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Category: Burgers
Neighborhoods: Ocean Beach, Point LomaMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Hodad (noun) - a non surfer who spends time on beaches masquerading as a surfer. See also poser.
Seriously, they should get 5 stars from the restaurant name alone.
I don't care what anyone says, Hodad's is the BEST burger joint that I have ever been too. If you think there is some place better, then you are very VERY wrong. "But what about..." Shut-up! You're wrong. Hodad's is the BEST burger place of all time. Yes, I SAID IT and yes, you need to DEAL WITH IT!
Everything about this place is epic. From their awesome Hours of Operation Disclaimer (Open 24 Hours...Just Not In A Row), to the hundreds of license plates decorating their walls, to their All You Can Eat $100 Menu option, to their surfboard tables, to the location of the restaurant and even the intentional rudeness of their service staff. Once again, everything about this place is epic.
The last time my band was in San Diego for a gig, yeah I'm in a band, no big deal, we decided to hit up Hodad's to see what all the fuss was about. We got there about an hour after they opened, and luckily we were able to beat the afternoon rush. So about 30 minutes after we sat down, there was already a line around the building. It seemed like we stayed longer then most customers did because people were in and out of that place pretty quickly. That being said, I wouldn't let the line intimidate you from hitting this place up. Trust me, it's worth it.
Hodad's is right by the beach and the interior is very casual dining. The atmosphere is very laid back and screams surfer joint at the top of it's lungs. While I was there, I kept expecting (more like wishing) that Brody and the rest of the Ex-Presidents would stop by for a quick bite to eat after robbing a bank or two. (If you got that reference, then we're now officially best friends). "YOUR BALLS ARE THIS BIG!"
Obviously, I would only recommend hitting up Hodad's when you are in the mood for a burger. Just in case if you are with someone that isn't, they do also offer a vegan burger, a chicken sandwich and a grilled cheese for those of you too "scurred" to take part in their artery clogging awesomeness. So let's breakdown my order shall we?
The Fries: Hodad's didn't skip out on the amount of fries they hooked me up with. I got a mountain of steak fry goodness on my plate. The fries were slightly crispy and seasoned just right. Two Ray-Ray thumbs up fa sho!
The Shakes: The shakes here not only taste awesome, but they are huge! Definitely one of the best and biggest chocolate milkshakes I have ever had. I'd compare the milkshake I had to 80s Hair Metal: AWESOME, NECESSARILY BIG AND DECADENT.
The Burgers: My burger came with a bacon patty that went on top of my meat patty. Let me say that again, A BACON PATTY! That is just ridiculous. Ridiculously AWESOME! I really think the "supporting cast" of a burger is just as important as the meat. You look for these components, like great bacon, a great bun, great tomatoes, crunchy lettuce, quality mayonnaise, handmade ketchups, and the right mustards. Everything has to compliment and co-exist in order for a burger to be perfect. Guess what folks? Hodad's has accomplished this and then some.
Bottom line, Hodad's is the best burger I have EVER had. I'd recommend it to anyone and everyone...wait a minute, isn't that what I'm doing now? Oh well. In other words, if you want a burger that Johnny Utah himself would be proud of, if you want a burger so big that Brody and Rick Kane couldn't even surf it, if you want a burger so juicy and rare that Edward Cullen will feel guilty after eating it, if you want a burger so good that it would feed the entire cartoon casts of Thundercats, Voltron, He-Man, Phineas and Ferb, The Fairly Oddparents, M.A.S.K, the Bionic Six, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Gem, Captain N The Game Master, Duck Tales, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Gummi Bears, Smurfs, and Spongebob Squarepants then you need to get yourself a Hodad's burger.
The vanilla malt shake here is the best. The burger was almost an afterthought. In fact, I was annoyed that the burger had arrived as it distracted from my shake love affair.
I find the servers to be efficient and fairly attentive given the environment. The cashier girl was a bit curt however and didn't say bye or thanks and seemed annoyed that I asked for a box.
Overall I'm still not won over by their burgers or onion rings. My advice is come early and order the shake.... it will make your day.
