Hodad’s

Went to OB Hodad’s today and had a great experience. Didn’t remember if i’d written a review. Turns out almost exactly a year ago, my Ma and I went to the downtown location and I wrote a review on that one. Could almost copy and paste it here! I love the vibe of the original OB Hodad’s. The staff attentiveness today was simply beyond amazing. Not obtrusive at all… One of the guys was especially sweet with my 92 year old mother. Wish I got his name so I could give a shout out. My Ma was fascinated with the stickers and plates. I love when she is happy and Hodad’s did it today!!! Thanks.

I gotta say I was a fan… a very good «classic» tasting burger, good service from the staff, didn’t wait long, and it had a great classic beach dive atmosphere.
Ocean Beach is a strange place anyway… tons of tattoos and divey folks, hippies, surfer dudes, beachy oddities, etc… Hodad’s fits in well, in fact it sets the tone.
Beer was cold, WINNER.
Burger was good and filling (and cooked right), WINNER.
Onion rings and fries were greasy and good, WINNER.
Prices were pretty cheap, WINNER.
Beach weather was nice, people were weird (but fun), and we didn’t have to wait for parking because we rode beach cruisers from around the bay… WINNER.
Good overall experience… fun times… fun times.

Blue jay burger was epic, messy, and very tasty. The fries could’ve been better. They were more like potato wedges which tasted like the frozen type… not fresh.
Thumbs up for the gigantic cup for the soda. Didn’t even need a refill.
Overall, the place lives up to the hype.

Huge burgers… Very reasonably priced for being so close to the beach… Awesome staff and very unique atmosphere… Definitely a cool piece of ocean beach history!

Definitionally, I’m not a Hodad (a non-​surfer who spends time at beaches masquerading as a surfer). I’m more closely related to a HoFoodie (a non-​foodie who spends time at restaurants masquerading as a foodie restaurant reviewer).
I don’t surf and i don’t pretend to surf and I’m not a foodie, but I do write reviews – about as well as non-​surfer surfs.
We waited in line down the sidewalk. A homeless guy lurched by and somebody further down the line commented on his dirt encrusted feet and the homeless guy flew into a rage. Everyone has dignity, right? The guy waiting in front of us was an Indian, from Toronto, (Canadian Indian? Indian Canadian?) who immediately engaged us in our curious American political process that would give birth to two such beings as H. Clinton and D. Trump. As a person who is made up of equal parts half-​baked opinion and egregious misinformation, I’m as befuddled as any visitor to our country about our presidential politics.
The guy who took our order didn’t look all that much different than the homeless guy outside. Except he wore shoes. But looks are deceiving. Dude knew his menu and anticipated our questions. He wasn’t impatient. A few minutes later our order arrived.
My cheeseburger was wrapped up in a sleeve to hold it all together. That’s good. All of us need a little sleeve to help hold us all together, I think. I hate glopping my burger fixings all over my shirt too. My burger was remarkably balanced. I ate every single sesame seed of it.
Its loud, boisterous, and hectic at Hodads. Not a place to linger and look lovingly into your partners eyes, fingertips grazing over the ketchup and I wouldn’t try to do anything important here, except drink beer and grub some really good burgers. They need your table.

My family and I loved this place. The hamburgers were very good and the onion rings were delicious. The waitress was very helpful when placing our orders trying to help us not spend a small fortune on lunch. I would recommend this place to anyone going out to San Diego that’s in the mood for a good burger or milkshake.

