Hodad's Ocean Beach — Restaurant in San Diego

No, the line is probably not worth it.

Yes, it's a real good burger, think "In-N-Out Burger on Steroids" - but Hodad's kitchen and wait staff, mostly stoned out of their ever-loving skulls, operate on "beach time." This slo-mo style doesn't quite scale up to the immense demand for their burgers due to the massive amount of media exposure they've gotten both locally as a long-time beloved San Diego beach staple and nationally on Food Network and other outlets.

This Ocean Beach restaurant is Hodad's "flagship" location. And due to the factors cited above, it takes an unreasonably long time to get seated, and then way too long for the product to come out. This is why I prefer Hodad's less busy, less baked downtown location. It makes zero sense to need to set 2 hours of your day aside (not including drive time and parking) for the purpose of eating a cheeseburger. And note that my estimate of 2 hours applies only if you go off-season or during non-peak hours. Plan to spend 3 hours or more here trying to sit down and eat a burger for lunch or dinner during the summer months.

It's a shame, because this is one of San Diego's oldest restaurants, family-owned since 1969, and one of its funkiest and most culturally-relevant institutions, and here I am kinda telling you to not bother. The interior of Hodad's is like a kaleidoscope of surf culture kitsch - with a myriad of surfing-related objets d'art, gazillions of license plates and stickers on the walls, a bizarre booth made into a miniature Volkswagen, wooden surfboard-shaped benches offering communal seating, and colors - just lots of crazy colors. In other words, you really need to see it.

As for the burgers? I typically order the "Single Bacon Cheeseburger," which is the house specialty if there is one. It features a 1/3-pound beef patty, a thin disc of chopped bacon fused together through pan-frying, a slice of American cheese melted onto the burger patty, shredded lettuce, raw onions, pickles, tomatoes, mayo, ketchup, and mustard, but with large enough quantities of everything that they need to serve it in what they call a "burger diaper" paper-wrapping to catch all of the delicious juices and grease from spilling out everywhere when you pick the burger up. I sometimes need to compress the burger with my hands a bit before trying to eat it, otherwise I cannot fit enough of it into my mouth to take a proper bite. Like I said, it's a real good burger. In fact, this is the quintessential American burger turned up to "11." And Hodad's has been making them the same way for decades.

I usually get my burger with a "basket combo," so that it includes Hodad's crispy thick-cut French fries, which are some of my favorite fries in all of San Diego due to their crunchy skin, soft hot innards, and near-perfect amount of seasoning. All everyone talks about are Hodad's burgers and shakes, leaving their fries underrated. All of this is washed down with a beer or three or four. The goal being that if you actually made it into Hodad's Ocean Beach location after however long you waited in line, you may as well then take things slow and savor...

Ok so I came to the place wanting a burger and they delivered but maybe a little over did it. As for the restaurant it is mainly a takeout spot as there is a little dining area in front but it's kind of packed for my taste around this time as well as the fact that it will almost always be occupied so I wouldn’t plan on trying to eat there. So I ordered the Double Bacon CheeseBurger and when I got to the beach to eat I was greeted by this behemoth of a thing, I was expecting 2 patties but instead I got 3 making my burger weigh in what felt like a pound! Ohhh boy, I don’t know what was up but I was not ready for all that meat. For those asking why I didn’t simply take out a patty, I attempted to only to find that my burger’s structure was compromised and started to turn into a so called “RUSTIC DECONSTRUCTED” burger and while not being on a table, my option was to only press forward. So I did and the only thing that I thought to myself was if this was a joke, or maybe a mistake, or did they just look at me and since I’m a big guy, they decided to hook me up? I don’t know because all I could focus on was meat and that was too much. But from what I could tell the food was solid overall and for the price you pay about 15-17 for a burger, fries, and a drink which honestly isn’t bad considering all the food you get. But my order was kind of messed up so I can’t give it anymore than 3.5 but since there ain't no halves here we go to 4 but I am going to go back here and I want to say that it was a mistake and will gladly bump...

Hodad's Ocean Beach is a San Diego institution, known for its giant burgers, kitschy décor, and laid-back atmosphere. I recently had the pleasure of dining at Hodad's, and I was immediately impressed by the fun and funky vibe of the restaurant.

The walls of Hodad's are covered in surfboards, license plates, and other eclectic memorabilia. The restaurant also has a large outdoor patio, which is the perfect place to enjoy a burger and a beer on a sunny day.

I ordered the Classic Hodad's Burger, which is a two-patty burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles. The burger was cooked to perfection and the toppings were fresh and flavorful. I also ordered a side of Onion Rings, which were crispy and delicious.

In addition to the great food, I also enjoyed the friendly and welcoming service at Hodad's. My server was attentive and made sure that I had everything I needed.

Overall, I had a wonderful experience at Hodad's Ocean Beach. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was fun and funky. I would highly recommend Hodad's to anyone looking for a great burger and a unique dining experience.

Here are some specific things that I loved about my Hodad's Ocean Beach experience:

The fun and funky décor The delicious burgers and onion rings The friendly and welcoming service The fact that they have license plates from Bahrain and Kuwait! Overall, I highly recommend Hodad's Ocean Beach to anyone looking for a great burger and a unique...