There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different burgers available across San Diego at any given time. Despite the humble dish’s omnipresence, a mere handful of them are worthy of making my personal “best of” list. Sure, you can make one yourself—after all, the magic of a burger grilled in your backyard among family and friends and washed down with a cheap can of beer is hard to beat—but when you let the experts do what they do best, these are some of the ones that come out on top for me.
Best Prime Burger
Tanner’s Prime Burgers
The cynic in me never expects reality to meet the hype. But in the case of Tanner’s Prime Burgers, I can wholeheartedly say that it does, and then some. The first time my teeth sunk into the absolutely decadent Brandt-raised prime patty made by chef Brandon Rogers of three Michelin-starred Benu fame, I knew it was something special. Don’t let the near-constant line deter you. I don’t say this often, but it’s worth the wait.
510 Vista Way, Oceanside
Best Dirty Flat Top
The Friendly
While The Friendly’s ironclad resistance to any modification requests might put some people off, I actually find the “what you see is what you get” approach refreshing in today’s decision-overload world. And when what you get is a crispy-edged slab of juicy meat smushed into a supremely biteable mess of garlic aioli, American cheese, and buttery onions, who would want to change a thing?
4592 30th Street, North Park
Best Basic Burger
The Balboa Bar & Grill
A mainstay on any reputable “best burgers in San Diego” list, The Balboa knows what they do best and keeps at it. Their menu is small, simple, and sublime, offering a handful of options like the Classic (onions, pickles, American cheese, ketchup, and mustard), the Original (lettuce, tomato, onion, American cheese, and housemade aioli), and the BBQ Bacon burger (with bacon, grilled onions, American cheese, and a generous slathering of barbecue sauce). It’s not fancy, but it’s an honest and very solid burger pick. (Hot tip: it’s only $8 during happy hour.)
1863 Fifth Avenue, Bankers Hill
Best Classic Burger
Rocky’s Crown Pub
It’s an icon for a reason. Rocky’s isn’t fancy, flashy, or fussy—it’s just a damn good burger, honed over decades of searing, flipping, and serving the same stuff that put them on the map when they opened in 1977. Pretty much the only thing that’s changed as of late is that as of a few months ago, they started accepting credit cards. Hell didn’t freeze over and I, for one, am glad they entered the 21st century.
3786 Ingraham Street, Crown Point
Best Community Burger
Wavy Burgers
The coffee shop-slash-burger joint-slash-listening bar in National City became a community hub almost instantaneously when it first opened last year, hosting pop-ups like La Tiendita, listening parties and record swaps, and of course, serving up burger hotness with The OG. The double Wagyu smash patties with confit onions, white American cheese, and chipotle aioli on a brioche bun is a delicious deal for only $11, and can even be made vegetarian with portobello mushrooms instead. Burgers for all, indeed.
127 E 8th Street, National City
Best Overall Burger
The Wise Ox
Chef Brad Wise’s Trust Restaurant Group—which encompasses Trust, Rare Society, Cardellino, Fort Oak, and The Wise Ox—is building an empire on a foundation of meat. He’s so good at what he does that he didn’t even blink when opening The Wise Ox smack in the middle of a pandemic, where he’s been slinging some of the best sandwiches in town ever since. You can browse the butcher shop side to make your own burger at home, but why try to beat his dry-aged cheeseburger? It can’t (easily) be done, so enjoy the meat master’s work—and order the side of beef fat fries.
2855 El Cajon Blvd., North Park
Best Brewery Burger
North Park Beer Company
Owner and brewer Kelsey McNair is obsessed with every detail of North Park Beer Company’s three locations, from the tiniest decor choices to the curated menus at each place and, of course, the beers themselves. Each taproom has a different food menu, and his Bankers Hill spot is where you’ll find one of the best smash burgers around. Choose between one, two, three, and (yes, you guessed it) four patty options, or even a BBQ bacon smash if you’re feeling saucy. The weekday lunch special is a total bargain, too—snag a 1/4 lb. burger with fries and a 16 oz. beer for only $18.
3095 Fifth Avenue, Bankers Hill
Best Sliders
Rosemarie’s Buns & Brew
Named both the critic’s and eeader’s pick for Best Burger in San Diego Magazine’s 2024 “Best Restaurants” list, this pop-up-turned-restaurant churns out perfect bites of meaty glory to make sure you can try a little of everything. Savor a taste of the islands with The Luau, or embrace the sloppy savoriness of a Little Munchies slider (best eaten with two hands). Not in Mission Beach? No problem. As of last fall, you can stop by their second location in Ocean Beach for the same great flavors.
3852 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach
Best Bar Burger
Majorette
Brought to you by the same folks behind Scrimshaw Coffee and the forthcoming Love Letters Pizza (yes, it was originally Somewhere Pizza, but things change), Majorette is a hip hangout disguised as a college bar with a great patio, free pool, and lots of natty wine and local beer. I was crushed when they had to (temporarily) close their kitchen last year, but it re-opened with a vengeance and brought back their absolutely fabulous smash burger to my immense relief. You don’t have to be a broke college student to enjoy a good deal either—the “Twelve Buck Tuesday” special gets anyone a burger and a beer for only $12 starting at 3 p.m. (21+ all the time.)
6344 El Cajon Blvd., College Area
Best Pop-Up Burger
E.L.E. Burger
In the year of our Lord 2025, also known as the year of the pop-up, it’s only fitting to include the beachside roamers E.L.E. Burger to the list. Otherwise known as Everybody Love Everybody, this pop-up burger stand sets up shop at different bars and breweries a couple days a week. Keep it classic with the E.L.E. burger or go big with the ILY Frito Pie (you can’t go wrong with any of them). Take a bite and savor the San Diego sunset—it really doesn’t get any better than this.
Check Instagram for current locations
Best Fancy Burger
The Grill at Torrey Pines
It feels weird to say “order the burger at The Lodge at Torrey Pines,” but you should order the burger at The Lodge at Torrey Pines. One bite of the Drugstore hamburger will take you back in time to the era of soda fountains and sock hops (although the $29 price tag will swiftly ferry you back to the present). Want to get really gourmet? Add a fried egg to it. In this economy, the other patrons will ogle at the audacity.
11480 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla
Honorable Mention: Most Random Burger
Gaslamplighter
Gaslampligher is, first and foremost, a karaoke and cocktail bar. After pages and pages of cocktails and spirits, there are only like, four things on the food menu. However, one of the few things they do serve is an unexpectedly phenomenal burger called Lé Sideburger, featuring two Wagyu patties between a brioche bun and topped with American cheese and their secret sauce. Whether or not you need some liquid courage to get on stage and belt out some tunes, you definitely need one of these.
536 Market St, Gaslamp Quarter