Every time we go to San Diego, we have to eat at Hodad’s! It’s a burger joint, plain and simple. The line is always out the door and food and service are terrific! The Blue Jay with onion rings is my go to order and it will be two meals as it is so big. The chocolate shakes are so creamy and delicious and totally indulgent…

This review is for Hodads Jr. Catering.
We had Chad and his crew cater a party at our home in PQ. It was sort of a spontaneous idea to celebrate our son’s homecoming from a year in the Middle East. What better way to break bread than to do it with San Diego’s finest — Hodads.
Working with Chad was so easy. Every situation I threw at him he dealt with with such a great attitude. And I gave him some challenges! Last minute planning and changes, wonky set up and we live in the suburbs. He and his team took care of all of it.
Day of the party, Chad and the Hodads Jr. Catering team arrived on time and introduced themselves. They got the lay of the land and figured out the set up. They even laid down plastic in their workspace. They were ready to roll at the appointed time. The guys provided exceptional service to all of our guests. 15 minutes before the end of service Chad checked in with me (again) to let me know they would make up a tray of burgers and extra fries/​onion rings for us. The Hodads team was able to break down their station without disturbing the flow of the evening. Later that night I noticed they even left us drinks. We had the best «midnight snack» ever!
Every year we host a Christmas party for about 100. I hire a fancy schmancy caterer. They have a tendency to over promise and under deliver. As far as my guests are concerned everything is lovely. For me? So much drama, extra charges and over all poor attitude of the vendor and servers leaves me so upset I say I am never going to do it again. I can say without a doubt Chad and his crew were drama free, able to deliver a great product without hidden charges and left my backyard cleaner than when they started.
I always say I am going to write a review on Unilocal then never follow thru. Most of my never written reviews are because of poor service. In this case I just had to share that there are good local companies out there and we need to support them. Hodads and Hodads Jr. Catering are good… no…GREAT ones to support.

Somehow i have never been to Hodad’s, even though I moved next door to the downtown one last month. I found myself in Ocean Beach and my friend and I were searching for sweet potato fries, and I thought Hodad’s might have it. They didn’t, but we had burgers and fries (and onion rings) instead. Really good stuff, obviously. Prices were good too, at under $ 10 for a bacon cheeseburger and fries. Service was a little over the top, with someone asking if we needed anything every 3 minutes. I’m not complaining as they were all super friendly, just a bit unnecessary, that’s all. I’ll definitely be back for another burger.

I really thought eating at Hodad’s was going to be more work than it is. I’ve always wanted to go, but the line has always been out the door.
I finally went with a couple friends and the line was well out the door. We waited for maybe 10 minutes. That’s it. The servers were great.
I had the Blue Jay. It was awesome. Cooked perfectly and full of blue cheese and oniony goodness. The other two had mini cheeseburgers, which looked like plenty of food. Two of us got a basket, which comes with fries, and the third forgot. We’re glad she did. There were so many fries. SO MANY FRIES. And they were delightful.
The vibe is super chill. They had great beers on tap. My friend’s milkshake was huge and wesome.

Great service again!!! Food came out quick!!! We all got bacon cheeaeburgers. My husband got the double bacon cheeseburger which was gigantic!!!
Total bill was $ 58 for family of four! Food was all delicious! We didn’t even wait long at all!!! We got here about noon, which seems like a perfect time.

Burgers and Shakes. OB’s best in town. Definitely worth a shot so check it out! It will not disappoint! Also, don’t let the line scare you. It goes by faster than you think.

This is a no brainer, as far as I’m concerned.
Go here. Get a beer. Get a burger. May I recommend the Jay’s Blue Burger? It’s insanely good. It’s also so big it’s a serious challenge to eat. But I like a challenge when it comes to my burgers. ;-)
The fries are just how I prefer them. Wedges, cooked so crispy outside but still soft inside, and seasoned perfectly.
Worth it!!!

Holy crap. What a flipping delicious hamburger. I got the Fieri burger with a side of rings, and my gf got the Blue Jay burger. The Fieri has pastrami and cheese, and is one of the most pleasurable things I’ve ever put into my mouth. Normally I’d eat the pastrami off and expect a mediocre burger, but everything fit together perfectly. The Blue was a tasty, rich mess of blue cheese sauce with chopped bacon. It falls apart, but it worth using your hands and a few hundred napkins. The rings were cooked perfectly inside and out, with a thick golden crunchy shell and onion that didn’t pull out.
The staff was friendly, attentive, and fun to chat with. Shane, the spitting image of his late uncle «bossman», told us about their history and staff, which seems to be an awesome mix of pro skaters/​surfers, family, and people turning thier life around after hard times. Our server Elise hooked us up with some tasty fries and candy, and her husband was the amazing human who made our food.
We came in late afternoon on a Friday, their was a small wait, but not the usual insane lines. The music was a mix of 80s, and 90s punk, and the décor a mix of funny license plates, gorgeous surf boards, and chill beach.

