San Diego’s Best Burger: The Grill at Torrey Pines Review
The Torrey Pines golf course is one of the most scenic public golf courses in the world. It sits on a bluff 300 feet above the Pacific and has spectacular cliffside views. The Lodge at Torrey Pines sits right at the entrance to the golf course at the 1st and 18th holes of both the North and South course. It is known for 2 major restaurants, the super fancy A.R. Valentien and the more casual The Grill. This post specifically is a review of the burger at The Grill at Torrey Pines.
The Grill at Torrey Pines
11480 N Torrey Pines Rd
La Jolla, Ca 92037
The Grill has been around for awhile but underwent a major $2.5 million renovation in 2016. A large fireplace with a huge rotisserie brick oven was added outside. The menu was overhauled but one thing that remained the same was the legendary Drugstore Hamburger. This hamburger is noted as one of the best in San Diego. At $19 it better be, and we can say yes it is. However, we only save this for special occasions.
This is a basic burger with onions, cheese, pickles and tomato. It also comes with mayo but we leave that off. You also get a side of fries (or greens if you want to be healthy). This is a thick half pound burger that uses top quality beef from Niman Ranch in Northern California. They do a good job of cooking it to medium and it is extremely juicy. This is simple stuff with no fancy gourmet toppings.
Of course, the view is also part of the admission and you definitely want to sit outside on the patio. The inside is nice, but the outdoor patio is what really shines. This is a great place to come before or after one of our Torrey Pines hikes. There is quite a bit more on the menu, but the only other thing we have tried is the excellent sloppy joes sandwich. Everytime we have come has been during the day so we have never tried their craft cocktails or rotating draft beer selection. We have also never seen the grill or rotisserie in action. They also offer a selection of high-end root beers and ginger beers which go great with the burger.
The Drugstore Hamburger at The Grill at Torrey Pines is truly one of the best in San Diego. Really this is a once or twice a year experience given the price. Of course, it is a great place for tourists and we love taking out-of-town guests. Maybe next time we will try something else but really the burger is simply too good to pass up.
UPDATE: The Drugstore Hamburger made our list of San Diego’s Top 10 Burgers
For nearby lodging suggestions check out our guide on Where to Stay in La Jolla.
