“We’ve got the best burger in America. That’s why we’re called America’s burger,” says Nick Rose, founder and CEO of Juicy Burgers. That’s quite a claim, but Rose says all it takes is one bite to become a believer.
Getting a taste is about to get easier. Two new Juicy Burgers locations are scheduled to open this summer in Hillcrest and the College Area. Rose launched Juicy Burgers in Santee in 1978, eventually expanding to 28 locations nationwide. But when the pandemic hit, “we lost them during Covid,” he explains, saying they had to close every location nationwide.
But they were never really gone gone. The first new location post-pandemic ended up in North Park, which opened in 2023. Rose says once these following two storefronts are up and running, he’ll turn his sights to expanding the franchise once more, specifically in markets where Juicy Burgers previously operated. He plans to start with Las Vegas and eventually move to cities like Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. But he says there’s more to come in San Diego.
“We want to be in more of the tourist areas as well,” he says. “We’d [also] like to get inside stadiums and sports arenas, get more exposure to share our products with the public.”
Both the Hillcrest and College Area locations will feature the same menu as North Park, with create-your-own burgers and signature options, but Hillcrest will also offer something a little extra: breakfast.
“It’ll be a traditional breakfast,” explains Rose, saying they’ll have items like omelets, eggs, pancakes, french toast, and coffee available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., at which point service would switch to the typical burger menu. Since that particular storefront used to be home to Breakfast Bitch, Rose hopes locals used to getting breakfast there will come to try it out. And if it’s just burgers you want, he says expect to be wowed.
“There’s a lot of people out there looking for the best burger,” he says. “Come try it out. Once they taste it… people just love it.”
San Diego Restaurant News & Food Events
Weathered Souls and NPBC Collaboration on May 16
San Antonio–based Weathered Souls Brewing Company is perhaps best known for launching the Black is Beautiful initiative in response to the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd by police. Still, they also happen to brew some damn tasty beer as well. On Thursday, May 16, at 6 p.m., Weathered Souls co-founder and head brewer Marcus Baskerville is heading to North Park Beer Company in Bankers Hill for a five-course beer pairing dinner with NPBC co-owner and head brewer Kelsey McNair and chef Sam Navarro. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Courtesy of Del Mar Wine + Food Festival
Beth’s Bites
After seven years in East Village, You & Yours Distilling Company is closing shop this Sunday, May 5. Best of luck to Laura, the Y&Y team, and all your future endeavors!
Also, on Sunday, Esquina Wine Shop will be popping up with Angkorian Pikestaff at White Rice Morena from noon to 4 p.m. I strongly advise you to get there early—these gatherings tend to get busy and sell out quickly.
Alex Morgan, Charlie Day, Travis Swikard, and Tara Monsod—I could go on (literally) all day, but I’ll just let you salivate over the Del Mar Wine + Food Festival lineup. How is this just the second year? It feels iconic already, IMHO. Get your tickets here.
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Beth Demmon is an award-winning writer and podcaster whose work regularly appears in national outlets and San Diego Magazine. Her first book, The Beer Lover's Guide to Cider, is now available. Find out more on bethdemmon.com.
