Best Burgers and Fresh Fries in San Diego?

I am looking for only freshly made french fries not frozen and the best burgers in town. I liked Hodad's burgers but the fries were not fresh. In and Out's fries have improved but still not great. I make great fries at home but sometimes like to go somewhere and get a great burger and fries. I have had Nessie's Burgers up in Fallbrook and the burger was pretty good but the fries kinda poor.

The Potato Shack was not bad I may give it another try.

Where to go?

[chicagofoodgal]

IN-AND-OUT BURGER!

[Foodinmyface]

Johnny Rottens serves a huge delicious burger in the GasLamp!!

[mliew]

I ate at Johnny Rottens a couple months ago and was not overly impressed. I ordered the bacon cheese burger and it was dry and tasteless. As far as I recall the cheese tasted like processed american cheese, the bacon was more like bacon bits rather than strips of bacon and theres no sauce at all on the burger. The meat had no flavor either. Might be good for the gaslamp but I've definitely had much better burgers elsewhere.

[cstr]

The last line in your post tell it all, good for the GL.

[Disney2008]

Best burger is at Burger Lounge. The fries are fresh and they make their own veggie burgers. And if you're not too full,try the hostess cupcake look a like - it was soo good.

[LisaSD]

I keep getting recs for other burgers but Rocky's still reigns supreme with me. I meet the nicest people there, too. It is fun striking up a conversation with other people who are loyal patrons and I think the burgers are worth the wait. I also like the burgers at Johnny B's in La Mesa.

[CarsonPorkbelly]

O.K. people this burger is not for babies nor is the $ but the "Drugstore Hamburger" at The Grill in the Lodge at Torrey pines is not to be overlooked! Has anyone else had this burger? It's a big, greasy, belly full of burger deliciousness!

[ibstatguy]

there have been posts on it in related threads but its worth mentioning again

[foodiechick]

Had a very good burger today at Neighborhood downtown, but I have to say, as of Wednesday night my new fav burger and fries are at Kensington grill. Amazing execution of both items. Available at dinner and Sunday brunch.

[Fake Name]

I had the burger at Farm House Cafe a couple months ago, and it's stuck in my head. Granted, it's not an "earthy" place like Rocky's (never understood the charm) but it's a great meal. Ain't cheap.

fn

[mliew]

Anyone have any suggestions for a great burger place near La Jolla/UTC or near Clairemont Mesa? Rockys is fairly nearby and I've heard great things about it, but I also heard that its basically a small dive bar where it can be difficult to find a table and that it sometimes takes 1/2 an hour to get your burger. Plus since its in PB I can imaging parking isn't the greatest either. Would like to find a good place that is a little more accessible.

[Josh]

If Boomerang's is still open, you might want to give them a shot.

Down in La Jolla Shores, Jeff's Burgers is really good, but I think they're lunch only.

I'm not a big fan of Rocky's. I've yet to see what the fuss is about.

Cafe Nine-Ten in La Jolla makes the best in San Diego, IMO.

[mliew]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've read mixed reviews about Boomerangs on here so it hasn't been high on my "places to try" list but maybe I'll check it out next time I'm in the area. I've been to Jeff's burgers a few times and they do a pretty good burger, however I usually only go out to eat on the weekend and finding parking near La Jolla Shores on the weekend isn't exactly an easy thing to find. 910 is a little too formal for me when it comes to burgers.

[Josh]

Yeah, I've only been to Boomerang's once. It was OK, nothing special. Jeff's Burgers was definitely better. Nine-Ten's burger is really, really good though. If you go at lunch, it's not so formal.

[foodiechick]

At dinner in the La Jolla area we like the burger at Barbarella in the shores. Great sidewalk seating in the summer. Nice char on the exterior of the burger, thick grill-carmelized red onion. Maybe not the greatest in SD, but good in the area and beachy-casual surroundings.

[beach munch]

My favorite is Bare Back, but their price reflects their pride in their burgers. If I'm low on cash-flow, my next pick would probably be Rocky's. I'm not a fan of Hodad's. I live in OB and would prefer to take 1/2 an hour of a scene located in PB (Rocky's) to the head over a burger at Hodad's 3 times out of 4.

