We’re celebrating National Hamburger Day on Tuesday, May 28 by rounding up some of the best burgers in San Diego! While many will swear by Rocky’s burger as the best in San Diego, look beyond their soggy buns and surly bartenders to experience some of the most delicious burgers in town.
Back when it was the Tin Can, I fell in love with their burger. I waited in trepidation when it was rebranded The Balboa Bar and Grill, and luckily their burger is still one of the best in the city. While the patty is top notch, the buns set apart the Balboa burger – the freshly baked bolillo rolls stand up well to the heartiness of the hamburger patty.
BANKERS HILL BAR + Restaurant prepares a delicious BH Burger, an upgraded version of the classic. The half-pound patty is then topped with aged white cheddar cheese, fresh heirloom tomato, house-pickled red onion and served on a buttery brioche bun. The burger is served with BANKERS’ breathtaking parmesan topped truffle fries.
At Theatre Box, Sugar Factory American Brasserie’s signature Sugar Factory Rainbow Sliders are definitely the most Instagramable on the list! The iconic miniature burgers are served on colorful buns with American cheese, pickles, crispy onions and signature sauce and include a Sugar Factory duckie to take home.
Mezé Greek Fusion, which combines Greek cuisine with a distinctively Southern California vibe, puts a twist on cheeseburgers with its delicious Mezé Burger: ground beef and lamb mixed with feta cheese, garlic, onion and mint, topped with sautéed onions, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, fiery feta and garlic aioli.
The newest concept from Trust Restaurant Group, Fort Oak, offers burger lovers an elevated option to curb those cravings. Available on the brunch menu and in the bar, the Wood-Grilled Dry Aged Burger is made with aged cheddar, truffle onion jam, fried egg aioli, bread, and butter pickle, and comes with a side of fries.
There’s something for everyone at The Bier Garden of Encinitas. For National Burger Day, choose from their eclectic list of burger offerings including a Fig Burger, a Pork Belly Burger or the Salmon Burger made with a pistachio encrusted salmon patty, honey glaze, arugula, garlic aioli, tomato, fennel, and lime-ginger vinaigrette.
The Corner Drafthouse has nine burgers to choose from (all that pair well with a frosty pint) including the vegan-friendly Impossible Burger. Go for The Drafthouse topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, and secret sauce. Looking for something a little different? Bite into the savory yet sweet Fig Burger with herbed goat cheese, arugula, tomato, caramelized onions, and house-made fig spread.
A neighborhood classic, the burger at Trust in Hillcrest is available on their weekend brunch menu. Sink your teeth into the Wood Grilled Burger topped with asiago cheese, bacon-tomato jam, pickled onions, arugula, poppy seed bun and served with fries. Have faith in the experts? Order it the Trust Way with house cured-braised bacon and a sunny side egg.
One of the best ways to enjoy a delicious patty is with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. Pull up an oceanfront chair at JRDN in Pacific Beach and take a bite into their Tower Burger a 1/3 pound patty served with American cheese, aioli, lettuce, tomato, onions, brioche, and garlic fries. Go a little overboard and add on an extra patty, egg or avocado.
Head over to Hundred Proof in University Heights to try their jazzed up HP Burger served with English cheddar; HP spread, pickles, onions, iceberg lettuce, and fries. Pair it with a hand-crafted cocktail by Stephen Kurpinsky, and you’ll have everything you need.
7 Mile Kitchen, located inside the beautiful Sheraton/Westin property in Carlsbad, prides themselves on their dedication to the craft of elevating and expanding one’s perception of what a burger can be. Basque in the rustic hilltop setting overlooking seven miles of Carlsbad’s coastline while chowing down on their delicious O.G. Burger or try something new like the Presidential Pardon; a turkey burger made with brie, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and cranberry aioli, complete on multi-grain bread.
Relax and enjoy your burger with seascape views from inside the chic and stylish setting of what is 20|Twenty Grill, located at the recently unveiled Westin Carlsbad Resort & Spa. For lunch, try Executive Chef Julian Quinoñes’ creation of a ½ pound brisket and short rib patty in theSteakhouse Burger which comes with thick-cut Neuske bacon, grilled onion, aged white cheddar, tomato, onion, and romesco on a whole grain bun.