Found this place accidentally on our drive to the sunset cliffs. Of course I've heard about it, so… Read more »
I had this on my list for SD ever since I saw it on Diners Drive Ins and Dives, bacon patty sounds delish. Apparently they boil their bacon first then make little round bacon disks on the griddle for their burgers. Came here and waited about 10 minutes for a table. They did have some available space here and there but the staff seemed a bit slammed. Food roundup:
Chocolate shake: Rich and creamy with plenty of ice cream.
Bacon cheeseburger: This is a very good burger. Very juicy and in almost every bite I got a crispy piece of bacon. The veggies are piled high too, got 2 very thick slices of tomato. It's big too, I got the single which was plenty!
Fries: The fries that came with bf's burger are more like seasoned wedges, different than what I expected.
Onion rings: Half order is quite large, these were ok, not the best I've had. These have a breadcrumb coating.
Lowdown: This place is really a dive by the beach. Servers are busy and may be a bit brusque at first, but did check in once we got our food. Burgers here are nice and juicy, you gotta get the bacon on it too. If I felt like a artery clogging burger and lived in SD, this would be the place to get it. Solid 4 for the burgers.
When Guy Fieri was on The Tonight Show, with Jay Leno, he said one of his favorite burger joints was Hodad's in San Diego.
My friend and fellow Yelper Eugine Y told me to hit up Hodad's while I was in SD because they had killer burgers.
On Yelp Hodad's has a solid 4 star rating and almost 700 reviews, so I knew this place had to be great.
Guy, Eugine, and Yelp were all dead on. Hodad's serves up some of the biggest, juiciest, cheesiest, delicious, and simple burgers I have ever had. And when I say simple, I mean that in a good way. I have been to many burger joints over the years were you can custom create your own burger. Places like The Counter and Slater's 50/50 allow you to choose what size burger patty you want and what type of bun, sauce, and toppings you want on you burger. Don't get me wrong, I love these places, it is fun to create your own burger using dozens of different toppings but once in a while it is also nice to just choose one of a menu and not have to think if certain toppings will go good with one another.
At Hodad's I got their double bacon cheeseburger, and I got it SACed. SAC means Swiss cheese, American cheese, and cheddar cheese. I also ordered a basket of frings (fries and onion rings). When my burger was sat in front of me all I could see was cheese. This beastly burger looked like it was vomiting up cheese. Every bite I took contained lots and lots of gooey cheese. The bacon was a little burnt and super crispy, just the way I like it. The burger patties were big, fat, and juicy. This burger met and exceeded all my expectations. The frings were also great. The rings were nice and crispy and the fries, which were actually potato wedges, were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
The line for Hodad's can get a little out of hand. The first time we drove by it was wrapped around the building so we decided to come back the next morning when they first open. They open at 11am, so we got there at 10:45 thinking we would be first in line but to our surprise there was already about 8 people in line ahead of us. Surprisingly the service here was extremely fast. Once the place opened we were seated, had our orders placed, and had our food served to us in less then 20 minutes. The prices here were also amazing. My burger and fries came out to less then $15 dollars.
I loved the décor inside this joint too. The walls are covered with license plates from all over the country and there is an old VW van, cut in half that you can sit in.
I just want to thank Eugine for giving me a heads up on this place. The burgers really were killer.
I wanted to like this restaurant because I love supporting local businesses and hamburgers, but this place is pretty nasty. There are just too many flies for my liking and even though the burgers are okay I dont think its worth the wait. Maybe its just me, but I dont get the appeal!
What can I say that hasn't been said before considering the close to 700 yelps on this place?
I'm not much of a hamburger eater. I tend to veer away from red meat and grease, but every once in a while I have that hamburger craving. The only problem is that most times I indulge, I come away seriously disappointed. Too dry, too greasy, too fatty you name it.
Hodad's did not disappoint. To ease guilt and because I had filled up on tasty Azucar treats, I ordered the mini-burger. I expected a slider, but the mini-burger is much bigger than that and it was packed full of thick cut tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. It was a mouthful and Delish!
