Whiz Burgers Drive-In

Whiz Burger is a classic American dream meal where the grease from the fries seeps through the bag, the burgers are a simple, delicious stack of fresh LTO, patty, and melty cheese if you so choose. I'm grateful for the vegetarian offerings of a veggie or Impossible patty and it's one of the few places I've found in the city that offers malted shakes. One bite makes me nostalgic for an era I've never known of drive-in movies and sock hops. The service is amazing, the man who's always working the window is very friendly, energetic, and welcoming. I admit the price is a bit steep, but I would rather spend $20 at this local stop over M*D******'s any day.

On a tour of Bay Area burger joints, and Whiz Burger was calling our name next. Parking lot has a good amount of spaces, just wish it was a little better lit (but that's just the small, female wary of dark corners in me) Service was fast, I was surprised by the amount of options, and wow that banana milkshake and their waffle cut fries are somethin' else! I got a 1/4 jr burger with cheese, and my man got the Whiz. His was definitely better than mine, but that's what you get when you add avocado to anything ;P I think for future hungover me, I'd like to grab a Beep's burger & onion rings, then swing by Whiz for a banana shake & waffle fries.

I rode in the nasty weather for a good 20 minutes just to go check out urine burger and the guy at the window was rude and saying racial slurs and wouldn't serve me so I got on my bike and turned around to right away and this woman across the street on the sidewalk was like don't worry honey you don't want to eat there anyway you'll be eating roaches and rats and nasty stuff like that cuz trust me that place is horribly nasty and not clean at all.

Whiz always has the most friendly, helpful and accommodating staff. They offer alternatives if they are out of something and recommendations based on what other people get. For example, a Sprite float with Mitchell's mango ice cream is a game changer! Their food is tasty, greasy (in the way you expect a good burger to be, not overly), and well seasoned. I highly recommend getting their ranch as well to pair with your fries or burger. Overall, when I want a burger or some comfort food, Whiz is high on my list!

Good burgers almost great, but missing on juiciness. Friendly staff, reasonable prices, but maybe take-away is an option worth exploring, cuz...itz fuuuunky at the tables.

8-21-21: Stopped by for lunch and tried a whiz Burger with fries. Prices are relatively low for a burger and fries. My burger had avocado and came on a crunchy roll. Was pretty tasty. Fries were good and crispy. Overall, give 4.5 ⭐... Rounded up to 5 ⭐.

Super personable and amazing recommendations from the counter. It's old school cool with the flavor to back it up. Got the bacon burger and the mushroom burger. Someone didn't want to share more of her burger, but that one bite was so flavorful. The plentiful amount of bacon on mine was a nice surprise. And the fries, can't forget about that. A nice thick cut without all of the oil and salt to bloat you.

Your usual burger shack. Ok so I'm revising my previous review. I'm not sure if they've update their ingredients or if there's a big difference in their different burgers. But I ordered the Whizburger and this was step changes better than any of the previous regular round burgers I had gotten. It was tasty, fresh had awesome ingredients even though it was a bit expensive for a burger. I will have to go back and try the regular burgers again, but for now I can highly recommend the Whizburger option!

I loved me some Whiz Burger back when I lived in the Mission. I usually got a corn dog and a chocolate shake, and it was consistently great. especially for the price. The ambiance was exactly what I wanted out of an old school burger drive-in in the heart of the Mission. Kinda kitschy, kinda grimy. Just how I like my fast food. Thanks for not trying to be something you're not. Whiz Burger. You're one of a few institutions that's made it through multiple rounds of gentrification. From the Irish to the Hispanic, through multiple rounds of artists, musicians, and gangbangers, from multiple generations of families to the hipsters and tech bros and google buses that price them out, Whiz Burger must have something for everyone to still be around!

The food is really good, specially the burgers. The fries are good as well but I think that opinion would depend on each person's preference. Anyway, the service was fast and the staff were friendly and kind. I would definitely come back again.

