Joe's Cable Car Restaurant

Our expectations for a good hamburger and fries dinner were dashed at Joe's.

Despite the fuss about the home-ground beef, etc., the beef did not taste any better than most burger joints.

However, the French fries and the fish (in Fish & Chips) were definitely straight from the freezer and both unpalatable.

At $17.50 a pop for each, which included two shakes, for food which was hugely disappointing, only added insult to injury.

Do yourself a favor - stay away from Joe's.

Pros: None

Cons: Where do I Start?

Posted 07/22/09

Truly lived up to Guy's Recommendation. Joe is outgoing and enjoys his patrons. The chefs put on a show with the meat trimming and grinding. No hamburger can match these, truly the best I have ever had.

Posted 03/03/09

The burger was very good, but dont know if it is all that. Small dining area, but service seems to be OK. I saw this on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives so tried it on a visit to the city by the bay. The place is way over priced for a burger, after all it is not made from Prime Rib.

Pros: Great Burger

Cons: Over Priced

Posted 02/07/09

when my friend's were driving me over to Joe's, I was like, where in BFE are we going? But it was absolutely worth the trip. You can't beat the burgers at Joe's. The atmosphere is relaxed and fun. You can't go wrong if you're craving some meat!

Pros: one of the best burgers in town. seriously.

Cons: a bit out of the way

Posted 11/18/08

With mixed reviews about this place 'not being local serving,' I did not know what to expect, but, as a foody I do not know how I overlooked this place! The food was GREAT, wait staff was excellent, the place is CLEAN, parking easy (in their own lot right beside the restaurant). I thought the PRICES REASONABLE for what you get. First: THE FOOD, as shown on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives he grinds his own every day with high quality beef. This costs money. Neighbors--get over it. This is NOT a local serving fast-cheap-food-restaurant, it is a destination for the best hamburger. My hamburger was $10.75, fries $3.25. Cheesecake Restaurant (chain) charges $12.00 for their best hamburger. I thought the prices were reasonable for what you get. The fries are as good as In-and-Out-Burger. There is a nice choice of several hamburgers or you can do your own. They are cooked to order as you specify. A nice touch for someone who has educated several cooks as to what "medium-rare" means (I send well-done back). Second: PRICES, reasonable for what you get. If you want cheap there at lots of places to go. Third, LOCATION, a bit hard to find. I live an hour away and will happily go again--enough said. If you are going to San Francisco and love hamburgers you should not miss this place. The cable car theme IS San Francisco. Fourth, CLEAN--I think this is the cleanest restaurant I have ever been in. The place was spotless. Staff quickly cleared tables, I saw someone carefully scrub a table with soap and water! Kitchen was spotless and so were bathrooms (I asked my wife). Most restaurants are pig-stys (sp?) compared to this place. I cannot wait to get back.

Posted 11/02/08

Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is a show I watch religiously and I always wished that I could go to some of those restaurants featured. So, I saw that episode on the Food Channel featuring this restaurant and I got excited. I mean, I live about an hour and a half away from San Francisco and I planned a trip to go there just to eat at Joe's with my family.

When we get there, it's exactly what the show featured. Over decorated but had a fun feel to it. Opened the menu and a 4oz patty melt is over 11 dollars and to upgrade the patty to a 6 oz is an additional $3 or if you'd like to go bigger and get an 8 oz it's an extra $5. I figured this must be a delicious patty. SOOOO NOT. First of all I ordered it medium rare and I got a patty that was still mooing. The size of the thing was so not worth it either. At the prices they were serving those things for, I should have been eating the thing with a fork and spoon on pretty faltware. They serve their food on paper plates. Oh, and the burgers don't come with sides, they are sold seperately. So, of course, extra money if you want fries. You want cheese? Extra. What? You want a refill? Try getting the attention of your server while they're in the corner of the restaurant chatting away with their co-workers.

Hey, I'm pretty easy to please and I've never been to a restaurant where I really regretted going to but this place is a joke. I've had better burgers at a lower price. It would have been worth it if the service wasn't so sh**y. I didn't want to curse but there wasn't any other way to say it. Those who have had great service here, lucky you. Maybe we were being discriminated, I don't know. Please don't tell me I need to be a regular to get better service.

Lessons learned? Don't trust Guy Fieri and never eat at Joe's Cable Car again.

Pros: Cute salt and pepper shakers

Cons: Overpriced Overpriced Overpriced Overpriced Overpriced

Posted 10/02/08

I know Guy Fiere did a special about this over rated , over priced, no community giving , rude , no respect for neighbors man. I have had better and paid less . The e-mail Guy Fieri must have received was probably from someone in his family. Oh he looks the part but, he is such a phony and did not deserve that spot on the food Network. He treats his employees like slaves and is constanly yelling. at them .Guy must be running out of places to go.