[Josh]

Couple of great new places for burgers. Hamilton's Cafe, attached to the tavern, and Ritual Tavern, on 30th, and Urban Solace, also on 30th. All these places do really good ones, and they use high-quality Brandt beef.

[Alice Q]

Add to this the Farmhouse Cafe in University Heights - very good burger with Meyer Ranch Beef

[Josh]

Just went to the Neighborhood tonight. That is one damn fine burger. I'm putting it at number 2, right behind Nine-Ten.

[Fake Name]

Not picking on you Josh- normally I agree with your assessments and clearly refined palate. But either you were there on a GREAT day or I was there on a BAD day- maybe it was both. But I was completely unimpressed.

[Josh]

Yeah, I read your other comment; I don't think you're picking on me. I was very, very happy with the burger I had there. I thought it was easily one of the best I've had in San Diego. I live really close to Hamilton's though, so normally if I want a burger I just go there. I don't like going downtown, so I doubt I'll be at Neighborhood all that frequently. It sounds like there could be a pretty serious consistency issue.

However, I only went at the prompting of a friend of mine who lives downtown and is a big fan of the place.

Were you there recently? When they first opened? I know they've been open for kind of a while, but I only went for the first time yesterday.

I didn't dig the atmosphere too much. I liked the beer selection but the vibe was a little too Gaslamp for me.

[Fake Name]

I went there for lunch about 6 weeks ago. They just seemed sorta surly- maybe I'm sniff...just...too...sensitive.Sniff.

But it reminded me of Modus. Grr.

fn

[Beach Chick]

I like Rocky's in Crown Point and Longhorn in Mission Valley area..
Hodad's is always good along with Saskas..

[skugirl]

I agree that Rocky's is quite yummy and Lucky Bucks and Western Steak Burger are also very good. But I LOVE the Char Cheddar Burger at Lefty's in North Park. It's a Chicago pizza place, but man do they do a good burger. Their fries are excellent too. You should eat it all there though as the fries aren't as yummy off the premises.

[jessicah]

Western Steakburger. Oh man, the 1/2 pastrami burger is the best. A lot better than Tioli's.

[stangoldsmith]

I think Western Steakburger is much better than Tioli's too. And many other burger joints, it is in my top 5 burgers in SD. They also have the Greek burger with gyro slices!

Plus they don't put those weird parmesan sprinkles on their fries and they have a giant cardboard figure of John Wayne. What more could you ask for.

[lmmsdca]

Tioli's Crazy Burger in North Park is yummy. I had the one with mushrooms and it was tasty, juicy and inexpensive. Fries are okay.

[Erin Glass]

No one has mentioned Lucky Buck's in Hillcrest. Best waffle-cut fries in SD that I've tried. Here's my review if you're interested...

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.c...

[buzznutter]

Up in the North County, Chief's in Solana Beach is very good. For a quick burger fix at home, we like Bubba Burgers (yeah, they are frozen) which you can buy at any grocery store. Get a great bun and you can pile everything on them. Once you try them, you might never bbq a burger at home again.

[Alice Q]

I like Chief's too - we always go there before shows at the Belly Up.

[callmetomforshort]

the best burger hands down is a little bar tucked into the vons shopping center where mission gorge and friars meet, across the street from SD Brewing CO called the Longhorn. Same setup as rockys. I have eaten there for years

[whatwedig]

Longhorn's is great. We definitely like it a lot and frequented it more often when we lived near by. They also have more options than Rocky's Cheese Burger and Fries. However, I think Rocky's is definitely a better burger.

[oerdin]

Long Horn is pretty good but they use previously frozen meat and then cook it on a 1950's still electrically heated metal topped stove. It gets the job done but it leaves something to be desired, IMHO.

[ibstatguy]

some suggestions:
Waterfront - Texas burger with cheese; hate the fries though (pretty good patty melt as well)
Bar Burger at Dobson's with bacon and cheese; good fries
Hamburger Factory in Poway - haven't been in years but it used to be pretty darn good

[whatwedig]

We concur with comments re Rocky's and we are going to Hodad's to do a proper comparison. The burger we recently had that is awesome is the Drugstore Hamburger at the Grill at Torrey Pines Lodge. This is the Lodge's casual restaurant right off the golf course. The burger is a bit pricey ($16), but we think it is worth the occassional splurge. And the fries are fresh, skinny, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside perfection. You can read about this burger (and see a picture) here: http://gourmetclub.signonsandiego.com/video-hamburger.html and http://whatwedig.com/?p=17.