Listen it's not what's on the outside that counts, it's what's inside. If you don't know what you're looking for you will drive right past based on the outside exterior. You'd be missing out. This place has great food for a reasonable price and the owners are really nice and accommodating. Took my daughter in law and grand kids here on Wednesday and we all enjoyed our food and I was so dang hungry I didn't even get one pic :(

This place is the definition of no-frills dining. Solid burgers, solid fries, and reasonably priced for SF. Service was very quick and the food was hot and fresh! There is only outdoor seating but it was nice in the shade.

Fast food drive-ins are from a bygone era somewhere in my childhood when my dad took us out in the Rambler station wagon and let us eat greasy food. Whiz Burgers feels like a throwback to that more innocent time since the building and signage look untouched since the Kennedy administration. I've passed by this spot hundreds of time without stopping. So why now? Well, I was snockered. I was staggering from whatever dive bar I was in, doesn't matter which one, and felt peckish since I didn't bother eating before imbibing. I decided to treat myself to the $13.96 Steak Sandwich Special Combo. That just meant it came with fries and a fountain drink. I just waited for my order at one of their well worn picnic tables. Boy, the passing traffic was sure loud. Oh right, I was wasted. They yelled out my order and I grabbed my greasy brown paper bag. Lo and behold, the steak sandwich was actually pretty decent. Iceberg lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, mayo, and meat slices that were actually savory (photo: https://yelp.to/GHayJNvfrW). I must've needed the fries for lubrication because they were the soggier kind, just the way I like 'em (photo: https://yelp.to/MFY0B9Nunx). I may just come back sober. Oh wait, I did. FOOD - 3 stars...not bad, even the soggy fries... intoxication helps AMBIANCE - 3 stars...vintage drive-in without the speakers and roller skates SERVICE - 4 stars...the order taker was very nice TOTAL - 3 stars...nostalgic and calorific RELATED - Exploring the Mission? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2NHtst6

$24.28 for two burger combos and a root beer float. So delicious. Sat on the outside picnic tables, and watch the world go by while we ate. Whiz Burgers is a trip back through time that I definitely want to keep making again and again.

Price was not worth the taste. Fries were under salted and burger was bland with no flavor. I would suggest not eating here if you enjoy quality meal

On a tour of Bay Area burger joints, and Whiz Burger was calling our name next. Parking lot has a good amount of spaces, just wish it was a little better lit (but that's just the small, female wary of dark corners in me) Service was fast, I was surprised by the amount of options, and wow that banana milkshake and their waffle cut fries are somethin' else! I got a 1/4 jr burger with cheese, and my man got the Whiz. His was definitely better than mine, but that's what you get when you add avocado to anything ;P I think for future hungover me, I'd like to grab a Beep's burger & onion rings, then swing by Whiz for a banana shake & waffle fries.

I got the large fries and they're always super good last time. I did get there burger I hadn't eaten it. I gave it to my friend, but I did get some wings with another group of friends and those ones were good so I'd recommend those a lot and the service is awesome. The place was really nice. I definitely be returning.

They used to make a fried tofu burger I still dream about. I don't eat tofu. Haven't been here in a while and always want to stop again and see if they have it. The vibe is old school sf. I love it. They have parking.

I haven't had Whiz for the lloonnggeesstt time. It was Saturday, I'm "riced out" want something different. Since Whiz was close by I decided for family, I'm going to Whiz after work. When i arrived, there was a line & i was 4th person. Ordered Chicken melt, steak sandwiches w/grilled mushrooms(extra charge), garlic fries, waffle fries, Root beer floats & fresh banana shake. Order taker is welcoming / friendly. Received my food in less than 15 minutes. Got home, my steak sandwich is "ok". Got the elements of cool crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, savory mushroom, steak was fine but thin. Chicken melt, same situation- thin patty. But again, it was ok/good. But i have to admit I loved the fresh banana shake w/bits of banana. I'd come again maybe a burger next time.