Pros: None

Cons: Way Over Priced

Posted 09/30/08

I was surprised to find that a 4oz burger was $11 and that was without fries! If you want a "small" plate of fries, add $2.95, want cheese? add another $1. Burger was okay, nothing special really. I got the vidalia onion burger and thought it was the wrong burger, but they pointed out the onions were in the meat...oh. So, $29 and some change for two small burgers, one small fries (very small order), one soda was sooo not worth it! I would much rather have a delicious burger from Kirk's Burgers! Mmmmm.

Posted 09/21/08

You've gotta go try these fresh ground burgers..they are like nothing else I've tasted!! I love the place so much I'm having my bachlorette dinner there before we head out for our pub crawl. The atmosphere is bright, lively, eclectic and the staff are super helpful and totally down to earth.

Posted 07/23/08

I should have read some of the reviews before I went there. It was definitely overpriced and food was ok. I didn't like the fact that they charge $6 to share a burger. The only reason we went there was because one of my kids saw it on the Food Network and she wanted to try it. My wife and one of my kids are not burger eaters so they just wanted to get a bite from our orders. The waitress was very curtious in explaining the $6.00 sharing policy. I believe this policy makes it an un-family friendly establishment. If I knew before hand I wouldn't have gone there. Now that I'd tried it, I wouldn't go there again.

Pros: Parking Lot

Cons: Overprice

Posted 07/16/08

I read some of the negative comments made by others and I had to respond! Yeah, it's a little pricey, My girlfriend complains about it. So, OK, here's the deal: I've tried quite a few burger joints around town and this place is head & shoulders above any of the ones I've tried. I'm always treated well, Joe is friendly, generous even. Of course the hired help turns over, so that has to vary. If I'm in The City and I want a good burger, I don't go anywhere else!
-Jeff

Posted 06/13/08

After watching the show of food Network, my boyfriend and I decided to go to joes and try their famous burguers and as soon as I walked in I have to say, no wonder they were on the TV. When we first walked in I noticed the warm and welcoming atmosphere. They serve their burguers in three different sizes and trust me you can really taste the difference. I decided to get a 4oz burguer and my boyfriend went for the 8oz I was surprized of how juicy and tasty the meat was. They have a butcher window where we can walk in and see the meat being grind fresh everyday. Everybody knows that in order to eat well we all have to spend a little more, and if people can't appreciate good food they might as well go to Burguer king or Macdonalds and order a big burguer cooked in the microwave , with tons of fat and pay a couple bucks for it. However if you really want to taste a good burguer made fresh and enjoy a great service,go to Joe's Cable Car you won't be desappointed. I would definatelly come back.

Posted 04/09/08

So, for a while my boyfriend and I had been told to go to Joe's Cable Car. Finally we decided to try it.
First of all , we were surprised at the cheezy ambiance of it all. Very commercial and not what you would expect given its location. The service was horrible! My boyfriend ordered first and I followed by saying "i'll have the same exact thing, minus pickles". Somehow that was unclear to our server who gave me something entirely different and my boyfriend's burger had no pickles. We also ordered a large fries and small onion rings but got a small order of both. The burgers were good, not the best. But we were pleased... until our bill came. $55 dollars!! Unbelievable! And they triple charged us on certain items. We would've much rather gone to in n' out than spend that much on a burger. I mean $55 and we get plastic wear and plates? What's the deal?? We were so apalled at how expensive it was that we saved the receipt and hung it up on our cork board. We will never return nor will we recommend Joe's to anyone. Tony's Cable Car is far better and cheaper!

Cons: service, ambiance, pricing

Posted 04/06/08

when i saw this burger joint, i knew that i had to try... but i wish i never did! extreme prices for a burger, you eat with plastic utensils, service is horrible, and burger itself is just mediocre.

if you want a GOOOOD burger, go to big mouth.

Pros: Fresh??

Cons: Service, food, prices, ambience, value, restaurant.

Posted 04/02/08

Despite the mixed reviews we read and against my better judgment, we visited this place anyway. We drove 2/3 of the way across town to try Joe's after seeing it on the Food Network. We finally got there (it's not in a nice part of town) only to find an nearly empty restaurant with an indifferent staff. The cheapest burger on the menu is $10 and it is ala carte (no fries, chips, or anything and if you want cheese, it's another buck). That might be OK in Union Square, but it's simply outrageous in this neighborhood.