Gil
www.WhatWeDig.com

[SeanT]

make sure to get bacon on the hodads burger. That is what makes hodads great. they do a bacon cheese burger like none you have eaten before.

[whatwedig]

We've heard that and intend to do it that way. Looking forward to it!

[Josh]

I just had a great burger at Crest Cafe. Medium rare, good quality bun. Excellent.

[chitowngirl]

They are not fries, but the homemade potato chips at Chicago on a Bun are addicting. A whole order can feed 2-3 people. They are the best I've ever had.

[Kuisine]

For a non-traditional burger, I was fairly impressed with a buffalo burger obtained at the Indigo Grill on India St. in San Diego. In fact, it's stuck with me for quite awhile, since I was there about 2 years ago and still remember that burger :)

[stangoldsmith]

i just had the worst burger i've had in a long long time at the parkhouse eatery in university heights on park

and they demanded that i pay them $12 for it

and no, i wasn't joking about the hospital burgers... they are a million times better than what i got today

-stan

[Joseph]

Ouch. I have some friends who like Parkhouse, though I haven't been. What was so bad about that burger?

[stangoldsmith]

well in my own loserly opinion the meat tasted like nothing, like hand formed hamburger from vons with not even salt or pepper, plus the buns were like 3 inch slabs of bland focaccia

here's my 'review': http://www.sandiegofoodblog.com/burge...

-stan

[Joseph]

Thanks for the link.
Do you have RSS? I like to use a reader to catch up on food blogs, and I never know when you update.

[normalheightsfoodie]

Harsh review of PArk House, I have never been overly impressed either.

I think you might want to check the syntax in your article, I know what you are trying to say, but I think it can be better worded.

There wasn't no wild or wicked in anything that I experienced here. Nothing even close to mind-numbing dullness, like watching ice melt.

[stangoldsmith]

Hey thanks for the read and for the suggestions. I'm looking forward to that butter burger (which I have never had).

I'm not sure how to work RSS actually. I do have a myspace page and if you have myspace and sign up for the blog you will get updates as I post my postings.

http://www.myspace.com/sandiegofoodblog

Thanks again. Believe me I'm trying to find places for good reviews, I'm not just a masochist. We are trying the new restaurant at 4 Seasons golf called Argyle, have heard good things.

[normalheightsfoodie]

Have you tried the Bully Burger at Bully's. It is a great bar with good food.

[Joseph]

I hope you will mention the review here when it is done. I haven't heard much about Argyle yet.

[stangoldsmith]

Hey Joseph, my review of Argyle is now up....

http://www.sandiegofoodblog.com/ameri...

The best steak I've ever had

[Joseph]

Thanks

[naven]

Sorry to join this thread so late, but I love love love the burgers at the Vine in Ocean Beach. Simple enough - Sirloin inside a Cibatta roll - but the sauce they use is divine.

[Spike Costa]

Pamplemousse's Kobe Burger is very, very good. Fries are excellent but I'm not sure they need the truffles. Worth $20? Maybe for a splurge lunch.

[azsparky]

Don't know if there's a FOXsports Grill down there in SD, but there's one in Irvine at the Spectrum Mall. The burgers are GREAT, fries are pretty good as well. I have a preference for grilled burgers over fried though. Highly recommend the burgers!

[SanDiego]

One is set to open in the new Hilton downtown at the bayfront

[foodiechick]

the explosion about a week ago has put that opening on hold for awhile as the conduct an investigation.

[stangoldsmith]

hey, I'm not joking, the Hillcrest UCSD Hospital has good burgers, maybe not the hands-down best, but surprisingly good nonetheless

a full review is on my site:

http://www.sandiegofoodblog.com/burge...

- Stan

[willinsd]

I agree Stan, those burgers aren't bad at all. My wife works at the hospital and I've had many meals there. They also serve giant pizza slices that aren't bad either... certainly better than anything served on Washington Street!!!

[Josh]

Hospital pizza better than Bronx? I would doubt that.

