KK Cafe

KK Café C
252 Divisadero at Haight
415-626-6188

They bill themselves as the “best hamburger in town” and I love courageous immodesty, but they do have a pretty damned good burger which they prepare in several ways. They also are founder of and home to a concoction known as ‘Signs & Wonders’ peanut milk which is a pretty strange pair of things to be called unique for in my humble opinion. It’s a little hole in the wall with lots of vehicle and pedestrian traffic hurling by at all times of day and night. It’s ‘gate to the Haight’ in both directions and same with Castro to the south and Pac Heights and the Marina to the north. Years of accumulated grunge cloud the wall of windows facing the street, and there is almost nothing bright and cheery on the inside, but there are five small and cheap wooden tables that stay busy with a steady stream of regulars who order breakfasts, the croissant sandwiches, Costco pastries and various coffee concoctions along with the ‘best hamburger in town’ and the infamous peanut milk. The burger itself is a quarter pounder grilled medium regardless of your preference and served on a room temperature lightly seeded bun with melted American cheese, mayo on the bun, several slices of tomato, some dripping, cold iceberg lettuce, three thin slices of pickle and the smallest portion of red onion I’ve ever seen. A small portion of once frozen fries fills out the presentation, and mustard and catsup come in plastic packets. The burger actually tastes good because it’s simple and standard burger fare, the cheese is melted, burger hot and basic.

Back to the peanut milk. I guess it’s a cure for cancer and a myriad of other fatal diseases and has a loyal, devoted following because one solitary (strange it is always just one person at a time) guy after another comes in and orders a burger or breakfast and a peanut milk while carrying on a conversation with the Chinese lady in charge, almost cult like but innocent in the way regular customers always are in the know and I’m not. It doesn’t appeal to me so I read the dozens of articles smeared over all the wall surfaces and quietly devour my burger, watching the world pass by the murky windows as music from exotic lands squeaks out of an old radio. A good burger while waiting for the bus.