Burgers – Page 12

Western Steakburger

August 30, 2006 mmm-yoso Burgers, Diner, Greek Food

*** Western Steakburger has closed

I'm not quite sure if Western Steakburger is a franchise or a chain, but I know that there are at least two of them in San Diego(the other in Serra Mesa). I'll often stop by the shop on University Avenue when I'm in the area and grab a burger. Though with this food blogging thing, not often enough, since I haven't been here in a while……

This Western Steakburger, which an acquaintance of mine calls "Western Steakburger West", has a real Mom-and-Pop feel to it.

The Owners are usually hard at work, with Maria(I think that's Her name) manning the counter, and "Gus" manning the grill, at this Greek-Burger joint. The drill goes like this; you order at the counter, pay, and grab a seat. When your order is ready, you pick it up, and proceed to devour it. Here's part of a menu for RONW's reading pleasure. I know I haven't posted one in a while.

Bring the "stick in the mud" that I am, I usually go for the same thing. 1/2 pound Western Deluxe($5.85), no mayo, no ketchup, with grilled onions(add $1.25). Today it dawned on me that I'd never had the fries here, so I added fries(add $1.35), as the Missus says; "whoa, living on the edge, huh?". All burgers are grilled, and you can sometimes watch the flames rising in the air, I keep what it would take to set off the Halon(or whatever they use nowadays)…..

The patties here are formed into a sort of oval shape, and the meat is course ground. And yes, that is Gyros meat on the burger. The burger is always fairly moist, in spite of the grilling, though I sometimes find the burger very under-seasoned. I enjoy the taste of the grilled onions, but on this visit I found the Gyro meat to be very bland. Though this burger beats any mass produced burger by miles….

It is quite a mouthful. I found the fries to be nothing special, and they were not salted. I don't think I'll have them in the future. One last item, I enjoy the well toasted bun. Still that flavorless Gyro meat gave me some concern, since I saw them cut it fresh…..

So on my next visit, I ordered the Gyro Sandwich($5.65).

I don't think I've ever had a Gyro Sandwich with so much meat in it. The sandwich itself must have weighed in at three-quarters of a pound. Unfortunately, the meat was on the mild side, and the flame grilling left it dry and hard. The Tzatziki also wasn't to my taste, being quite mild, with no herbs, and very little flavor.

So I think I'll stay with the burger. During my visit, almost everyone ordered the Teriyaki Burger, which I guess is a popular choice…..

I think that Western Steakburger really isn't worth a special trip, it's not the best burger in San Diego by a long shot. But if you're in the area that I call the "Dead Zone", the area between Hillcrest and North Park, Western Steakburger isn't a bad choice.

Western Steakburger
2730 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104

I Finally Got Around To….Original Tommy’s

March 7, 2006 mmm-yoso Burgers, Hot Dogs

**** After a long run Tommy's has closed

Well a sign is worth a thousand words:

Especially if you live in SoCal. "Tommy-burger" has a real following here in SoCal, you either love it or hate it. As with most burgers of a similar vein, there are stories of the effort that people will go through to get a "Tommy's chili or burger." We had a "Tommy's" right down the street on Fullerton when we lived in LA, and I had a friend come and visit….He had to have Tommy's for breakfast…for 3 days straight! That's right, Chiliburgers; it ain't just for breakfast anymore…..

Tommy's has finally opened here in San Diego, with little mainstream fanfare, but alot of "rumbling" on the Internet. Those who love Tommy's must first profess unrequited love for grease, but delici-yoso grease. The Missus loves Tommy's chili. Alas, the chili does not love Her back, it gives her heartburn! Her inability to painlessly digest Tommy's chili will then make her look upon the chili in a negative light, with the liberal use of that horrible culinary four letter word; "lard". As in "it must have lard in it…." I, on the other hand do not suffer from any immediate adverse reaction from Tommy's, thus to put it into the words of the Missus, "Next life, you be me, Ohhh-Kay!"

