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Categories: Burgers, Greek, Mediterranean [Edit]
Neighborhood: North Park"Great Lebanese Food....service is extremely prompt and very friendly....I mean how many times can you refill the coke with a smile and it…" read more »
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Carnivores unite! Western Steakburger is what it tastes like when meat lovers from the Mediterranean open a family business. Here's what I like best:
1. For a small place, it has big menu with tons of choices.
2. Their steakburger. Take an above-average palm-sized beef patty and a soft fresh bun, add copious slices of gyros meat, then (at no extra cost) you can get "the works" which includes lettuce, tomato, pickle, relish, and onion (red and white) on the other bun. Add as much ketchup and mustard as you like, and BITE. Then just sit and relax as the angels sing you to sleep.
3. The fries are thick and hot and soft and potatoey inside.
4. The onion rings are good portions. In the balance between crispiness and softness is just right.
5. My friend ordered the bacon burger. They are so generous with their portions, I had to help eat about two slices of bacon that didn't fit on the burger.
5. Our total order for two hungry grown men came to $19.79. So for about ten bucks each, we ate our one meal (maybe 1500 calories) for the day and left fat and happy.
6. Friendly service. The proprietor chatted with us for the 6-8 minutes it took our burgers to cook all about how the year 1979 was a good one for the Chargers.
7. We arrived about 10 minutes before closing aqnd took about 20 minutes to eat it. Even though all the other customers had the good sense to order to-go, the staff let us eat our meal in peace as they prepared to close up for the night.
8. Inside or outside seating.
9. Even for a burger joint, Western Steakburger gives off a masculine vibe. The John Wayne and Clint Eastwood decor is appropriate, I guess. The environment is always clean and well cared for.
10. After your burger and fries, you are ready to hibernate for a long winter's nap. Skip the gym today, my body is getting a workout digesting all the meat.
We ate the Bacon Steakburger. It should have been called the Bloody
Burned Bacon Steakburger.
"How can a place that has been open for 20 years serving burgers,
still not know how to cook it right?"
I said something like that in my http://Yelp.com review over a year ago.
I told my friend that I was there for dinner and the response I
received was "Why did you go there, you hate that place. Hahhaahhaa."
Classic!
I went here, like I explained to my friend because after a year, you
want to give a restaurant the benefit of the doubt. That it was a bad
day, a bad burger.
But in reality, I probably will not, eh cannot, give this place
another chance. The fact is, my burger was a mess.
A thick slab of tomato that I did not eat. A bunch of bacon that was
thrown on haphazardly, bloody bun, cheap ass bun that couldn't hold up
the weight of a 1/2 lb burger patty.
I feel like Western Steakburger cuts corners everywhere possible.
Cheap ass Restaurant Depot fries, cans of soda (so there are no
refills?), Styrofoam plates and cups, cheapest napkins you can find,
"restaurant quality" mustard and ketchup. If they are cutting that
many corners in so many places, where are they cutting corners where
we cannot see?
I'll stop now, I DO hate this place!
Because for $9 for a burger and fries, I could have gone to Burger
Lounge and got an organic burger, for way under that I could have
gotten a better burger at Canada Steakburger up the street on
University and I wouldn't have to complain at how shitty this place is
for quality and product.
(photos here: http://edwinreal.poste...)
I had really high hopes for this place. My friends swear by it. Also, it is listed in some book as… Read more »
AAACK! Gyro meat on a burger! AAAACK! Western Steakburger, you are delicious, sir!
I've always passed this place while driving down University with my head slightly tilted wondering if this place is any good. Well, my query has recently been answered, and YES this place is any good!
Ok, so do you like delicious? Do you like burgers? Well, you'll like Western Steakburger! If you don't like it, you may be a Nazi. Just sayin'.