[Joseph]

You are joking, right? Right?
It is true that the burgers are better than the straight-from-Sysco food on the steam tables, but seriously folks... I regret eating them even when I get them for free, courtesy of the med school.
And the pizza has pretty lousy crust.
If you are ever find yourself visiting a patient, please remember to bring in some better food for them to eat. I always encourage my patients' families to bring them outside food.

[KirkK]

I guess they are talking about the "Bistro Burger" and other "special" burgers...not the prewrapped stuff which is really bad. It is a preformed burger, and can be tough as heck. It is also pretty greasy, mostly from the Sysco liquid "butter" that is used to cook the burgers, and on the Bistro Burger the pseudo Thousand Island Dressing always harkens back to the secret sauce comment on Fast Times at Ridgemont High. The pizza is borderline terrible, the crust is doughy, and you can actually see a sheen of grease forming on the top of the pizza if you get a late lunch. I've been eating this stuff for over 6 years....believe me, I never crave it!

[KirkK]

BTW, last check, UCSDMC raised the price on the Bistro Burger to something like $4.99......ouch!

[Joseph]

Do you work at UCSD MC, Kirk? I'm a medical student there. I just had one of the "cheap" ($3.50) burgers when I was on call last night; no other options at the time. The nice guy at the grill actually "cooked" (heated up") on fresh for me, so it was better than usual. What I wouldn't give for some delivery from Super Cocina... I've asked.

[Jim Strain]

No one has mentioned the best burger I've had recently: The Butter Burger at the Crest Cafe in Hillcrest. The menu describes it as, "Half pound of fresh lean ground beef, stuffed with a compound butter of garlic, tarragon, basil and parsley, then broiled and topped with a little more butter, then melted cheddar on top of that, and on top of that a garlic mayo made with a dash of paprika, cayenne and cumin." It costs $9+, and it's a veritable heart attack on a plate, but you *will* die with a smile on your face. The burger took all of my attention. I don't even remember if I *had* fries or not.
. . . jim strain in san diego.

[Josh]

You have to wonder at that point why they'd even bother using lean ground beef. Might as well use ground chuck.

[soulshine]

I've never tried the butter burger myself (because I'm stuck on their east texas fried chicken) but my siblings both swear by it. The scariest part is that my brother actually adds additional fat to it by ordering it with avocado and then getting a side of ranch and tabasco to dip it. Now that is a heart attack burger!

Has anyone here ever had a burger from Charley's on Broadway in Lemon Grove? We used to eat there when I was a kid because we lived nearby, but I haven't been in ages. I just remember thier bacon cheeseburger was the family favorite.

[Sandy Eggo]

Charleys after all these years is still serving up great cheeseburgers. When I'm around Spring Valley or Lemon Grove, I go grab a table and have a Charlies double with a shake.

[mimosa]

We went there last week for the first time. It's not Rocky's mind you, but it's a lot closer to home and they put out a fairly decent burger.

[willinsd]

Oh man... I am on my way now. Haven't been to the Crest in years. But, not to go now would be a crime against humanity. Jim, if you're on the Crest's payroll, you've earned your money. If not, you ought to be. Thanks!

[EddieB]

I finally made my first visit to Crest today for the Butter Burger after having work get in the way twice earlier this week. The Butter Burger is fantastic. The Spicy Chicken skewer appetizer was tasty too, but the Butter Burger alone will bring me back regularly. I enjoyed the burger so much that I ate a second one. I am definitely stuffed and sleepy, but I am already penciling in my second visit to Crest next week.

I love Rocky’s, the Hungry Stick (years ago) and have had good and not so good burgers at Hodad’s, but Crest’s Butter Burger is uniquely excellent.

Thanks for the tip.

[Fake Name]

New burger/chow alert- the sliders at Bondi- probably the best I've had.

fn

[ac3197]

Gotta agree with willinsd....Hodad's is the best burger in town. Eclectic atmosphere, great service, and Sierra Nevada!And make sure you squirt some sriracha in with your fries.

[Alice Q]

I had lunch at Jayne's Gastropub in Normal Heights the other day (right next to Air Conditioned at 30th and Adams) and they had really good fresh fries. They also had a burger on the menu - which I didn't try - but what I had was very good. They are currently only open for lunch, but plan to open for dinner in February.

[willinsd]

I've heard good things about Jayne's. How much of it is true? What kind of menu? Thanks!