The hubbie ordered the veggie burger (good for him). Again, very, very good (I had the bite). One did not miss meat at all with that sandwich. He also ordered the fries (bad boy!). Very good, thick cut steak fries that were nice and crispy outside and tender inside.
Sure the line was crazy, but we were glad we decided to wait. This place was very efficient at moving people in and out without making you feel like you had to leave any second. We also loved the mix of people there no doubt due to its reputation. It had such a dive feel, but we saw a quartet of well-dressed, elegant octagenarian ladies enjoying their burgers here.
Great atmosphere, great service, and great burgers. Totally deserving of its reputation.
Hodads is pretty cool. We went on a weekday around lunchtime and there was lots of parking on the street. I think we beat the rush. But got a table pretty quickly. I wasn't sure if it was seat yourself or not so I found a bus boy who was cleaning a table and asked. He totally just walked away from me. But that could have been because they were playing terrible death metal music blaringly loud and he didn't hear a word I said.
On to the food...
Well they have all kinds of basic burgers (cheese, bacon etc) and an un-burger (no meat) and fries and milk shakes. I had a single cheesburger basket with fries and a chocolate shake. The burger was so freaking huge!!! No way I could finish one. It was really tasty came with pickles, lettuce tomato and a giant slice of raw onion. The tomato was a bit crappy but I put that off to time of year. The fries were capital "F" Fantastic. More like steak fries. Soo good. I'd go back just for them. The chocolate shake was awesome too old fashioned (you can get malt too) came in a big ol aluminum cup with a giant scoop of chocolate ice cream on top!
I'll call that a heart attack on the plate. Not that I ate the whole thing but hey us pregnant ladies need to eat!
TOO LOUD!!!!
burgers were good but a little fat free for this turd. And I dislike seasoned fries.
Hipster waitstaff or scenester waitstaff or whatever. Tattoos sleeving and turtlenecking are okay but three inch earlobe plugs kill my appetite.
If you are looking for a great burger in SD.. go to Hodad's. I will let you read all the other 700 reviews to gather the details, but basically all you need to know is it is a unique burger joint in OB that serves a great burger. My one suggestion is to not settle for the mini burger in an effort to be good and watch the calories. Go big.. it's better that way :)
I like this place because our waiter didn't kiss our ass or try to make small talk. He showed us our table and threw the menus on the table. I dug it.
I used to pass by and see a huge line waiting to get inside. Which was a bit discouraging because I don't like waiting in lines for food or any sort of line, anyway.
I split a burger with my boyfriend. We left stuffed and happy. Cool things on the wall to look at while you wait for your food.
Finally had a chance to come here. I'm not sure if its worth the 20-30 minutes drive for me, but it was definitely an enjoyable place to visit, especially if you're looking for casual dining in the area.
I ordered the single bacon cheeseburger and my man ordered the double cheeseburger. While the patties were standard thin size patties, the burgers were just huge! I had difficulty chewing on it without the ketchup, mayo, and tomatoes getting in my face. I looked like a slobbering mess afterward. Totally unable to keep my ladylike manners, but thankfully, my man was too busy devouring his to really notice. Also, the generous stack of napkins for me to grab in between bites helped out a lot. The chocolate shake was huge, I basically drank like a third of it and couldn't finish it. Incredibly thick, creamy, and filling.
The interior is very casual dining, very much a surfer's joint as it should be. The atmosphere was laid back and casual. I was glad I was able to take my man there since he enjoys his burgers as much as his beer and steaks. There was a line around the building, but the line goes by very fast. People go in, eat, chat for a few minutes, then go back out. Why would anyone waste their time inside a burger joint when the beach is literally a few minutes walk away? So I wouldn't let the line intimidate you.
Would I come here again? If I was in the neighborhood, absolutely. If I was out of the way? Probably not. Nevertheless, I enjoyed my time there and would recommend it to most people if they were hitting OB.
I love Hodads!! It has a special place in my heart. I had my first date with my High School sweetheart there. 7 years and a marriage later, we are still going strong. :)
The frings (fries and onion rings) are great as an app. The fries are seasoned wedge style and the rings are huge battered pieces of perfection! Plenty enough to share. The shakes/malts are all delicious. The double bacon cheeseburger is my favorite!! I get it, thinking someday I will finish it, but I never do!