Western Steak Burger. Pretty damn good. First you have to love this place cause the cook (and I believe owner) is this strongly Greek guy with a think accent who use to be a Union Pipe fitter. How do I know this? Cause my boss worked with him like 20 years ago. Anyway for me that just adds character to the place. Also it has a very working class feel, and the clientele all seemed to be working class and Union guys. (at least when I went).
As for the burger, the actual burger patty is good, but not great. What makes this place fun, unique, and in my opinion really good, is what is own the burger. The deluxe burger comes with gyros meat on top! Hell yea gyros, which is good. You can also get pastrami on the burger. Come on how awesome is that?
Now I had a friend ask me "when did meat become a condiment?" My response, "shut your face, that's when". You know what topping meat with more meat is? Awesome-a-tude. So, if you are in the mood for some dead animal topped with more dead animal at a great working class joint then join me for a Deluxe Western Steakburger, and if not go put on your skirt and get a salad at some over priced hoty-toty bourgeoisie restaurant.
Hey, this place is pretty good. Big portion. Cash only though. Gyro meat + burger isn't a terribly bad idea. Like 2$ charge for grilled onions though!! :'{. Fries are pretty good. I like the burger to bun ratio, always something in between the slices. In fact, falling out. Good fun BURGER burger.
I've been eating there for as long as I can remember, and the food is outstanding.
The only problem is that I basically always order the exact same thing. The Western Deluxe. It's a huge burger with gyro meat piled on top!
How on earth can you beat that?
The place is friendly, clean, and always very mellow. Just a great place to grab a bite. I love this place.
I used to live right down the street from here. I tasted it for the first time when my buddy brought two burgers over and couldn't finish his second. I don't know what the hell went through his mind when he grabbed two steakburgers from this place becasue they're 10 lb pattys that make the buns look penny-sized. He finished one, and gave me his second so thanks for getting two of em', Scott. I took my first bite, and inhaled the rest of what was left over.
The regular burgers are average, but they are steak burgers and they're huge (if that's how you like em, cuz size does matter). They have a burger called the "western steak burger," which is my fave. It's a beef patty topped off with your usual toppings, with a fat stack of gyro meat. I would have never imagined to combine the two, but hands down, it's one of the best burgers I've had. If you love gyros and burgers, give it a shot!
Best burger ever! I have been passing this place for years and finally decided to stop in. YUM YUM YUM!! I got the burger with mushrooms, cheese and fries and thought that I died and went to heaven.
I got it to go, but I would totally go there to eat again either in their dining space or outdoors on their small patio,
A great value for one gigantic tasty burger!
Burger is juicy prices r reasonable and the service is great. The manager is super sweet.
I had the Blue Cheese burger, it was piled with cheese, it was good.
There wasnt much to the burger, and they dont take credit cards.
Over all worth the meal, I'd go back
Yay! I'm a fan again. It had been a long time since I've been here. The partner had a scuff with the wife of the owner and vowed never to return. However, he broke down and went with a friend and suggested we go here.
Hungry and probably feeling a little desperate, or perhaps the partner's low blood sugar nagging was getting to me, I caved in.
They had a special, 1/2 lb. BBQ burger with fries. Sounded pretty good, and I told them to slap some cheese on it. Naturally, those frills cost money but wth, I was hungry. The partner went Greek with gyros and salad. I ate a salad for lunch and was feeling pretty carnivorous. Charbroiled patty with everything on it (lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles) and a soft bun. Dug in and kept grinding on it until there was no more. The only thing I didn't like was the fries. Some a little soggy, some a little browner than the others. But I was hungry so I didn't give a shit.
I had a back log of reviews waiting, so it might look like I ate a four different places...something that I would probably do...LOL!
Good burger, generous portions. Yes, this is more soul food oriented (you are guaranteed GREASE). Sometimes, that's solicited. If you didn't expect it, YTF are you in a greasy spoon type joint anyways?