I finally got around to Tommy's on a recent weekend. In order to "earn" my Tommy's, I first swept and mopped the house, scrubbed and cleaned the bathrooms, raked the backyard, did 6 loads of laundry, and other various sundry tasks. All self-imposed. As I entered Tommy's the first thing I noticed was that even though it was 3 in the afternoon the dining area was pretty full. The second thing I noticed was that there were several "Guys" eating a Tommy Burger with a fork and knife! Say what! Hey, fork and knife Guy, be a man! You eat the burger like a burger, with no regard for personal hygiene, with your hands. Overwhelmed by my presence in a real Tommy's in San Diego, I had problems even deciding what to order. Yeah, I should have a problem at a place called Tommy "BURGER". I eventually just ordered a #2 combo($5.70):

A double chili cheeseburger, fries, and a drink. I of course ordered the burger the way I wanted it – no pickles, extra onions….but received my burger with pickles anyway. Not that it made any difference. I felt like my burger was a little short on the chili though! The chili on a Tommy's is a gloppy, fairly mild chili "con carne", that has a texture similar to refried beans. I enjoy the acid that tomato provides on the burger, though I wished I had a bit more chili. I hope you enjoy the sheen of grease reflecting off the burger photos:

Though I don't crave Tommy's like many Angelinos, I enjoy a Tommy Burger every once in a while.

The fries I received sorely missed chili, cheese, and onions:

I felt I was committing a crime by eating these without the requisite "parts". I'll make sure to correct this next time!

There's a part of me that believes that burgers have supplanted hot dogs as being the quintessential American food, though that may be heresy to some. But think about it, be it White Castle, Krystals, In and Out, or Fatburger(my fave, though San Diego's Fatburger's have been mediocre); we all have our favorites. I still have fond memories of my beloved W & M Burger. Be it sitting in the car, on the curb, or wondering what wine to match with a Tommy's, burgers have become an obsession for many. I distinctly remember the first time I had a Tommy Burger, though I don't even express a great fondness for them. So strangely enough, Tommy Burger is on that "first time I tried list" along with Foie Gras, Peking Duck, Escargot, and other items….go figure!

And there ain't nothing wrong with a Tommy's once in a while…….

Original Tommy's
7415 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111

Postscript: I've been assured that there ain't no Tommy Burger, like the one served at the "Original" Original Tommy's at Beverly and Rampart.

Broken Yolk Cafe – And the Curse of Dior….

February 28, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Diner

I’m not a a very superstitious person. Although, I wouldn’t do anything that would bring me "ba-chi", Local Kine Japanese slang for "bad luck" or "bad karma". I also will not remove lava rock(really bad luck), cut my toenails at night(Dey goin’ rob your house), and as a child wouldn’t touch a match ("you play wit match, you goin wet da’ bed, so I goin know you play wit matches!"). But other then that, I’m really not superstitious at all! Except, that I think the Missus’s Christian Dior Handbag is cursed. You see, we’ve never had a really good meal whenever she’s brought that darn bag along. And the curse seems to extend to anything related to food; once we went shopping together (pretty rare event in itself, the Missus hates grocery shopping), and the simple act of finding a dozen eggs took me like 15 minutes. I sorted through carton after carton of cracked and broken eggs, finally finding what seemed like the only carton of "intact" eggs in the market………

Broken Yolk Cafe, has always had an odd attraction to the Missus. I think it’s the long lines, and crowds of people crowding the sidewalk during weekends. After all; all these people must know something, right?

Broken Yolk Cafe, is a very popular Breakfast and Lunch destination open from 6am to 3pm daily. Crowds of people Young and Old feast on omelets and burgers, and sip mimosas. The numerous Omelets and Burgers have names like, The Cisco Kid (Four Egg Omelet with Ortega chilies and jack cheese topped with guacamole and sour cream), and Patty Melt Down (Ground beef, American cheese, and grilled onion on rye).

On this sunny, mild, weekday we arrived at about 1pm, after all of the breakfast chaos, and were seated upstairs.

We were served quickly and professionally, and our orders were taken, coffee and water quickly provided, and we were on our way.