Great location! Went on a Friday and got on line with my lady before the store opened. The line was pretty long. We got in, ordered our food and it came out pretty quick and it was HOT! That’s a good thing though. I ordered their standard cheeseburger with a side of onion rings. My lady ordered grilled cheese with a side of fries. Food was fresh, fries are really good. For dessert we got shakes. One strawberry and one chocolate. Both very good.

When it comes to having a good burger in San Diego, this is the spot, Hodads!!! I can honestly say it’s one of the best burgers around! Always so juicy, fresh and tasty. We usually go to the location in Ocean Beach. They have a cute mini bus inside where you can take a seat and enjoy your meal, great for kids.
I had the mini burger, which I couldn’t finish with fries to share and a chocolate milk shake. Holy cow was it gianormours and delicious! They finish their milk shakes off with like three scoops of ice cream, it’s to die for. Whether your living in SD or visiting you have to try Hodads, it’s worth it, even if you have to wait!!!

I had a double cheeseburger and fries. My burger was HUGE and a HOT MESS, but was so good. Was it as good as an In & Out Burger? I don’t know, definitely close but I am gonna have to go with In&Out :-) The patties are the same size as In&Out but the burger as a whole is bigger.
The only reason I deducted 1 Star was because of the fries. I think they can do better. My tip would be if you order a double cheeseburger, there’s no need to get the fries. seriously. don’t. The burger is big enough. I would however recommend getting the onion rings, and make sure you ask for grilled onions. Unless you like it raw… hehe

Great place! Awesome burgers, delicious shakes, cool vibe and unique décor!
I had the veggie burger and onion rings– both were delicious! I tried my wife’s burger and that was great!
It gets busy and it’s a little divey but everyone was friendly and the line moved quickly.

Hearty burgers that will leave you very full!
Neapolitan milkshake/​/​YUM. Though I can only tell that it was Neapolitan from the ice cream on top, the consistency and the amount of sweetness was perfect. It wasn’t too sweet for me which was a surprise. They serve it to you a giant steel (aluminum?) cup. Great to share!
Double Cheeseburger/​/​Huge and messy! Sadly the sauce that comes with it wasn’t really memorable, but the meat was well cooked. We all had problems with things falling out though, so beware of messiness! My main complaint is that the onions did not come cooked; wish they at least asked us whether we would like it grilled or chopped. It didn’t help with the messiness and I found the onion overpowering the burger.
Onion Rings/​/​Good but not the most memorable. They were on the smaller end as a side and came very crunchy. Great with ranch!
Potato Wedges/​/​Crispy and fresh! I don’t usually like wedges because they often come out old or chewy, but Hodad’s really made them well. They are also very generous the portions.
Overall, I’d say Hodad’s is a great place to hang out and grub on some food coma inducing food. Though the burgers were a slight disappointment, I think the overall experience with the ice cream shake and the potato wedges make it a place I’d visit again.

Ordered the double bacon cheeseburger… be careful, this thing is HUGE! Glad I didn’t order anything else, that burger was a full meal.
This place is a bit dive-​y so expect that. The burgers are *good*, very very good. Tons of crispy bacon, solid condiments, and the burger itself was tasty. Definitely worth stopping by on your way to/​from Ocean Beach.

