Mission smashburger trendsetter and onetime competitor in Mission Local’s Burger War WesBurger’N’ More will close on July 15.
But don’t think of it as a forever goodbye, said owner and chef, Wes Rowe. He’s already looking for WesBurger’s next location.
Business has been down since the pandemic, Rowe added. The combination of rising costs and a commitment to prepping everything in-house with high-quality ingredients drove up prices.
When the time came to sign another five-year lease at his spot on Mission Street between 18th and 19th streets, he “felt like it was time to kind of change up things,” said Rowe.
The San Francisco Standard first reported the burger joint’s closure.
WesBurger started in 2012 as nothing more than a highly encouraged dream. Rowe, then working as a food photographer, got to know restaurant owners, some of whom invited him to open a pop-up in their space.
Rowe suddenly had the chance to try things out, to experiment with food. Once a month, his friend Justin Navarro, who ran a restaurant out of Clooney’s Pub called The Galley, let him use the space for his pop-up. And one of the things Rowe made was a burger.
In 2013, a customer who tried the burger invited Rowe to participate in the SF Burger Brawl, a local burger competition. “I was in way over my head,” said Rowe, “I showed up with a bunch of friends and it was [us] versus all of these really well-to-do restaurants in San Francisco.” Rowe beat all of them.
Winning the Burger Brawl encouraged Rowe to continue his pop-ups — and eventually, to found WesBurger. He moved into the location at 2240 Mission St. in 2014.
Rowe has a strict aesthetic when it comes to burgers. That means being particular: No lettuce, no tomatoes.
What makes a smashburger unique is its thin patty, browned until it has a crispy crust. Adding lettuce or tomatoes to this perfection overwhelms the flavor and ooziness that people love.
WesBurger is also notable for its refusal to make french fries. It serves double-fried tater tots instead. Without the “bandwidth” to serve multiple styles of fried sides, Rowe has no regrets in choosing tots. During the rise of Doordash and other delivery apps, his decision was rewarded, since tater tots travel better than fries.
As Rowe put it, “You’re here. Try it the way we do it. We promise it’ll be good. We know what we’re doing.”
Can we get a Julian & Mark reunion going for one last Wes burger experience <3
G, time flies, haven’t been there in a while! The smash burger (and patty melt) are a relatively new addition to the menu. The regular burgers were still around last time I been there. With lettuce BTW when you get the All American. Looking forward to the new location, hopefully with more consistent quality day over day. It seemed sometimes like not quite up there when somebody (Wes?) wasn’t around. Though that may have been figured out.