Well, here is my first New Year's review, and i wish it was a five-star, but not this time. Been 20 years since ive been here, and i thought it was still good food? Nope! it was Nasty food and hella expensive for a little hole in the wall now they were fast in making the food,but i rather go to McDonald's for what i paid for like the milk shake was watery for $7 hell no then you're going to pay $7 for seven onion rings which is ridiculous the fries were not good they were Soggy i had to warm them in my oven when i got home,and the Burger was a mess really WTF! if you want to come here? and you enjoy eating nasty messy watery milk shake be my guess if you don't? try another place like go to Burger King you get a better deal. Thanks for reading my first Review of 2023,and Happy New Year's! ~Liz~

I've been at Whiz Burgers many times since the 70s. It has had different owners over the decades and there have been periods I shunned it. But in the last 20 years it is great for that burger craving that strikes around every 3 months for me. I always order the Burger-Burger, onion rings and a milkshake. I like the onion rings which stand above so many bad o-rings at other fast food joints and restaurants. But that's me. Their fries like at other places are great hot and Meh! When cold. The burger is a burger, hence the name and it satisfies that quarterly craving. I love there milkshakes and on hot days it's what the doctor ordered. My order still comes in under 20 bucks. They say they are open till 8 but really after 7:30 pm they won't take your order so call it in or get there by 7:30. I wish they'd stay open till 10pm. I'd eat there more often. Service: you order, you pay, you get your burger in a bag. Amen. Ambience is the vintage Whiz Burger sign from when it was a real Drive-in. Otherwise ambience is a picnic table, traffic and a mustard yellow joint. So just Meh! As far as fast burger outdoor dining places go...4 stars. After all it's just 1 block away.

It's just okay. The burger was tasty but a little dry. The fries weren't salted at all, and when I asked for a salt packet, they were out. (??? Out of salt? Really???) So that was a no-frills $15 burger & unseasoned fries. Service was indifferent and pretty slow. The only seating is at two filthy picnic tables...I guess you're supposed to eat in your car, but every customer while I was there had walked up, so in effect there wasn't any seating. It's strange how many rabid fans this place has.

Solid burgers from a friendly and casual place. The guy at the counter had good energy and I knew the food was going to be bomb. When I got my order, it was a beautiful dense packet of delicious carbs, cheese, salt, fat, protein. Bun was soft and sweet, proportion of beef patty cheese condiments and tomato/onions was good. Tried some of my friends fries and it was crispy and classic and yummy. Only thing is I wish the beef had more grilled-crispy char flavor, other than that, it was fantastic and I would come back for sure!

I have passed by Whiz Burger for years and years and never stopped in. My hubby said he used to go here when he was in high school almost 20 years ago! Apparently this was the spot to go to back then. Came here 2 nights ago, placed a phone order. The man who picked up was very friendly. We ordered the #1 combo (1/4lb burger) with Coke and a chicken sandwich with garlic fries and a strawberry milkshake. We arrived and the food was ready, paid at the little window. Love the yellow store front with the old school burger diner feel. It smelled delicious! We couldn't wait to dig in. I had some of my chicken burger. It was just OK. 3.5 stars. Not much flavor to the chicken. Comes with lettuce, cheese, 1 tomato and pickles. The garlic fries were soggy. Milkshake was ok. My hubby liked his burger combo tho. After a few bites, I packed it up and finished the rest at home. It's great they have a parking lot but some people are rude and leave their car running. Smelling exhaust while trying to enjoy your dinner is no go.

Nasty place to eat. The owner is rude! No wonder why they don't have costumers. Do not eat here ! Unless you want to get sick.

I was craving a cheeseburger so I decided to finally try this place. I was not disappointed. The place looks a bit run down and there is very little seating (just a couple benches out front) but who even cares -- this place is good. Get your food to go and go sit in your warm house and eat it. I got the whiz burger and a small fries. The fries reminded me a lot of McDonald's fries, in a good way -- they were soft and a bit crispy and warm and salty. The small was still a lot of fries. The burger was big and almost felt like a sandwich or sub (they cut it in half). I got everything on it and really enjoyed the pickles and avocado. It was just a classic, simple delicious burger. That's all folks.