The Missus decided on a Rosarito Beach Burger($7.19):

The slightly oblong burger(supposedly 1/2lb), was served on a French Roll, and topped with 2 slices of bacon and guacamole. The Missus, as is Her norm ordered the burger with no mayo, She wants to taste the "beef". This was a bit of a mistake; the burger was very dry. I took a bite and darn if I didn’t bite into a "toenail"…. that’s what I call a piece of bone or other inedible hard piece of "something". The burger came with a pretty large portion of crinkle cut fries:

I really felt like these had been "re-fried", the interior were cold and the fries were very dry.

I ordered the Omelet called the "Border Check"($8.29):

This was a 4 egg omelet with Beef Chorizo, Jack Cheese, Jalapeno Peppers, and topped with guacamole and salsa. I thought the omelet was decent, and enjoyed the heat of the jalapenos, though the Missus thought that the flavoring of the chorizo over-powered everything else. I ordered the "Home Fries", that was more like scalloped/gratin potatoes; pretty bland stuff. I’m taking the Blueberry Muffin home; to use as a paperweight.

Not all was bad about Broken Yolk; I thought the service was good. Our coffee and water was kept refreshed, and our Server was the epitome of efficiency and professionalism. I felt really quite guilty about Her having to walk all the food up the stairs. When I mentioned this to Her, she told me "It keeps me in shape". If you’re feeling especially ambitious, Broken Yolk serves something called the "Broken Yolk Café Special"($18.99). It’s a dozen-egg omelet served in a pizza pan, with mushrooms, onions, American cheese and smothered with chili and cheese. On the other half of the pan is homefries and two biscuits. Eat it all within an hour and it’s only $1.98 and receive a complimentary T-Shirt. Angioplasty not included….. Good Luck!

In the end, I think I’ll blame it on the "bag". Not that I’m superstitious, right?

Broken Yolk Cafe
1851 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Mr Peabody’s Burgers & Ale

February 20, 2006 mmm-yoso Burgers, Pubs and Pub Grub

We were shopping at Saks in Fashion Valley Mall this past weekend, um well, the Missus was shopping, I on the other hand was guarding my wallet with one hand, and wiping the sweat off my brow with the other. You see we were in the handbag section, and the Missus was making me squirm and sweat. "Which one do you like better, Dior, or Ferragamo?" "Ummm, how about none of the above?" "No, you have to choose one." "Why?" "Because…. I SAID SO, okay!"

Of course, the Missus was just kind of kidding me (I think), and we made it out of the mall unscathed. As we were leaving, the Missus asked me the most important(at least in my opinion) question of the day. "So, what do you want to eat?" "I’m not quite sure, but how about Peabody’s?" And off we went.

When we moved to San Diego in 2001, we followed what I think is a fairly common migratory pattern. We bought a Condo in Mission Valley, home to a seemingly unending amount of Apartments and Condominiums. On the positive side, Mission Valley is centrally located, and is home to several major malls. Unfortunately, Mission Valley is not known for good eats, and the traffic and crowds can be outrageous. So after a few years in Mission Valley, we finally purchased a home in the Bay Park area, and thus left the Valley. If I were to come up with a list of things I miss about Mission Valley, Mr Peabody’s would be on that short list. Located on the corner of Via Las Cumbres and Friars Road; Peabody’s is a fairly lively Neighborhood Bar, with a pretty diverse clientele, ranging from the Students and Staff of USD to residents of Mission Valley, there is always a variety of people in Peabody’s.

We used to live 2 blocks from Peabody’s which was great for my psyche, but probably not so great for my liver.

We also enjoyed the food at Peabody’s, which is reasonably priced and pretty tasty. And today we took that trip down memory lane and ordered the old usual, a burger, with no cheese ($3.99):

When you order a burger at Peabody’s, the cook will open the reefer drawer and pull out a large ball of ground meat, form it into a patty, and cook it on the griddle. If you’re sitting at the bar you can watch them make it, a nice spectator sport of sorts. No frozen preformed pattys here! The burger is seasoned with "spiced wine", salt and pepper, and served on a sesame bun. You add your own spread. The burgers are very dependable, taste fresh, and are very moist.

