Super Duper Fries and Burger from Super Duper on Market Street in the Castro.
Super Duper Fries and Burger from Super Duper on Market Street in the Castro.

Julian,

As you know, for the past 45 years, I have rarely ventured outside the confines of the Mission.  So when you proposed Super Duper, I was concerned, and when the editor approved, I was filled with fear and trembling.

I realize we are living in a post-pandemic world (even though the pandemic has not posted) which, with online order and delivery options, has erased many a neighborhood border. But once Burger Wars crosses the line, does the Mission become only a state of mind? Will the editor send us on far-flung journeys to review burgers from such remote and exotic places as  Bernal Heights, North Beach and even …  Oakland? 

Super Duper. It’s a name that evokes the 1950s, though probably not for you. And you must realize it’s a chain. Not a big chain, but enough outlets to warrant suspicion.

I ordered a Super with the works, including “aged” white cheddar cheese.

The delivery was fast and (relatively) inexpensive.  

The first thing to jump out at me when I opened the bag?  

Meat.

They advertise the Super as two quarter-pound patties, but these patties looked like they had put on weight. Call them covid patties. Comparing the Super to True Laurel’s patty melt is like comparing a battleship to a sailboat.

And from the first bite onward, the meat dominated. Thick and char-broiled, each patty was cooked on the light side of medium, emitting plenty of juice, or, if you prefer, grease. An overflow of abundant beefness, a messy hint of the Carnivore’s Idea of a Burger. 

Throughout the meal, while my wife and I debated the latest covid numbers, a commercial jingle kept running through my mind; “It’s meaty, It’s mighty, it’s mighty mighty meaty.” Was the burger singing to me?

Forget the cheese, the lettuce, tomato, onion and sauce. Like excessive verbiage, they served no purpose other than to sog the poor, uninspired bun. 

The fries kept quiet. A little greasy, firm and salty, but not too salty, they were what you would expect from fries to go. I am happy to report there were a lot of them, and when they got cold, they didn’t shrink or slink away. 

Were it not for the beef’s sensory (and ideological) overkill, including the obnoxious jingle, I would rate Super Duper higher. Being a committed carnivore, if it cost 75 cents less, I would rate it Number One in the below-$10 category. —M.R.


Mark — 

For once, I don’t disagree with you. I don’t think you’re in immediate need of a psychological or spiritual intervention. The Super Duper burger is an all-out beef assault, for good or ill. 

And I agree, too, that — at least in terms of burgers — it might be better to think of the Mission District as a “state of mind” instead of a strict geographical area. Clearly, it remains the latter: You know when you’re in the Mission vs. Bernal Heights, say. Yet the Mission’s borders do not contain any one member of the Holy Trinity of burger joints, among whom the real Burger Wars rage. 

As far as I’m concerned, the big debate has always revolved around In-N-Out, Shake Shack and, you got it, Super Duper. Yes, they are chains. But they are chains for a reason. And no, I’m not saying they necessarily serve up the best burger in the city or The Bay. (I can think of at least one that beats all of them, but that’s for a future review.) These are the places to which burger eaters default, the eateries that draw the hordes, that always serve up their beef and buns and fried potatoes with a sprinkle of mystique. 

So, I’m glad we’re playing in the big leagues now. But I have to say, since honing my burger-tasting palate over the course of this series, the burger I used to regard as “the best” (Super Duper) is the best no longer. 

To put it simply: This burger epitomizes burger decadence. And some people are really into that. It is a dense mass of beef, cheese and grease, and the rest is a marginal afterthought. It is delicious and mind-blowing — a similar sensation, I’d imagine, as having a Schedule I substance injected directly into my veins. Wowzers!!!

The fries, covered in garlic and cheddar, are just as stunning and addictive. They were slightly crunchy, slightly soggy by the time they reached my house, but irresistible. 

But it all comes crashing down too quickly. You may go to sleep earlier than expected, and you may feel a hangover for days. The next morning, my brain felt like a mummified sponge. There were perpetual beads of sweat on my upper lip, and I grunted my responses when I felt like giving them. I just wanted fruit. 

Super Duper is a great burger, but it is the star that shines too bright, and burns you in the process. —J.M.

Burger War Ratings as of April 7, 2021
Burger War Ratings as of April 7, 2021

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Mark Rabine has lived in the Mission for over 40 years. "What a long strange trip it's been." He has maintained our Covid tracker through most of the pandemic, taking some breaks with his search for the Mission's best fried-chicken sandwich and now its best noodles. When the Warriors make the playoffs, he writes up his take on the games.

Julian grew up in the East Bay and moved to San Francisco in 2014. Before joining Mission Local, he wrote for the East Bay Express, the SF Bay Guardian, and the San Francisco Business Times.

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10 Comments

  1. Pearl’s Deluxe Burgers, Bandit, Hi-way are others that should have been mentioned

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  2. Not mentioning five guys in the burger wars!? That’s the only place I could think of better than super duper. Red Robin’s and Fuddruckers have delicious burgers too.

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  3. I’ll make better burgers anyday.
    Than the super duper expensive overpriced burger. I’d love to see an an actual burger throw down competition.
    I bet all ghost passionate about food will wipe out those yuppie establishments.

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  4. Agree with Greg on 26. The regular burger is just right, but this review also failed to mention the excellent pickles. which are free and self service if you dine in, or the house catsup, which is another really nice balance for the greasy, meaty deligth that is the burger. Important to me is that fact that all their meat is humanely raised and vegetarian fed. You go to most of the best burger joints in town and you’re buying the same mystery meat they serve at McDonalds, but not Super Duper. In my opinon that knocks in and out and shake shack out of the running entirely.

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  5. I LOVE Super Duper. It’s the organic grass fed version of In n Out with fries that you actually want to eat. (Sorry, but in n out fries suck.) I highly suggest folks try the “mini” burger rather than the “super” burger — it’s exactly the same but with one 4oz patty rather than two which for me gives the perfect balance of meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and bun. I also suggest adding the grilled onions.

    The super is only recommended for hangovers where a food coma is the goal — so you can go back to bed and sleep through the rest of the hangover. I also humbly suggest that folks try it in person. Getting a burger and fried delivered is just a recipe for disappointment. This is food that needs to be eaten right off the grill / out of the fryer.

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  6. If you need me to write a letter to the Editor to approve the trip to Sam’s on the cusp of Chinatown and North Beach, let me know.

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  7. Burger Wars. The most progressive hard digging journalists in the City decide to spend their time writing about hamburgers once a month.

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  8. As you suggest, the food is a little too greasy and soggy to be the “best”.

    I always preferred Burger Meister but that small chain is no more, of course.

    But isn’t Niku the best?

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