Elevation Burger

Sad to see this place go. Market must be really tough as I barely discovered it. I first tried them when I was in Bahrain. I tried it there as I walking through the mall. it was OK. I looked them on line and there was a location in Carlsbad. Decided to try it and see how close it was to its foreign cousins. It tasted the same. It was not bad but did not do anything special for me. The service was decent. Location was a little small and it was packed for s Sunday evening when I visited. It was a little hard to find because of its location on the strip mall. it was little hard to read the signs from a distance. Sorry to see it go so fast.

wow. the times they are a changing …
before i could finish and post my review, ELEVATION morphed into PURE. seems the franchisee and franchiser got into a bit of a spat.
would characterize our visit as kinda disappointing …
first, a couple default gripes — why is it that no matter how forcefully i ask for my beef to be cooked rare or medium rare (their menu «suggests» that all their burgers are cooked to medium with a thin pink stripe down the middle) mine arrives really well done ?? why is it that no matter how forcefully i ask for my fries to be extra crispy they still arrive undercooked and limp ?? why do the fine folks taking orders even bother asking ???
the hand cut fries were soggy and i’m pretty sure we got the dregs from the bottom of the sink — that last basket out is always mostly shorties.
the burgers were just okay. had that gently stewed quality to their patties like WENDY’s. missed about half the adds from my order. pretty sloppy job. ELEVATION is (was) a grass-​fed, wannabe IN-​AND-​OUT experience without the drive-​thru and, frankly, except for very tasty shakes, they’re not even close.

Don’t bother coming here, they’re gone (CLOSED)…
Pure Burger is coming May 10^th, 2013
They’re twitter account disappeared just as quickly:
But they’re FB page is still around:
Regardless, don’t come here for Elevation Burger, it would appear they’ve gone ‘down’

Another tasty trip to Elevation! I was flipping through the coupon catalog I got in the mail and came across a «Pure Burger» offer; buy one burger, get one half off. I was surprised to see it listed in Bressi Ranch and partly disappointed that it may have replaced Elevation. We went anyway and discovered that Elevation will soon be becoming Pure Burger — mystery solved!
We both had the «Half the Guilt» burger (one veggie patty of your choice + one beef patty). I opted for all the good veggies and the balsamic mustard once again. Shared the fries. Great meal! The only thing I should have done was requested my meat to be well-​done… it was a little on the too-​pink side for me. Otherwise, delicious and I can’t wait to go back to put a couple more holes in my stamp card ;) I’m on my way to that free burger!

The burger was on the smaller side, even with the two patties in it. I was surprised by the size when my burger arrived! Was still hungry after I finished it + went to a different restaurant to get a sandwich right afterwards to fill me up!
If you really like lots of freedom in customizing your burger, you’ll like this place. You can pick from a long list of toppings + sauces that you want on your burger.
And if you really care about the ingredients being used in your food (ie. organic, grass fed, free range) and the environmental practices of the restaurants you eat at, you’ll appreciate what Elevation Burger is doing.
I thought it was expensive and wasn’t really wowed. I still like In N’ Out and Five Guys better, both for flavor of the food and the service. I love In N’ Out’s super friendly, awesome service and Five Guys does the similar choose-​all-​your-​toppings thing. But in terms of being the best for the environment, Elevation Burger seems to be the way to go! Not sure if I’ll be back… maybe just to try the vegetarian and vegan options.

I tried Elevation Burger for the second time and still am not impressed or wanting to go back to experience it again. I do like the fact there are two vegetarian burgers on their menu and the millkshakes look very delicious. For the flavor, the size of the patty and the price, you can do much better somewhere else.

Update!
I’ve grown to like the elevation burger protein style! =) Our company got Elevation Burger to cater our meeting. David was awesome and he took care of us! Fed about 30 of us at work! Presentation was awesome. I made one suggestion after thanking David over the phone. The burgers got cold super fast, so when catering, I suggested they use chafing trays with the burner to keep them warm. Other than that the amount of condiments and toppings were perf!