Im hearing more about the service and less about the food.
What most people dont understand is that its in OB. If you don't know what Im talking about, go find out. No one is gonna kiss your a**, the service may be rude, and they are gonna blast music so loud you fear your eardrums may explode. Its a total beach bum place. You get your beer in a mason jar!
Overall, I love Hodads, and the long lines, often misunderstood "bad" service and the great food are the things that always make me come back.
Reviews got me wanting to come to try Hodad's. Seriously, ya'll got me coming.
I came here on a Friday, around 3ish? I wasn't sure if i should come because of the "long lines" i been hearing about. But, NO LINE AT ALL! was i lucky or what? I think i was (:
Got in, got seated quickly.. I got the mini hamburger, boyfriend got the double cheeseburger and shared the FULL frings.
As we waited, we looked around because this was our first time ever here. We were wondering as to why people didn't touch their fries, i mean, was it free or something? Seriously, i was like why order it if you weren't gonna eat any? ha ha ha! BOY was i wrong. our frings came out i was SHOCKED! shocked, as to why?! because the frings were mountain high, just by looking at it made me full already! & i knew the reason why no one finished their fries!
we got our burgers right after, my burger was the perfect size. as we ate, i was looking at my boyfriend struggling to eat his burger. i felt so horrible because it was dipping from left to right, it was super messy nor could it fit his mouth. i was more focused at him struggling to finish his burger, oh boy was it funny.
i told him everything here was huge, but he said "i gottah see it to believe it" he got a point. but seriously, my mini burger got me full. at the end, we HARDLY ate our frings, it was huge. we had to take it home and boy was the bag stuffed!
next time we'll order in smaller portions. overall, hodad's is alright, maybe i'll try it with cheese and the shake. but idk, $16 is pretty pricey just for burgers & fries :)
I was wondering why there was a line around the building at hodad's. It's a burger joint right. But as I waited in line people told me what a great burger it was. Well they were right. Juicy cooked perfectly. The bomb onion ring's and a nice cold beer "Good Stuff" now all I need is a belly rub I will be alright. Highly recommend if yo want a good burger.
I've been meaning to try Hodad's for a couple of years now and finally got around to it. Why has it taken me so long? Because I hate lines and crowds. Let's put it this way, I have such disdain for both that I do 95% of my X-Mas shopping online. The remaining 5% is last minute stuff and/or stuff that I simply can't find online, but I digress With all of that in mind, you'll find both of those items here --- an obnoxiously loud, crowded place and a line that, at the bare minimum, stretches half way down the block. Bleh.
So I finally have off from work on a totally random weekday (Thursday) and decide to finally check the place out. I had my plan in place. I'd go there during what I figured would be their off hours (around 2 pm), and yet when I arrive the place was still crowded and loud. However, the line only stretched part way out the door. Figuring this is as good as it's going to get, I decide to wait it out.
About 15 minutes go by and I'm finally seated. My plan was to order their double-bacon-cheeseburger with fries and a large chocolate shake, because heck, this may be my last visit. Taking into account the overall hellishness of the place I decide to swap out the shake for some beers. My Yellowtail was served in a small, jelly jar. Interesting to say the least, but my fine Ballast Point brew was good.
My burger and fries came out a short time later and I was very impressed. For starters, the thing was the size of my head. Secondly, the bacon was simply awesome. I realize these days people go ga-ga over bacon just to go ga-ga over it. I'm not one of those people, but damn that was some good bacon. The burger was covered with what seemed like a layer of some of the thickest, best bacon I've ever had. The burger patties themselves were good but nothing special. They were very much on par with what you'd get at In-N-Out. The fries were your standard potato wedges but they were pretty decent.
Overall, the place definitely lived up to it's hype. I probably won't return for a couple of more years, but it's definitely not because of the burgers.
4 stars.
This is one of those places that like or hate it, is quintessential San Diego. "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem" might as well be this city's slogan. Put it on a T-Shirt, and have Tony Gwynn saying it.
