There was a lot of hype going into Hodad's in Ocean Beach last night. Some say it's the best burger you can get in the area, while others believe that there is nothing special about it. In my opinion, it's a pretty good burger for the price and will definitely fill you up, but I have to disagree and say that I believe I can find a better one in the SD area. Sorry Will.
One thing that makes this place different from other burger joints was the thick, tasty strip of bacon that was in the burger. This single piece of bacon was enough to put other restaurants bacon (most fast food chains like BK and McDonalds) to shame. The only problem was that the flavor and texture of the bacon was masked by the cheese, onions and tomatoes in the burger. After the first bite, which included the extra bacon that hangs over the sides, I forgot that I had ordered a bacon cheeseburger. Another problem I ran into during the meal was when my bottom bun became soaked and all of the ingredients started to fall out because the excess liquid made everything slip out of place. This is one of my pet peeves when it comes to eating out. If my food malfunctions in any way that does not allow me to enjoy the ingredients all together (if that is the best way to eat it), then I am disappointed. For me, it is also essential that the bun maintain its consistency because it provides a change in texture from the gooey, cheesy madness in the middle. I would like to come back to this place again sometime in the future because a friend of mine suggested that ordering the pickles on the side would cure the sogginess problem. I also think that I would save a dollar and get a normal cheeseburger instead of the bacon cheeseburger.
As far as additional items other than the burger, I thought that the onion rings and potato wedges were delicious. The onion rings were a good size and weren't dry at all like some places (Phil’s. FYI: this will be the only bad thing I say about Phil’s when I write about it). I like potatoes in general and the extra potato starchiness of the wedges will beat out the skinny fries almost every time. The server also brought out ranch dressing for the rings without us needing to ask, which is a plus because that saves me from having to worry about pestering the guy multiple times.
The area that Hodad's is located in is pretty interesting. There are very few big name stores in the area and Ocean Beach is home to many small businesses and stores. This showed the uniqueness of OB and the guy outside of Hodad's shredding on the guitar only added to the one-of-a-kind nightlife ambiance. Once you wait outside for a little while, the license plates from all over the country immediately grab your attention along with the blaring music that is quite annoying to try to talk over. Also, the bike pictured above was a nice addition and the booth that was the front half of a Volkswagen Type 2 made me want to come back again just so I could sit in there. The price and experience of going to Hodad's outweighed the quality of the food, but overall, I would give this restaurant 4 of 5 stars.
By the way, there was a debate at the dinner table about which gender this restaurant would appeal to more. If you have been there or happen to go there in the near future, I would be interested to hear what you think even though I think there's a clear answer.
Until next time, stay classy San Diego :P
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