Pricey, but better parking space. Kinda tucked away but the place is a lot cleaner than Canada Steak Burger down the street.
hole in the wall burger joint that you will love and appreciate. situated in the middle of nowhere you will find it refreshing when you get your hands on a delicious burger. the staff and customers are unpretentious. the cooks are easygoing, ready to serve up a burger and the customers ready to scarf down a tasty one. yes, you can go to hodad's... but if you are in the north park area why not save time and money by visiting your local business.
i usually order the mushroom burger with fries. ahhhh!
Causally I have been on the hunt for the best burger joint in San Diego. My wife is from LA which she introduced me to some of the finest burger joints that would put franchises, chains and specialty places to shame.
San Diego may not be grand in scale with the finest mom and pop burger joints, but this place is top notch and is worth trying! The wife looked up this place in Yelp and decided on the photos on trying the mushroom burger. Boy was she in shock when the steak burger was served in a monster watering appeal in mind.
I opted for the Western Double Burger with fries. The burger was fantastic with the steak fries dipped into 1000 island dressing. My wife loves to take her time with her food, so I was tripping out how delicious her mushroom superb handful was being shrunk with little bites.
Finally after she was done, she let me have a few bites left of her madness. After one bite, I could taste the charbroiled sirloin steak with a big chunk of mushroom. When I described her how great in taste it was, my wife took what was left and completed her journey.
"This reminds me of being back home in LA...", my wife said as she dipped her fries in the dressing. "Hmmmm...those Greeks do it right!" I contest that the best places I have ever dined are Greek owned.
We already talked about next burger will be here, but pick up. The food is excellent, but the drinks are a little pricey and the dishes are served on Styrofoam plates. My wife rated minus star for that, along with the fact Cash Only. Hey you cannot change perfection, but I have to listen to her point of view!
The fat: Technically you can order something and split with someone.
The skinny: Bring cash, an empty stomach and route your next trip is the restroom.
As my Friday night started to transition into the mayhem I had anticipated, I needed to fuel up. I walked up to Western Steakburger b/c it seemed convenient and I had a hankering for beef. I ordered the fattiest burger off the special menu - the bacon burger. The service was quick and the portions were huge. I can't believe I ate the whole thing! While I sat outside with my dog, a drunk homeless couple came stumbling by. It was quite entertaining as they yelled at each other and at passerbys.
We took over this fine establishment one Saturday afternoon. We being me and a bunch of other burger loving Yelpers. It was really tough to pick something because there were so many good options, but I figured I'd go for the Western - a burger topped with gyros. I also ordered a side of onion rings.
Service was friendly and considering they had about 20 orders to make because of us, it was surprisingly fast, which was good because I was starving. The burgers are chargrilled and while it was cooked a little longer than I would have liked, the flavor was good. Adding the gyros on top added to the flavor of the burger. A total winner. The onion rings were good - totally crispy on the outside and just the right texture on the inside.
I would totally come back here for burgers. A great little neighborhood joint.
Went here yesterday for the last Lunch Bunch event before I leave for bootcamp (yeah, I'm going to keep reminding you guys that I'm leaving because I'm diabolical like that)
http://www.yelp.com/ev...
Best Char-BURNED burgers this side of the Mississippi *YEE-HAW!*
But seriously...this place gives you fat burgers (the meat overlapped the bun for crying out loud) and I loved that they had a mushroom burger *YOMYOMYOM* but even I have to admit it WAS kinda burned. That only intensified the smoked flavor ;D
The owners were super sweet and accomodated our group of 18?20? no sweat and the kids that were running around playing Cowboys and Indians :)
---------------------------
Sidenote:
CASH only.
"I have to unhinge my jaw just to get the whole thing in my mouth."
((No, that is not a line from the screenplay of a Jenna Jameson movie... nor is it likely what your girlfriend tells all of her friends when chatting about her sex life))
As you may have noticed, there was a meeting of Yelpers at Western Steakburger today organized by Lyn P.!
Here's a link to the event:
http://www.yelp.com/ev...
