Back in 2009, then-Eater head (he's now a Chron staffer) Paolo Lucchesi said that his biggest dining surprise of the year was "That there is still only one In-N-Out—sans drive-thru—in this entire city but there are 20 La Boulanges." Cut to the present day, where Starbucks owns La Boulange...and SF still only has a single In-N-Out, that one in Fisherman's Wharf.

In the intervening years, the Bible-verse-emblazoned company has added a Redwood City location, and area outlets have fed French Laundry celebrants, been a marketing tool for at least one start-up, fueled Tim Lincecum, and been hit with lawsuits alleging racism and a refusal to call 911. Oh, and who can forget the great Berkeley In-N-Out prank of 2014?

It seems like the one thing they haven't done is scout for any additional San Francisco locations. Speaking to Eater on Thursday, In-N-Out VP for planning and development Carl Van Fleet says that "while we are always looking for new opportunities and potential locations, we are not currently working on a specific site in San Francisco."

What about downtown Oakland, or poor, punked Berkeley? While Van Fleet didn't rule them out, it certainly didn't sound like anything's in the works, as he said only that "our real estate team is active throughout the Bay Area, as we do hope to add restaurants there in the future."

Eater speculates that factors holding local expansion of the chain back are those of expensive real estate, a high minimum wage, or that most SF options wouldn't allow for a drive-through, all solid possibilities.

Another reason might be the years of hassle the company has had in getting a location in Alameda opened: since 2013, hundreds of residents including the city's District Attorney have rallied against a proposed Alameda Landing location of the fast food joint, saying that it's a "magnet for crime." Though In-N-Out eventually prevailed and the spot is set to open this year, perhaps the company has decided to focus its efforts on towns where they can be certain that their animal style will be welcomed with open arms.

See all of SFist's In-And-Out coverage here

Photo by plutohead.

Today we sat down with one of S.F.'s most elusive patties, the elite Rosamunde burger, to learn about what it's like keeping things simple, working one day a week, and surviving what amounts to a total sausage party.

SFist: You're only available on Tuesdays, right?
Burger: Yes'm. I'm working on a self-help book called The One-Day Work Week and my agent is seeing some traction. I'd recommend getting there right at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays if you're hungry.

SFist: Why is that? Are you playing hard to get?
Burger: I mean, there's a difference between playing hard to get and just ... being hard to get. I prefer the latter. I'm a straightforward kind of guy and I don't play around, especially with people's emotions.

SFist: You seem very straightforward and no-nonsense. Is that why people like you so much?
Burger: I think so. You won't see any foie gras or feta cheese or gold foil or avocado or anything like that. I'm a patty, with a bun, some cheese, lettuce and tomato. Throw some mustard and ketchup on me, and you're good to go.

SFist: Simpler times.
Burger: Exactamunde.

SFist: Is that something they say at Rosamunde?
Burger: No, not at all.

SFist: What's it like being the only burger at Rosamunde?
Burger: It's obviously a sausage party. The other brats make some crude jokes, there's a lot of potty humor, but it's all in good fun. If I were a carrot or a celery stick in there I might feel a little uncomfortable, but I'm pretty meaty, so the guys respect me. We talk shop, we go over to Toronado, etc. It's a good work atmosphere.

SFist: People can take you next door to Toronado and have a beer with you, right?
Burger: Yeah. I'd always go with an IPA or something that's nice and refreshing, especially since it's lunch on a Tuesday. You don't want to get too wasted, you just want to wash your food down.

SFist: There are a few mustard options in Rosamunde. What's the best choice to smother you in?
Burger: Spicy Brown. Bring it on.

Rosamunde Sausage Grill: 545 Haight St., S.F., CA

Just when it seems like we are maxxed out on burger options in the city, Denver-based chain, Smashburger waves Angus beef patties and fancy buns under our noses, and they’re getting closer and closer. Inside Scoop says the the company has signed five local leases -- Mill Valley Smashburger opens next to a Whole Foods in May, and we get ours here in the city at Potrero Safeway Plaza later this summer. They plan to open five locations this year in the Bay Area, and another five or more in 2014.

Smashburger was labeled by Forbes as America’s Most Promising Company in 2011. Forbes says they have opened 200 locations across the country in six years. The name comes from a patented tool used to smash a meatball into a patty while it’s on the grill. (Also known as a metal spatula? We could totally be missing something here.)

You could say Smashburger is either joining good company, or one too many cooks in the kitchen. If we want a burger with house-made pickles and Niman Ranch beef, take your pick of five Super Duper Burger locations in the city. There’s also all-natural bison or grass-fed beef burger at Roam Artisan Burgers, with two locations within blocks of one another in the Marina and Pac Heights. A few other mid-size burger chains are encroaching on the city, as Grub Street mentioned today.

And with that, we can safely say: That's enough beef for now, thanks.

The resplendent Tamara Palmer at The Feast recently stopped by Straw in Hayes Valley. Noted for their spin on carnival food favorites, they recently allowed her to film them making The Ringmaster, a burger replete with a fried egg, bacon, extra patties, and sandwiched between two donuts. Inspired by lunatic lip-balm hawker Paula Deen, the burger is one of several literally heart-stopping, sweet-and-savory concoctions popping up at Bay Area restaurants. (Happy Donuts / Louisiana Fried Chicken now sells a waffle burger that's just as tempting as it sounds.)

Check out how The Ringmaster is made over at The Feast. And then head over to Straw to try it out.

Straw: 203 Octavia (at Page), SF; 415-431-3663

EaterSF will kick off their first-ever Burger Week starting today. In addition to all things hamburger-related, Eater readers will decide which burger in the Bay Area is the best. "Based on our reader submissions over the past week and our own editorial savvy, we've chosen 16 burger contenders and placed them into four categories. (NB: Massive shilly write-in campaigns did not guarantee inclusion in the bracket). The four categories are critics' favorite burgers, classic-style burgers, new school burgers and high class burgers," reports Eater. Lucky for you, readers, we already know what the best burgers in the Bay Area are. True. Behold:

Critics' favorite burgers: Marlowe
Classic-style burgers: In-N-Out Double-Double
New school burgers: 2 In-N-Out Double-Doubles
High class burgers: Animal Style In-N-Out Double-Double

Ta-da! There you have it. If you must, though, you can head over to Eater to select your favorite. (Today's poll? Critics favorite!)

SF Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer says he might have found the city's best burger: Marlowe's. (A phenomenal SOMA-Mission Bay joint, we might add.) How so, you ask? Bauer speaketh: "[T]he moist patty is made with a 80/20 percent lean to fat ratio with a little lamb mixed in to give a bolder, earthier flavor." There's also cooing about an Acme bun, mad horseradish-aioli slathering, bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, cold shredded lettuce. SFist had the same best-burger debate back in March, which proved fruitless as there are simply too many places serving too fine beef patties.

The weather was pretty mild up in the mountains today, around 50 degrees in the day and maybe dipping down to the low 30s tonight. The Chron offers tips for other road-trippers, and a series of pictures from the rescue scene.

And an Oregon rescue volunteer posts these pictures from his search today.

Previous update: The family kept warm in the car and when they ran out of gas, they burned their tires. James has some outdoor camping experience. The rangers can see his footprints in places and plan to follow them through the night if necessary. James has a lighter and a camera strobe light, and is wearing a sweater, jacket, jeans, and tennis shoes. A helicopter with night vision has also been procured. The authorities think he's in the Windy Creek Drainage Area. Fingers crossed he's okay. (see post 592 in the Guestbook and the CNET link).

Also -- Kati fed the girls the last week by breast-feeding them. Wow.