There's no kids menu, so my 9 year-old daughter and I decided to share a burger and add a side of fries. The waitress boldly stated that there would be a $6 extra charge for a "split plate". I told her that I would split it myself. She said that there would still be a split charge. I asked her exactly what they'd be splitting since the burger doesn't come with anything and she looked at me like I was wasting her time. Just to be clear, they have plastic utensils and paper plates, so it's not like they'd even have to wash an extra set of dishes. I don't know how they justify charging so much for the food and then add more $$$ on top of that (not to mention the $5 milkshakes). We left after it became clear that they weren't interested in having us as customers.

You would think that with so many empty tables, they might want to do something to please their customers. Instead, they're going for the quick money grab - to heck with what the customer wants.

Pros: No waiting for a table

Cons: They don't care about their customers - only money!

Posted 03/25/08

Joe's Cable Car does serve a pretty good burger, but I'm not a big fan of places that server different size patties. They make it seem as if their small pattie is just too small and you should try the bigger size. If Joe grinds his own chuck, shouldn't he pass those savings onto the customer?

Although I did enjoy the burger, the fries did appear to be frozen. Walking out I really felt cheated, $19 for a burger, fries and coke. Glad I went alone. Probably the last time. There are other places at a more reasonable price...

Pros: Good burger

Cons: Way overpriced, plastic plates and utensils

Posted 10/08/07

The BEST burger! They are full of flavor, juicy, never greasy, and made with organic beef! I've been to this place over 1.5 years and they are consistently great. The cost is a bit pricey, but well worth for the quality. One thing I would skip is their fries. I've gone to many burger joints locally that have good ratings, and they are pale in comparison to Joe's Cable Car. I brought my family, friends, and coworkers, and they all return on their own for more.

Pros: Easy parking

Cons: Not so great neighborhood

Posted 08/15/07

Oh baby! The burgers are gooood. Easy parking. Lots of free treats with their Joe's Points system. (I got four glass steins!) What more needs to be said?

Pros: Great burgers, fun decor, Joe's paraphenalia

Cons: It's a bit of a drive

Posted 07/23/07

Hamburgers are great, they're tasty and fresh.
Milkshakes are awesome.
Really nice place, I love it.

Pros: Parking

Cons: Location

Posted 02/22/07

I love a lot of things about this place. It's a true neighborhood joint - it's been around since the 1960s. The decor is kitschy and fun. The food is really good including great burgers and divine milkshakes. There is parking available. But the sad fact is the owner has made a truly bad decision to gouge people in regards prices. A burger is about $8.95. That includes nothing but the burger/bun and condiments. Cheese is 75 cents extra (come ON. At those prices throw us some cheese already). Fries are a separate order and price. A milkshake is about $5.00. I have often found myself considering going to Joe's because the food is good and I want to patronize a neighborhood establishment but it's $18 for a burger/fries and milkshake. That's ridiculous. I can get a good burger here in the city for half that. If the owner made some concessions to being reasonably priced I would probably dine here several times a month. As it stands - I live in the neighborhood and have only been three times in five years.

Pros: Good food. Neighborhood establishment. Parking

Cons: RIDICULOUS prices.

Posted 07/17/06

I luv this place - it's my all time favorite. Great atmosphere, kind and helpful staff and awesome food. I always have fun when I go to this place. The burgers are awesome! I luv the french ground beef burger - the best! Fries are great and nice that you can order one plate for two people...and the shakes are really tasty...a great SF spot!

Pros: Great selection, but not overwhelming and there are healthy selections too.

Cons: None

Posted 06/27/06

Like others, I went to Joe's based on readers comments. The hamburger wasn't any tastier than what one would get at a fast food restaurant. And the cost of a hamburger is way over priced. Joe, if you're going to charge that much, at least serve the hamburger on something other than a paper plate with plastic utensils. It's a waste of time and money to eat at Joe's. You got me once Joe, but not a second time.

Pros: None

Cons: Taste, Price

Posted 05/10/06

I just went to Joe's with my fiancee after reading many good things about it. We were completely disapointed. The service was awful considering the price. Ten minutes after placing our food and drink order and still not having recieved our beverages, I finally had to get up, go interrupt our waitress from a conversation with a coworker and ask for my drinks. Refills were never offered and our waitress only returned to the the table after dropping the food to leave the check approximately thirty to fourty minutes later. This might be understandable if the place was full, but there were only two other people in the restaurant (and three servers). The burgers were average, at best, definitely not worth the $14 price tag. I would NEVER go back to this place.