Lets GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Whiz borger is a pipe dream. I ordered 7 bacon chesebrugoers and 7 double borners and 2 crinkle fries, and 2 reg fries It was a dream come true. It's a solid borg and i can't deny it. service? Beautiful Ambiance? It was outside The individuals I ate with? My lovers. Would I arrive again? I must

I've passed this place multiple times and always wanted to try it out. Today, I finally did and was very impressed! The unassuming yellow burger shack seems like a relic in the mission. As I was walking by, I figured this might be the only time I remember to give it a shot. I got one for myself and my partner - and we ate on the benches outside at night. I ordered the Whiz burger which costs the most but is ground beef chuck it says, and has avocado on a french roll. The double burger looked like a standard burger, but I added cheese. The very friendly man behind the counter was so nice & energetic, and had I more time - I would've talked to him for a great conversation. Overall, the burger was great (much better than In-n-out) and actually super filling even without ordering any sides. Definitely will come back!

Closed too early pulled up at 8:23pm lot was crowded so I had to go around for parking my son walked up to the window at 8:25pm I had 5min went to the counter to order to go and hey said sorry we are closed instead of saying you just made it. We were hungry and had a long day They closed earlier than their closing time Not right to close earlier than what is stated Wasn't right!

Delightful sandwich shack. This is what fast food should hope to achieve. High quality burgers, fries and drinks. The fries are probably the best I have had. Pros: Beyond burger. Fries. Get everything with the works. Cons: Seating. Sometimes a bit of a wait.

Parking: There is small parking lot in the back of the restaurant Food: The two times I went, I had the Whiz Burger and a steak sandwich. The waffle fries are solid (I jus twist they gave you more!) and the regular fries are average. Nothing too fancy. The Whiz Burger tasted pretty bland to me. The Steak sandwich had a bit more flavor, but still wasn't all that great. Service: Maybe the register was broken, but they had to write down my order. That made everything take a little bit longer, but the service was solid. Take aways: I would recommend ordering ahead. Several people did so and simple picked up their food. Whiz burger has an extensive menu and which id be waaay more than happy to try (I am looking at the milk shakes).

The garlic fries could've used some more garlic, but the hamburger was pretty good. The brioche bun tasted great but soaked up the mustard and Mayo pretty quickly so it became a little soggy before I finished. The establishment has been here since 1955! Very retro.

Here's the skinny on Whiz Burger; they have some of the greatest burgers in town for a reasonable price. Their fries are delicious and HOT! I biked home from this place like 10 minutes. Guess what? Fries, still hot. Burger, still hot! I've tried the burgers multiple times, the fries a few and the milkshake once. Banana flavor! It's worth a shot, not sure about the rude behavior mentioned in some of these reviews... never had a problem.

The burgers were mid, but the drinks were sensational. Never seen anything like this before. The subtle hint of peep combined with the cool, crisp flavor of Pepsi...

Old fashion burger. You can taste the raw onions, taste the burger, just taste. Got the junior (size of a big mac) just satisfied the hunger craving and then some. Nice picnic tables to sit and eat. Enjoy some sun in the mission. It was darn quick from order and to my hot little hands.

What can I say other than this is the best burger joint in town. Reminds me of the Dairy Cream in my little hometown in Texas. You can't go wrong eating here.

A good spot for burgers, fries, hot links, and more. Shakes and floats, too. Like a 1950s or 1960s hamburger stand. Definitely recommended!

If you're on a budget and rushed with time & near south Van Ness & 18th street and if in the mood for burger & fries, then this is the spot you wanna go to. Very cheap/ affordable meals, Super quick service. You won't wait long for your meal. And won't pay out the nose San Francisco prices. They have a BIG parking lot plus street meter parking.

I can't say how much I love this place. Been coming here for 15 years and always so solid. Solid burger and the banana milk shake is to die for. Whoever the gentleman working on a Friday night (6/23/23) was absolutely so charming and kind. He has a wonderful personality and really showed that he cared about your order but also the people working in the kitchen. 1000 percent would recommend. Thank you guys

I love place even more during COVID. Reasonable prices, old style food, and right in my neighborhood. I intend to try the steak sandwich one day, but the seasoned waffle fries get me every time. Yum.

