The Workshop Burger Bar & Grill

Unilocal never lies. I was skeptical of Workshop due to its low Unilocal rating, and while I experienced highs and lows here, it was mostly lows.
— Ambiance (²⁄₅)
Dark, nondescript, and no ventilation… it was quite miserable eating inside. We DID get to watch the random telenovela playing above us, and at least the ladies with us were dressed quite nicely!
— Service (³⁄₅)
Even if there were 20 of us, the service was really slow, considering there were no other people in the restaurant. We waited about 30 minutes for our burgers. That being said, they were willing to break our checks into 20 separate orders, which made paying a breeze. That was really nice of them.
— Black Tie Burger, $ 12.99 (²⁄₅)
The first bite of the burger was really great, and if I had stopped there, I might rate Workshop higher. The ingredients in the black tie burger are nice: gruyère, sauteed onions, dressed greens– though what made it «black tie» was mystifying. It’s also an excessively greasy burger, and as I discovered at home – parched– laced with MSG. I’ll give it a 3 for taste, but a 1 for feeling absolutely gross afterward.
— Value (²⁄₅)
At $ 12.99, the only thing premium about the burger is its price. After tax and tip, you’re pushing almost $ 16.
Although I did not experience some of the negative aspects in other reviews like dirtiness, I just don’t find Workshop to be a compelling burger joint. Nothing made it special– neither the food, nor the ambiance. Until it discovers its identity, and either lowers its prices or betters the burgers, I cannot recommend them.

The burgers are just OK… I ordered my burger medium rare. it came out just about raw. The fries were decent. Service was spotty at best. I had to ask for the check 4 times.

Not sure why this place gets a bad rap – I had a pretty good time.
Cheeseburger (pretty good) + garlic fries (so good) + beer + good service + outdoor seating = great spot to chill and eat

I was here on Friday 2 August 2013, I had recommended this place to all my co-​workers. I was so happy because my past 2 experience here were outstanding. Not anymore, they had 2 young waitress taking care everyone during lunch hours. Very un experience but I have to admit they tried. Services was terrible, we had 7 orders each other was wrong when we got it not only that we asked to get it fixe and still it took them an eternity to bring the right orders. Long story short all my co workers left very unhappy I love the place but they need someone to manage the place with some train staff, love the location the idea of the business and the burgers are great but please get this place back up to high standard. A plus services.
The other sad story that I felt bad to inform them at the moment was that a cockroach appeared on our table, very unsanitary.

WORKSHOP BURGER BAR & GRILL
After an intense gym workout, we were craving some burgers, and felt with the calorie-​burning régime, it was time to indulge ourselves on some good ol’ burgers and fries. We were in downtown Mountain View and saw the Workshop.
Miso Salmon Burger: the salmon was tasty, but too much creamy mayo. Tried it protein style, so no bun. Overall, decent but nothing spectacular. $ 10.99
Napa Turkey Burger: turkey breast with apple cole slaw and cranberry sauce. The bun was toasted but too flaky and had a hint of sweetness. The turkey breast was nice but overall, the burger was only so-​so, and didn’t have that wow factor. For $ 11.99, it certainly was a bit pricy for what you get. Add $ 1.95 for a side salad, and the bill gets even higher. Salad was good, but an extra $ 1.95 was pushing it.
Overall, we thought the prices were a bit high for what you get. We’ve had tastier and more spectacular burgers at other burger joints. At least for what it’s worth, the service was good. The burgers were less than spectacular… and sadly, they sound more appealing on the menu than in your stomach.

I must have got lucky — we were today on a late Saturday afternoon, no other customers, sat outside and a lovely young lady came out immediately, got our drinks and was very attentive. THE BEST or at least one of the best burgers — calling it a burger is an insult — I’ve ever had, honestly.
They say the beef is USDA Kobe etc, wow, it was amazing. I had the Jalapeño burger cooked medium, it was just an amazing slab of meat, juicy, cooked a perfect medium, just delicious. The Jalapeño they deep fry and put on i it, I ate separately — amazingly good.
So, I easily give it a 5 Star but I’ll take some friends back soon and see if they let me down. That would be a bummer because that’s the best burger in town, maybe in the USA!

If you’re in need of a burger…
I came to The Workshop on a Wednesday night with a friend. The restaurant was pretty dirty and the service was poor. I enjoyed my burger enough that I might return if I’m really in need of a burger but my friend ordered the Salmon burger and wasn’t able to finish it. There are definitely better places to grab a burger on Castro street.

Had a fantastic southwest chicken salad here as well as a southwest burger. The salad was humongous, larger than my face, and had tasty flavorful and tender grilled chicken slices. The salad also had corn, beans, avocado, tortilla chips and all sorts of goodness. The burger was not bad, a standard burger. Wouldn’t mind coming here again.

service was the low spot of this place. Young cute girls, who can’t be bothered to check on your table, as we enjoyed the patio ambiance.
Otherwise, Great chili dog and onion rings and happy hour prices on the Ale is nice.

