Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the San Diego area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the San Diego area by diners
There's just something about a hamburger鈥攆rom the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.
While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three , tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual . Based on a of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.
The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become . Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an . To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.
While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today in America.
Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the San Diego area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of San Diego were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut鈥攐r maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#30. Dukes Old Fashioned Onion Burgers
- Rating: 4.3/5 (563 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5020 Baltimore Drive La Mesa, California
- Categories: Burgers
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#29. Baba'z Grill
- Rating: 4.3/5 (327 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4672 University Ave. Ste D San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Halal, Burgers
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#28. Encontro North Park
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2216 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3001 University Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Gastropubs
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#27. The Butcher N Cheese
- Rating: 4.4/5 (404 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4705 Clairemont Drive Ste C San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers
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#26. Garden Grill House
- Rating: 4.4/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7160 Miramar Road San Diego, California
- Categories: Delis, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#25. Shore Rider
- Rating: 4.4/5 (785 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2168 Avenida De La Playa La Jolla, California
- Categories: Burgers, Cocktail Bars, Poke
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#24. Plant Power Fast Food
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1145 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2204 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Vegan, fast food, Burgers
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#23. The Pub
- Rating: 4.4/5 (498 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2415 Morena Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Irish, Irish Pub, Burgers
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#22. The Food Box
- Rating: 4.4/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 976 Garnet Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
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#21. Maggie's Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1382 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3232 Greyling Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, American
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#20. The Melt
- Rating: 4.5/5 (727 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 635 Fifth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Chicken Shop
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#19. Coop's West Texas BBQ
- Rating: 4.5/5 (2456 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2625 Lemon Grove Ave. Lemon Grove, California
- Categories: Barbecue, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
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#18. Liberty Call Distilling
- Rating: 4.5/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1985 National Ave. Ste 1131 San Diego, California
- Categories: Distilleries, Cocktail Bars, Burgers
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#17. Green Vine Delicatessen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (414 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2429 National City Blvd. National City, California
- Categories: Delis, Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies
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#16. Bonehead Burger Co
- Rating: 4.5/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2540 Congress St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
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#15. Jeffs' Beach Burgers
- Rating: 4.5/5 (302 reviews)
- Address: 2134 Avenida De La Playa San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies
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#14. Maggie's Caf茅
- Rating: 4.6/5 (287 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1985 National Ave. Ste 1129 San Diego, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American, Burgers
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#13. Hayes Burger
- Rating: 4.6/5 (434 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2060 Logan Ave. Ste A San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers
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#12. Hawaiian Fresh Seafood At Centerpark Labs
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1113 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6835 Flanders Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Poke, Seafood, Burgers
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#11. Burgers, Bait & Beer
- Rating: 4.6/5 (290 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 200 Marina Park Way San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar, Hot Dogs
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#10. Burger Deck
- Rating: 4.6/5 (264 reviews)
- Address: 3715 India St. Ste B San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers
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#9. Ben & Esther's Vegan Delicatessen
- Rating: 4.6/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6663 El Cajon Blvd. Ste Q San Diego, California
- Categories: Delis, Vegan, Burgers
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#8. Rosemarie's
- Rating: 4.6/5 (395 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3852 Mission Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
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#7. Goodbar
- Rating: 4.6/5 (226 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1872 Rosecrans San Diego, California
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, Cheesesteaks
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#6. Chicago Fire Grill
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8935 Towne Centre Drive Ste 109 San Diego, California
- Categories: Salad, Burgers, Sandwiches
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#5. Doggos Gus
- Rating: 4.7/5 (350 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1313 J St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Food Stands, Burgers
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#4. The Pizza Joint
- Rating: 4.7/5 (451 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7094 Miramar Road San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings, Burgers
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#3. The Burger Joint & Brew
- Rating: 4.7/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7094 Miramar Road Unit 122 San Diego, California
- Categories: Halal, Burgers, Sports Bars
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#2. Lemon Grove Bistro
- Rating: 4.8/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3308 Main St. Lemon Grove, California
- Categories: American, Seafood, Burgers
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#1. Key & Cleaver
- Rating: 4.8/5 (192 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4727 University Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar
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This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
