Best Burgers in San Diego: Beach to Uptown

The best burgers in San Diego are split between the beach neighborhoods and the inland districts: Ocean Beach and Pacific Beach on the coast, North Park and Hillcrest uptown, and the Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy downtown. By the ocean, look for stacked bacon cheeseburgers from casual beach joints; uptown, look for smash burgers and pub burgers built to go with local beer.

Ocean Beach holds the city’s best-known burger institution. Hodad’s opened in 1969 and has been on Newport Avenue since 1991, a small, loud room famous for double bacon cheeseburgers. San Diego sits less than 20 miles from the Mexican border, and Baja California cooking runs through the city: the California burrito, carne asada and french fries rolled in a flour tortilla, is a local staple that competes with the burger for the post-surf meal. North Park and the surrounding uptown streets are packed with brewery taprooms, many of which keep a burger on the menu.

Burgers in San Diego: key facts

• Neighborhoods to explore: Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, North Park, Hillcrest, the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy and Point Loma.
• Local institution: Hodad’s, in Ocean Beach since 1969 and on Newport Avenue since 1991.
• Regional influence: Baja California cooking, from carne asada to the California burrito.
• Burgers and beer: North Park’s taprooms are the place to pair a burger with a local pale ale or IPA.
• Getting around: the San Diego Trolley covers downtown; the beach neighborhoods are easier by bus, bike or car.
• Currency: US dollar (USD).

Every guide we publish on San Diego is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Compare with other cities in our burger restaurant guides.