So... we went!!
Western Steakburger is located in North Park, therefore from the street walking up the stairs to get in, you would not expect a decor fit for Montana - it made my "wanna go on a roadtrip" senses fly off the charts. You know what I'm talking about... The dark brown fake wood, whitish linoleum floors, high counters - basically where the very cheesy, overdone Boll Weevil got their design influence from.
About 15 of us piled in there and the staff handled it quite marvelously! My friend and I were about 10th in line and we got our food in no more than five minutes.
Today *was* going to be the day that I officially cut meat out of my diet, but an eatery with the word "steak" in the name isn't exactly known for their fantastic veggie burger =D lol
Although there is a menu item made without meat, the Spinach Pita (which has a much more clever name but I cannot remember it right now), what ended up on my plate was their classic burger, the first one on the menu. It has gyro meat on it too and was delish! You better tell the folks if you prefer a sandwich without pickles, mystard, mayonnaise, lettuce or tomato or else they will just throw it right on there!
Friend ordered a mushroom burger and had the hardest time shoving the whole thing in her mouth. It was pretty impressive. She eventually got handed a knife and fork, cut the thing in quarters, then continued savoring the flavors.
Some stated that their meat was overcooked, but this leads me to believe that maybe that's just how they do it in the real West, ya'll. Mine was just fiiiiiiiine... :)
Also, you have a selection of canned and bottled beverages to choose from of the non-alcoholic variety.
Two of us ate for $19.25 and got extra cheese, grilled onions instead of regular onions, french fries and two drinks.
There are not many places in this town that are still Cash Only, but my friend and I stumbled across one today. Fear not! About a block down walking towards 30th, on the other side of the street is a huuuuuuuge liquor store which has an ATM in it.
sweet.
Go.
Eat.
Be Merry.
Take your kids.
And load up on napkins... but please try to stay ecofriendly about the amount you use :)
Another let-down at the hands of Yelp.
The couple is friendly. That's the only thing bumping them up from one star. Good service means a lot in my book, but there's really NO service provided here. It's not like they're taking your order at the table, they dont bring the food out to you, and on top of that, it's cash-only. I can see why they're smiling. They dont do shit. I'd be smiling too.
That being said, the price is entirely too high for this burger. Yea, they'll throw on all kinds of toppings for ya including relish? Wait, WTF relish? But you still have to pay .45 for ONE slice of cheese. $22 for two? How much did I just pay for this CAN of soda???
The burger? Well, let's just say thank God for the heavily char-grilled taste. It masks the pre-fabricated cafeteria patty taste of this 1/2 pounder pretty well. The fries are flavorless, and the onion rings taste like they came from the frozen section of your local Ralphs. I gave the burger with gyro meat a try... that was my fault. I should've known better. The two dont blend well together. Go with bacon.
Bottom line: I feel like I've been ripped off by some smiling bandits. NO service and sub-par food. I cant believe I paid this much for a shitty picnic burger on a styrofoam plate and a can of soda.
Hooray! It's ground meat cooked on a grill, served on a bun!
Ummm... yeah.
There wasn't much about the burger itself that made it exceptional. It was a little overdone, and was pressed out too large for the bun. The fries were pretty standard.
They do have a larger-than-average menu of offerings, including burgers (of course), ribs, and gyros. Huh? Yes, gyros. Go figure.
And as can be expected in this part of town, don't come here expecting to find a parking space without driving around for a little while.
So given the fact that it's nothing above the ordinary, and that the location doesn't do it any favors, I probably won't be back.