We also got a basket of "Fries & Rings" ($3.99):

The fries at Peabody’s are served in a large basket, and are usually enough for two people. In fact, it used to be quite common for perfect strangers sitting at the bar to split a basket of fries. Today’s fries were just as good as we remembered; thin cut, crisp, and nicely salted. The onion rings, were lightly breaded, and also good. We didn’t even have to use ketchup.

The Missus also ordered a Cheese Quesedilla, easy on the Cheese (? – $3.79):

It came just the way she likes it. Crisp, almost crepe like tortilla, with a thin layer of cheese. She particularly enjoyed the Guacamole with chunks of Jalapeno in it.

One thing about bar grub that we often enjoy; is that the food and drink is direct and to the point. Take the Iced Tea, the Missus ordered:

When they brought Her the Iced Tea, they also dropped off a full pitcher refill. No muss, no fuss, no running around asking if She needed a refill, and we don’t have to flag down the Server for more Iced Tea.

Peabody’s features the usual list of domestic bottled beer, along with several draft selections, including Guinness and Widmer Hefeweizen, which tasted very nice and refreshing.

Some notes on Peabody’s: As with any popular neighborhood spot, Peabody’s can get really loud and crowded, especially during the evenings from Wed-Sat. In what I think is a fairly interesting idea; Peabody’s serves breakfast from 9am on Saturdays and Sundays. Parking in the corner lot can be at a premium, but there is additional parking in the lot right past the strip mall on Via Las Cumbres.

Mr Peabody’s Burgers & Ale
6110 Friars Rd Ste 108
San Diego, CA 92108

Bully’s East – Carnivore’s Feast

February 1, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Steakhouse

Every once in a while, maybe once or twice a year I get a major red meat craving. And for me, the best way to quench said craving is to get a nice piece of prime rib. If we’re having steak, unless it’s something along the lines of Fleming’s or Ruth’s Chris, I’d rather make it at home. But prime rib is another story. I just want one meal, so making a whole prime rib roast just doesn’t make sense. So last night we headed over to a real "old school" San Diego establishment; Bully’s.

Now Bully’s has been at this location, just South of the 8 Freeway for over 30 years, and the bar is a favorite with "locals" for Happy Hour. From the dark red leather booths to the wood paneling, to the dim lighting(please excuse the lousy photos); Bully’s screams "Old School". Even though the decor may scream staid and stuffy, the atmosphere is definitely casual. Though we thought there would be no problem getting a table without reservations at 5 pm on a Tuesday evening, we were lucky. The bar area was packed, and we snagged one of the last open tables.

Though the menu at Bully’s includes everything from King Crab and Lobster to Chicken and Ribs, there’s only one reason I come to Bully’s. It’s the prime rib.

Wanting to pay undivided attention to my red meat, we didn’t order any appetizers, or sides, and just got down to business.

The Missus ordered the Bully Burger with Bacon and Avocado($9.50). And of course I ordered a prime rib. But first came our salads.

A nice old fashioned green salad with ranch dressing on the side since we had to watch our calories….yeah, right! The salad was fine, fresh and crisp, and the croutons were very crunchy. There must have been something right about the salads, we both finished ours.

The Missus’s Burger:

The Missus enjoyed the thick cut bacon and avocado. The burger was formed into an oblong shape to fit the bun. The burger was under seasoned and lacked a beefy punch, but was so very moist and tender, and cooked to a perfect medium-well. The fries were mediocre and a bit soggy.

I had ordered a 22oz Prime Rib($28.95), the 32oz cut had tempted me, but I showed amazing restraint. My cut arrived on a platter, along with a light au jus and horseradish sauce.

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, this piece of bone-in prime rib was fork tender(I tested it), and nicely flavored. I didn’t need any of the condiments provided, and scarfed this baby down in about 10 minutes flat. I slowed down after the Missus threatened to call National Geographic. Need I say it? Very delici-yoso!!! The Garlic Mashed potatoes were slightly chunky, and very garlicky, and also under seasoned. I get the feeling that sides are pretty much an after thought at Bully’s.

The damage? Not bad $44 total. And a bone for the Boyz!