Has a pretty old school feel to it when restaurants were meeting places instead of cash grabs. Food was delicious and the service was fast. It was a Friday afternoon yet the food was hot, fresh and well prepared. Being that its near so many major streets in San Francisco its hard to miss yet a must stop if you're in the area and looking for a good burger. Can easily be bumped up to a 5 Star after I go a few more times and try more of the menu. Overall this place is a great place to go if you're of African decent. While other places may or may not be overly enthused about your business I have not ran into that particular issue here. There are a lot of other stores in The City however up until this point Whiz Burgers has valued not only my business but has always treated me in a respectful manner. I write these reviews based on my experience so that others will benefit from the experiences that I have. But always do your own research!

High 3 stars. We walk by Whiz Burgers all the time and have always been curious - are they any good? How do they stay in business? (They always seem empty) Turns out they have pretty good burgers. Still unclear how they are still around, but turns out they are pretty historic and used to be a legit drive through (turned parking lot. Maybe that's how they stay afloat nowadays). On top of the decent burger, there's also no wait, it's cheap, and they have a great banana shake. It's worth a stop by here to try it out! THE FOOD: * Garlic Fries ($4.95) - 2.5 stars The fries, while thick cut (which I like), were too dry. Also, this smelled strongly of garlic, but when we opened it, it looked like plain fries. Where was the garlic? We could taste it, but not as strongly as when the fries are covered with freshly chopped garlic. * Fresh Banana Shake ($4.70) - 4 stars Usually I avoid banana in any smoothie I get as I feel it's overpowering, but here it tasted great! Made fresh, nice thick texture. * Whiz Burger ($8.75) - 3.5 stars Good! This is the only burger that comes on a French Roll, which while more classy, makes for a drier/crunchier bread. Otherwise the ingredients are fresh, and they are nicely balanced. For the patty, I asked for "medium rare" and I think the guy chuckled.. not sure if they do that, and mine was pretty much a medium.

This is my 1st Yelp review EVER since I joined in 2011. This place was so bad that I had to leave a review. Was craving chili dogs, ordered 2 chili dogs ($6.75 each), but then the total was over $17.00. I was confused and asked her why it was so expensive. She told me they charge extra for cheese. (I had said "2 chili cheese dogs" instead of "2 chili dogs" by accident). I then apologized and asked if she could just make it "2 chili dogs" and she said no she couldn't (more like wouldn't) change my order, and I had to get 2 chili cheese dogs. Please keep in mind this happened all within the timespan of 1 min from when I walked up and was about to hand her my card to pay. Like WTF? You haven't even started my order (I hadn't even paid yet) and you're refusing to change my order? It was such a small amount of money but the fact that she was just like "no" I was just so astonished I just walked away. This is ridiculous.

The whiz burger was so small , garlic fries were nasty and with little garlic to none. Very disappointing ,For the amount of money I spent. Won't be going there again.

Love this place. I have a soft spot for drive-up dive burger joints (like Whiz and Beep's). It a really tasty burger. Fries were smokin' hot, not something from under a heat lamp. Shakes/malts are great. Classic. Two tables out front, but I have a pickup so I can just "tailgate" in the parking lot if I don't want to take my food home. I don't get the comments about folks there being rude. They've been nothing but pleasant with me.

I love old school burger joints. Reminds me of "Dick's Burger" from Seattle however did not taste the same. I really wanted to taste the charred flavor and explosion mix of tomatoes, lettuce and mayo but it was okay. Fries were okay too. I wish the area was safer and if this were to open late, I'd go.

Whiz Burgers rocks!!! Friendly customer service, delicious food, and A PARKING LOT (soooo convenient!!) -- I loveeee Whiz's old school drive-in vibes. They have a walk-up counter and accept phone orders as well as credit/debit cards. Highly Recommend Whiz's: Turkey Burger with Jack Cheese, Junior Cheddar Cheeseburger, Garlic Fries, Chicken Nugz, and Milkshakes (Half-Chocolate, Half-Vanilla or Mango :)) Also, one of the managers (or owners?) is a lovely Filipina woman who is always SO nice/friendly--I love when she's there when I stop by. :) Overall, Whiz Burgers is a beloved SF institution that I sincerely hope stays around for years to come. :) Please stop by and support them to make sure they do!!!

