Flames: Western Mini Burgers & Fries

I went to Flames for lunch the other day and immediately was drawn to their daily special – Western Mini Burgers. Yes, yes, I KNOW they’re really called Sliders these days… Aww good ‘ol Flames.  Anyway, I got the order to go.

As you can see, these babies are little greaseballs.  No, that’s not the glare from lights above, it’s shiny griddle grease.  The fries are all fresh cut and Flames only uses Niman Ranch beef (antibiotic free).  The mini burgers came with bbq sauce, bacon, cheddar cheese, an onion ring, and lettuce, tomato and onion.

Now back to the french fries.  As I said before, these are fresh cut.  When I worked in a restaurant back in PA, I learned that you don’t change out the oil in the fryer very often – and that is what gives the fried treats their yummy flavor.  I think Flames changes their oil too much, because the fries (although crispy and chock full of potato) are kind of flavorless.  They taste like potato, but there isn’t anything buttery flavor and the assumed fry-like feeling wasn’t there.  They’re kind of like the fries at In-n-Out… how they taste so fresh cut or something?  Maybe that is my problem… maybe I only like crap fries and haven’t acquired a taste for fresh fries… but I’ve had fresh cut fries before at other places (T-Rex, for example) that were really good, so I think it all goes back to the oil.  Also, the potatoes that they use are small, so almost every french fry has one side that’s full of skin, and I’m not really into that.

…A cross-section of the burger.  It was good, greasy and had just the right amount of bbq sauce and bacon on it.  I usually don’t eat full on hamburgers because they leave you feeling like a big load afterwards, but I was really hungry on this day.

Flames
88 2nd St
(between Jessie St & Mission St)
San Francisco, CA 94105
(415) 896-5084