Cons: bad service, average food, over-priced

Posted 03/13/06

Then don't go here! This is among the worst values I've experienced in San Francisco. First, this burger costs $16.50. That's what I paid for a puny 6 ounce burger with an over-inflated bun, half order of fries and no soda. No kidding. Second, this place concentrates too much on image and packaging, badly neglecting food quality and quantity, which is mediocre at best. We were still hungry afterwards, and were thus compelled to hit In-and-Out for a nightcap meal! Do yourself a favor and avoid this one, despite all of the good reviews. This one is a bona-fide rip off!!!

Pros: nice server, kitsch

Cons: , small portion, mediocre quality

Posted 01/01/06

I loved the burger I ate, but be warned that a mushroom cheeseburger will run you about $11.

Pros: parking lot

Posted 05/29/05

There was a time when these prices were reasonable, but as another member wrote, it will cost about $20 to feed one person. The fries are NOT included, which only adds more to the bill. They do taste frozen, and have a mealy texture. The shakes are pretty good. But for the money, as hard as we all have to earn it, it is really not worth it. Head to Bullshead in West Portal, or my two favorite burger places, Kelly's Buger on 16th/Valencia, or Burger Joint on about 18th and Valencia. All three places include fries, and to me, the burgers are just plain better!

Pros: Shakes

Cons: PRICE $$$$$

Posted 04/26/05

My family has been going to Joe's Cable Car since I was barely a year old: 27 years now! I've had birthday burgers there on numerous occasions, and somewhere I think I still have a 'wooden nickel,' something regulars used to get to add cheese to burgers for free. The walls are covered with pictures of satisfied customers young and old, with regular turnover because the place is so popular. I live in the East Bay now, but every few months I cross the bridge just to get the world's juiciest burger. A burger, fries and shake may cost almost $20 per person, but it's worth it every time. Best bets: the #2 has Bermuda onions mixed in already, the onion rings are to die for, and the milkshakes are superb. You can also save up points (given with every meal) to purchase fun Joe's merchandise.

Pros: Dependable, Size options, Good parking

Cons: Location

Posted 03/20/05

This is the only burger that does not make me ill. It is clean and delicious. I've had burgers in many fancy and silly places but this is by far the best in the city. My favorite is the avocado burger. In the many, many times I have dined there, I have never tried anything other than the burgers. That's all I can recommend. Joe's never disappoints. The service is very attentive. It does get busy. But just try to stay away.

Pros: consistent, clean

Posted 03/15/05

The food was not just good but was mouth watering. The meat was cooked to perfection. The milkshake was thick and rich (with extra in the metal mix cup). Service was pleasent and helpful with our order. Worth the trip.

Pros: shakes , food, service

Cons: area, limited parking, street parking

Posted 03/14/05

If you know *anything* about meat you will understand Joe's. If not, you'll think they are overpriced. Joe uses only choice chuck, nothing else. You can watch them grind it there in the restaurant. This is quite different than the contemporary burger with a lot of crap in it.
On my first visit to Joe's, I was given a personal tour of the restaurant by Joe. Not because I looked important, but just because that's the way Joe is. In our current society, this kind of honest, hard work is difficult for some to comprehend. I can only imagine this is why Joe has received less than stellar ratings by some. In my opinion, Joe's is just awesome!

Pros: quality meat, personal touch, parking

Posted 09/26/04

Finally ate at Joe's after years of hearing about their burgers. Inside you'll find a lot of chrome and odd retro knick-knacks to entertain the kids, overall goofy decor. A 6oz burger is about $8+ and fries/rings are ala carte. Burger was very good, but probably not the best. Fries and rings were pretty run of the mill. Service was efficient and friendly. A decent hunk of chuck but over-priced for the tourists...

Pros: Burgers

Cons: Kitschy, Past it's prime, Over priced

Posted 05/07/04

Please DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE THAT I MADE BY EATING AT JOE'S CABLE RIPOFF.
Joe's Cable car is literally the worst ripoff for below average food that I have ever seen, and I mean EVER. Joe seems more interested in hyping his burgers than making a tasty burger that doesn't cost a months salary. I ordered a baconcheeseburger and fries with a coke and my bill came to 19 bucks. The burger was extremely dry even though I asked for medium rare. ALso, it was very small considering that they claimed it was six ounces. The fries tasted like ovenbaked safeway select steak fries- ie mushy and tasteless. OVerall, Joe's bordered on being a traumatizing experience for me, considering that it was by far the most expensive hamburger I have ever eaten and it tasted terrible. PLEASE avoid this trap!

Pros: friendly service

Cons: the food, prices, no fries included

Posted 10/21/03

The food (200g, 100% pure beef pattie)is not worth the seven dollars that they charge. They then do not add anything to the burger like fries or onion ring without charging you another 3-4 dollars. They then expect you to thrilled because they did not charge you $20 for parking which is on the bill but erased (humm...) and expect you to leave smiling because of all the bright lights and famous people on the wall with the owner who sits in the coner watching his staff like a hawk. Or from what i noticed he was waiting for the glory days to come back, but they dont because he is rated so high without any real value.....