Pair French class with an American classic and head over to The Westgate Hotel for National Burger Day. Take a seat in the Plaza Bar where you can enjoy live Jazz music three nights a week and tasty bites off their happy hour menu prepared by Executive Chef Fabrice Hardel. Stop in for Happy Hour on Sunday through Thursday from 4 – 6 pm and snack on their Wagyu Sirloin Sliders served with your choice of blue cheese, aged cheddar or pepper jack.
Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens has never had a beef burger on the menu, until last week! Two burgers now grace the menus at Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido and Liberty Station. Both feature Certified Organic, 100% grass-fed, and dry-aged beef directly from a regenerative CA farm and Certified Humane USDA processing facility. What took so long? A company has arrived that is equally dedicated to Stone’s values of a more sustainable, ethical future for food. Stone Brewing is proud to be the first large-scale wholesale purchaser of Belcampo meats. Try the True Craft Burger – ½ lb organic beef patty, miso-maple bacon, rich homemade steak sauce, mustard aioli, caramelized Vidalia onions, and Hook’s cheddar on a seeded brioche-potato bun.
Normal Heights’ Rabbit Hole features the ‘Ground Chuck Norris’: a beef chuck patty, choice of cheese and smothered in house Louie dressing – all topped with a bacon-wrapped and smoked chicken-stuffed jalapeno. Guests have the option to add bacon, avocado, grilled onion, onion strings, fried egg, mushrooms, and/or seasonal peppers.
The Florence in North County is serving up fast-food favorites with an elevated twist, including the Double Double. Enjoy the reimagined classic this holiday with the Double Cheese Burger: American cheese, pickles, griddled onion, shredded lettuce, and secret sauce. Vegetarian? No problem. Impossible burger patties are available for an extra $5.
Exploring San Diego’s East Village this National Hamburger Day? Stop by JSix or head to the rooptop and enjoy views of Petco Park from Upper East Bar while biting into a juicy burger. The J6 Burger is a mix of top secret grind served with American cheese, L.T.O. and thousand island. The burger is served with the restaurant’s famed herbed fries as well as the specialty Kimpton Solamar Lager for just $18 – available all day.
What’s better than a burger and a beer? Snag a pint of suds with a special burger at 10 Barrel Brewing Co. on National Hamburger Day. Crafted specially for the holiday, the ‘Triple Double Burger’ features two chuck and Wagyu beef patties, four slices of Applewood smoked bacon, four slices of American cheese, house-made Russian dressing, and Sinister Ale onions – sandwiched between a jalapeño cheddar bun.
BBQ spot The Pioneer also happens to have a great burger. Enjoy the Double Cow- a brisket chuck burger topped with caramelized onions, perfectly melted cheddar cheese and special sauce.
At Barrel Republic in Pacific Beach, you have the freedom to pour from over 40 casks of craft beer to see which tastes best with your burger. Try the classic Barrel Burger, a 100% chuck grilled patty with black wax cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion, all served on a toasted brioche bun.
Mix it up with the Surf N’ Turf burger at barleymash in the Gaslamp District. It’s the burger that offers you the best of the land and the sea- a grilled beef patty topped with cream cheese, Anejo tequila and butter-poached Maine lobster meat, baby arugula, whiskey-caramelized onions, and white truffle aioli.
Union Kitchen & Tap Encinitas gives you a little bit of everything with the UNION Burger- Brandt beef all-natural half pound patty, tomato jam, cherrywood smoked bacon and aged New York white cheddar.
Get in on the secret at Bub’s in Pacific Beach. The Woody Burger has fresh in-house ground ½ pound burger with a secret burger blend, complete with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions and of course a side of tots.
Come hungry to the Whiskey House in the Gaslamp District, where the Whiskey House Burger will get the job done. The house ground angus chuck is topped with sharp cheddar, 100 island, drunken onions, bacon, lettuce and tomato, served with a side of hand cut fries or green salad.
Did I miss one of your favorites? Let me know in the comments!
