Red Rooster — Restaurant in Oceanside

I have this thing about not eating at dive bars. To me it just doesn't make sense. I've seen too many dive bars and know how they work to in proper mindset eat at a dive bar.This is my one exception.

I only eat their burgers as I'm not a fan of their onion rings. I prefer fresh hand batter donut sized monsters, but beggers can't be choosers.

When I tell people about a top notch classic burger being at a dive bar, down by the train tracks, in Oceanside, they clutch their purse or their rears.

Come for their burger and pitcher special. It's a fantastic way start your evening. Stay for the cheap jukebox and pool tables or even the firepit outside.

It's a little dark inside, janky like most dive bars, the people here generally come to eat burgers and drink, not just get hammered and waste their life away. Most everyone is a local and have been coming here for not year, but decades. It doesn't get a good reputation as many bars in Oceanside in the late 80's and early 90's got a bad wrap, but things change, just not their burgers. Service is ok, actually service doesn't matter, you order, you eat and drink. It's a dive bar so their bartenders don't' want to be there anyhow.

They overbread their mushrooms and don't have top shelf liquors, but they have kind of cheap beers, only a few places in Oside have cheaper non piss domestics. Message me for that list. Parking is terrible, small, your better off parking across the street somewhere as LEO's like to watch people leave from some convenient and less than obvious locations (namely their station 200 yards away or some direct line of sight hill tops. The 2nd best thinig you can do is park at a different sprinter station and take that as it's being the bar and no way the cops gonna know which station your at to call ahead. I can't deny this place a 5 star review for the burger alone and that I love dive bars. It's not my favorite place, but such a classic and staple of Oceanside my home it will always be where I come...

If you are an Oceanside resident and haven't ever tasted a 'Rooster Burger', you are either a vegetarian or a relative newcomer to the area. This 1/2 lb. cheeseburger is renowned for it's huge size, the grilled onions and/or ortega chiles, and it being the perfect companion to a schooner or tall glass of beer and maybe some fries or onion rings. They also offer a variety of simple entrees such as a huge hot dog, chicken sandwich, wings, etc. No salads or yuppie appetizers here, just fried green beans, mushrooms or mini-dogs! Most of the time we sit at the bar for there are only a handful of tables inside. You can also sit outside on the small patio and watch the Sprinter stop at the adjacent station and speculate the reasons why the riders choose to use public transportation. The servers/bartenders are all very nice and easy to get along with. So, if you don't mind the dive bar atmosphere and want a savory burger and beer for lunch or dinner, this might be just the place for you! Cash only! ATM inside. Highly recommended for locals or wannabe...

Do you want an AMAZING Burger that ONLY the Locals know about? Then dress down, bring cash and get yourself to Oceanside's Best Dive Bar and BURGER HEAVEN Red Rooster. The burgers are HUGE! Cooked on an open indoor flame they sport Mild Green Chilies, Caramelized Onions and Cheese. That's it. They are dripping moistness. If you MUST dress them up, they bring you a condiment caddie with Mustard, Ketchup, Mayo and Spicy Mayo. But I eat them AS IT. They don't get any better. Wash them down with a frosty mug of beer or a soda if you're so inclined. If you've got the appetite, they also have "frings" (fries, onion rings combo) or even tater tots. But usually the burger is all I can finish in one setting. Trust me. It's not a fancy place. The menu is limited, they accept only cash (ATM on premises) but IT'S THE BEST BURGER IN...