Anyways, Ocean Beach can get a little scary sometimes, but this place is worth the trip. The burgers are huge and you may dislocate your jaw trying to eat one of these, but barring any such injury you will enjoy what you eat.
And i mean, if Guy Fieri likes it....
Ok, so I'm the 650th person to review, but even so I thought I 'd throw in my two cents:
It was a burger, and it was good. Just good, not amazing, not fabulous, not the best burger I've ever had in my life.
They are self-proclaimed to be serving the "World's Best Burger" since 1969, that is quite a claim to live up to. I must say that it was extremely good but I don't know if I would call it the "World's Best". It's up there, don't get me wrong, but I know there is better out there. The beef is extremely fresh...it tastes as if they bought it from the butcher just hours earlier, and they just may have. It was cooked perfectly, seasoned well and quite juicy. All the toppings were terrific and fresh, as well as the right amounts. The American cheese oozed deliciously out the soft sesame seed bun. I didn't get mine with bacon but I might recommend it to you. They have a unique way of doing it where they cook it almost like a patty and place that on top of the burger.
The fries actually surprised me a bit, these were exceptional. I would almost state that the fries were better than the burger...I think part of this being that the burger has quite a pedigree to live up to. They're more of a wedge cut potato than french fry but they are now on the list as some of my favorite ever.
One of the things to come here for is the atmosphere alone. They have a "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem" policy and it's certainly your typical San Diego ideal hangout. The staff seem like a bunch of frat brothers and in all honesty they probably are. They were are cool guys and very helpful. They have surfboards and license plates hanging all over the walls.
I would definitely eat here if I lived in the area and I might even go out of my way but If there were too long of a wait I wouldn't mind heading to an In-N-Out for a 22. Certainly if you haven't had a Hodad's burger you need to make it a must on your list. Personally my only regret was not ordering a shake and onion rings as well (I've heard both are outstanding)... so don't make the same mistake I did.
I have photos and a more in depth review on my personal blog.
One of the best burger joints that I have been to in San Diego. Not only that but I must say their onion rings are phenominal! I would definitely recommend the cheeseburger with bacon, the bacon there is about as thick as the patty itself but delicious!
The atmosphere is very laid back as well, you could come with your family and grab a bite to eat or come with your friends and get a pitcher of beer!
The only recommendation I have is to make sure you come hungry because these burgers will fill you up! I literally had to sit at my friend's house after eating here for half an hour because I was in a food coma and wasn't able to drive! But it's definitley well worth the heartburn because it's quite delicious!
Came here for the famous burgers. There was a line, as expected, so we got our order to go and waited about 15-20 minutes. I ordered a single cheeseburger and ended up with a single bacon cheeseburger. I'm not a fan of bacon, but it was really good considering they were thick slices of bacon, not the flimsy ones I'm accustomed to. Shared a half basket of onion rings and couldn't even finish it between us two. Those rings are huge! I had to take a deep breath between each bite. I finished my burger, but damn, I felt like I exceeded my recommended calorie intake for two days!
I cannot even imagine ordering a double.. but yes, I would come back!
BEST BURGER PLACE IN SAN DIEGO!
I just moved to NYC and I will be going back to Hodad's as soon as I get back to SD. You can't go wrong here -- everything is good. The onion rings are amazing, as are the burgers, of course. I always got a bacon cheeseburger and IBC root beer. The best. And the decor inside is awesome. All the license plates, and the one booth that looks like a car. It's great. And Ocean Beach is beautiful. BE PREPARED TO WAIT IN LINE. But trust me, it's worth it. And since the weather in SD is always gorgeous, you can't complain about waiting outside.
You can't visit San Diego without stopping at Hodad's.
I read that this place is supposed to have the best hamburgers on the west coast, so I was pretty excited to go here. When we were a few blocks away, a couple pushed passed us saying they were in a hurry- apparently they were in a hurry to beat us in line! The line was pretty dang long, but surprisingly it moved quickly enough. The bathrooms kind of smell and the waiters didn't seem to give a shit, but the food was yummy and very filling (I got the single bacon hamburger and fries). I don't know about best on the west coast, but it was delicious!