Best burgers in the mission and the staff are hella friendly. There's a little parking spot so you can pick up your food easily or chill there and enjoy your meal. I also love how the place makes you feel like you went back in time.

I had the combo meal here and it was okay. For about $7, and an additional 75 cents for cheese, this puts this meal at around the fast food price. But even with that, the food didn't really do any better. The burger itself felt really boring, like something I would have gotten if I did a BBQ get together at home. The fries didn't taste that much better either, and they charge for every little thing (like ranch). Overall, will probably be a pass in the future.

Food is great, cheap and made fast . The employees get right to work and no messing around and treat you kindly. Do recommend to get a burger combo with fries and all. Definitely worth it

Went here twice recently (both Oct 2018) and got food poisoning / diarrhea the second time. I know, so unlucky. I hate giving bad reviews, especially to places that are neighborhood institutions, so soon after moving to the mission. But they haven't even claimed their yelp page yet, after so many years of being in business, so I can only conclude they don't really care. The food sure tasted good but I can't overlook the diarrhea I'm now dealing with which has kept me up half the night. To me it signals that something isn't quite right with their food preparation methods. I ordered the 1/4 lb junior burger with fries and a banana milkshake. Price wasn't bad at 12.75. Pay cash! Come here at your peril! You may be ripped off with weird credit card stuff, have your car towed or spend half the night sitting on the crapper.

This is exactly what you think it is: an old-school, no-nonsense, mom and pop burger drive-in joint. The food is good, not great. The prices are appropriate for a non-chain operation. It mainly has its vibe going for it. I stop by if I'm in the neighborhood. I hope these places stay in business. They're just doing their own thing.

I was thrilled to see they had finally gotten a veggie burger. Oof. It's an Impossible patty that is so out of package it still has the shape of the packaging, microwaved. Nasty af. No way the person responsible for this change has eaten this nastiness. Sad to have lost this place. It was a staple in our household. Now it makes me sad to even drive by it.

Being born and raised in San Francisco this place was very familiar to me since I would always drive by it. I decided for the first time to try them out. I was pleasantly surprised on how well the burger tasted. Most places will concentrate on the freshest lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles while cutting back on the quality of ground beef. The beef was excellent. I live in Vallejo now but still come back to the city to visit family and friends. This will be a must stop before I go back home for every visit. Glad to see that there are some places that don't sacrifice the taste for profits. Oh one more thing... Customer service was excellent..

Satisfied my burger cravings, and quick service. I pass by this place almost every time I go to dance class, and finally tried it with my SO. We got the Whiz burger, a chicken sandwich, a mocha milkshake, fried and a drink for around $30. Which is honesty a super decent price for SF. The dude at the cash register was super funny, and we had a good time with him. The food itself was pretty standard, the Whiz burger came with avocado so it was wonderful! And it was also on one of those long roll buns instead of a standard burger bun which was interesting. The milkshake really hit the spot, nice and thick and creamy, it was wonderful on a hot day. Everything else was just pretty standard, nothing to write home about, but I enjoyed everything. Overall, I'll probably grab a burger on my way home from my workout, you know to really balance out the calories I just burned.

Food: Phillie cheese steak - this is what I usually get when I'm here. It's not bad as an option in the neighborhood for lunch. Pretty standard fair though. Seasoned fries - this is probably a must with any burger or cheese steak. Waffle cut. A little hit or miss on how over cooked they are. Root beer float - these are good for sure. Usually it's overflowing so kind of hard to transport on a rainy day. Service: just ok. Ambiance: well it's pretty hole in the wall but definitely has that drive in feeling. Though the area itself does have a lot of homeless people. Overall: I'd go back since it's an option in the area for lunch but pretty average.

Horrible customer service. These are Asians that don't know how to make American food. The veggie burger is not homemade. It's a frozen black bean burger. Hope to go to place that actually knows how to make burgers! So disappointed! I don't recommend