Posted 08/27/03

I am baffled why this place gets such high reviews. Average burgers at about a 50% mark-up because they have decided that they are famous. A patty melt with run you nearly $12--fries will set you back an additional $2, a shake almost $5. $20 for a burger meal? I think not. Plus, the burgers are nothing special. I've been there twice, and they forgot to put on onions (a standard topping) both times. Last time, I had to chase my lone pickle around my burger as I waited desperately for our server to come back with the water I requested at the beginning of the meal. Alas, she was busy, filling ketchup bottles and couldn't be bothered. Their burgers are just average. They taste no different than anywhere else, so go somewhere else. Also, the campy (but in a bad way), neon-heavy interior does nothing for this place.

Cons: Overpriced, Terrible ambience, Inattentive service

Posted 05/05/03

The price is high for burgers on paper plates. There weren't enough toppings.

Pros: good, lean, exciting

Cons: expensive, paper plates, chinsy on toppings

Posted 03/29/03

This place is so corny. The music inside this place is like that at a carnival or some 1920s dive bar. It was so loud that we had to tell them to turn it down. If I worked there, I would go postal with those stupid tunes playing over and over. It is overpriced -- 7 to 9 bucks just for a burger? You have got to be kidding. The burgers are barely mediocre and the fries and onion rings are average. On top of that, the parking cost of 25 bucks is added to the bill and instantly validated. Like parking in that lot is so valuable -- it is small and poorly designed. This place sucks unless you like marginally prepared food for a kings ransom in goofy circus environment

Pros: near my house

Cons: sucks big time, overpriced, ambience

Posted 03/27/03

I'm new to the neighborhood and have wanted to try out Joe's since I moved here. I've got to tell you that the only thing extraordinary about the burger is the price. Tasteless burger, limp fries and overpriced shakes that were unremarkable as well. The paper plates and the curt wait staff didn't help either. I'll definitely go elsewhere if I want a decent burger, even though I live within walking distance. Can't understand why it was rated so high. Not worth the trip.

Pros: Parking

Cons: Bland Burgers, Curt staff, Too expensive

Posted 01/27/03

The best burger I have even had. ' nuf said.

Pros: amazing food, fun atmosphere

Cons: not cheap

Posted 12/28/02

I grew up in the SF Mission and Excelsior Districts. Joe's has been there for what seems like forever and they have always been the best in town. Sitting here in the icy turndra of Wisconsin, now, I can still see the inside of that restaurant and taste those burgers and I still crave one of their milkshakes! Joe's should be #1!

Pros: Great food, Milkshakes to die for, Friendly service

Cons: needs more parking

Posted 12/05/02

Quite possibly the best burger in the Bay Area -- Joe's Burgers are always juicy, fresh, and delicious. Granted, they are pricier than you'd expect, and the fries are hit-or-miss. (Sometimes they're good, sometimes they're undercooked and soggy.) But given that Zuni's the other best-burger-in-the-city contender, the prices don't look so bad by comparison.

Pros: Good burgers, Parking!, Good milk shakes

Cons: A bit pricey, Average fries

Posted 11/23/02

The hamburgers were really tasty, really fresh, and (a surprise) cooked to order. The fries were also really good and crispy.

The only down side would be the price. Granted, it is a sit-down place with table service...but $25 for 2 burgers, fries, and sodas?

Pros: tasty burgers, tasty fries, easy parking

Cons: a tad expensive

Posted 09/05/02

The burgers were bigger and less expensive. The mountain of fries were a great deal. Now ten dollars is not enough for a meal.

Pros: great burgers

Cons: expensive fast-food, slow service

Posted 08/12/02

Perfect burgers available in 3 sizes. I've been going here for years and have never had anything less than outstanding food and service.

Posted 08/07/02

This place is great. Burgers are the best. The shakes are thicker than the fog in the Sunset. Onion rings are monsterous. Joe is also a very nice guy too. Bring a few bucks though as this is a bit more cash than a burrito.

Pros: great burgers, awesome shakes, parking

Cons: disposable plates, a bit pricey, no delivery

Posted 07/25/02

While the burgers are great, I don't think this place is the shining star everyone seems to be making this out to be. The food seems to be a bit pricey. The interior is clean, but the best hamburgers in San Francisco are to be found elsewhere.

Pros: free parking, quality beef, interesting interior

Cons: paper plates, somewhat expensive

Posted 07/19/02