Mathematics made easy
If you have 5 stars subtract 1 for the ridiculous parking
(what do you expect it's North Park--1 hour parking will do, don't park behind Pizza Hut--Pizza Hut customers only! lame)
subtract 1 for the burnt err chargrilled patties and flavorless fries
(I only ate half of a burger and when it started to fall apart I saw that the patty was well...more like chunks of ground beef instead of stuck together--AND the fries, I like to not season my fries too...ever heard of salt and a dash of pepper? It doesn't help salting/peppering them after their cooked it doesn't stick and you have to practically cover it in a blanket of salt) Also they put all the condiments in for you...sorry not a fan of mustard.
subtract 1 for the price. Okay so I didn't pay, Dale offered half of his hawaiian?teriyaki? burger. I told you I wasn't hungry!!! Apparently they think I'm malnourished and I NEED to eat. :( Fine.
So the two stars are for them accommodating our large party, letting the kiddies run around, and the people.
The burger lacked the juice and the fries lacked flavor, well so did the burger.
I'd rather go to Carl's Jr. and get a Famous Star w/ Cheese for 2.35!
Oh yes, and nice meeting you all. Bella gets the number 1 spot on my coolest person I met that day list. =] Kids love me.
I've been coming here since I was knee-high to a duck and I will continue to make my monthly pilgrimage.
It's not another trendy "grass-fed" burger joint that seem to have become so popular, Western Steakburger is classic, established and they put out a mouth-watering burger. Yes. "Mouth-watering."
It seems that today burgers have become the canvas that chefs paint with their palette of condiments. And in this frenzy to be avant-garde the results can be mottled with flavors that are left lacking. There is something to be said for a good old-fashioned, hearty burger...and combine it with thick cuts of gyros...I'm salivating already.
The steak fries are great when fresh (don't try to re-heat them, it's a lost cause.) They come unsalted for you to season to your liking. The onion rings are not your regular beer-battered assortment, but good nonetheless.
All-in-all this place might not be for everyone, but it IS FOR ME!!
What a small parking lot. Thank god there's a parking in there. So I go inside and step up to the counter. I already know what I want. I haven't had a pastrami burger in so long, plus this is a steak burger! Wow.
I am completely head over heels for a good steak burger. When I traveled out of the country, I went to a butcher shop that I told I wanted ground beef to make hamburgers. He grabbed a slab of his most expensive stake (since I was a foreigner who would pay) and grounded up about 5 pounds. After paying the man $2 approximately (Heaven), I picked up all the veggies I would need for about 50 cents. I then went home and made some of the best steak burgers that both my family and I agreed were FANTASTIC.
Those are the basics of a great steak burger. Fresh ground steak, seasoned slightly, cooked to perfection, and served up hot on a complimenting bun with fresh veggies piled on. I have hence been to probably two restaurants in my life that have lived up to that creed.
That is not what I got at Western Steakburger though.
So i get my burger. Its an odd shape. Of course the bun (which looks run of the mill store bought) is round, but the burger is shaped like a steak. What? This is odd. Well I look at the ingredients. It has some very bright veggies (you know the kind you find at Food 4 Less), quite plastic looking, and some pretty thickly cut pastrami slices on top of the oblong burger. The fries look golden but on the oily side. *Sigh* This is going to be something.
So I bite into the burger. I am even more confused. The burger patty itself is ground beef, oblong shape to make it look like a steak (I guess), but still all surface meat. While I don't like my burgers well done, I do understand that temperatures of 160 F are required to kill eColi. In the case of beef, that's medium. With that I look at my burger and see some very rare pink portions. Now... I'm not saying it was not cooked properly, I did not measure the temperature of the meat and so maybe it was all 160 F, but from my experience, it could use some more time on the grill. Of course I spit out the burger to be safe and ask them to cook it more.
When I get it back I settle in. It take another bite, this time daring to taste it (as it is medium well now). The taste is a tiny bit above average. Better than Canada Steak Burger for sure, but still just hugging average. There could have been a lot more flavor in the meat. I thought it would have had a deeper taste seeing as how it is supposed to be some type of steak. It has a MASSIVE amount of juice though. Again, not really any special flavor n that juice though. Its quite a let down, but not a disaster. The vegetables are tasteless really. They taste a tad greasy from all the burger juice and again, are mostly there so you taste onion. Nothing special, nothing ripe, very plastic veggies. The pastrami, I think, that was the biggest let down. It was to rough, too thick. The strong pepper based flavor of its savoriness are all but gone. I don't know what happened to it. I just know there was no point of it being on there if it was just going to add a leathery girth, not flavor. Regrettable.