Bully’s provides decent quality, reasonably priced Steaks and Seafood, though some dishes(especially the "sides") may seem a bit dated and tired. And fills that niche, above the usual Neighborhood Steakhouse(i.e. Black Angus), and below the quality and the sometimes eye-popping prices at Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris. It’s not a bad niche to fill! Also if you’ve got a craving for a prime rib at 1130pm, Bully’s might be the place for you!

Bully’s East
2401 Camino Del Rio S
San Diego, CA 92108
Mon-Fri 11am-1215am
Sat-Sun 10am-1215am

At the SDAFF: My Girl (Fan Chan) and Sneakin’ Stuff….

October 4, 2005 mmm-yoso Burgers, Movies, yoso-silly

On Friday we viewed a charming Thai coming of age film, My Girl, titled Fan Chan in Thailand:

The basic plot is that a Young Man, Jeab finds out that the best friend from childhood whom he hasn’t seen in 13 years, Noi Nah, is getting married, and that he’s received an invitation. As a child Jeab wasn’t allowed to cross a busy street and play with the other boys, so he spends his time playing with Noi Nah. Through a flashback we see Jeab and Noi Nah as children, and eventually the event that leads to the end of the friendship. There’s alot of fun, laughter, music, and pretty good acting. It would seem that this film is directed at Thais’ raised in the 70’s and 80’s, as it features the music, television, and other "nostalgic" events of that era. But I soon found that laughter and love are universal. My Girl, is a warm and funny movie that explores universal themes associated with growing up.

One of the really fun parts of the movie was the amount attention brought to the "games" played by the children in this rural Buddhist community. Even though we may or may not have played any of these games, we all have those games of our childhood, like marbles or paper-football, which brought on all those nostalgic feelings. Another thing I remembered as a youth were the movies, as well as another thing about going to movies as a kid in the 70’s and 80’s in Hawaii, sneakin’ in food!

I mean, especially in a week long film festival; how much popcorn and hot dogs can you eat? As a kid we used to sneak in Spam Musubis, arare, or something similar. Mom wouldn’t let me bring anything that the theater served, in her words, "they have to make money, and a living too". In my early twenties, we all brought our jackets when we went to the movies, even when it was almost 90 degrees, and 100% humidity. Why? Well, we’d tie up the sleeves and you could fit 3 bottles of beer in each sleeve…..hehehe! Better watch when you stand though, you might knock those bottles down; and you’d be soooo busted! Careful when you open those bottles too! Psssst…..

Nowadays, after we burn out from the popcorn and hot dogs, we’re more apt to go with maybe the arare, or maybe roasted chestnuts or mochi, for the Missus. And no, we don’t do the dried cuttlefish, or other snacks that smell, or make alot of noise…..

Also, can’t forget those Haw Flakes for the Missus:

Though we have an all time favorite sneak in. All you need to see is this:

So we’ll drive through and pick up a couple of burgers from In-N-Out, and seal the bag well, and stash it in the Missus purse. Better than those cheese whiz nacho’s, no? We don’t bring them to movies that are too crowded though. A few movies ago, we opened up our burgers, and heard a whisper from above go; "Hey, who’s eating A Double-Double?" I never knew the smell was so distinctive! Hehehehe – giggle….. And no we still don’t sneak in anything the theatre will have, think I’ll have some Kappa-maki tomorrow…..

Open wide:

So what do you sneak in? I know you do it………

Ch-Ch-Chain: Fuddruckers – What the Fudd is this about?

September 8, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Chains

Yes, yes, I know it's a "Chain" but after Sarah's post on Wahoo's on The Delicious Life, I thought I'd work on my backlog of these chain type establishments. Seeing as I now take my camera almost everywhere! Ch-ch-chain, Chain of Fools……

I've passed a few locations of Fuddruckers, but have always been hesitant to stop and check it out. Probably because the name is really somewhat unsavory in my opinion. After all the first part 'Fudd' rhymes with Mudd, Dudd, and for some reason the word "Rug" keeps popping up. As for the "ruckers" part, um, well, let's just "pass" on that one……

This location in Mission Valley used to be a Koo Koo Roo (I believe they're owned by the same parent company). As a matter of fact a friend of mine used to be a regular customer, I'm guessing one of the few customers! This same friend has recently converted to a Vegetarian lifestyle, loss of her patronage is what probably put this location of Koo Koo Roo out of business. Well anyway, I decided to give ~~Fudgepa,~~ um, Fuddruckers a try. After all they modestly claim to serve "The World's Greatest Hamburgers", yeah, right!