[Alice Q]

I don't know what you've heard, so it's kind of hard to say! The menu is pretty simple. - burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc. Their fries are very good and the have a fantastic butterscotch creme brulee.

Last time I was in, they said they are opening for dinner in February. Their website is www.jaynesgastropub.com

[willinsd]

Thanks Miss Q!

[mimilulu]

My husband was at Jaynes for lunch yesterday... told him they will be opening for dinner on Valentine's Day. I've had their burger and it's great!

[El Chevere]

The Palm (downtown) does a great 1/2 lb. chopped sirloin burger with fries for around $10 for lunch Monday-Friday.

[Josh]

Surprised nobody has mentioned 910 in La Jolla. Their burger/fries are great. George's at the Cove makes some great burgers and fries as well. Fresh fries and high-quality beef and toppings.

[stangoldsmith]

I agree with you on Nessy fries, after eating a great burger, nothing worse than having some junky frozen fries

Rocky's does have good fries and fantastic burgers, I highly suggest going during an off-hour so you get a table, it's pretty small

The Australian Pub in PB is hit or miss but I've had some good burger/fry/wings there and the memory keeps me going back to try again...(they have an Aussie burger with beets, a fried egg, and all kinds of fun things on it)

I've had a pretty damn good burger at the Four Seasons Carlsbad too, but it's pretty pricey (something like 12-17 bucks) but delicious. Just sit in the Lobby Lounge Bar.

Eat on!
-Stan
http://www.sandiegofoodblog.com
San Diego Food Blog

[stevuchan]

Get yourself to Rocky's (Fries are of the frozen variaty). Liar's club does a good burger as well, hand cut I believe, also best jukebox and beers in town. If you wan't upscale Jack's and 9-10 in La Jolla does good burgers, Fresh does Kobe silders that are fantastic.

Cheers

[normalheightsfoodie]

THE BULLY BURGER. It is a great burger served on a French Roll with a choice of soup or salad and choice of potatoe.

It is under $10 and you can have a beer.

[Ed Dibble]

I'm no expert on the SD burger scene, but Liar's club also has very good, real fresh potato fries. Also sweet potato fries (which I have not tried).

ed

[Lobstah]

There is also a Mr. Peabodys in Carlsbad that has great fries, it may be owned by the same people on Friars road. They serve good general pub food. the problem with In and Outs fries are that they are great but the half life is 5 minutes..then they turn into mush.

[Freddie Freelance]

A trick with In-n-Out's fries is to order'em Well Done. They're much less wimpy, and don't sog out before you're done with your Double-Double.

Can't believe nobody has mentioned Hodad's in Ocean Beach yet!

I've been to Rocky's, I've been to the place in Solana Beach, and Hodad's has the greatest burgers in San Diego. As far as fries? I don't really have an opinion - no matter where I go I don't eat many of them. When you have a great, big burger the fries are an afterthought. But Hodad's, if I remember correctly, has small-size wedges with peels on.

[willinsd]

My God... all of these posts and only one mention of - not just San Diego's - but the world's best burger. You will most certainly find it at Hodad's in O.B. I've been to most of the places mentioned - far too many times according to my bathroom scale - but the rest of these places are merely pretenders to the crown. The Hodad's Bacon and Cheese is the very pinnacle of all things burger. Tall, thick, sinfully dripping and succulently delicious, nothing else comes close. Hodad's serves'em wrapped on one side: keep it that way otherwise all of that perfection comes spilling out all over the basket and you want to get every drop. I knew a vegan who went back to meat after tasting one... I'm not kidding! Great atmosphere too in bohemian Ocean Beach where you'll be dining with everyone from judges to local street urchins. The crew is like family and they treat everyone like they're family too. The fries they could do better... but who cares?

Danny's Palm Cafe in Coronado also serves a terrific burger called a Slamburger. It's very good and Danny's certainly has its fans, but it's no Hodad's.

Hodad's also has great giant shakes and beer... and yes, I've had them simultaneously. Surprisingly not bad... after you've had a few.

[Sandy Eggo]

As long as you don't "get the shakes" after the beer.

[willinsd]

w-w-w-w-what did you say?

Hands down the best burgers and fries in San Diego is located in Pacific Beach. The place is called Rocky's Crown Pub at 3786 Ingraham St. They have the freshest juciest burgers I've ever had. The fries are good but you gotta go for the burger. It has a pub atmosphere and fun beach crowd. Great hamburger side fixins as well.

