Openings

First Look Inside Umami Burger, Opening Today in Cow Hollow

http://sanfrancisco.grubstreet.com/upload/2011/10/first_look_inside_umami_burger/20111010_umami_190x190.jpg
The decor theme: Japanese.

San Francisco’s first outpost of Los Angeles’s upscale burger chain, Umami Burger (2184 Union Street), made its soft-open debut to an eager and hungry crowd of Yelp Elite members ex-Angelenos and burger aficionados on Saturday. We took a look ourselves yesterday, and tried the signature Umami Burger, which was truly delicious — juicy patty; sweet, squishy Portuguese bun, griddle-toasted; crispy parmesan frico; shiitake mushroom; roast tomato; and an excellent umami sauce.

It may not change your life, but it just may make you hoof it to the Marina a few times a year, assuming that is something you do not already do. (Owner Adam Fleischman tells Grub Street that his other expansion plans in the Bay Area are on hold until they see how this first location fares.) And we will say, these burgers pack a big flavor punch without being total gut-bombs — they’re actually somewhat modest in size, the patty thick but not huge, and photos tend to make them look a little larger than life.

Also quite good and rich is the Manly Burger (beer-cheddar cheese, smoke-salted onion strings, bacon lardons); and yesterday the kitchen unveiled a new special burger specific to the S.F. location: the Bone Marrow Burger (tempura-fried bone marrow, parsley salad, onion marmelade, and horseradish aioli). See a photo in the slideshow below.

Also, see the full menu here, and please note one noteworthy off-menu item that many people already know about: cheddar tots. They’ll be open today for lunch starting at 11 a.m.

Umami Burger Union - 2184 Union Street - 415.440.UMAMI (8626) - Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday - Follow them @UmamiBurgerSF

This samurai sword near the entry should play well with the neighborhood bros.
Beer-cheddar cheese, smoke-salted onion strings, bacon lardons, ketchup, mustard.
An occasional special, only in S.F.: tempura-fried bone marrow, parsley salad, red-onion marmalade, and horseradish aioli.
Crispy parmesan frico, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, onion, umami sauce.
First Look Inside Umami Burger, Opening Today in Cow Hollow