City of Burgers: Thrill of the Grill's Kobe

Mary Ladd

Double the meat, double the delcious.

Though some may gripe that this place has all the makings of a restaurant that exists solely to cater to drunks, Thrill of the Grill has more to offer than that. Sure, it's a super casual restaurant that may at first glance seem like a logical meeting spot for the wasted. And it does fulfill all the criteria for drunk hangout: prime Valencia corridor location; carb-o-riffic menu of burgers, cheesesteaks, and pizza; late hours; piped in technopop; and delivery service. But Thrill of the Grill deserves serious mention for its juicy, hearty burgers alone.

With its hint of smokiness and double stack of beef patties (a blend of ground Kobe and regular beef), the Kobe Burger ($6.5) we tasted only needed a touch more melt on the grated cheddar cheese, please. The burger fared better in comparison to the Thrill of the Grill's Philly cheesesteak sandwich with grilled onions and Provolone -- like the skinny freezer fries, it was passable, if nothing extraordinary. Drinks are of the nonalcoholic variety only, and include soda, iced tea, and organic juice blends. In other words, get your drink on elsewhere before coming here, drunks -- and everyone else, too.

Thrill of the Grill 535 Valencia (at 16th St.), 776-7100