I entered and walked up to the counter and the very "chipper" Gal greeted me with "Welcome to, blah, blah, blah…" the rest was a blur, she spoke so fast she should be reading the "fine print" for those car commercials. Somehow, I managed to order the 1/2lb Swiss Melt ($5.65), and even made it a combo ($3.45). I paid, and sudden a cheer of "YAY!!!" was exclaimed by all the Employees, had me somewhat befuddled. Did they all just get raises, did the restaurant change it's name, are they happy that I actually paid for my food? Well no; it seems that if they ask you if this is your first visit, and you're foolish enough to answer yes, they give you some kind of cheer. Could I please return to planet Earth now?

Along with the receipt, I was given was this:

Yes, it was some kind of Atomic Coaster, there was a flashing red light, and everything! I figured if you were a bad customer, they'd press a button, and POOF! Your name is Fudd…. About that time another "chipper" Young Lady wearing a Fuddruckers uniform came by and introduced herself; "Hi, I'm blah, blah ,blah…" guess what, another auctioneer in training. I moved to another table and she followed, I moved to another table and she followed again. I was starting to get really afraid. I was being followed by a Fuddrucker! A few moments later my "coaster" flew off the table, all lights flashing – I guess my burger had reached "DefCon 1".

I went and picked up my burger and headed of to the dressing and condiment bar. There were at least a dozen different dressings, with at least three types of mustard! The good; well you can really "have it your way". The bad; if this is the "World's Best Burger" why would you have to drench it in BBQ sauce? I did like the condiment bar, though. And every thing's marked with clear signage, except where the damned straws are!!! Even my own personal "Fuddrucker" couldn't find it!

So the burger? Well as mentioned, I ordered a 1/2lb burger, but can you find it? I guess it's the old "before cooking" fine print. I did enjoy the mushrooms, and grilled onions. The burger was juicy, though kinda tough, and pretty much tasteless – that's why you get all those dressings! Nothing worse than an under seasoned burger. The fries were the wedge type and well seasoned with salt, pepper, and what looked like paprika. These tasted pretty good.

World's Greatest Hamburger? Not even close. Though the prices really aren't that bad. Ostrich, and other "exotic" burgers are offered, though, if my burger was tough, can you imagine how Buffalo or Ostrich would be? Also, maybe it's a product of my cynical attitude, but I have a real problem with a place that needs to put you into a "good mood" to prepare you for the food……

Fuddruckers coming to a failed strip mall business near you……

EZ Take Out Burger – 99 cent burger night

August 10, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers

*** EZ Take-Out Burger has closed

I was told a while back that this little burger stand on Genesee Avenue, had burgers "as good as In N Out". And even better, they had 99 cent burger nights on Wednesdays and Sundays from 4pm to closing. So hey, what day is it? It’s Wednesday, and any day is a good day for a burger (or two).

This little retro-looking burger stand features a little kitchen and 3-4 tables outside. There are actually people dodging each other in the kitchen area. I noticed alot of descriptions were very "In-N-Outish", like the "Double-Take" (see Double-Double).

I ordered 3 burgers, no spread (we like to actually taste the burger), with all the produce, and 2 orders of fries – it came out to $5.98! Bargain city! We had also wanted one of their Boysenberry Shakes($1.85), but the shake machine was out of order. Bummer. We sat outside and in a few minutes my number was called and our burgers were ready.

