San Diego, CA (The Joy of Food) — Hodad’s is a beacon of hope serving baskets of awesome to the shirtless and shoeless since 1991. Those who are seriously hammered, stoned, and/or missing clothes are welcomed with open arms.
I first visited Hodad’s when I was a college-going gal in the 1990’s to learn what a cheeseburger should taste like. In the stone age, burgers were usually acquired one of two ways: either served out drive-thru windows at fast food joints or table-side with a fork and knife at sit-down restaurants. They were on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of price, but both were terrifying and tasteless.
Since 1969, Hodad’s has singlehandedly elevated the burger experience and given people a solid choice at decent prices. In Ocean Beach, it comes to life in an ambiance that’s hipster, laid back, and surfer-cool and features beach-type objects hanging on the walls and from the ceiling and a few million license plates thrown in for good measure. At the downtown location, the motif is less pronounced, but the short wait makes up for it in spades. The interminable line in Ocean Beach means I don’t visit the original location often; I don’t usually have three hours for lunch, which is what you’ll need to set aside to eat there.
Although cheeseburgers are now served all over southern California, one of the best is still at Hodad’s. Order one on its own (mini, single, or double) or make it a basket, a little bundle of love and goodness that arrives at your table complete with fries or onion rings.
The burger is stacked high with toppings (shredded lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, mayonnaise, ketchup, and mustard) and there’s a good patty-bun ratio, even on the smaller burgers. The patty is plump and well-seasoned. If you order one with cheese, it will be suitably fused into your burger meat thanks to some expert pan-frying. The fries are wedge-style and soft with a bit of crunch, also seasoned generously and stacked high in the basket.
It’s that perfect backyard burger experience that sends me straight to foodie nirvana except for one thing — a little lighter hand with the salt would be a very good thing.
You will also be very grateful for the yellow diaper that envelops the burger, for it will be the thing that keeps grease from dripping all over you and your pants. It does a good job catching all the delicious juices from spilling out everywhere while you eat.
As expected, the shakes and malts here are transcendent, creamy and thick and they help round out your 10,000-calorie meal.
Written by Joy
Thanks for reading. The Joy of Food blog celebrates eating well, traveling often, and living la dolce vita. San Diego, California is home base, but thoughts are from all over. Reviews and photos help to highlight wonderful (or not) food experiences from around the world.
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Oh yes I agree the calorie count is through the roof. I always feel like I probably don’t need to eat for a few days after having a meal here! My current favorite dish is the chili cheese fries. It comes served with two forks!
I’ll have to give those a try – not sure I’ve ever had chili cheese on wedge cut-style fries before. I think the texture could be interesting since they’re a little more dense comparatively. And yes even after the smallest burger and a few fries I’m usually set for a week of hibernation. 😂
I love the shakes and burgers at Hodad’s. 🙂
https://www.hungryones.com/2021/06/hodads-downtown/
Yes! I haven’t had a shake at Hodad’s in the longest time, although I did have a few tastes of the one that’s pictured. Most awesome. I feel like I would explode if I tried doing a burger + a shake of my own in one trip. Gotta pay them a visit just for an awesome shake one of the days!
I was just looking at their menu. I can’t believe they have a tuna salad sandwich. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone eat one.
This I did not know. The person who stands in line at Hodad’s and then orders a tuna salad sandwich needs to be thrown out of Hodad’s.