Jewel Box

Ben: ORTEGA SWISS BURGER w/ fries and dill pickle spear. Burger, medium, with Ortega chiles, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a sesame seed bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 36

NOTES:

- not the best beer selection but great for cheap pitchers of domestic suds and booze

- good dive bar feel w/ shuffle board and pool tables, but it could use some upgrades, although it does have everything a bar needs

- bun is a little to McDonalds for me, but was at least toasted

- smoky backyard bbq flavor to the meat

- a little overcooked and dry for medium, recommend med-rare

- cheese wasn’t quite up to snuff

- Ortega chiles were good but lacking in flavor

James: ORTEGA SWISS BURGER w/ fries and dill pickle spear. Burger, medium, with Ortega chiles, swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a sesame seed bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 34

NOTES:

- a great dive bar for downtown

- it’s just on the outskirts to it is easy to find parking and then walk to the next spot

- beer pitchers are super cheap

- not a very good beer selection, but a full bar with pool and shuffle board

- cheese was not swiss as proclaimed, false advertisement

- didn’t really get to the Ortega chile flavor

- everything was about average

- pretty good divey drunk burger, but nothing to rave about

Darrin: BBQ BACON BURGER w/ fries and dill pickle spear. Burger, medium-rare, with bacon, bbq sauce, American cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a sesame seed bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 39

NOTES:

- 3 pool tables, shuffle board, solid jukebox and 8 tv’s

- $6.50 domestic pitchers…again $6.50 domestic pitchers

- working man’s bar

- juicy patty, well seasoned

- crispy bacon and great amount of fries

- hand formed patties, burger holds up well, you just need 100 napkins when there are 3 bites left

Toronado

Ben: BBQ BACON BURGER w/ cole slaw & dill pickle spear. 1/3 lb. grass-fed burger, medium-rare, with house hopped bbq sauce, apple smoked bacon, jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a Bread & Cie bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 45

NOTES:

- $10 = beer, burger & side ($9 for just a burger + side)

- amazing beer selection & great food, menu includes a wide variety of links that make a great addition to any burger

- smallish place, but cozy and getting more interesting as the walls become covered with stickers, banners and art

- just the beer and glasses alone make for great décor

- perfectly cooked burger & bacon

- the bacon was extra crispy and not at all greasy

- sauce was subtly delicious with no additional condiments required

- doesn’t appear very intimidating when served open face, but once you stack it up it becomes a mountain of belly filling goodness

- decent slaw, prefer the potato salad I had before

- great juke box

James: SPICY J BAG BURGER w/ cucumber salad & dill pickle spear. 1/3 lb. grass-fed burger, med-rare, with grilled jalapenos, in house chipotle mayo, peper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion on a Bread & Cie bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 44

NOTES:

- atmosphere is better now than when it first opened

- good lunch deal (burger, beer + side for $10)

- all kinds of beer imaginable

- meat was nice and flavorful although I suggest medium over medium rare

- mine was a little on the bloody side, but still good

- good side choices

- jalapenos were really hot and could have been cooked a little longer

- chipotle mayo was delicious

Small Bar

Ben: HULA BURGER w/ fries & Satan’s slaw. 1/3 lb. grass-fed burger, medium, with teriyaki grilled pineapple, sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, lettuce and a fried egg on a bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 45

NOTES:

- $8.50 burger & fries + $1.00 Satan’s slaw = awesome

- I hope to still taste this burger after another 5 beers

- awesome jukebox

- interior reminds me of Vikings meet the Moors, needs a drawbridge

- my only disappointment was that the urinal wasn’t made of solid wood with metal straps & rivets

- putting Satan’s slaw on the burger added to the boldness score

- one of the best draft beer selections in San Diego

- very mellow at lunch, best time to eat burgers here

- smoky backyard bbq flavored meat, perfectly cooked

- nicely toasted & seasoned bun that holds it all together and lets you know they’re not messing around

James: HAMILTON’S BURGER. 1/3 lb. grass-fed burger, med-rare, with bacon, avocado, provolone, carmelized onions and cheese on a bun.

HOW THEY STACK UP:
1. BACKGROUND 1 2 3 4 5
2. BONUSES 1 2 3 4 5
3. BUNDLE 1 2 3 4 5
4. BURGER 1 2 3 4 5
5. BUN 1 2 3 4 5
6. BOLDNESS 1 2 3 4 5
7. BARGAIN 1 2 3 4 5
8. BELT-BUSTING 1 2 3 4 5
9. BURDEN 1 2 3 4 5
10. BUZZ 1 2 3 4 5

TOTAL SCORE: 45

NOTES:

- super rad bun

- delicious toppings

- would make a good sandwich without the burger

- bacon was prepared to perfection, crunchy not burnt

- burger meat had a good flavor, but not exceptional

- looked spectacular, made me want to tear into it like a wild animal

- atmosphere is lively when there’s a good crowd

- good service and a dungeon / Indiana Jones decor

We're back!

Guess who's back? No it's not House of Pain, it's the SD Burger Buds. After a yearlong hiatus we realized that there's unfinished business in the San Diego burger world and we're going to do something about it. We've got quite a list of places that just popped up or somehow slipped through the greasy cracks the first time around. We've already blogged Small Bar and Toronado and should have those posted shortly. If you have any suggestions for places to visit please share your recommendations. Burger on!