A half-dozen burger-dedicated restaurants have sprung up of late (we have photographic proof), but this latest round of burger developments concern a high-end restaurant, a bar making burgers in a wood oven, and a heretofore proudly burger-less sports bar.

Essex's Sunday Night Burger
Admittedly, I already devoted hundreds and hundreds of words to Brandon Pettit's burger odyssey. But that was before I managed to get in there and actually order his master work—it's both technically impressive and legitimately tasty. The $15 burger is only available on Sunday nights; get in there early lest the bar sell out.

Quality Athletics' Monday Night Burger
Josh Henderson's stylish new Pioneer Square sports bar does not serve burgers. That's by design. Henderson wants to push the boundaries of what constitutes game-watching food, and yet the general public's love of patties and buns is an irresistable force. Hence a burger makes a weekly appearance on Monday night. It's an $8 composition of brisket, short rib, and tri-tip, sharp white cheddar, and something called New Hampshire sauce—a tamarind mayo conceived by a cook who hails from the granite state. Quality Athletics smokes its own bacon and bakes its own buns. If you know what I mean.

Lark's Soon-to-Exist Burger
The big move to the Central Agency Building is happening mid-November. With the new digs comes a first for chef John Sundstrom—he's putting a burger on the menu. Its resume includes St. Helena beef, onion jam, and aged cheddar. Lark's latest email dispatch also promised a 12-hour brisket sandwich (with pickled chilies and smoked mayo) at his forthcoming sandwich shop, Slab.