I’ve eaten here three times now so I could give an accurate review. I have to say I’m just not a fan. I tried.
(+)
Great phiolosophy: 100% grass-​fed beef, Olive-​oil cooked fries
Focus on fresh ingredients
Alternative options for vegetarians
You can order online
(-)
Taste. The meat just tastes different. Luckily they have a variety of toppings to mask the flavor but still…
Soggy bread
Greasy. They added napkins to our take-​out bag but they were soaked in grease by the time we got home.
Fries. They may be «healthier» but they’re thin and unseasoned.
Service is kinda slow. They could be a little more cheerful too.
The burger does remind me of In-​N-​Out in its presentation but I think In-​N-​Out beats Elevation by a mile.
My punch card is almost full so they might get one more visit from me.

Don’t get me wrong… I love In&Out burgers. Biting into a Animal Style Double– Double is a satisfying, if guilty pleasure. In&Out rightly so deserves the fame it gets, it’s that good, but…
I honestly believe that Elevation Burgers gives it a run for their money and dare I say it, may even exceed the golden standard established by In&Out? Quite possibly yes.
Elevation Burgers is food with a philosophy. They use organic ingredients and the beef is grass fed compared to the corn fed beef that other burger chains use. Now to be honest, I could’t really tell by taste compared to the others, but regardless the beef patties were thick and juicy and tasted great, so either way it works. In addition to the burgers, Elevation also offers a grilled cheese sandwich, salads, organic ingredient cookies, french fries, malts and shakes that have real fruit ingredients, or whats unique is you don’t want french fries, you can buy a mandarin orange as a side instead, seriously. Though I can’t speak for myself, they also offer a vegan burger… they offer a burger called «Half the Guilt» which is 1 beef patty and 1 vegan patty. Not my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal there.
Also here’s where Elevation trumps In&Out. They have more burger toppings, considerably more. You have your usual condiments like mayo, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles and onions, but they also have grilled onions, jalepeno peppers, balsamic mustard, «Elevation’ sauce’ (tangy and very good), mushrooms, bleu cheese and organic bacon. Plenty of choices to make a burger your own.
The burger I had was pretty much loaded, it was a ‘Elevation’, which a double patty burger. It had 2 pieces of cheese and I had everything in it. They did not skimp on the toppings and the balsamic mustard and the ‘Elevation’ sauce gave it a unique and pleasing flavor. The burger size is ‘just right’, not too big and definately not too small. I had a Fatburger earlier in the week and while I did enjoy it, it made me super groggy and I wanted nothing more then a nap… not good when I’m at work. This one did not make me groggy, but it took care of my appetite, no problem. The fries were not earth shattering good, but not bad either, just nothing special… they do work.
The service quick, efficient and friendly. We had our food in less then 5 minutes on a busy night, plus it was nice and clean inside. They also have a punch card promotion where each patty you buy gets you a stamp, so you get a double patty burger, you get 2 stamps, when you get 7 stamps, you get a free patty on a burger. If you have friends or family, the card gets filled up quickly. Free is good, so I’ll take it.
Honestly, everybody should give this place a shot, I think it stands on it’s 2 legs with the other established places and the prices are fair for what you get; 5.99 will get you an excellent burger with 1^st rate ingredients. Try it and see what you think.

Sorry guys, I was underwhelmed by Elevation Burger today at lunch. I think the concept sounds great — grass fed burgers, veggie and vegan patties, lots of good choices on the toppings and spreads, and fries cooked in olive oil. Our burgers were hot and made to order, and the open kitchen showed the magic coming together.
Unfortunately, my burger was ok but not great. My buddy and I both had Elevation Burgers, and between us all four patties were past well done. We were jealous of the postal worker at the next table, whose beef still had pink that we could see from 4 feet away. Also, somewhere in my burger, bun and LTM, I also tasted something awkwardly sweet — big mystery, folks, big mystery.
My biggest problem with Elevation Burger was the fries. Our fries were soggy and limp. I tied one in a knot. Seriously. They tasted fine, but we deserved better fries.
I thought Elevation Burger was generally fine, and I’d go back. But I’ve definitely had better burgers in North County.