Why do people rave about this place? I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and onion rings. The onion rings came out way before the burger... They were okay, but how can you mess up something that's deep fried in oil? The hamburger which is supposed to be their specialty was a HUGE disappointment. The bacon was burnt ... not crispy but burnt as in it was charred all over. The hamburger patty was thin... and dry. Sad to say but BURGER KING makes juicier burgers. It was a sad food day.
This place has great food. Located in the heart of OB, Hodad's is a casual dining place. My chicken "burger" was great, but I have to admit, this is not the place to be if you don't eat meat or are worried about healthy eating. Onion rings and potato wedges are served by the ton! Everyone I was with had burgers and they gave them two thumbs up. I hear the BLT's are also great.
Very close quarters though, so if you're worried about rubbing elbows with someone, you may want to head to Chief's in Solana Beach.
The wait: about 15-20 minutes on an early Saturday evening. Less than we expected when we first saw the line.
The service: Okay. Had to ask for refills, and we never saw our server after getting the bill.
The food: The burger is as good as a burger can get, from what I've eaten. The bacon was nice and chewy (not crispy), and the fries were okay. Portion sizes were large, and I took home most of my fries.
The price: About standard.. $10 a person.
Overall: We'll be back whenever we're in the area.
I saw it on Food Network and I like bacon, cheeseburgers so off I go to stand in line for 45 minutes on my first visit and 20 for my second time there. The first time I went I was really disappointed because by the time I got to the front they had run out of bacon and it was only like 1pm on a weekend. So I got me a double cheeseburger to makeup for the lost of fat from the absence of the bacon, I threw in a shake for good measure just in case my body needed the extra cholesterol intake for the day. There was a very eclectic group of diners, from the locals, the beach crowd to tourist who like me saw this place on a TV show and wanted to eat at a meal what entire African families eat in a week. The burger was a good burger, nothing special about it, except its pretty big, the milkshake was really good as well and there was plenty of it.
So weeks later I go back for the bacon, cheeseburger and you know what I was let down by it after the waiting. Sure you get lots of really good bacon on a burger but there was nothing super special about it except the sheer size of the bacon pattie.
Come for the burger and fries as long as you don't have the big exception of having the best burger of your life, but bring an appetite because they don't really do small portions here and get comfy its packed with a fair amount of seating in the form of long communal tables.
Best burgers around. Get it with bacon & get it to go if you've already eaten there. Eat it by the ocean or on the pier.
After reading all the reviews and hearing the claim of "best burger in the world", we had to try this place. The burgers were very tasty but I wouldn't say it was the best in the world. We didn't experience the line out the door... don't think we would have waiting if that was the case. The portions are big... a double is about as big as my head. I'm glad I only ordered a single. It was still a decent size. We also ordered a basket of union rings. Very yummy! Way too much food though... should have gone for the half basket. It would have been more than enough for two people. Overall very good. Totally worth a try if you are in the area and you're craving a burger.
Burger patty juicy, flavorful.
Fresh thick cut veggies.
Flies that kept flying around me bad.
Beer good too.
AMAZING BACON BURGERS!! I saw this on the food network and i had to check it out. i had a double cheese and bacon burger... WOW! if you love bacon then this is the place for you! there's a layer of burger then cheese, then a thick layer of bacon that's crunchy and sooo good! the shakes are also very good.
DOWN SIDE THEY SELL OUT OF FOOD!! i heard their onion rings were good but they ran out, they also ran out of fries too!! yea i went on a busy weekend but still they should have not run out.
still check it out! the place has very cool and bacon burger is the best ive had so far!
Uniquely Hodad's, come prepared to unbutton your jeans, inhale all that is authentically SoCal Americana, and bring the ear plugs for Grandma.
This place can be intimidating, with long lines, and skeezy dudes at the bar that overlooks the sidewalk. However, every so often those pervs are replaced by other, more genial types.
Hodad's attracts a lot of attention, from it's fetish for license plates, to the studded leather like biker motif.
My friend and I ordered two burgers, a large fry to share, and a strawberry milkshake. There are a lot of options to choose from so take your time, there's nothing too overwhelming, until you get your dinner.
