San Diego’s Best Burger: Grub Burger Bar
Grub Burger Bar is a small Texas chain that opened its first California location in San Diego. In a short time, it has become one of our favorite places. Its popularity shows we are not alone. In Fun Diego Family’s quest for the best burgers in San Diego, Grub Burger Bar is definitely on the list.
WEBSITE: https://grubburgerbar.com/
The first Grub Burger Bar launched in Texas in 2012. In San Diego, Grub Burger Bar opened in Carmel Mountain Ranch in 2016. By 2019 there were about 20 locations nationwide with 3 in California. We are naturally skeptical of chains, but the reality is there are some very good ones that focus on quality. Grub Burger Bar seems to be one of those.
Grub Burger Bar is part of a trend of fast casual restaurants where you order at the counter, take a number and find a seat. The menu is actually fairly extensive with much more than just burgers. There are interesting salads, sandwiches, and sides plus a full bar that includes spiked milkshakes.
Of course, we are all about the burgers and Grub Burger Bar has many options. A basic burger starts at $7.25 with specialty burgers at $9 to $10 (not including the premium Wagyu burger). The burger comes alone. A side of fries is $3 ($5.75 for a large). You can get cheese fries and a queso chorizo dip for the fries. Other sides include brussels sprouts and a black bean and corn medley.
We have tried quite a few of the custom burgers. These include the Bacon Love #9 with Fries (the fries are on the burger), the very spicy Scorpion Burger, Mac N Cheeseburger and the You’re My Boy Blue (featuring blue cheese).
Our son likes Grub Burger Bar so much he picked it for his 13th birthday. His favorite is the Lockhart Legend. This is a BBQ burger with bacon, onion rings and Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce. Lockhart is the beef brisket capital of Texas, but ironically, they are noted serving meat without sauce.
There are several sauces to choose from. Grub Burger has a sauce bar where you can get Dr. Pepper Sauce, Jalapeno Ranch, Chipotle Ketchup and their own Grub Sauce.
All the burgers we have had have been very good. The buns are baked fresh and are a highlight of the burger. The basic burger is solid which is always a key test.
Our biggest downside is the French fries which tend to be too salty. We are a sucker for the queso dip as a side. They are great for dipping fries.
The best deals at Grub are at lunch and happy hour. At lunch Monday to Friday from 11 to 2, you can get any burger or sandwich and fries for $10 (except the wagyu). Happy Hour runs Monday to Friday from 3 to 7 and you can get many specials for $6.50.
There is definitely a bar part to Grub Burger Bar. There is a full-service bar with plenty of television sets to watch sports. During happy hour you can get drinks for $5.50. A big feature is the spiked milkshakes that cost about $8. Our 13-year-old loves the regular shakes, most notably the dirty worm, Oreos and gummy worms.
As mentioned, there are many other options at Grub Burger Bar, including veggie burgers like the Hippie Chickpea. There are several chicken sandwiches, a salmon sandwich, and a turkey burger. They also have wings and chicken tenders.
The Carmel Mountain Ranch area is a northern suburb home to many restaurant chains like Olive Garden and Islands. Grub Burger Bar is a needed breath of fresh air and it has become quite popular. The burgers are of high quality and there are plenty of options. With a large heated outdoor seating area, we award points for ambiance.
UPDATE: Grub Burger made our list of San Diego’s Top 10 Burgers
Go here for more of Fun Diego Family’s best burgers in San Diego.
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