Klutch Burgers Come Through Every Time

For about a month, I have resisted the urge to write about Klutch Burgers & Brew which opened on Laurel Street in downtown San Carlos this spring.  First off, I’m not a professional restaurant reviewer. Second, I’m selfish – if I find a good thing, why would I want to ruin it by telling everyone else about it? Finally, restaurant reviews certainly have their place in print and online publications – but I don’t think that place is in my blog. Honestly, I’d rather exert my (sometimes limited) brain power on making fun of politics or commenting on other news events. And yet, here I sit, searching my online thesaurus trying to find pretentious ways to describe the juicy and delicious burgers, hot crispy french fries, and consistently friendly service I find at Klutch Burgers.

My diabolical scheme to keep the news about Klutch Burgers to myself was proceeding along as planned until the new In-and-Out Burger location opened here in San Carlos.  With the controversy surrounding the negative impact the burger chain’s new location may have on traffic and residential peace and quiet, it seems that talking about burger places actually IS talking about the news. Still, there is the fact that I am not a professional food writer or restaurant reviewer – but as it turns out, I am a damned successful eater.

I have no beef with In-and-Out Burger (that's right, I fear no pun). They have pretty good burgers and consistently great service, and they are such a well-renowned institution in California that out-of-town guests frequently ask if we can make a quick stop at the In-and-Out drive-thru to grab a burger.  I assure them that we can certainly visit In-and-Out, but that there is no such thing as a quick stop there.  The irony of the restaurant name juxtaposed against the actual speed of the dining experience (or drive-thru wait time) is the only thing I don’t like about In-and-Out. Still, I guess it’s not fair to blame them for being successful. Besides, I stopped hating people for being popular after high school.

But I digress (see, I told you I am not a professional reviewer). I’m supposed to be talking about all the reasons why you should visit Klutch Burgers & Brew. I guess I could sum it all up in a single word: local. I don’t know though – does “local” really mean anything to anyone? Here’s what it means to me.

• Enjoying tasty char-grilled burgers made from quality ingredients like Niman Ranch beef
• Having your burgers and chicken sandwiches served on buns delivered fresh from the Acme Bread Company based in Berkeley
• Watching your favorite local sports teams (Giants and Niners and Sharks, oh my) on multiple flat screen televisions that are well-placed around the small restaurant space
• Supporting downtown restaurants that are owned and operated by your neighbors

One last thing - did I mention that Klutch Burgers also offers a variety of ridiculously rich and creamy milkshakes made with award-winning Mitchell’s Ice Cream from San Francisco? On assorted visits, I have tried the Vanilla Butterbean, Darryl’s Strawberry, and Thrilla in Manila shakes (challenging research, but I did it for you). The shakes are all so scrumptious that they left me wondering how mention of them didn’t somehow make it into the name of the restaurant.

So there, I did it.  I wrote about food and restaurants. I should qualify all of this by telling you that I have only been to Klutch Burgers about fifteen times. Sure, it kicked butt every single time, but I could have just been lucky – again, and again, and again. Now, do me a favor – go to In-and-Out. But do yourself a favor, and stop by Klutch Burgers & Brew at 1201 Laurel Street in downtown San Carlos.