I move onto the fries. This is weak. They are all crispy on the outside yes, but infested with oil throughout. The inside doesn't hold too much potato either. This is a pretty sad excuse for french fries. With ketchup, they are bearable. I guess add enough sugar to anything and that will make it bearable.
By the time I go for my second run through the burger, the thing is falling apart at the seams. The bottom bun has sucked up so much juice its practically gone. Veggies are flying out everywhere, the burger is almost bun-less, the pastrami is saying hello. Its a mess, but I still attempt to eat it.
Perhaps its the mere fact that it trumped Canada Steak Burger by a thin margin that I am giving this place a 3 out of 5. Its just so odd, the shape of the burger, the amount of barely flavorful juice, the tasteless veggies and leathery pastrami. I should be giving this place a 1 or a 2. The thing is, it is a common burger flavor, and because of that it appeals to my nostalgia for the burgers I used to eat when I was a kid. You know, that char grilled flavor. That char that you taste more than the meat. That's this burger. That's a classic American burger flavor that you would fine at almost any mom and pop burger joint.
In the end, like the 3/5 rating says, its A-OK. I am sure I will find a better burger though. Time will tell.
First of all, thanks to Lyn P for setting up this lunch event.
Most of the experienced Yelpers seem to hit up a lot of these North Park joints, where I am still just trying out North park for the first time. I'd tried a few places here and there, but not in heavy rotation. My plan is to try more places in this part of town. As for the location...it's North Park. I can't really explain it. You just have to go down there and see it for yourself. It has it's own little charm I guess.
I guest I was lucky that day. I was able to get "rock-star" parking not too far from the entrance. This place is definitely mom and pop. Sorry son... Cash Only. Who does cash only now a days? Oh well. I was pre-warned so I came prepared. You basically order at the counter and then they expect you grab your food off the counter. So don't expect waiter service here either. As for the grub, I tried their signature Western Burger. Basically you get a char patty with the typical veggies; lettuce/tomato/onion. But.....they kick it up a notch by adding gyro meat on top of your burger. So it's like East meets west. or rather Far Mediterranean East meets Cowboy West. It was definitely interesting. Some of the other Yelpers got the same burger with mushroom topping added on it....nice.... I love shrooms. ha!
The owners I think are Greek which would account for their gyro plates alongside with their Burgers and such. It's all good though.
More imporantly, I got a chance to meet a few new faces from the Yelp Community!
Western Steakburger is a very good place. First and foremost i need to say the negative. They haven't caught up with the times and don't take ATM/Debit. Now since there are many other places that don't take cards I won't ding them for that. The burgers and bbq are great. If you go for the burgers try a Western Deluxe(it has gyros on a beef burger). If you don't wanna try gyros on a burger try their pastrami sandwhich or the kabobs. The fries are decent... not bad but not great. Their burgers really carry the restaurant in my opinion and they'd earn 4 stars in my opinion. Its a casual place, great for a day date or for take out.
Gyro meat on top of your burger? Sign me up! Check this place out if you're craving good ol' fashioned comfort food. No cards, bring cash!
This is the most yummy burger shop I have ever walked into in my life! Fresh and huge are the words of the day! And the guy behind the counter is so cool, not like the total butt heads at the other local burger shops! Burgers should be fun! I dream about this place almost everyday!