My experience at Elevation Burger was «Burger Zen» Unilocalers. This ingredient driven joint (as I’m sure you’ve read in others reviews) serves up 100% USDA-​certified organic, grass fed, free range, and ground-​on-​premises. Long story short these are all the makings of a delicious hamburger FIT FOR ZEUS HIMSELF!
If juicy, INCREDIBLY TASTY BURGERS are not enough they have fresh cut fries and hand-​scooped shakes and malts!
On my fist visit I went all out. A Vertigo burger (3 meat patties but you can go as high as 10) topped with aged cheddar, caramelized onions, jalapenos, bacon, and mayo. To wash it down a chocolate malt. Ohhh and I snagged a few fries from my buddy. Everything was PURE AWESOMENESS.
If you don’t believe me SEE PIC!!!
This place is a wonderful addition to Carlsbad — THANK YOU!!! I still give a slight edge to my other favorite burger stand The Riders Club in San Clemente, CA but this place is damn close!
TRUE STORY: My friend Cory won a contest on their Facebook page. Just because he «liked» their page he got entered into a «free burgers for a year contest» and HE WON! Yup — this punk can enjoy a tasty 100% USDA-​certified organic, grass fed, free range, and ground-​on-​premises ON THE Hizzouse!!!
I give this enlightened burger 8.5 «I will surely pay you Tuesday for a grass fed hamburger of awesomeness today» out of 10.

What’s the point of organic, grass-​fed beef when your burger comes out soggy and the beef patties drown out the rest of the burger?
I agree with James D:“I ordered the signature Elevation burger. It isn’t hard to mess up fries but these guys serve them soggy. The burger was greasy and loaded with meat.”
The fries were soggy and limp (over-​salted as well).
The burger sets you back $ 6 and the fries are $ 3. My gf and I were very disappointed.
There’s a «warning» when you order that their patties are served with a «thin, pink line.» Nope, they overcooked our burger.
On a sign in the store, it states that regular burgers cause you to feel sluggish and tired but Elevation burgers make you feel energetic and lively. How can that be? We were served an enormous, overcooked meat patty (with a slice of cheese) and could hardly taste the rest of the burger. This is another greasy burger joint.
Organic, natural, grass-​fed = you’re supposed to feel good before, during, and after.
Elevation Burgers = bloated and sluggish as if you’ve eaten at Carl’s Jr.

*UPDATE*
I LOVE a business that is responsive to its customers. Ron from Elevation Burger informed me that they are now offering 100% organic bacon as a burger topping and they are looking in to adding avocados.
They’ve changed potatoes and give you the option of ordering your fries «extra crispy»…HOLLA!!!
Between Five Guys and Smashburger, Elevation Burger gets my top Unilocal vote for «BEST All Around Burger Joint» that offers enough yummy options for meat eaters and vegetarians!!!
wOOt, wOOt, wOOt!!!

Call it 2.5 but I’m rounding up a bit.
The burgers are smallish but the basic burger is a double so that helps in terms of quantity.
Grass-​fed beef does indeeed taste better than the normal stuff. On the other hand, if you don’t season (salt) the beef – damn it – the burger is going to be booooring. The ingredients and veggies and such on the burger were obviously fresh but the meat really was bland and blah. I know these guys push the health angle but if it doesn’t rock my taste buds then there is a problem.
Yes, the fries are on the «limp» side but I thought they had good flavor.
Super nice employees and a clean location. But boring burgers. It’s a burger joint with boring burgers so the search for a cook who knows how to cook this impossibly complex dish (i.e., «a hamburger») continues.
Next.

Not sure why this place has so many good reviews. 6 dollars for a cheeseburger? Come on. On top of that its just like In n out size burger. THey say grass fed beef, but the pattie really doesnt taste that much different. I have gotten burgers from Bitchin Burger food truck. They have grass fed beef and their burgers are a dollar more, but definately taste the difference. Their patties are cook awesomely good.
2.99 for soggy fries. Unfortunately, I will not be coming back. Give this place a try. Seems like you either love it or hate it. But compared to in n out and other burger joints around their price, I will not be coming back.

I love the concept here, tasty fast food burgers but made from free range grass fed beef, yes! Thank you to whoever opened this place and please chain out :)
My only request is that the plain ice tea be truly plain, no spices and please have fresh lemon around. Other then that it was great from the juicy burgers, tasty fries (fried only in olive oil), and great service (they checked on us many times even though it isn’t table service).
Thanks!