I am truly shocked at the numbers of stars this place has! We were in between bars and hungry and decided to try this place out. I got a cheeseburger, protein style (lettuce bun) with onion rings. I split it with a friend and we devoured it! The meat was cooked PERFECTLY and the veggies (lettuce, pickles, onion, tomato) were super fresh with a great crunch! The onion rings were SOOOOO good. They came with a sauce that we were fighting over. Service was counter style-​which I prefer when you are in a group. The service was nice and our food came out quick! I will be back.

I’ve eaten here once. The burgers are pretty decent, with juicy meat on a soft roll that holds together pretty well. There are lots of choices for toppings. The beer selection is pretty good, and the prices are reasonable, too. Outside of burgers and beer the menu goes downhill. For example, the platter of tortilla chips look and taste like they came out of an off-​brand bag.
Service was spotty during our visit. Our first waiter seemed very inexperienced. He took my companion’s drink order and then left the table without asking what I’d like. After that he was hard to flag down for drink refills, as he spent most of his time talking to his coworker behind the bar. At least he got our orders right. Partway through the meal another staffer started serving us, and she was much more attentive.
The kitchen has a problem with quality control. My burger came out with its onion rings horribly overcooked. It wasn’t just like they were a little too brown, they were obviously cooked at least twice as long as they should be. I think they may have reheated leftovers from the night before. They were so overcooked that the onions inside weren’t really onions but onion-​textured fossilized impressions against the inside of the completely dessicated batter coating.
Whatever the explanation, trash like that never should be put on a plate. The manager ought to know that, and any cook worth keeping ought to know that– and ought to be empowered by management to make food right before it goes out into the dining room. You put that kind of garbage on a plate and you KNOW the customer is going to 1) send it back, so you’re not saving the restaurant any time or money, 2) get angry and be unlikely to return, and 3) warn friends about it. Done, done, and now done.

Tale of two burgers, Part 1
The two stars are the for the overall experience.
The first noticeable problem is that they are terribly understaffed. The burgers and beer concept is casual enough where customers could easily order and pay at the counter and do self-​seating. However, The Workshop implements a full-​service style, which, without proper staffing, results in dirty tables 20 minutes after the last party had vacated, 10 minutes to receive a menu and another 10 minutes to receive water. I commend my server for trying as hard as he could, I’ve been there.
That said, service alone is something I can overlook if the food was good… and it wasn’t. The sweet potato fries were better than fine, but the burgers, while done to a medium pink, were as dry as the Sahara. Tell tale signs of improper burger cookery? Flattened patty. When you press the patty down, you force the juice out.
Walk yourself down the street to the other burger and beer place, and save yourself the disappointment.

I’ve been to The Workshop 4 times now, so this is based on multiple experiences — the food is mediocre at best, and the service is lacking both in speed and helpfulness.
— quesadilla comes out rock solid, don’t bother ordering it
— waitress brought drink glasses that were too full — they spilled on the table — she did not bring any napkins to wipe the table until I asked her, and brought the next glass overfilled and that spilled as well
— forgot to bring our appetizer until I asked about it after our dinner came out — when we got our bill for this visit, she brings my card back and says «oh, I forgot to charge you for the iced tea, so I added it when I ran the card» — can you believe that?
— I asked for a high chair — saw one waitress pick it up and start following me out. 10 minutes later (and after asking for it a few more times), I go back inside and see the highchair behind the counter and the waitress who started bringing it out having dinner. I brought it to the table myself.
Don’t waste your time here. PLENTY of better choices around — Tied House, Stein’s, etc.
It’s as if the owner spent the time and money opening this place up and then abandoned it. They don’t bother reading the reviews here. Clearly the owner doesn’t care if this business succeeds or they would have made substantial changes by now.
I hope this place goes out of business soon, so we can get a new restaurant with good food and at least decent service.

DISCLAIMER: I didn’t actually try the food!
I was waiting for my cousin for dinner and I had 40 minutes to kill. So I was *going* to go to East/​West and look at all the things I shouldn’t spend my money on right now. BUT instead I saw the sign outside that had their happy hour prices. Holy COW! $ 2.50 for a beer? Yes please!
The inside was dead quiet — I was the only customer at first, but then, it was 5:15 p.m. on a Thursday…
So I ordered an amber ale and I’m hanging our watching a replay of the Sharks game from the night before on their giant HD TV over the bar… and here’s what won me over:
Customers started coming in, and while the place says it’s still having it’s grand opening, the staff already knew what the customer’s favorite orders are, where they sit, etc. This is good management.
Plus, the servers were attentive with me even though I didn’t want to order food.
It was a good experience. Now I need to go back and try the food. :)

I’ve been here twice now. The first time I didn’t realize that they were about to close
But they graciously sat us anyway. I had the protein burger with a side of sweet potato fries and it was very delicious. The second time I went back I was really blown away. Very attentive server, PHENOMENAL burger. So good that I did not put it down once. I ate the entire thing and that is a rarity. The Parmesan crisp was just perfect. So so so good. I don’t understand the poor reviews! This is now our go to burger place. Awesome!

