Hodad's

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Many San Diego restaurants are ready to satisfy this craving but where can you go get the best ones to sink your teeth into? Here is a listing of some of our favorites and locals' favorites.

Rocky's - (3786 Ingraham Street, Crown Point/Pacific Beach) - Not a pretty place by any means, but if you have a hankering for a burger, beer, and fries, then scoot yourself over to this no-frills neighborhood bar. One very important thing about Rocky's is that it is a cash bar, so don't even think about whipping out your credit cards. Back to the food, the menu is very simple: burgers with cheese or not. Fries come separately and arrive to your table in a plastic basket. Rocky's offers a great lunch special: a cheeseburger, fries, and a beer for less than $10. The special is available Monday-Friday from 11am-2pm only. Try a glass of the Rocky's Ale which is made for them by Budweiser - it is surprisingly good.

Rocky's Crown Pub

If you prefer beer by the pint or the pitcher ($10/$13), your selection ranges from Karl Strauss, Widmer Hefeweizen, Bud, and Sierra Nevada. Don't forget, CASH ONLY.

Hodad's - (5010 Newport Avenue, Ocean Beach) - Don't let the small space of the place fool you, lots of people can fit into this restaurant. Windows open onto the street so be sure to take a look at the hungry people chowing down on their favorite Hodad burger combination.

Hodad's is often listed in the Best of San Diego lists because their food is fresh, the portions are large, and the prices are fair. If you would rather not munch on your burger and fries listening to loud rock music, consider getting your Hodad to go and take it to the beach that is just a couple of blocks away. But, if you don't mind the music, take in the the sight of half of a VW bus acting as a cozy booth and admire all the license plates mounted on the walls from all around the country.

If you want to splurge, go ahead, get a burger, fries and a chocolate malt. If you don't want your britches to burst, consider ordering a mini size burger, share the fries, and yes, sharing the malt or shake. If you like bacon and cheese on your burger, ask for it in the mini-size. Psst, this is an off-the-menu item.

Hodad's plans to open a second location in downtown San Diego in 2010.

Crest Cafe

Crest Cafe - (425 Robinson, Hillcrest) - This neighborhood cafe has been serving creative burgers for as long as we can remember. Owner, Cecilia Moreno, is usually on hand to help greet and seat customers. She is a hands-on owner who makes sure that you get what you want. The burgers at Crest are delicious and are served with a variety of different combinations such as the Butter Burger and the Oui Oui Burger (bleu cheese, mon ami). Crest Cafe offers either salad, slaw, fries, or home-made potato chips on the side. Try the chips for something different. Oh, and if you or your dining partner are not in the mood for a burger, fear not, the sandwiches are terrific and yes, different!

Bully's East - (2401 Camino Del Rio South, Mission Valley)- If you are in the mood for an old-school burger, go east or west on the I-8 and pull off at the Texas Street exit and find your way to the parking lot of Bully's East. You will know it is old school when you walk in the door and your eyes need to adjust to the low light.

This place is actually most known for its prime rib but the Bully Burger has attracted its fair share of fans for generations. Unlike some of the newer places in San Diego that offer the a la carte burger, Bully's still offers a choice of two sides. The first thing you will notice about your burger is that is shaped like a football. Why? Because it needs to fit on a french roll. Don't be alarmed, burger purists, these burgers are really good.

The Waterfront (2044 Kettner Boulevard, Little Italy)- The Waterfront's legend is that it holds the oldest liquor license in San Diego. It is also one of the few places in town that has survived the fate of the wrecking ball. In fact, when you go to The Waterfront, you will notice that it is surrounded by a new building. The developer actually built around The Waterfront. Why? Because it is a very popular place that has been the watering hole for thousands of downtown workers, both white collar and blue collar.

Don't be fooled by the small patio area outside, The Waterfront can fill a lot of people inside. Most folks love to come either at lunch or at happy hour for their burgers and cheeseburgers. The burgers come in different sizes, are very good, and the prices are even better. The place really hops around the main feeding times of Noon and 5pm, so if you don't want to be crowded in, just come earlier or later.