This is a must visit place in San Diego. It’s a burger place close by the beach. I fell in love the first time I visited it’s the best and I love the potato wedges

Solid place to grab a burger in San Diego! If you like onion rings theirs are a must try! I recommend their milk shakes but they are definitely big enough for 2 (or 3)

I am not sure why… But for some reason I didn’t think this place would be so busy on Valentine’s Day. Nothing says romance like greasy cheeseburgers and onion rings though. The line was out the door, but the wait wasn’t bad at all. It went pretty quickly to be honest with you. All of the San Diego locals have been telling me to try this spot, so I was excited.
I ordered a single bacon cheeseburger with fries. It was just a loving experience. My burger was amazing and flavorful and juicy and cheesy and everything a burger absolutely should be. Thoroughly impressed and I can’t wait to come back.
Everyone was super friendly. We had great service, and fast service. What more could you ask for? Great location, and definitely not a waste of time.

We were in the mood for cheeseburgers on Valentine’s Day. So, we decided that Hodad’s was a place we haven’t checked out yet. No time like the present.
We got here between 4:30 and 5pm, and we stood in line as they don’t accept reservations. (I called earlier to check). I was pleasantly surprised on how quickly the line was moving. There is a line for «orders to go», and a line to sit inside. We wanted the whole experience, therefore, we sat inside. Should you decide to visit this location. It is small inside. I thought this place would be bigger. We were given a choice of a booth or a bar table. Since we had our 5 year old with us, we chose the booth.
The music playing was a nice volume, as we could talk and not have to yell at each other. I always notice this at restaurants, and appreciate the volume.
I seriously needed to wash my hands. The bathroom needed much attention. No toilet paper and no paper towel. Seriously? Luckily I was able to ask one of the waiters to restock, and it wasn’t an issue.
We ordered the the mini cheeseburger with fries ($ 6.50), the single bacon cheeseburger with fries ($ 10.00), and the guido burger with onion rings ($ 11.25). The single bacon cheeseburger was delicious! We did not omit anything, and it was fresh, juicy, and just yummy! The guido burger was good, but should I return I would not order it again. Maybe it is just me. But, I don’t need the bells and whissles when it comes to a cheeseburger. And, that is exactly what it felt like with the guido burger. The onion rings were crisp, and well battered. Good job! However, the french fries were thick cut, and that would make me order these in the future.
Overall, I am glad we had a chance to visit Hodad’s. Now we can say we’ve been here. The service was ok. Nothing splendid. The food was good.
This n’ that: Parking is a challenge in OB. Prepare to walk a few blocks, unless you get lucky finding a spot. Plan on waiting in line about 20 minutes, if you are eating early. I don’t know the wait time after 6pm.

Yummo! Super chill place and best damn burger out there! Low key, relaxed casual spot where you can sit facing the street and watch all the kooks walking by.
OB is one of my favorite places to be, I hadn’t been to Hodads bc the lines are always long. TRUST me, it’s worth the wait!

Stop the french fries!
Stop the FRENCH FRIES!!!
This is the latest news and IT’S BREAKING!!!
America’s NUMBER ONE ORPHAN…(that’s me, Hunter D!!! (smiley face))
Just got himself a HODAD!!!
And let me tell you that MY DAD and i have a lot of KETCH (ing) UP to do!!! LOLOL
If this is what parents are like i can’t wait to have TWO or MAYBE EVEN THREE!
FIVE STARS!

This place is pretty awesome. Came in with a fairly large group last night. They were able to seat us pretty quickly at a booth. There were stickers everywhere. The booth’s, walls and I think I saw some on the floor.
The menu is pretty simple and straightforward. I got the cheeseburger with some onion rings. The burger kind of reminded me of In-​N-​Out but a bit more greasy. It was good but it felt heavy once it hit my belly. The onion rings were really good too. I didn’t use any sauces because they already had enough flavor.
After checking out they give out some stickers.

I remember the first time I came to Hodad’s these are the best burgers I’ve had in my life and I’m not a burger person. They are so good I start missing them as soon as I start eating them, I never want it to end!
Ive been coming and bringing people to Hodad’s as often as I can. As soon as someone is coming into town Hodad’s is on our list of places and everyone leaves saying its the best burger theyve had.
They range between 7.50 and 12.50 depending on what you order. Their fries are also wonderful! The place has awesome décor and it’s always busy. Come ready to wait in line but believe me the wait is worth it!