So, to the point… burgers are FANTASTIC!!! Love my Black Tie! That being said, it is SO disappointing that the service is beyond AWFUL! Bad enough that it has lost this customer and any further recommendations.
I have been there 3 times, all at dinner time. Only once was it really full to be even a little understandable for bad service. Last night was most likely my last time. I’ve gone back for the food, but after last night, it has become apparent that the food just can’t overcome the service.
In my 3 visits: getting someone to take an order, sorry selection of wine at a «full bar», multiple issues ordering THEN receiving my drinks, staff eating at bar with hands and then serving food, dirty counters, having a knowledgable waiter, getting napkins and silverware, floaties in water, getting a table rather than getting menus shoved at me and told to go wherever, socializing staff rather than on customers, clean tables, etc.
Last night, I had unfortunately recommended the place to first timers for an evening out. We sat at a dirty table and had to ask to get the food wiped off, had a waiter who brought half the drinks then had to be reminded about the missing ones, had to hunt for napkins (then stared in amazement as he proceeded to dig them out of a plastic Costco bag), waited around 30 minutes to get food, waiter disappeared and so did the option of another round of drinks or water until bill came, then the one request of splitting the bill at the beginning turned into a game of «circling our orders» so a different waiter could adjust the receipt.
2 hour dinner for just burgers and drinks… PRETTY BAD.
A little embarassing and super frustrating… I had such HIGH HOPES for this place on Castro, but I am pretty certain that if some sort of staff revamp doesn’t happen soon to pull in AND keep customers, this will become another Castro failure like so many other potentials.
Here’s hoping…

Wonderful hamburgers and sausages. The bread to meat ratio is perfect. The rolls are heavenly. Puffy and light, they are perfectly grilled in butter. Decadent and delicious.
Since it was our first visit, we went with an American burger with dressing on the side and a Louisiana hot link. We loved both. Great beer selection.
The service was perfect. Friendly and quick.

Another outfit that has merrily hitched a ride on the beer and burger bandwagon. The Counter, Umami, Shake Shack etc… what have you wrought upon this nation?!?
Workshop is a spot to get your hamburger fix, if what you’re craving is something a little more chi-​chi than a double-​double. Everything here is. above average.
Take an Umami bun, a Five Guys beef patty, throw in some standard toppings and condiments, with options of extra toppings and there you have it: a Workshop hamburger.
100% Angus and Kobe beef are your two choices. The Angus patty is really similar in texture shape and flavour to the one in a Five Guys burger– at least to my arguably deadened taste buds. Hey, I can distinguish between a Jumbo Jack, a Quarter Pounder and a Famous Star. But that’s probably not saying much.
Anyway, it wasn’t a large hamburger but was quality and tasty. Workshop didn’t give a choice of how well done or not. Cooked through and definitely a dozen napkin affair. Extremely greasy. Bottom bun was on its way to being soaked through.
Cowboy burger and Southwest burger contain bacon. Being a sucker for fresh guacamole, I enjoyed the Southwest one. Chipotle sauce/​spread was mild.
All burgers come with a side of fries, which look a lot like your standard McD’s or I-​n-​O type but much less salty. Taste-​wise, ehh, they’re fries; again, above average. Anything you substitute e.g. onion rings, salad, sweet potato fries or slaw, instead of fries, costs extra. Beer-​battered onion rings were very good.
There are chicken and pork burgers, plenty of appetisers, as well as vegetarian options. Never under-​estimate the appeal of having a brew with your burger. Lots of stuff on tap: Guinness, Trumer Pils, Stella and a dozen more.
Workshop’s atmosphere is sports bar, with a couple of TVs on. Spanish adult contemporary muzak was also being piped overhead. Think Chevy’s, but much less pop/​hot100-​y.
Beers and burgers… it’s the trend these days. Food, service, everything was okay. Nothing in particular stood out though.

wanted to find new places with good burgers. saw this on the front page of Unilocal as one of the newly opened restaurants, so i decided to venture out. already saw that the reviews were not so great, but i always like to be the judge to my own foods.
came in around dinner time, and it was DEAD. probably just one other table within the restaurant. pretty bad sign to me. ordered the workshop burger. a burger that represents the name of the restaurant should portray some yumminess, right? ehh, i basically only had a good memory of the bun. yeah, the bun. the way the cheese was made… parmesan crisp… sounded interesting, but it was nothing along those lines.
for the price, i rather eat an in n out burger. wouldve been wayyyyy satisfied!

I wanted to try the original Workshop Burger Bar in PA but since the Mountain View location was closer, my friend Jess and I stopped by here. We ordered the cowboy burger and the mushroom swiss burger.
Things I enjoyed: $ 4 pint of Anchor Steam, large selection of burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs, and attentive service from the guy who was running the whole place with one other person at the time we walked in.
Things I shrugged my shoulders about: the guacamole was very average and tasted unseasoned. It also didn’t help that the chips served with it were also unsalted. The burger itself was decent although our server didn’t ask how we liked our burger cooked, I would’ve asked for med rare if I could. The burger isn’t super sized huge like Red Robin but it was a decent size for the money and quality of meat.
My experience really wasn’t impressed enough to make me want to come back. I wish that they had something like a burger and shake special or something.