Two and a half weeks after opening, Thomas Keller’s Burgers & Half Bottles continues to draw lines of hungry and curious diners to his playful pop-up.
So much so that last Thursday, when my husband and I showed up at the opening time of noon to queue up behind about two dozen people, there were already plenty of diners eating burgers on the front patio. Turns out that the line that morning was already growing so rapidly, that the restaurant decided to open a little early, the manager told me.
Such is the allure when a legendary Michelin three-starred chef decides to build a concept around one of his favorite foods, the In-N-Out burger. When his Mexican restaurant Calenda closed in December 2024, it provided the perfect space for him to realize it, too.
On a torrid morning when it was already close to 90 degrees, a server passed out cups of ice water to those in line. This is a Keller restaurant, after all.
You order inside at the bar, and get an electronic buzzer that will vibrate when your food is ready to be picked up just behind the bar at the kitchen counter.
My husband went for the combo ($22) that includes a choice of grilled American Wagyu hamburger or cheeseburger (he went with the latter), crinkle-cut fries, and a soft drink (he chose the Lost Coast draft root beer). I tacked on the spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich ($14), the lobster roll ($29), and an “It’s Ours” ice cream sandwich ($8). The manager spotted me, and graciously picked up the tab for our meal.
There are 20 half bottles of wines available, as well as three wines by the glass. There’s also an adorable vintage 1965 Volkswagen “Brew Bus” on the patio that dispenses Russian River Brewing beers.
Choose any free table inside, on the side patio or the back patio.
All the burgers and sandwiches are served on buns baked by Keller’s Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, of course, which means they are tender, glossy, and fresh tasting.
The grilled American Wagyu cheeseburger is piled with lettuce, beefsteak tomato, red onion, house-made dill pickles and a creamy secret sauce. It’s a coarsely ground patty with nice texture that’s super juicy and rich tasting.
The fries are not uniform in color necessarily, owing to the fact that the skins are left on the potatoes for more flavor. They are quite crispy, and definitely hard to stop eating.
The lobster roll on a griddled bun is adorned with pickled red onions and celery leaves. Billed as “Maine lobster salad,” the bulk of the lobster meat is shredded much like tuna salad, and has just enough mayo to hold everything together. I wish it had been more like diced chunks of lobster, though, to play up the crustacean more. But I was grateful for a few larger pieces of claw meat on top.
The fried chicken sandwich is an impressive crunchy breast that spills out of the bun, making for an especially mouthwatering presentation. It’s topped with coleslaw, house-made dill pickles, and seasoned mayo. Although it’s described as “spicy,” it’s pretty mild, so I wouldn’t let that deter you if you’re not big on heat. And believe me, you should order this, because it is nirvana for any fried chicken lover. The chicken is moist and its coating absolutely crackling crisp through and through.
Bouchon Bakery’s TKO cookie is the foundation for the ice cream sandwich that pays homage to an It’s-It. Half dipped in chocolate, and sprinkled with sea salt, it has the satisfying taste of deep, dark cocoa in a tender yet sturdy cookie that meets cold, creamy vanilla ice cream.
The Burgers & Half Bottles pop-up is scheduled to run through Oct. 31. Given the crowds, though, don’t be surprised if it lasts longer or even becomes permanent.