The burgers here are huge! The vegetables were crispy with freshness and everything was just right. The meal makes it worth fighting the crowds!
I was planning a reunion lunch in San Diego with two friends. One sent me a link to a place from Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that she waned to try, and the other sent me a link to a CNN Best Burgers article and said she wanted to go there. Lucky for me, they were one and the same....Hodad's!
Word spread that we were heading to Hodad's, and our party of three quickly became nine. I was a little concerned about how this tiny little restaurant was going to accommodate nine very hungry ladies. But by some miraculous grace of the food gods, we scored a huge table after only a short wait in line.
Hodad's is famous for the following: burgers, onion rings, and chocolate shakes, so of course I have a full report on all three.
1. Burgers: I'm lame, I got the veggie burger at a place famous for bacon cheeseburgers. I'm not that into meat, sorry. The veggie burger was ok, but definitely not the must-have item at Hodad's. Everyone else ordered a burger. They reported that the burger meat was disappointing and all said that In-N-Out's meat is preferable. The bacon was reported to be highly delicious and crispy. For some reason, the burgers come with multiple huge onion slices. Just one would have been sufficient.
2. Onion Rings: I did partake in many an onion ring. Onion rings are definitely in my top 10 favorite foods, so I'm not an easy judge. I thought these were pretty close to perfect -- large onions, thick layer of batter (but not too thick), and served perfectly crispy. Our server didn't skimp on the ranch either, which is critical to onion ring enjoyment. One of my friends thought the batter could have been even thicker, but I thought it was just right.
3. Chocolate Shake: I ended up ordering the chocolate malt instead of the shake, which was definitely the right decision....tasted just like a cold ice creamy whopper. It's served in a huge metal canister, with 2 spoons (they assume one person can't eat the whole thing....they assume wrong). I tried a friend's shake as well and it is delicious, but I prefer the malty flavor. Both are served with a big scoop of ice cream on top. To be honest, I could have done without that...I had to eat it to get to the chocolate malt and it took up unnecessary room in my stomach that could have been filled with more malty goodness.
The ambiance and service at Hodad's are both excellent. The walls are lined with surfboards, funny personalized license plates (ie. CMLTOE) and there is even a booth inside an old VW van. The girls eating in there were kind enough to step out and let us take a picture inside. Our server was super friendly....he noted when stragglers of our party entered late and rushed over to get their orders, he took pictures of our table on three separate cameras without acting annoyed, and he managed to carry out nine burgers at the same time.
I would definitely come back to Hodad's, but next time I'm not even bothering with the burger...just onion rings and a chocolate malt for me!
I was invited by my brother and some of his friends to come down here. I have heard of the place but never knew about it. I thought it was some pizza or burgers place.
We arrived at the spot for a early dinner after lunch thing around 4 pm. We stood in line for a good amount of time. It wasn't bad but it was busy. We weren't in a rush to get to a seat because we were waiting for 4 other people anyways.
As we got to the front and got inside I noticed that this place was decorated nicely with a beach theme with a lot of license plates on the wall. Surfboards and accomodating decor surrounded the place.
It was nice that the servers helped to clean the tables. It seemed like a free for all to get a seat. Especially if your group had 7. We sat down before the others came down to meet us and looked at the simple menu of burgers, fries and onion rings. I looked at it for a little and decided on the bacon cheeseburger. We also decided as a group to get two baskets of the frings. Wrong idea. The frings are great and all but the serving size of all the food is huge. We should have just ordered one for our group of 7.
My bacon cheeseburger and it was great. It had all the vegetables also that were included free like onion, tomatoes, and pickles. I loved it all and ate the whole burger. Too much for for me but it was great. I would come back again. I noticed the bacon the most out of it. Very crunchy and good. I also had a woody beer which topped it off well!
The onion rings and the potato wedge fries were great. I just wish I had more room in my stomach.
After hearing about this place through Guy Fieri's show, I stopped by while visiting San Diego. The beachtown location was cool, and my friend and I bellied up to the open-air window to watch the surfers and beach bums make their way down the sidewalk towards the beach.