Always an awesome experience, best burgers out of any place and fun atmosphere. We come here often and have outstanding service everytime. We have kids so they help us accommodate and are super friendly. I love the menu and beer served in those mugs. It’s so cool to find something new on the wall that I didn’t notice before. It can get pretty crowded and loud so just be prepared. The line could get long but it’s worth it! Anyway I would like to give a shot out to the staff because they’re still doing it right consistently. Extra thank you to MIKE V who remembered us again and provided exceptional service for my family each time. Love this place. Always have.

Ok I am from Southern California and our place was always In-​N-​Out. My son moved to San Diego and we went for a visit this last weekend. He said he found the best burgers ever. I told him that was impossible because I had already taken him there many years ago. As a supportive Mom I went to his burger place… holy _​hit those are some good burgers!!! I could never leave my favorite historical burger place but if you are in the area these burgers are truly AWESOME! Oh and the onions rings can not be beat!!! Staff awesome, fast food, right down in Ocean Beach had a great time and ate really awesome burgers!!! Thank you Hodads!!!

I mean. these burgers are effin HUGE! and delicious :) I just got a single bacon burger without cheese and it was Yummazing! The Buns were soft, the fixings were fresh, the patty was delicious, what else is there to say?

If its a great burger with a full slab of local flavor you want… then go to Hodads. There is a line. This is a good clue.
When you are seated listen to the crew as they assist. The burgers are big as well as the fries and other items.
I like the burger with pastrami… Yeah i know too much of a good thing but my PCP wasn’t looking.
So go and have fun. You will thank me.

Really solid burger joint!
I remember seeing this place on Diners, Drive-​Ins, and Dives, and decided to try it out for myself. Parking was a little hectic, but found a spot eventually. There is a line, and while it was a wait, it was bearable. Once we got in though we seated and could enjoy the surfer vibe the place had. It was a little dark and dirty but it added to the feel, with tons of vanity license plates to read hung up on the walls.
My girlfriend got the Guido Burger with fries, and I went with a regular burger with onion rings. We also shared a shake as well which was brought out first. The shake was huge and was plenty for the two of us. The burgers came out and were quite hefty in size. Biting in to it kind of reminded me of In-​N-​Out, tasting of high quality and freshness. My girl friend looked to be having trouble with the Guido burger as the juices were everywhere, but she downed it all eventually.
Excellent quality burgers, and if it was quite a drive and I didn’t have to wait, I would come back here quite often!

Just a heads up, this review is going to be only about the service.
This was the second time I’ve been to Hodad’s since it’s about a 30 minute drive for me. I was already in the area and was craving burgers, so my boyfriend and I decide on going. We wanted to take our food to-​go, so we skip the line and head straight to the register like the sign says in the front.
When I was next in line to order, the woman at the register asks me if we’re ready to order after we’ve been standing there for about a couple seconds just reviewing our order amongst ourselves. I say yes and order, my boyfriend got a veggie burger without fries and it’s about $ 6 – 8 and I ordered a mini bacon cheeseburger with fries for the same price, which I found a bit odd but understandable because meat substitutes can be more expensive and time consuming.
The woman asks me what my name is and after I pay, incoherently mumbles about waiting and how she’ll call my name. I step aside and wait next to a wall that leads to the bathroom. After about 5 minutes of another man and I standing there, she rudely announces «IF YOU’RE WAITING FOR A TO-​GO ORDER, WAIT OUTSIDE AND I’LL CALL YOUR NAME WHEN IT’S READY» and I’m feeling a little embarrassed because I didn’t understand/​hear her say that the first time. So I go to wait outside with my boyfriend and I’m annoyed by her attitude.
It’s been all together about 15 minutes of waiting, so I ask my boyfriend to go inside and check on our order. He comes outside after 5 minutes and says that the woman says it’s not ready yet. I was confused because people who had ordered after us had already got their orders and left. I just thought after the first couple few that it was because of his veggie burger that maybe it had taken longer.
After about 30 minutes of waiting, I’m trying to flag down some of the servers who come outside and help the guests sitting at the bar facing outside but I don’t want to be rude and interrupt.
Finally, I talk to one of the men who came outside to check on the guests at the bar and I tell him that I’ve been waiting for my to-​go order for about 40 minutes and he tells me that he’s going to see what’s taking so long and after a couple minutes, he comes back with my order and half of my money back, apologizing for the wait. I could tell he was genuinely sorry and he even offered two free milkshakes which I accepted because we wanted milkshakes about 10 minutes after ordering but didn’t want to deal with an additional wait time. He comes back with two milkshakes and he, again, apologizes and asks if there’s anything else he can do for me. I say no, thinking that he’s already done so much and I go on my way.
If it weren’t for that man, whose name I wish I had gotten, compensating for whatever error/​mistake, I would’ve given Hodad’s 1 star but he definitely went out of of his way to make up for the wait time, so thanks for that!

