The Missing Avocado

On Friday night, our friend Michael Flanagan, who was crashing on our couch, and I went down to Polkers Gourmet Burgers on Polk Street for some burgers.  Polkers is one of my neighborhood favorites as it was the place my roommate and I had our first dinner in San Francisco four years ago.  Their burgers come with fun, unique variations and their satisfying brunches draw long waits on the weekends.  I still remember eating huevos rancheros here one New Year's day in a state of bliss.

Friday, however, the fog must have settled in a little too thickly over Russian Hill.  We both ordered the Habanero Burger "Extremely Spicy" because the extremely spicy moniker seemed like a good challenge.  The burger came with jack cheese, avocado aioli, and a habanero salsa on the side, which appeared to be a mixture of tomato paste, chopped up habanero peppers and onions.

We both selectively had overlooked the word "aioli" in the description and spent about two minutes looking for some avocado, before realizing that it was in fact a very thinly spread aioli on one bun which did not contribute to the taste of the burger.  I was disappointed because I love avocados and Michael was disappointed because avocados are green and that is one of Notre Dame's colors.

In addition, applying the salsa separately seemed like a smart idea, but the clumpy nature of the salsa caused the burger bites to vary from no salsa bites to fiery hot bites.  The patty itself was cooked well and was perfectly medium.  The side salad that came with it wasn't amazing but that's what you get for ordering a side of salad with a hamburger.  Overall, we left feeling satisfied but not too impressed with the meal.  I would still go back to Polkers but will change up my order.

On another note, I ordered an Arnold Palmer, my non-alcoholic beverage of choice, at dinner.  An Arnold Palmer is a drink made up of half lemonade and half iced tea and is named after a famous golfer.  It can also be called a half and half and the alcoholic version (using vodka or sweet tea) is called a John Daly.

When I ordered it, Michael was Super impressed.  He used words like "wow" and "bold choice" and almost switched his drink order as well.  I think he was being sincere.  I would have found it strange, but I've faced similar reactions when I order the drink with a group.  I don't know why - it's lemonade and iced tea mixed together and it's really quite simple.  Anyways, the point of this sidenote is that if you'd like an easy way to impress a table at a meal, order an Arnold Palmer and you will be a hero and I cannot give you a good reason why.

Restaurant:	Polker's Gourmet Burgers
Location:	2226 Polk Street, SF, CA
Items ordered:	Habanero Burger "Extremely Spicy"; Arnold Palmer
Pricing:	$10-$30
Grades:	Taste: B-; Cleanliness: A-; Service: A