San Diego’s Best Burger: Sister Ray’s
Sister Ray’s is a new burger spot we discovered in 2019. This has become a favorite go-to spot. Primarily for one item, the chili. Sister Ray’s serves one of the best chili cheese burgers I have ever tried.
UPDATE: Sister Ray’s was another victim of COVID-19. It has been closed and it is now home to El Barbecue which has some of the people behind Grand Ole BBQ.
It makes sense I would love Sister Ray’s. It was founded by the owner of one of my favorite burger places, Balboa Bar and Grill, and one of my favorite pizza spots, Pizzeria Luigi.
Sister Ray’s is a tiny place in Sherman Heights. There are a few tables and a small bar with several beers on draft. The menu is basic: hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken wings and a chicken sandwich.
Of course, there is also the chili and that is what makes Sister Ray’s standout. You can get chili on its own or as a topping for hamburgers, hot dogs or fries.
The only items I have tried are the chili burger and the chili cheese fries. I love both these items, mainly because of the chili. The hamburgers have always been cooked to a perfect medium, but to me it is all about the chili.
After eating several times at Sister Ray’s I have gone back to tweak my recipe for chili dog chili. My family loves this recipe but I can not get it to come out as good as Sister Ray’s.
This is a simple place. A chili burger is $9.75 and chili fries are $4.50. My son has tried the chicken sandwich ($9.75) and claims it to be better than Popeyes or Chick-fil-a (but not as good as mine he says).
They have vegan food such as the Impossible Burger and chili made out of soyrizo. Of course, there is a regular standard burger and a flat top burger. I am going to bring my wife and daughter in to get their opinion of a chili-less burger. For me I have to have the chili.
The Sister Ray in the name is a man with sunglasses and a beard. I asked if one of the owners was a Velvet Underground fan. Sister Ray is a 20-minute long Velvet Underground song that is great for clearing out guests that are over staying their visit.
Turns out the name was more inspired by the legend of the nun who introduced chili to Europe. Turns out in the 1600s a nun in Spain by the name of Sister Mary would go into trances for several days. When she awoke she claimed to visit a far away land where she met the people who gave her the chili recipe. Turns our she was visiting the natives of Southwest America who called her the lady in blue.
There are several places you can read about this story. It is commonly included in discussions of the history of chili.
Sister Ray’s is one of those quirky little places that are always fun to discover. Personally I love places where the food does all the talking. That is definitely the case at Sister Ray’s.
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