The burger was very good, and a comparable but more unique version of In 'n Out's animal style burger. The onion rings were also great! Of course, being from Wisconsin (home of the hamburger), I've had better hamburgers, but this was definately very good.
Good for a hamburger lunch while taking in a sunny day at the beach.
The bacon burger is everything everyone says it is. I first saw this place on food network's amazing show "The best thing I ever ate" and I decided to hit the place up the next time I was in San Diego.
Thank you yelpers for the great tips! I called ahead and when I got there I didn't have to wait in the insanely long line. I walked up to the counter and my order was waiting for me! Then my sister and I strolled the 2 blocks down to the ocean and had our lunch al fresco.
Delicious burger! The bacon patty was amazing. They're messy so watch out, and their fries aren't that great. I think I'd go for the onion rings next time.
Great burger, but now that I've had it, I wouldn't go out of my way to get it again.
OK we heard about Hodads on TV and since we like to scope out the best we made the 10 minute drive from downtown. Sunday night at 5:00 and it was busy with a 15 minute wait. Very casual, but fun atmosphere. We ordered a single burger, "fries' and a milkshake. Almost too much for one person, they really know how to add trimmings to a burger, a mountain of steak fries and a HUGE milkshake. Too bad the hamburger was overcooked. The milkshakes are outrageous.
I went here with a group of friends who recommended the place. There was a line when we got there so we had to wait, but the line moved along. The wait wasn't bad at all. I was waiting for 4 other friends so it was okay.
When we got inside, you would wait by the menus and the surfboard that tells you to wait for a clean table then you can sit down. Since we had a group of 7 we were looking for a large table and those tables were situated in the middle of the restaurant. On the right side of the restaurant there are 4-5 booths. There are also bar type seats and table for 4 situated around. There is also a table for two that you sit in a car which i though was kinda cool.
The restaurant is decorated with mostly license plates from all areas and different sayings on them along with some pictures from San Diego.
The menus are very simple. They have a list of all there burgers with prices and prices with fries. There fries are potato wedges.
I ordered the double bacon cheeseburger and shared frings with 2 other people. The burgers come well done with everything on it. It was a challenge to eat because they were kinda large. We also shared frings which were 4 bucks. Frings are onion rings and fries(potato wedges) in a huge basket. There were 7 of us and we only finished 1 basket of them. They mostly come with fries so if you enjoy onion rings you may just want to order that.
The burgers were really great. They were messy and got all over the place. The bacon was crispy to my liking and in all a pleasure to eat. The prices were just right too. I also tried the strawberry shake which was also great and they include a slab of ice cream at the top. It wasn't too sweet so I finished the whole thing. The onion rings were crispy as well and they provided ranch sauce as a dip. We just had too much fries left over.
I would go to this place again. Right when you get in the door look above you should see Guy Fieri's head from Food Network. So you know the food must be good and I agree. So drop by this place when heading to Ocean Beach and afterwards take a walk on the peer and enjoy the San Diego weather.
This place was crazy! I really liked it! The burgers are amazing. The area is definitely a place for college students and people that LOVE the beach. The burgers are juicy and the bacon is crispy. Probably the best burger I've had here so far! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!
The furthest from a Nebraska burger you can get. Big hunks of tomato and lettuce and onions that are matched by a big tasty patty (I always order onions, then dissect out half of them).
Only problem is having room for drinks after. Love the fries and shakes are good too--but make sure you have someone to share them with. Sorry, its not worth the line that forms in the summertime/peak times, but a good place to go if the line isn't out the door. Sadly, the food doesn't travel well, not recommended for takeout. Fun place to take people from out of town then wander around OB.
PS no offense to any Nebraskans, but I had to raid a salad bar in order to get something on my burger other than meat and ketchup.
This place was pretty good. I'm not going to go so far as to say that I was completely blown away, because that'd be a downright lie.
They are very popular and very well known, and in my opinion rightfully so. They have received much notoriety country-wide so you should definitely give this place a go.
Neighborhood: Pacific Beach
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: North Park
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Coronado
Category: Burgers
Neighborhood: Ocean Beach
Category: Sports Bars
Neighborhood: Coronado
Category: Bars
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