Burgers with a conscience? YES! Thank you for offering vegan/​vegetarian options that don’t suck.
*MINUS 1 STAR: I had lunch here today and boy, does this place get loud and busy fast! By the end of the meal I was yelling to be heard across the table. Also, they had this cinnamon orange iced tea that tasted like potpourri smells… like something that you should not put in your mouth. It would be nice if they offered a regular iced tea so customer who don’t drink soda/​sugary drinks have something to drink other than water.
*PLUS 1 STAR: Healthy options on the menu: vegan burgers; oranges; side salad.
*PLUS 2 STARS: quaLITY, qUALITY, QUALITY! 100% grass fed, free range, organic beef that is ground on the premises; Hot pepper relish; fresh fries cooked in olive oil; No trans-​fats
*PLUS 1 STAR: Environmentally conscious. Ingredients and even everything in the building is sustainable; used olive oil is donated to be converted to bio diesel; recycling bin right next to trash bin; they work hard to offset the carbon footprint of this place!
I had the ½ the guilt burger — it was awesome! I was worried that the two patties would be too much (i was confused and thought it was 1 patty with beef & veggie, but it was one of each), but the beef patty was nearly paper thin so it was perfect for me. I also am not a huge beef eater so I was happy to have a larger veggie patty. I agree with Maren S. — they do need to learn where to put the ketchup because it makes the burger slip off of the lettuce.

Jun C. and I met here for lunch earlier this week. This was his 2^nd visit after his FTR and this was my very first time to Elevation Burger. So awesome that it’s within minutes of my house and close to Jun’s work as well.
The restaurant itself is very casual and spacious with plenty of seating inside. In addition, there are a few tables outside in the front and back of the restaurant if you want to enjoy the outdoors. Jun and I decided on eating inside to avoid the heat a bit.
Jun ordered the elevation burger and I ordered the cheeseburger with grilled onions, lettuce and tomato and the elevation sauce on the side. I rarely eat an entire burger but these burgers are on the smaller size so I finished the whole thing. The fries were more like the shoe string style fries and were pretty decent. They aren’t rated one of my favorites but they were pretty tasty and I didn’t have a problem polishing them off.
While I applaud Elevation Burger for providing us with 100% organic, grass fed burgers, I had a problem with their patty staying together. With each bite into the burger, I’d lose a piece of the patty and had to piece it all together as I ate it. It made for a messy and not-​so pleasant experience. I also thought that the burgers lacked flavor. I think a little salt (and I’m not a salt fiend), would’ve done wonders.
Service was pretty good but a little overzealous. Jun couldn’t even finish his meal before someone was ready to take his plate away. I’m more than ok with staff tiding up tables, but if it’s obvious we are still eating… BACK OFF! To give the kid some credit, he kind of made up for when he came by a little later and asked Jun if he wanted him to refill his soda.
I’m sure i’ll be back since this joint is in the hood and all… but this might not be my first choice if I’m in the mood for a burger. I hope in time, this burger joint can win more stars from me.

Fantastic burgers and fries!
Perfect proportions too.
About same size as in n out burgers but less salty, a good thing!
The need a combo though as it’s all a la cart. Burger/​fries/​drink is pushing 10 bucks.
Cheesecake shake was good that I sampled too.
Oh, the fountain cane sugar root beer they have is REALLY sweet. Way to sweet for me.

New burger joint in the Bressi ranch area… if you want vegetarian beef, this place is for you…
Today was their grand opening… First store to open in San Diego… And according to the website, they are opening up another one soon… dunno where tho…
Vegetarian beef… So, apparently, this place is all about being green… Their cows are free range and all organically fed… So if that stuff really matters to you, you’ll definitely love the direction this company is going…
Prices are slightly cheaper than Smashburger but their patties are significantly smaller… I’d say they’re about the size of In-​n-​Out patties… Small menu… (Burgers, vegetarian burgers, a two patty burger with one vegetarian patty and one beef patty, grilled cheese sandwich…) they also have milkshakes, fountain sodas, salad, cookies and fries… Since i’m naming all these other burger joints this place reminds me of, I’ll throw in Five Guys in there too… you get to pick and choose which toppings to add to your burger… but they don’t have as many toppings to choose from…
Anyways… it’s nice to have another option for a burger joint near the business park area… so I’d give em 3.5 stars… typically I’d round up to 4… but because of the patty size to cost ratio… I’ll modify my rating to 3.47 stars and round down…
I’ll be back for sure… and I’ll update my review accordingly…
BTW, If you like ordering your food through your iPhone and then picking it up… apparently, there’s an app for that… ;) but then again, I’ve gone Android… so not really sure how it works… might be similar to Five Guys app…