After seeing this restaurant on an episode of Diners, Drive-​Ins, and Dives my husband I I really wanted to try it on our vacation in San Diego. I’ve been twice and both times the line was out the door and down the street. We didn’t mind the wait because the people watching and foot traffic was more than enough entertainment!
Once we got inside, it was a typical beach community style restaurant. The vibe was good. People were friendly. The staff were awesome! As packed out as the place was, our wait was pretty short to get our food… Which was AMAZING! It is exactly what I think of when I want a burger! A big greasy mess of deliciousness! I’ve gotten the back cheeseburger both times with fries and a chocolate shake :-)
The ONLY ONLY ONLY downfall, is parking! It’s almost impossible to find a place on Newport or down by the pier, even after circling a few times. My first time there, I drove from Santa Monica Ave to Del Monte Ave. from as close to the water up to Ebers St. I had no problem parking far away and walking… But there literally was NO WHERE to park! I ended up finding a CVS on Santa Monica, gave up, and parked there. I think it was like $ 5 or $ 10 to park for a couple of hours. It made me nervous when I saw the line outside, but walking to, waiting outside, eating, and walking back, I still had about 20 minutes left of meter time. (Be forewarned. They do monitor the lot to make sure you have your ticket in the windshield.)
We will frequent this restaurant anytime we’re visiting from Texas. The whole atmosphere is laid back and enjoyable and worth coming back to time and again!

Fun ambiance but shockingly lame hamburger. Came with the boy & we each ordered mini cheeseburgers, but I got mine with their huge onion rings. The hamburger looked ok, but the quality of the meat was ridiculously subpar. The onion rings I got was huge but super overcooked/​hard.
Industrial-​pack of standard size burger buns from costco? CHECK
Thin frozen meat patties that they wouldnt even sell at Costco? CHECK CHECK
The good: cool ambiance, good service, great spot blocks from beach, prices ok.
Conclusion: this place is known for its burgers and the meat is so lame that I am shocked by all the positive ratings. There were a ton of fresh toppings, but I had to look hard to find the meat on my burger. And that just makes me sad.
THIS PLACE IS HIGHLY OVERRATED.

Whenever you visit San Diego for the first time, the locals will ALWAYS tell you to try Hodad’s. Hearing that it’s just a burger joint, I was a little skeptical but I now can reassure you, YOU NEED TO TRY THIS PLACE OUT.
Apparently, there’s always a long line so be prepared to wait. The line moves but don’t expect to be in for at least 30 minutes. This joint sits in a super hip area, along Newport amongst a ton of bars and shops. Inside, the walls are covered with different license plates from around the nation. There’s shared seating, high tops, booths, even in a mini van front for you to enjoy your meal in. The service is fast, efficient and super nice. Our server was on point and super nice.
For dinner, I got the Guido burger for $ 8.50. This burger was inspired by Guy Fieri and filled with with pastrami and ketchup, pickles, Swiss cheese, grilled onions and spicy brown mustard. We also got a side of large French fries for $ 6.75 and onion rings for $ 7.25. OH-​EM-​GEE! This burger was on point! LOTS going on but everything seemed to work. I LOVED that there was pastrami in this burger. What a nice addition. The mustard only seemed to elevate the dish. Along with the pickles, I’d say you have more like a pastrami sandwich with a burger. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
Listen, this place needs to be on your to-​do list whenever you’re in San Diego. It’s totally worth the wait and you can tell people you’ve been to this Nationally recognized joint. Everyone seems to know Hodad’s!

