Burgers are in a rare league of cuisine that does not need to be elegant to be world-class. Typical world-class dining might be eaten with four different forks, crystal stemware and a folded cloth napkin.
At Hodad’s, world-class food is devoured with two hands, a fountain soda and a roll of paper towels.
What makes a Hodad’s burger world-class? Maybe it’s the fact NBC viewers voted it San Diego’s “Best Burger.” Or that CNN ranked Hodad’s among the top five burger joints in the U.S. Or that Guy Fieri, Food Network superstar and close friend of owner Mike Hardin, told Jay Leno Hodad’s has one of the best burgers in America.
Nestled among the quirks of Ocean Beach’s core at the corner of Newport Avenue and Bacon Street (notably apropos considering Hodad’s bacon also wins awards). Hodad’s has developed into a landmark San Diego destination, said to attract more tourism than any other Ocean Beach business.
High praise from respected critics and multiple appearances on the Food Network have earned Hodad’s a line out the front door during almost all operating hours.
Hodad’s staff is sleeved in tattoos and gauged with heavy disks. The staff’s appearance embraces the teeming, anxious crowd that swarms the modest storefront.
“They may look rough, but our employees are some of the nicest people on the planet,” Hardin said. “It’s part of what makes Hodad’s so unique.”
Two generations of burger-flipping family and friends uphold the mom-and-pop feel at Hodad’s. Jeremy Diem started working the grill three years ago and has since moved into a management position through long hours of loyal dedication.
“The food speaks for itself,” Diem said, “but it’s the staff that keeps the vibe at Hodad’s alive. We’re like a family.”
These connoisseurs of the American dream meal have developed the menu throughout years of creative craftsmanship. It offers only one main course: burgers. Hardin admits there is a secret to the menu’s prized item.
“It’s my lack of education,” he said with a chuckle. “Anyone who took an economics class in college would never make burgers this huge for prices this cheap.”
“Huge” may be an understatement – a Hodad’s burger dwarfs diners’ hands, and is said to measure more than 6 inches tall. Once it’s been picked up, people don’t dare set it down.
The massive patty of freshly ground beef drips with juices. It’s draped with healthy portions of shredded lettuce, thickly sliced tomato, white onion and melted cheddar beneath an oversized sesame bun.
The bacon at Hodad’s is yet another secret of the staff. It is served as a disk rather than in strips, and many customers say they would be happy to wait in the long line for the bacon alone.
After decades of dishing out his heaping burgers, thickly breaded onion rings and seasoned steak fries exclusively in Ocean Beach, Hardin will be opening a new feeding ground for his burger-loving fan base in February, on Broadway and 10th street in downtown.
The new location, dubbed Hodad’s Too, will take the beach vibe of O.B. and give it an urban twist without changing a thing about the classic menu or hospitable service of the original venue.
“We’re designing it as we go,” Hardin said. “Hodad’s is successful because we let the customers create the atmosphere. We’ll see what happens with the walls at our new spot.”
The interior of the O.B. location is lined with license plates and surf stickers brought in by customers and friends throughout the years. Half of a gutted-out, old-school VW bus furnishes one of the eating areas on the back wall.
“I think it would be cool to give the new restaurant a skate theme,” Diem said. “The surf-shack vibe works great in Ocean Beach, and I think a skateboard theme will fit downtown well. It’s going to show a different side of Hodad’s without losing any of the stuff people love.”
Prior to the opening of Hodad’s Too in February, Hardin will be participating in a program called “America’s Chefs” with his celebrity chef buddy, Fieri, traveling around the world with four of Fieri’s favorite chefs to cook for the American armed forces.
“A good old-fashioned cheeseburger — Hodad’s style — is one American cause worth fighting for,” Hardin said.
