A Casual New Restaurant Starts Slinging Smash Burgers and Shakes Near Union Square

There’s a groovy new restaurant open near Union Square. As of August 30, PLS on Post has opened on the ground floor of the Hotel Zeppelin, taking over the former home of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio restaurant. PLS on Post aims to be a casual option for happy hour or dinner, open from 4 to 10 p.m. daily, with a menu built around classic Americana fare including burgers, milkshakes, and a list of highball cocktails.

The restaurant’s name PLS is short for “peace, love, and soul,” a nod to the restaurant’s '60s inspiration. It “pays homage to San Francisco’s 1960s counterculture tradition, offering a welcoming and laid-back vibe,” per a press release.

Chef Thomas Weibull of Dirty Habit helms the kitchen, which is putting out a tight menu of six smash burgers, three sides, and an impressive seven varieties of milkshakes. The burger options include standards like a classic smash topped with American cheese and onions, a blue cheese riff with Mission fig mayo, and a Korean-inspired version with sharp cheddar cheese and a gochujang barbecue glaze. Sides include fries, pickled vegetables, and chips and guac — but the real stars are the over-the-top milkshakes.

As for those shakes, customers will have the option to choose basic chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry, or to add some oomph with more decadent options such as the Funfetti studded with cake batter, and crowned with whipped cream. The Choco-Nut, meanwhile, starts with a chocolate-rimmed glass before adding peanut butter, hot fudge, and Reese Pieces candy. Beverages also include beer, wine, and cocktails. The bar stirs up a list of highballs that feature a range of spirit bases including mezcal, gin, tequila, and rum.

Carly Hackbarth

Carly Hackbarth

Carly Hackbarth

PLS on Post is now open at Hotel Zeppelin (545 Post Street, San Francisco) and serving dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. daily.