I was feelin' the whole 1950s rockabilly thing, which naturally made me want a burger - my friend took me here, and now I'm sad to leave San Diego. The friendly Greek man behind the counter recommended the gyro burger, which promptly MELTED MY FACE. All I could do was laugh at the girth of this hefty "sandwich." I momentarily became paralyzed and almost could not eat it for lack of a reasonable strategy for consuming this massive burger. Thankfully, I worked through this test of wills and enjoyed what tentatively we will call the Best Burger Ever.
mmmmm.,,,I love it. Another great one near my pad and affordable. The burgers are HUGE! Massive man I mean almost bigger than the bun. I am waiting for the right moment to get that pastrami sukker but it seems like a huge taking on so I'm biding my time for the right occasion. I love burger joints and more importantly I LOVE burgers so this one is an easy one. Yes only cash but the guys behind the counter are really nice and they always tell me that they'll see me tomorrow which I find absolutely adorable. I wish they were open mad late for drunken burgers but I'll survive.
Eating in the North Park area just got a little better.
Best burger, hands down. The burgers are just plain good and usually perfectly cooked. My mouth waters just thinking of it. They are large and well decorated with fixings. It's not fancy, just lots of good tasty artery clogging meat on a tasty bun that you can just sink into.
The fries are just ok, nothing special but not bad either. Just your average diced potatoes fried up without anything special added to it.
But the burgers are great.
Unfortunately I did not get a burger when I came here. I got the gyro and spinach combo. Not bad. It came with rice, pita, gyro, spanakopita, and a salad. I would have liked the option for hummus, but it was enough food already. Hummus is always nice tho. My BF had the hawaiian burger. I had a bite. It was greasy. Not good greasy. Almost sorta gross. He was really looking forward to a good burger too, but this place did not deliver. Pry won't make another visit here, sorry.
i wish i could lie... but i can't on this one -
BEST BURGER OF SAN DIEGO.
Hands down.
My recommendation: Western Deluxe - 1/2 lbs. chuck, FLAME cooked at about medium to medium well, topped with gyro meat, and all the produce: onions, pickles, tomatoe and lettuce. BOMB!
knock that back with a side of fries and a can of pop... and you'll be in hamburger heaven.
The burgers are very tasty and charred on a grill...and with the gyro meat, it's a good meal. They would get 5 stars, but the fries look like the frozen kind, and not fresh cut and they charge extra for grilled onions!
I give it a three star for one reason. They don't take credit/atm cards. Been driving by this place for almost 5 years now, and one of my new roommates asked me what it was. I said I really had no idea since I had never tried it. Drove by Saturday morning and saw that they had Gyros. Curiosity was peeked and I had to check it out. Now I was aware of the no card rule. My buddy Brad tried it and let me know the scoop. So I grabbed the roommate Christin P, swung by Union Bank and was on my way to some Western Gyro action. Prices were decent, food was great, manager was cool, but it really bugs me about the card thing. I would probably go back at least once a month if that was not the case. Get with 2009! I ordered a Gyro Sandwich and it was amazing. I'll say it again. Amazing. The meat was tender, cooked, and they even grilled it a second it tasted like. The Taziki sauce was good, not overpowering. And the fries I ordered on the side were long and crunchy and smoking hot. On a hot evening, no A/C or ventilation, those fries were a little much. But yummy. I highly recommend this place for meat eaters, but the no ATM card thing really sucks.
I love this place. For 5 years, I lived a block away.....which was very good for me. I always would get whatever the burger special of the day was. Why? Because they are ALL GOOD. The fries are really nice too. They are steak size fries, but real crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside. Pretty much delicious.
I don't get over there much anymore since I moved away, however all the years I went there it was cash only and I suspect it probably still is. It seems to be a real mom and pop place owned by a husband and wife....they seem to be the only people who work there every single day along with one extra cook. They are very very sweet people.
There was a time when you couldn't get Gyros at the mall...you had to go to a place like Western Steakburger.
