2 days ago
This Summer's High-Low Food Moment Is Thomas Keller's Cheffy Burger Pop-Up
This summer, chef Thomas Keller, the culinary force behind three-Michelin-starred the French Laundry and Per Se, launched Burgers & Half Bottles in Yountville, a limited-run pop-up serving wagyu burgers and other favorites from Wednesday to Sunday until Halloween. The new pop-up is located in the former La Calenda space, Keller's high-end Mexican restaurant beloved by locals. Since its Saturday, August 2 debut, the pop-up has been mobbed — with lines curling down the block becoming the norm. Part of the buzz is the sticker shock, in a good way. Keller, a chef with Napa Valley's first three-Michelin-starred restaurant and a French Legion of Honor medal, is famous for bucket list, multi-course dinners — not $14 burgers. The result? A high-low dining moment that has locals and tourists treating the burger run like a once-in-a-season event.
The wait
Since opening day, Burgers & Half Bottles turned Yountville's sidewalks into a waiting room. Lines start snaking down the street well before the doors open. Scoring a burger has become a timing game: arrive too early and you're standing in the sun, too late and items may be sold out. Once inside, guests order at the counter, drop their phone number, and grab a seat either in the dining room or the shaded front and back patios — a welcome perk during Napa's recent heat wave. Once your order is ready, you will receive a text message for counter pickup.
The vibe
Vincent Vitale
The buzz starts long before the first burger hits the grill. Locals and out-of-towners alike queue up, swapping tips and rumors about Keller's latest creation. The mood stays lively with music drifting from speakers inside and across both patios, where the scene feels more like a block party than a lunch line. Out front, a cherry-red 1965 Volkswagen 'Brew Bus' pours local beers — also run by the Burgers & Half Bottles team — including the cult-favorite Pliny the Elder. Half-bottles and glasses of wine are also available, allowing guests to enjoy a cold beverage while they wait for their order to be prepared.
The menu
Vincent Vitale
Vincent Vitale
The Burgers & Half Bottles menu keeps things blissfully straightforward, with all the greatest hits you'd want alongside a wagyu burger or a spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich — think golden crinkle-cut fries and thick, old-school milkshakes. In true Keller style, there's room for a touch of luxury, too, from a buttery lobster roll (with a caviar supplement) to a decadent ice cream sandwich built on a Bouchon Bakery cookie (another Keller property). Families aren't left out either, thanks to a kid's meal featuring a burger or grilled cheese with fries, plus combo deals that make it easy to scoop up every crowd-pleaser in one go.
The verdict
Make the pilgrimage to Burgers & Half Bottles, but aim for that sweet spot around 2 p.m. — late enough to skip the peak lunch crush, but early enough to beat the sell-out buzzer. Go straight for the spicy buttermilk fried chicken sandwich, a nod to Keller's cult-favorite fried chicken at Ad Hoc + Addendum. While you wait, sip on a cold Pliny the Elder from the vintage red Brew Bus, then finish strong with the most refined ice cream sandwich you'll ever eat — anchored by that crowd-pleasing cookie, of course.
Burgers and Half Bottles (6518 Washington Street, Yountville) is open noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, through Halloween. Sunday hours are subject to change.
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