[SRosie]

Rockys is great burgers, but recently - I went to Western Steak Burger on University Ave in North Park, and I think Rocky's might have some good compition.
as for Hodads mentioned below - it's unpredictable and more expensive, I'd rather go over the creek to Rockys Anytime.

[Sandy Eggo]

I like Hodad's burgers.. but I went recently and something was missing. There was a long line out the door, must have been holiday tourists. One of the things they do is use fresh ingredients, and generous amounts on the burgers. But this time there was no lettuce.. They were "out"... so unpredictable is right.

[SRosie]

I do have to say they have excellent milkshakes

[Josh]

I finally made it to Rocky's today, after reading about it innumerable times here on CH. I would have to disagree that it's San Diego's best, but it is very good. I do think it beats Hodad's, for a few reasons:

1, it's not dominated by the toppings. The giant lettuce, tomato, and onion on Hodad's burgers make them nearly impossible to eat normally.

2, the burger comes out very juicy. Hodad's burgers can be a little dry.

3, because there isn't a ridiculous amount of garnish and sauce, there's more meat flavor.

4, the charred crust on the meat adds a nice flavor and contrast to the juicy middle.

All in all, Rocky's does make an excellent burger. That said, I still think the absolute best burger I've had in San Diego is from Cafe 910 in La Jolla.

My list of best San Diego burgers would be:

1. Cafe 910
2. George's at the Cove
3. Sammy's
4. Rocky's
5. Phil's BBQ
6. Liars' Club
7. The Linkery
8. Crest Cafe
9. Hodad's

Sammy's might surprise some, but their Kobe beef sliders are incredible. Juicy and dressed with a spicy chipotle aioli (which I'd guess they stole from Liars' Club). I'm betting they're the same as what's served at Fresh considering that Fresh used to be owned by Ladeki.

Phil's BBQ makes a great burger that most people I know haven't eaten because they get other items. They grind their own chuck, cook it medium rare, and top it with an onion ring.

Chief's Burgers and Brew on Lomas Santa Fe, in the strip mall behind the train station has excellent burgers and fries. Nice people too.

Mr Buddha - You're going to laugh at this....

Our favorite fries are from a place called Mr Peabody's on Friars Rd. The corner of Friars and Via Las Cumbres. Their Burgers are not too bad either...at least now ther're better, used to put them on one of those King's Hawaiian Buns...me being from Hii and all I found a burger on a sweet roll kind of disgusting! I did notice that the fries on my last visit was not as good - I'm hoping it was just a glitch. Peabody's is sort of the neighborhood hang-out for USD students and such. All draught beers....

Our favorite burger is Fatburger - King Fatburger on "the char" no mayo, no relish......with mustard.

Went to Shakespeare Pub again which is right near Saffron on the corner. Had a ver good burger and the fries were pretty good, a little crisper than the last time. They make fresh fries cut about 1/2 inch thick and the burger had some micro greens. Burger was only 4.25 and 2 bucks extra for the fries. Good deal.

Sorry to Buddha Jeff, but this is actually a suggestion about a previous post - you were looking for good tacos in South County. There was a small authentic eatery next to the laundromat in the Chula Vista Target parking lot (the one near the Walmart off of 54) that had terrific asada and carnitas. Don't know if it is still there, but it was pretty busy a while back. Good luck and let us know if you have found any good tacos in the South county.

Tacos El Gordo has good tacos. Also I found a new mexican seafood place that serves very good fish tacos, ceviche, etc. It is on Bonita Road as you are going East on the right hand side just before the McDonald's in the little shopping area next to a pool place, chiropractor, etc.

[Cathy]

Its still there.

[callmetomforshort]

I was ther for lunch last week, and unfortunatley the service was so bad at Peabodies that I will not return.

I like the burger and fries at the diner on the runway at Palomar Airport. I don't know if the fries are fresh or frozen but they sure taste good.

Mussels and french fries are good at Royale Brasserie downtown. Definitely fresh fries, but no burgers.

If you're in the San Fernando Valley, try Le Petit Bistro for my all time favorite fries, also no burgers but if you like lambchops or merguez, you'll be quite happy.