Burgers lately

Every few months, I go on a complete burger-bender, and the last couple weeks have been just that. It all kicked off when I re-visited an old favorite: Hodad's bacon cheeseburger. The crunchy, juicy bacon patty (yes, patty) is unlike any burger topping I've ever had, and a sure favorite.

A common complaint with Hodad's burgers is that they're just too big to get your mouth around. Wussies! Do like me and order the veggies on the side-- meat, cheese and bun only is a sure way to eat this beast without experiencing the tragic "burger blow-out."


I must've missed the memo- Hodad's now has a third location in Petco Park. It's got the same kitsch at the other locations.


Follow them on Twitter.


Smashburger along with Stone Brewing Company presented a special media dinner that included a seven course pairing followed by a Padres game. It's no secret that I love Smashburger (salads and all!), and lately I've been completely obsessed with their crispy chicken sandwich. The food is affordable and consistently delish, and the service is friendly. What more do you want?


A big thanks to Elle Communications for organizing this event, and to Smashburger's VP Wayne Mandelbaum for being such a gracious host.


Give the San Diego burger a try-- it's delicious with a squeeze of lime and fresh guac.

The San Diego burger is available nation-wide this month only (but outside of town it's called the  Fresh Mex) 

It's almost impossible to resist Smash's fried pickles. They always come piping hot with batter intact! 

To fuel my recent binge, I've been reading Serious Eats' A Hamburger Today series. Local food writer Erin Jackson is a bona fide burger expert and serves as San Diego's beef-n-bun correspondent for the site that also includes the useful Chain Reaction series. On a recent trip to Mission Valley, I decided to take her recommendation and try The Habit Burger Grill, originally out of Santa Barbra.


As Ms. Jackson reported, everything on the menu is under $7 and the burgers are tasty. 
The "char burger" rings in at a whopping $2.95 (add cheese for .50), and the thick cut fries were crispy with velvety centers. 


My one complaint: not enough char on the burger. With "char" in the title, I want to taste some flame-licked beef, and that I did not.


I do, however, love that Habit burgers come with a generous slathering of mayo. The burger was flavorful, salty and frankly, I wanted to order another. Instead, I got a vanilla cone for .95. Soft serve, FTW!