SO, back in the pre-food-court-gyros-days my friend took me to Western Steak. In my head I had this place being on El Cajon Blvd. so for 25 years, whenever I was driving down El Cajon Blvd. I would keep an eye out hoping to find the Gyros place. Then University began to gentrify and I was driving. Alarms started going off in my head....There it was: Western Steakburger just as I remembered it*.
Now you can get Gyros anywhere but you aren't going to find a GyroBurger or a PastramiBurger like this guy makes.
*I told this story to the owner and he was telling me that this wasn't the original location but that it, in fact, was on University all along.
Best burger spot I've found in San Diego so far! The "Western Deluxe" is my favorite, a BIG charbroiled steak burger piled high with Gyro meat! Everything tastes fresh, and it's hot off the fire.
Don't go here expecting chipotle mustard, horse radish sauce, dijon and whatever other toppings you can think of you'd add flavor to a burger with because here you won't find it. Or seasoned, garlic fries. Think basic burgers & fries like "in-out-burger" but 3x the size servings.
And the quest for the best burger in San Diego continues.
I had some time to kill before my flight out to Texas last Thursday, so I decided to check out Western Steakburger. Got out there at about 1:00ish or so, and was able to park right in front of the joint (score!).
As I walked in, it definitely had that whole in the wall type feeling to it (a good thing in my opinion). I looked over the menu, and I was surprised to see that burgers only constituted a small portion of the menu. Still, that's what I came for, so that's what I was going to eat. I got the lunch special- double western steakburger with fries.
The good- burger came out relatively quickly which was nice. The burger itself well constructed- a good ratio of bun to condiments to patty ratio.
The bad- the food came out relatively quickly, and was SCALDING HOT. I had to wait about 5 minutes after I burned my tongue on an initial fry. The fries were pretty bland (even with salt), and the burger seemed to be more cooked than I would have liked.
Overall- a decent burger? yeah. The best burger in SD? I would have to say no. Maybe I just got the wrong burger, but if I'm going to be fair, and compare apples to apples, the cheeseburger here just wasnt what I was hoping for. I don't think I'd go out of my way to go to this place.
My breathing becomes labored just recalling the taste and smell of this place.
A mental image of John Wayne appears, saying "Well pilgrim, you've made yourself even fatter. Wayyy to go." Ah, grease-induced hallucinations - gotta love them.
Gah, what an establishment built to expose our most carnal yearnings for huge hunks of beef slapped between two slices of bread. Grilled to maximum flavor, the burgers here are unapologetic tributes to the carnivorous lifestyle that drip with grease and deliciousness.
And when there's a cardboard cutout of John Wayne staring at you, you scarf the meal down with pride. John Wayne wasn't about feeling guilty - he was about kicking ass and eating what he wanted. Well, that second point is debatable, but I don't put it past the cowboy ethos.
Delicious and satisfying, charred and simple.
In a word, surprised, no make that two words, disappointed. All the hype is undeserved. Have you ever had a Whataburger? It's exactly the same. I assume the people who rave about this place are either drunk, high or have truly never had a decent burger? Or is it the fact that the meat is chargrilled and masks cheap meat flavor and hits the right note for certain palates?
I had the Western Deluxe burger with fries. The first bite was a chargrilled patty in a plain bun, the words bland and burnt spring to mind. The rest of the burger was mediocre at best. The fries were tasteless, no wait, greasy. You better add a ton of condiments to enjoy.
Oh boy this is not sitting in my stomach well. I was so looking forward to a good burger. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm pretty disappointed.
I always am down for a nice tasting burger and now I have one near my house. I love IN-N-OUT however I have to say this chargrilled burger stood up pretty close to them I was definitely impressed with the quality.
As far as prices I believe we paid about 5-6 bux for the burger because we had to pay extra for cheese. The fries were good they were the thick and fried well. I love fries too! :)
Cons: The parking was a little difficult because you had to find street parking. We ended up parking on a side street close to it and walking a little. So its kinda hard to get to when you want a fast burger.
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