Looks pretty good, huh? Unfortunately looks are deceiving. The burger was pretty dry, even though it just came off the grill, and pretty tasteless. The best part of the whole sandwich were the onions and tomatoes. How does it measure up against In N Out? Not even close. The burger is better than one of those major chain fast food burgers, but not by much. Is it worth 99 cents? If you look at it that way, I’d say yes, but again, not by much. The fries look really good but were under cooked, and got soggy really quickly. It’s still better than In-N-Out’s, I really don’t care much for the fries there. I’d actually been here once and had the fries while I waited for Honey Baked Hams who share the same parking lot, to open and thought they were pretty good. The best fries I’ve ever had was at, of all places, a stand called Y-Not Burgers in Torrance. For some reason all the planets were aligned that day, and the fries were golden, perfectly crisp, soft inside, and with a nice potato taste. I remember standing, and holding the "holy fry" up to the light, and exclaiming, "this is amazing, this fry is perfect"…..and was immediately told to "sit down, you’re acting like a fool, people are looking at you". I guess this galvanizing moment was not appreciated by all.

EZ Take Out Burger, 99 cent burgers (cheese extra) on Wednesdays and Sundays. There is usually a long wait in the drive thru, I’d rather take my chances by parking and going inside. Real ice cream shakes, boysenberry is a favorite.

EZ Take Out Burger
4277 Genesee Avenue
San Diego, CA 92117

Hey, where’s our shake!!!

Crest Cafe – Got the Monday Blues? Get a Butter Burger!

July 11, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Diner, Sandwiches

Whew what a Monday! Needing a break, I headed up the street aimlessly and didn’t stop until I was on the doorstep of the Crest Cafe.

Now I had been here several times, but did not really know why I’d wandered here. I entered and couldn’t believe my eyes, the place was totally empty. On weekend mornings there’s no way you can get in without a wait; this neighborhood joint is jumpin’. What I’ve always noticed about Crest Cafe is that it always smells like breakfast, pancakes and maple syrup for that matter. You can drop in at 11pm and it’ll still smell like pancakes and maple syrup. Maybe it’s something in the AC? By now I focused in on the menu, and set my sights on a Butter Burger($8.25). What’s a Butter Burger you ask? Well it’s a half pound burger, stuffed with an herb-garlic butter, topped with cheddar cheese, with more melted butter and a garlic mayonnaise. There was a good chance that after I ate this burger, I wouldn’t see Tuesday, but whatever, I was willing to take the risk! The previous 2 or so times I’ve been here I ordered the Oui Oui Burger, and it was pretty good sized, no wee-wee burgers served here. To complete the job I ordered fries as my side. The burger arrived on a huge egg roll. Now looking at this you’d think that it was all roll, but that wasn’t the case. The roll was perfectly toasted, the burger charred on the outside, and super moist on the inside. Overall the burger had a very rich, not greasy feel, but was under seasoned, I’d say even somewhat bland considering all of the effort to inject rich flavorful seasonings into and onto the burger. One of my pet peeves is food that’s under salted; I mean, you supposedly have all this butter, all this nice meat, you cook it by-the-book, it’s retains moisture and has a great texture, but you forget the salt and pepper. You can say I can add my own, but it’s not the same as if the burger was seasoned during cooking. The fries were “natural” (I really don’t know what you call them – maybe a fry expert can tell me), think In-and-Out, a little larger with the skin attached. Nice potato flavor, but again under seasoned. I did finish all of them, so they must be pretty good, but of course I’ve never met a fry I didn’t like! Overall, not a bad burger, but next time I’ll stick with the Oui Oui – Blue Cheese under Melted Jack, no flavor short circuit there!

A few notes; the Crest Cafe, has a combination of chair and bench-style seating, and when filled can be quite cramped. Also, all the surfaces are pretty “hard”, making this a really loud room. By the time I’d left the room had filled both with people and noise. I’ve heard that the breakfasts here, especially the French Toast is good, but have never had breakfast here. One really good thing about the Crest Cafe is that they are open till midnight. Here in San Diego, any establishment that doesn’t roll up it’s sidewalks at 9pm is gladly welcomed.

Crest Cafe
425 Robinson Ave
San Diego, CA 92103
Phone: (619) 295-2510
Open: 7am to Midnight Daily