Hodad's SD: The Burger Experience
Character Plus A Heck of a Cheeseburger
The double-cheese burger at Hodad's is almost more than a mouthfull.
The place looks as if it should be in Haight-Ashbury or Woodstock, and the time somewhere back in the late 60's. Peace and flower power, baby!
And, indeed Hodad's – the famous burger joint in San Diego's Ocean Beach – is a trip. A trip back in time.
The tiny restaurant is decorated floor to ceiling in old license plates, there's a long picnic table in the middle and a couple of chairs are situated inside a psychedelic painted front of a VW microbus. One is tempted to check for a puff of smoke and to see if Spicoli is in there first before entering.
At the corner of Bacon and Newport, the outside and in of Hodad's.
But it is not the funky decor that has people lining up out the door. It's the high-stacked burgers. The double-cheese is the way to go, and it's so large it's funny to watch others try and figure out how to get it all in their mouths (of course, others may be watching you, as well).
Its circumference is about that of one of those salad plates in everyone's kitchen and the height is almost equal to an iPhone standing on its end. The included toppings are up to the individual, of course, but the basic has a pile of lettuce, onions, tons of tomatoes and plenty of pickles.
The burger is big and bold, and best washed down with a $3 Bud Light.
The burger is served in a basket and elbow room is at a premium, especially for those sitting on stools at the windows open to Newport Street.
It's sloppy to eat, to be sure, but not really any more messy than any good burger. One will easily go through a half-dozen of the large napkins provided on the table.
Hodads who go to Hodad's for the first time (a hodad is someone who goes to the beach looking like a surfer but does not actually surf) will immediately be tempted to add a basket of the awesome-looking onion rings to their order. The onion rings are crispy and golden brown and spark that "oh, I want those" temptation when looking around at other people's tables.
 And indeed they are quite good, but because the burger itself is so filling and the onion rings are stacked so high, Surfside Sam recommends getting the half order, and even that is plenty for two to split.
There's a reason people leave behind nearly-full baskets when they leave; it's not the quality of the rings but their quantity.
The $3 Bud Light – brought to our table in the server's shirt pocket – is a definite addition to the burger and onion rings (or fries, if one chooses to go in that direction).
But how good is the burger? After all, a place can have all the character and whimsical charm in the world – which Hodad's possesses in abundance – but the real test is in the taste of the food.
Surfside Sam finds the burger full and delicious. to be sure. It's juicy enough to require those six napkins, and even with the tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and onions also packed into the bun, there's plenty of flavor. However, the quality of the meat is not the equal to that of Ercoles in Manhattan Beach, which retains its Best Burger status. As such, Hodad's is an occasional quirky stop – a 60's burger experience worthy of anyone's time in the area – as opposed to a true "best burger" destination.
There's always a line at Hodads, located at the corner of Bacon Street and Newport, although it moves fairly quickly. Once in the door, pick up a menu and hold it until seated; this tells the servers you are waiting for a spot. Take your time, too; there is free parking on the street for two hours.
Prices: Double cheesburger, $7.50 (basket, $9). Onion Rings: $4.25. Domestic bottle beers: $3.
Locaiton: 5010 Newport Ave. (619) 224-4623. A second location is slated to open in downtown San Diego.
Hours: Sunday-Thurs, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
SurfsideSam.com cover all things on, at, and about the beach. © 2011. All rights reserved.
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