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—from 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 most popular foods in the U.S., 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 Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis 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 the sandwich we know and love today. 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 influx of German immigrants into New York. 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 Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger 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, Stacker 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—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#30. Dukes Old Fashioned Onion Burgers
- Rating: 4.3/5 (563 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5020 Baltimore Drive La Mesa, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Baba'z Grill
- Rating: 4.3/5 (327 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4672 University Ave. Ste D San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Halal, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Encontro North Park
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2216 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3001 University Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Gastropubs
- Read more on Yelp
#27. The Butcher N Cheese
- Rating: 4.4/5 (404 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4705 Clairemont Drive Ste C San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Garden Grill House
- Rating: 4.4/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7160 Miramar Road San Diego, California
- Categories: Delis, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Shore Rider
- Rating: 4.4/5 (785 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2168 Avenida De La Playa La Jolla, California
- Categories: Burgers, Cocktail Bars, Poke
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Plant Power Fast Food
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1145 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2204 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Vegan, fast food, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#23. The Pub
- Rating: 4.4/5 (498 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2415 Morena Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Irish, Irish Pub, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#22. The Food Box
- Rating: 4.4/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 976 Garnet Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Maggie's Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1382 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3232 Greyling Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp
#20. The Melt
- Rating: 4.5/5 (727 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 635 Fifth Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Coop's West Texas BBQ
- Rating: 4.5/5 (2456 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2625 Lemon Grove Ave. Lemon Grove, California
- Categories: Barbecue, Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Liberty Call Distilling
- Rating: 4.5/5 (178 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1985 National Ave. Ste 1131 San Diego, California
- Categories: Distilleries, Cocktail Bars, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Green Vine Delicatessen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (414 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2429 National City Blvd. National City, California
- Categories: Delis, Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Bonehead Burger Co
- Rating: 4.5/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2540 Congress St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Jeffs' Beach Burgers
- Rating: 4.5/5 (302 reviews)
- Address: 2134 Avenida De La Playa San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Juice Bars & Smoothies
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Maggie's Café
- Rating: 4.6/5 (287 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1985 National Ave. Ste 1129 San Diego, California
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Hayes Burger
- Rating: 4.6/5 (434 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2060 Logan Ave. Ste A San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Hawaiian Fresh Seafood At Centerpark Labs
- Rating: 4.6/5 (1113 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6835 Flanders Drive San Diego, California
- Categories: Poke, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#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
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Burger Deck
- Rating: 4.6/5 (264 reviews)
- Address: 3715 India St. Ste B San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Ben & Esther's Vegan Delicatessen
- Rating: 4.6/5 (305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6663 El Cajon Blvd. Ste Q San Diego, California
- Categories: Delis, Vegan, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Rosemarie's
- Rating: 4.6/5 (395 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3852 Mission Blvd. San Diego, California
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Goodbar
- Rating: 4.6/5 (226 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1872 Rosecrans San Diego, California
- Categories: Sports Bars, Burgers, Cheesesteaks
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Chicago Fire Grill
- Rating: 4.7/5 (1305 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8935 Towne Centre Drive Ste 109 San Diego, California
- Categories: Salad, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Doggos Gus
- Rating: 4.7/5 (350 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1313 J St. San Diego, California
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Food Stands, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#4. The Pizza Joint
- Rating: 4.7/5 (451 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7094 Miramar Road San Diego, California
- Categories: Pizza, Chicken Wings, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. The Burger Joint & Brew
- Rating: 4.7/5 (184 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7094 Miramar Road Unit 122 San Diego, California
- Categories: Halal, Burgers, Sports Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Lemon Grove Bistro
- Rating: 4.8/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3308 Main St. Lemon Grove, California
- Categories: American, Seafood, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Key & Cleaver
- Rating: 4.8/5 (192 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4727 University Ave. San Diego, California
- Categories: Burgers, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