Mr. Peabody's - This hole in the wall place in Mission Valley has been feeding hungry University of San Diego students for years. But did you know that Mr. Peabody's is also located in Carlsbad and Encinitas? Good food, cold beer, and daily specials continue to reel in hungry customers from all walks of life.

Mr. Peabody's burgers come a couple of ways - ½lb beef or ½lb turkey patties. If you order the turkey, you get avocado slices on the patty. If you order the beef patty, you don't. Go for the turkey. We are not quite sure what they do to season their burgers but they sure do a great job. But it is Mr. Peabody's fries that really stand out from the other burger joints. We cannot go to Mr. Peadbody's without ordering a basket of either fries or onion rings or both (frings). The basket is large and is perfect for people to share. Mr. Peabody's fries are some of the best in town so if you just want to have fries and beer, go here. The place gets pretty crazy during football game times so be prepared.

Locations: 6110 Friars Road, Mission Valley
300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad
136 Encinitas Blvd, Encinitas

Western Steakburger - (2730 University Avenue, North Park) - Owned by a Greek family, Western Steakburger offers you gyros with your chargrilled cheeseburger, cheesburger if you so desire. You can also get a bleu cheese burger, a pastrami burger, a Philly cheesesteak, a gyros sandwich, and of course, a bacon burger. Fries are extra. For a healthy treat, consider getting a Greek salad complete with big feta cheese chunks to go with your ½lb steakburger. A word about the gyros - it is sliced off the spit which is very important for gyros aficionados. No frozen pre-made skinny slabs of gyros here!

This is a no-alcohol place so don't think about having a cold one with your burger - the only cold things are nonalcoholic. Free street parking is readily found in the area. Be sure to order your food from the counter first and then go grab your table either outside or inside. Extra ketchup,mustard, and hot sauce bottles are available by the serve-yourself utensils and napkin section by the counter. CASH ONLY!

Nessy Burger - Nessy Burger is 50 miles north of downtown San Diego. ... read more about Nessy Burger.

High Dive Bar and Grill - ... read more about High Dive.

FAST FOOD BURGERS

Original Tommy's Burgers - (Clairemont Mesa & Ruffner, east of I-805) - Chili burgers, baby! There's only one Original Tommy's. As Tommy's says "If you don't see the shack, take it back." This is referring to the red shack image on the logo. The Original Tommy's Burger has been cookin' up burgers for over 60 years in Los Angeles. The original Tommy's still exists in Los Angeles. Tommy's is family-owned and operated with over 30 restaurants in Southern California and Las Vegas.

A couple of years ago, Tommy's quietly opened in Clairemont Mesa. Tommy's slathers their secret chili on the 100% beef patties and adds onto the pile with fresh onions, hand-sliced beef steak tomatoes, double cheese, and mustard. You can ask for extra tomatoes and chili --no charge. Note to chili lovers: Tommy's chili is thick which keeps it in place better. If you have it in you, Tommy's does offer a triple cheese or regular hamburger. Tommy's also serves chili dogs, tamales, and select breakfast items.

Tommy's-2008 menu

We keep using the term Original because Tommy's success over the decades has created a lot of knock-off burger places in Los Angeles. If you know and love Tommy's, you know that those other places are not the Original Tommy's.

In-N-Out Burger

In-N-Burger (Multiple Locations) - This Los Angeles/Orange County landmark has been heartily welcomed by San Diegans who no longer had to make the trek to Orange County to see what all the fuss was about. Every San Diego location has made it which is in sharp contrast to somer of the other fast food phenomena that did not.

There is usually a line snaking into the parking lot for the the drive-thru customers. If you want to have the full In'N'Out experience, go inside and see just how clean-cut the workers are and how clean the restaurant is. Look beyond the register and see if you can see the poor soul who has to cut each spud with a special device to make the fries. From the big lettuce leaves to the big tomato slices, you get what you pay for at this classic burger joint. It is fast food with restaurant quality.

The secret to In-N-Out's burgers is their special sauce and their fresh, never frozen ingredients. Don't be shy about sopping up every bit of the special sauce and burger drippings with your fries. If you want to really pig out, consider getting one of the double-double combinations which is two beef patties and two slices of cheese or one of the off-the-menu items, the 4x4, four patties and four slices cheese. Trust us, it is all good!