Since 1949, Taylor's was a little roadside drive-in, diner in St. Helena (Napa Valley). Anyone from the bay area who did a wine trip to Napa, knew the best place to stop for a burger and fries in Napa was Taylor’s. It became a bit of a legend.
Then last year (2003) Taylor's decided to expand the legend and open their second eatery in the newly refurbished San Francisco Ferry Building. It opened to much fanfare and getting a table here at lunch is a kin to getting a pair of Super Bowl tickets.
What makes this place so special? Well, besides your basic hamburger, hotdog, BLT, you will find other items like portabella reubens, duck confit tacos or soft shell tacos. Taylor's serves up the basics and then adds a bit of California gourmet to spice things up.
Taylor's is also popular as this drive-in diner has an outstanding wine selection (hey, it calls Napa Valley home). You can find wines like Frog's Leap or Coppola served up with your burger!
The new Ferry Building location is clean and bright. The kitchen and grill are open and above the counter is a big red neon sign that simply says EAT. They have a lot of tables on the outside lining the Ferry Building. You first order (be prepared to stand in line), then you pick up the food when your vibrator box goes off. Finding an open seat during lunch hour can be a hunt.
Does it live up to they hype? Yes and no. The burgers are good, not the best, but far from the worst. I have had a really bad egg salad sandwich here. However items like their Fish Tacos, Black-eyed Pea Soup and Ahi Burgers were all great. I find they don't do the basics all that well, but they do have a great variety and some of the gourmet items are very good. I had a mango shake tonight that was to die for!
Prices run from $5.50 for a basic burger to $10.99 for the famous Ahi burger. Fries are $1.99 and $5.99 for a bowl of chili. The prices are pretty good for this area of San Francisco and well worth the price
I don't see what the lines around the block are all about. The food is good, but not that good. I think once the novelty of having a Taylor's in San Francisco wears down it will be a great place to grab a burger, fries and a nice glass of Syrah. There are a lot of places to eat the Ferry Building, this is just one of your many good picks here.