Juicy, flavorful burgers, hefty in size, simply done yet delicious, and priced right too. The place is a dive in the best kind of way, and has a busy fun vibe. It’s aaall types of folks that love this place, and I’m one of them. Service is better than you expect from a bunch of tattooed punks, though you may have to hunt one down when it’s packed.
This is a very popular location, and waiting out on the sidewalk for a table can take an hour or more. O.B. is a grungy, dirty part of San Diego, and the sidewalks here are surprisingly grimy. So watch where you’re stepping as you shuffle along. But the people watching is great, if you don’t mind a face-​full of second-​hand smoke.
Hodad’s O.B. is a great time to be had with friends, family, a great burger and a beer. It lives up to all of the hype. 4.5 stars.

Honestly one of the best burgers I’ve ever had! This location, the original is located beachside. So you can digest after with a walk on the pier. We were a party of 4 and waited maybe 30 – 40 minutes to be seated. The burger was huge! I got very full. The meat and cheese are very thick and juicy and filling. The onion rings were amazing!!! Such a simple burger but such amazing flavor. Cooked to perfection. Service was great too! We had many requests for our table and the servers were quick to accommodate our requests. Must try!

–Service is always spot on
–burgers are great
–beer is great
Lines can get a little crazy during the summer. If you get there about 30 minutes before they open and enjoy a coffee from Starbucks while waiting it’s most definitely worth it!

A hearty burger for a decent price. Hodad’s is famous for its massive burgers, in addition to their fresh and crunchy onion rings, crispy potato wedges (fries), and ginormous malts.
I got a single hamburger with onion rings and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was stacked high with a thick patty and lots of fresh veggies. I’ve been here twice now and I find it easier to call in my order to-​go because it’s so busy. I’m a petite person so I don’t eat that much and just a single burger was almost too overwhelming for me.
Flavor-​wise, the burger wasn’t that unique. It could be because I didn’t order it with any cheese or bacon, but it felt like the patty wasn’t as flavorful as I wished it would be. However, the onion rings definitely made up for that. These are the best onion rings I’ve ever had– so crunchy and fresh. Not too much batter and not too little onion. Their fries are also very tasty and have a nice crispy coating with creamy potato inside.
Hodad’s does not skimp out on anything, but for people with smaller appetites, it may not be your preferred place to eat. Nevertheless, this burger joint is one that you should try at least once in your life!

I know a lot of people LOVE this place, but I’m sort of meh about it… I think the burgers are delicious, don’t get me wrong. It’s just a little much. I always feel way too full after eating a small burger even. And it’s not exactly cheap either. Also, the line can be ridiculous for something I think is mediocre overall. I come here about once a year at most, and I always leave feeling satisfied for the taste, but overly full and groggy no matter how much or how little I eat.

So here’s the story.
I was visiting my mom in San Diego and she’s always been raving about this pastrami burger that she tried a while back.
Being both a pastrami lover and a burger lover, this sounded like a fun idea! I couldn’t resist. So we went to Hodad’s and got pastrami burgers.
…fast forward 3 hours…
Came back home to watch some TV, and my stomach started making strange gurgling noises. For the next 12 hours of my life, I was literally on the verge of death. Multiple trips to the bathroom, stomachaches, and body aches. Shit… literally. Texted my mom and she said the same thing was happening to her too.
The burger itself wasn’t very good at all either. $ 12 for a greasy, soggy burger that didn’t even look appetizing.
Never coming back here again. Hodads, you did us so dirty.

