New Burger Lounge opening in Hillcrest

[Josh]

Driving down University tonight, we spotted a new future Burger Lounge location, at the corner of University and Fourth. It's going in where the old Tred-Air UK shoe store was. I think it'll do well in this neighborhood. Now if only they'd add a patty melt to the menu...

[cstr]

Beach Chick would love it! me too!

[RB Hound]

A patty melt served by a waiter riding a very tall horse.

[stevewag23]

More burgers.

[SDGourmand]

anyone think burger lounge is expanding too fast in such a small area?

[stevewag23]

I does seem like you can get one of their burgers in almost every hood now. La Jolla, Kensington, Coronado, Little Italy, now Hillcrest.

[foodiechick]

I think they have done a good job so far of expanding their presence. They are going to make a killing if they open in N. County, especially coastal.

[beth1]

I'd love to see one move into N. County!

[Island]

I'd like to see them in N Co also. Can't say it's my favorite burger, but it's nice to have that option for quick fast food. I imagine the goal is to expand as far and wide as possible. Is the desire to be the In n Out of grass fed burgers??

[Josh]

Living in Hillcrest, I'm happy there'll be one in walking distance.

[jmtreg]

I'm not sure. There's enough of a variation between the neighborhoods that Burger Lounge will pull from different crowds. With the Hillcrest location, I will be equidistant from two Burger Lounges.

[Mr. Gunn]

I think they are, but then again I've never seen what's so special about the place to begin with. I know the use grass fed beef and all that, but pre-formed frozen patties taste like cardboard no matter what cow they're from. Still, it's better than McDonald's, I guess.

[edwinreal]

I think they are expanding very intelligently. They are not putting up locations in any areas where there is no foot traffic, each location is consistent in look and feel, and most importantly, the expansion enhances the brand and doesn't diminish from it.

[Beach Chick]

patty melt..never gets the props it deserves.
it's so beloved by all, but never given the spotlight that is so rightly deserves.

[Fake Name]

Nor the respect. I recently read where someone blasphemed the sacred Patty Melt by mocking it's very core. This person made one using- get this- a vegetarian core!

Might as well take the face off the Mona Lisa, silence The Scream, and remove the zipper from the Sticky Fingers album. Carve the Mother off the Pieta, and topple the Sphinx. Take the four-barrel off the Eleanor, and the four speed from a Shelby Cobra. Or take the Zildj from a Zildjian, the Remo from the tomtom.

[DiningDiva]

Wow... eloquently written

[Fake Name]

I'm very passionate about the Patty Melt!

Not so coo-coo for coco puffs, though.

[cstr]

Truely poetic FN!

[Beach Chick]

LOVE THAT...
OMG..that is a frigging riot Fakey..this is by far the best post ever!
Remove the zipper from the Sticky Fingers album..carve the mother off the Pieta.
I believe that the founders of the beloved patty melt club has met it's Chairman of the Board!

May I introduce you to the man, the legend, Mr. Patty Melt himself, Fakey!

[stevewag23]

"Might as well take the face off the Mona Lisa"

The place in Little Italy?

[Island]

Fake, the zipper? Hysterical in it's WTF unexpectedness. Classic album now forever linked with the classic patty melt . Mick and the boys can retire now.

[cookieshoes]

Not a fan of Burger Lounge. Have never enjoyed the burger there. Just can't seem to find the flavor in the meat they use, and I don't dig the bun. I feel the same way about O'Brother's at Horton. Going organic or grassfed is a great idea. But, I just don't find that it translates at either of those places. Burger Lounge is expanding way too much, I think.

Smoking Goat (current best in SD for me right now), Kensington Grill, The Vine in OB....if I'm gonna go premium, I'd much rather get a burger at one of those spots.

[juantanamera]

Tried Burger Lounge multiple times at two locations, and it's just not that good. I can get a much larger and far tastier burger with fries at Alchemy or Neighborhood for about the same price. BL is serving a fast food burger, grass fed beef or not, for a price very similar to what some full service restaurants are serving full size burgers for. I can't see myself on that bandwagon.

