Hamburger Project
Hamburger restaurant · Alamo Square ·
Three styles of smash burger, fries, and optional caviar.
Three styles of smash burger, fries, and optional caviar.
"Poised to slide into the former Handroll Project space, this sister concept to the Divisadero original already has its outside signage up, even though the changeover hasn’t been formally announced on social media." - Dianne de Guzman
"There are great smashburgers in SF, but they’re not always easy to get. So we’re grateful to The Hamburger Project in NoPa, which serves fantastic smashburgers every day of the week until midnight. There are just three versions, but you’re guaranteed a thin, greasy (in the best way) patty, a caramelized layer of cheese, and a creamy sauce no matter which one you choose. For the most balanced, go for the Classic—and feel free to ignore the $35 mini jar of caviar." - julia chen 1, patrick wong
"Just like its sister restaurant Handroll Project, Hamburger Project in NoPa keeps things simple by focusing on just one dish—smashburgers. The buns are soft and pillowy, and patties are thin and juicy with charred crispy skirts—though you’ll have some bites that taste a tad burnt. There are three versions on the menu. The best is the Classic, which is slathered in a creamy house sauce and balanced out by diced onions and pickles. Order the Oklahoma for some added sweetness and spice thanks to Peppadew peppers. But skip the Wisconsin. The whipped butter feels unnecessary and is easy to miss on a burger that already turns wax paper translucent. The $35 half-ounce jar of Tsar Nicoulai caviar you can add on is equally as superfluous. It doesn’t add anything to the beef-eating experience when put up against the house sauce. Hamburger Project may not dethrone the likes of Maillards and Lovely’s, but it’s still a good option when you’re in the area. There are only eight first-come-first-serve seats, so plan to take your burgers to go—Alamo Square is just a couple blocks away. Food Rundown Smashburgers The patties are on the smaller side, but they’re svelte, crispy, and greasy. There are some bits that are over-charred, but the creamy house sauce mostly disguises them. Important to note that more isn’t always more. The double-patty crowds out the flavors of the condiments. We suggest getting two singles instead. photo credit: Julia Chen Fries Nothing to complain about. Crusty and infinitely dippable in packets of ketchup." - Patrick Wong
"Divisadero Street is flush with excellent burgers. The newest entrant to the neighborhood is Hamburger Project, featuring a tight menu of three smash burgers. Diners can expect a classic option with American cheese, diced white onions, HP sauce, and pickles; an Oklahoma-style fried onion burger with Peppadew peppers; and a Wisconsin-style butter burger." - Paolo Bicchieri
"This restaurant became the center of a public controversy after a December 11, 2024 review by influencer Kathleen Ensign that rated it "good but not great" (7.2) and, according to Ensign, led to the chef's attention about 10 days later. Ensign alleges he followed up with negative comments calling her "weird" and "unstable," and that a voice memo purportedly from his young daughter called her a "dumbface." Ensign shared these messages on social media, prompting an online furor that culminated in the chef stepping back from his role at this and two sister restaurants on Friday, January 3; Ensign says she has not corresponded with him since January 8. In a February 26 Instagram video Ensign highlighted a series of direct messages and emails she says were shared with her from other women who claim they had similar run-ins, and told Eater SF, "I feel awful. I wake up to dozens of nasty comments every single day. He opened up a conversation that hasn't stopped." An anonymous February 6 email sent to multiple members of the food media alleged additional misconduct; Eater was not able to independently verify those claims. The chef denies the new accusations, says he "holds himself accountable for the initial disagreement with Ensign in late 2024, but says since everything went public in January he's ceased reaching out to customers and reviewers," and says others have created accounts to impersonate him online. He provided Eater with screenshots of alleged spoof Instagram and email accounts and said, "My email's been hacked, my social media's been hacked." He also told Eater, "I wholeheartedly deny any of those weird statements are from me. I am in shock that someone would go to this extent to create accounts and impersonate me. It's spiraling, and it's scary. I thought we were moving on." The restaurant group replied to media that he was no longer at the restaurants and reiterated on Instagram, "Geoffrey has not been a part of our day to day operations at any of the restaurants since Jan 3" and added, "We are as appalled as everyone else by the recent revelations on social media regarding his actions and communications with individuals online. Please know that Geoffrey is not acting on behalf of our partners, our staff, or our principles." Eater was unable to verify the identity of the alleged spoof accounts or independently confirm the anonymous email's allegations." - Paolo Bicchieri