I saw the massive amounts of reviews about hodads on Unilocal so I knew the next time I was in San Diego I had to give it a try.
Parking was kind of hectic since it was near the beach but it wasn’t so bad on a Sunday.
We sat the bar since it was the quickest place to get a seat instead of waiting.
I ordered the mini bacon cheese burger with everything, grilled onions, and additional cheese along with some onions rings and a neapolitian shake. In portions everything here is huge in size and in price.
The burger was good but a bit too greasy making even the bun very soggy. The fat kept dripping from it and it gave me a food coma and a quick one at that. At first, I felt that the shake was amazing and really good but when it was more melted and I had to take it to go it tastes completely different kind of water with a weird after taste how does it taste so good when its not melted and taste so different a few minutes later.
My favorite thing here hands down was there onion rings which was nice and crispy and friendly service. Not sure I would come back but definitely good to try.

This place was a dream come true for someone like me who loves to look at wall décor. The walls, were covered. License plates, plaques, stickers… just STUFF and it was awesome!
We pulled up after doing a 5k, and were pretty hungry. We noticed a line outside, since they opened at 11, and it was about 10:50. My friend mentioned this place was on DDD, so we decided to get out and wait in line. We were seated when they opened at a booth, and then I realized there was a cool bus table that I would have loved to sit it, it was so cool. Next time!
I love a good, old school delicious burger and this was just that. SO juicy. SO SO SO juicy. And so much flavor. I inhaled it. We split an order of Frings, which was more than enough for two. You cant do frings with the combo, but you can order them separately. It was perfect. The onion rings, which is what I was craving, were so good… but fries won my love. They were thick, and flavorful and just so good.
We also split a chocolate shake… which was a little average but it also hit the spot.
I am so glad we tried this place and if ever in the area again, I will for sure be back!

Burgers on Ocean Beach. Hodads it is.
This place oozes the laid back surfer vibe you crave on a San Diego visit. It’s a landmark after all and should be tried once.
For me, it didn’t really seem worth the 30 minute wait lined up outside the building. Luckily, our food didn’t take too long after our party of five (hey anyone remember that show?!?) was finally crammed into this tiny hamburger shack. We were fortunate to get the open air window seats, which allowed us to smell the ocean as we chowed down.
Since I don’t eat red meat, I opted for the unburger (i.e. fancy grilled cheese). This was a miss. It would have tasted so much better if it had actually been grilled (and served at least warm). Others in the group had the cheeseburgers and bacon burgers and chicken strips and the consenus overall was decent.
Let me confirm for you that YES the onion rings are crunchy golden monsters and worth it. YES the portions are massive and the prices are great for what you’re getting. And YES the shakes are a must. But make sure you have a friend to split one with because you really need to rethink your health as a priority if you can finish one of those on your own.

Vermutlich der beste Burger in SD. Preis-​Leistung top, super Atmosphäre und nettes Personal. Lange Wartezeit einplanen.

Je suis venu avec ma mère pour dîner. TRÈS BON. J’ai mangé un Bacon Cheeseburger et un milkshake vanille. Les emplois sont très gentils (et beaux) avec des tatouages.

Wenn ich mir eine richtige Surfer-​Bar vorstelle, denke ich an laute Surfer-​Musik, Surfboards und Bilder von Surfern und Wellen an den Wänden, an eine chaotische Küche und natürlich coole und völlig relaxte Surfer Dudes und Girls im Service. Und schon haben wir die exakte Beschreibung des Hodads. Die Atmoshäre ist mehr als authentisch, die Burger wirklich lecker und das Bierangebot sehr vielseitig. Bier von fast sämtlichen Microbreweries aus San Diego werden dort angeboten. Sogar das Ausprobieren sämtlicher Biersorten ist dort möglich. Und Humor wird dort auch groß geschrieben (siehe auch die offiziellen Öffnungszeiten). Es ist definitiv der beste Surfer-​Schuppen um nach einem Tag am Strand in Ocean Bach (OB) gemütlich abzuhängen und den Tag ausklingen zu lassen.