did it for those of us into presentation. And the horseradish really added to the burger. Definitely a thumbs up for me. Last Friday I tried to do 3 burger stops in NYC while on route to Shea. I finished 2 and a half and was quite disappointed. Shake Shack lived up to the rep except for the dweebs in front of me who ordered 30+ for their entire floor at work. brgr sucked. The bar stool chairs were rad. But I'll never be back. And Corner Bistro was a letdown. Cheap beer, but I won't become a patron anytime soon.
Sorry for the ramble...but it is a blog site. Anyway, back to the price thing. Every time I go to Le Tub I always spend over 40 for my part of the check. But that definitely has something to do with the wait and the need to continue to quench my thirst with cans of beer.
Moral to the story = cry to someone else about your wallet...you'll get no love here.
mmakis at 5:00PM on 07/31/08
@ penelope....my bad then...I left Sf before a 'health insurance surcharge' was added...but if ya' want a cheaper burger, I guess ya' gotta make it yourself then....peace
iwannacook at 3:29PM on 08/02/08
c'mon hamburgamerica, we grind fresh chuck everyday , we charge $5.75 for an 8 oz natural black angus beef BURGER in our great tax state of connecticut!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There are not allot of people doing fresh ground meat these days as George would attest to, so lets give a thataboy to the guys that are doing it the right way, the diffference is second to none and the added up/charge is worth every dime.
A'men Joe!
scooter at 10:23PM on 08/02/08
Just had a burger there at Joe's Cable Car, George. It was amazing. I love what he does with the bit of butter. And the cheese he's using is great. Melted perfectly and stayed nice and gooey (probably thanks to the butter). It turns out the place is within easy walking distance of my GF's parents' place, where I'm staying right now. How 'bout that!?!?
Adam Kuban at 4:16PM on 12/22/08