Yes, it's been almost seven years since my post on Rocky's burger, which along with Hodad's are probably the two iconic, old-school burgers, in San Diego. I'd still take Rocky's, because, well, Hodad's just ain't the same without the bacon.
It had been a while since I'd visited; but my good buddy Candice suggested grabbing a burger at Rocky's for lunch and I couldn't resist.
The lunch special ($10.50), 1/3 pound cheeseburger, a ton of "natural fries", and a drink is simple burger bliss. In fact, I think it was more juicy and much more satisfying than I recalled. Maybe I''ve become a bit cynical over the years. Grass-fed, knowing the name of the cow who laid its life down for the "burger with a mission" is nice and all that; but I find much of it is just hope and hype, many times "stuff" is piled on for marketing sake, and in the end, the burger ends up being not even close to what Rocky's serves. Give those places seven or eight years. Chances are, they won't age as well as Rocky's.
A good "pub burger" is harmonic simplicity to me, burger, cheese (depending on how I feel that day), lettuce, tomato, onion, with your choice of condiments; usually as simple as red (ketchup) or yellow (mustard) provided on the side.
Maybe it's my blue collar background, I'm the only person from my group of grade school/high school friends to not work in the trades, but I love "food of the people".
And Rocky's does it well……good friends, good conversation, a good simple burger, and the potential of wiping burger juices running down your arm. It doesn't get much better than that.
Rocky's Crown Pub
3786 Ingraham St
San Diego, CA 92109
(858) 273-9140