Roam, San Francisco

If you Google 'Best Burgers in San Francisco', Roam will always be mentioned. We went here on our first day in the city and were welcomed by the most fantastic food! Roam is a bit of a fusion between the 'no booking' types and a fast food restaurant. You read a menu on a board, queue at the till, order your burger and then find a table. However, it's a far cry from fast food quality. It was really full when we got there, but people were coming and going all the time, so it mattered not.

Before I start, I have to tell you this burger is a strong contender for 'best of the trip'. I've still not quite decided yet, but it's in my top two. Their ethos here is simple. Fantastic produce means outstanding products. You're always going to get exactly what you want, as it's almost a 'build a burger' stylee. First you choose your pattie; beef, turkey, bison, veggie or elk (!). Then your style; these include classic, Swiss, BBQ and Pacific blue cheese. You can then add sauces and toppings. It's like burger pick n mix basically! I opted for the Classic with American cheese, as I saw someone else with it and a) wanted it b) didn't have much time to read the board! My husband had his with cheddar and applewood smoked bacon.

The burgers were unreal. The flavour of the beef was off the scale. So unbelievably juicy, full of flavour, slightly charred on the outside, beautifully pink on the inside. The salad was crisp and fresh, and the bacon was firm and tasty. What I'm trying to tell you is that these here burgers were fit (technical culinary term).

The fries were most definitely the best we had in America. Crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and covered in a sprinkling of parsley. It just works! Now then. Let's talk milkshake. I had a bit of a strawberry milkshake thing going on whilst in the States. I ordered one with almost every burger, just to test them... This one was again by far the best. I nearly gave myself a hernia trying to suck the shake up the straw. Chunks of real strawberry were suspended in thick ice cream.

I really cannot say enough nice things about this gaff. Staff were friendly and informative (yes, we were the obvious tourists looking lost at the counter) and the food was fast yet excellent. I would go back here in a heartbeat. Is a twelve hour flight is a step too far for a burger...? Nah! I'm having BBQ elk next time...