[honkman]

We recently also had a burger at the Burger Lounge for the first time. We liked the patty and its nice grass-fed beef flavor but everything else was quite disappointing. The bun was too soft and didn't taste good, the grilled onion were cold and hardly grilled and the 1000-island sauce wasn't great. Overall not worth the money. You can get better burgers at Alchemy, Starlite or the Linkery.

[Josh]

I just had the burger at Alchemy last night and I agree it's a better burger for sure. I'd put Alchemy, Toronado, Small Bar, and Linkery all above Burger Lounge for their grass-fed burgers. That said, if I just want to grab a quick burger I enjoy Burger Lounge for what it is.

-----
Linkery
3794 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104

[Fake Name]

"That said, if I just want to grab a quick burger I enjoy Burger Lounge for what it is."

Word, my peeps. (I'm so street)

I agree with Josh that, of the places on his list I've had the burger, they are a bit better. But when I want to grab a quick bite with our son, or just don't have the time/$/bandwidth for a sit-down, BL is a great option. And many locations means more convenient.

[honkman]

I don't want to start another discussion about grass-fed vs commodity beef and their different costs etc. but I think that for a quick bite I prefer In'n'Out over BL. Both are not great burgers but for $8 I was expecting more from BL.

[cstr]

I think the frozen patty is quite lame, this is a local chain, they should be able to provide fresh beef to their stores daily.

[Josh]

How do you know it is frozen?

[bizzwriter]

According to the BL website, their beef is "never frozen."

http://burgerlounge.com/menu

[Ewilensky]

Newer Burger Lounge now apparently opening downtown between Blarney Stone and The Field...

[Ewilensky]

Above info courtesy of Troy "I'm going to fill your mailbox with lowgrade beef if you don't credit me" Johnson at Riviera Magazine. Sorry buddy.

[littlestevie]

Is BL a single ownership group or are they a franchise operation? It just seems that they are going to have locations that canniblize off each other. Gee Ken vs. Hillcrest vs. LI vs downtown. I wonder if they have ever heard of 4S Ranch and Rancho Bernardo or Carlsbad,Encinitas or Solana Beach

[Fake Name]

" I wonder if they have ever heard of 4S Ranch and Rancho Bernardo or Carlsbad,Encinitas or Solana Beach"

I don't know if they have expansion plans for southern LA/Inland Empire. ; )

[Ewilensky]

littlestevie, I'm under the impression that it's a single ownership group but I could be wrong. I think Hillcrest, LI and D-town are far enough from one another so not to cannibilize.

[Alice Q]

I like the idea of this place, but I find their service to range from wretched to barely passable. Also, the burgers are inconsistent between shops and their salads are horribly overdressed and limp. Anybody else have the same experience, or have they fixed the problems? I have to admit I haven't been in a while because I got tired of dealing with it.

[Josh]

Interesting. I haven't had a limp salad there, but service is fastfood-esque.

[zare_k]

I got very friendly service from the Kensington branch, but I've only been there one time.

[Granite]

I like Burger Lounge alright, although I find the actual burgers underwhelming for the price. Their chicken on a sticks are really good and remind me of my Nana's perfectly breaded and fried chicken cutlets, and I do appreciate a tasty turkey burger. But really, how many Burger Lounges do we need in a 7 mile radius? Another is opening downtown... I guess it's alright to have a 'neighborhood' burger lounge so people don't have to drive... but something about 'em being in ALL of SD's 'hoods irritates me.

[Josh]

Maybe their goal is to make grass-fed burgers as locally ubiquitous as feedlot beef? I see nothing wrong with such a goal.

[Island]

Granite. OT, but did you have to rub it in about Nana's chicken cutlet? I miss my own Nonnie's perfection on a plate ane was just thinking of posting on the general board for suggestions!