Kearny Mesa may not be the San Diego neighborhood most associated with burgers and beer, but smack in the middle of Convoy Street, Common Theory Public House offers 30 taps of draft beer and a comprehensive menu of elevated pub fare.
One of North County’s fastest growing breweries, Belching Beaver has locations all around San Diego, and distributes to a number of states, as well as to Canada, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Food vendors of every stripe bring their a game to the Reader Burgers & Beer Festival, and many bring inspired interpretations of what makes a hamburger. One such restaurant is the Thai Burger Company, and its efforts earned it a most innovative burger distinction in 2017.
About as stylish a brewery as you’ll find anywhere, of course, North Park Beer Co. of San Diego is a namesake of the craft beer rich neighborhood it calls home. Their friendly neighborhood atmosphere and exceptional décor make it a great place to linger and try historic beer styles.
A sister business of the Local Eatery & Drinking Hole gastropub downtown, Resident Brewing in San Diego also pours beers out of the back of the restaurant!
Founded in Vista back in 2010, Mother Earth Brew Co. has established itself an anchor of the North County, San Diego brewing scene.
Luce Bar and Kitchen in San Diego has been luring locals to its polished wood and metal warehouse space for more than five years.
Backyard Kitchen & Tap in San Diego proves itself again. It could be their award-winning craft beer list but we think it's their stellar burgers.
Mission Brewery Located Near Petco Park in Downtown San Diego
Named in honor of one of the first San Diego breweries, Mission Brewery once occupied the 1913 historic landmark that originally housed its namesake. However, while the original Mission shut down a century ago, the current incarnation has become one of San Diego's fastest growing craft breweries.
These days you'll find Mission in the East Village, working out of an even older historic building, a former Wonder Bread factory dating to 1894. While the bread factory used its silos to store wheat, Mission uses them to store barley, crafting a wide variety of boldly flavorful beer styles.
Take one of its more recent recipes: Plunder. The dank IPA offers plenty of bite, courtesy of nine different hop varieties that give it heady aromas of citrus and pine. This can stand up to any burger you throw at it, so double up on bacon and jalapeños if you like, and swig away. But if you really enjoy an outsized beer, brave Mission's burly Dark Seas Russian imperial stout. The inky black 9.8-percent beer boasts a luxurious velvety body, loaded with enough roasty complexity to rival coffee, with notes of plum and port wine delivering endless depths of flavor. It's a beer, and an experience.
Funky Burgers and Fries in El Cajon, San Diego
Funky serves big time burgers out in El Cajon, where it recently grew from being a cult favorite hole in the wall to a local destination burger joint, when it moved into a new, larger location. In addition to its signature standard, OG Burger, its loyal customers show up to dig on a dozen creatively constructed burgers that easily live up to the Funky name.
Take the Pizza Burger, topped with pepperoni, sausage, and fried mozzarella sticks. Or the Hangover Burger, which satisfies breakfast cravings with fried egg, hash browns, and bacon. The Southwest Shrimp & Steak is built like it sounds, with surf and turf toppings along with avocado and southwest-style hot sauce. Funky gives the same treatment to hot dogs, and even french fries. You'll find even more takes on dirty fries, smothered by the likes of chili, gyro meat, or buffalo chicken!
Funky Fries & Burgers won the coveted People's Choice award at the first Burgers & Beer contest with its delectable BBQ Pulled Pork Burger, topped by a four hour slow cooked pork, house BBQ sauce, cole slaw, onion rings, melted cheddar, and a drizzle of ranch dressing.
That's tough to beat, but in 2017, owner/chef Sebastian Hallak once again wanted to feature one of his regular menu items. This time he chose the Bacon Mac n Cheese Burger, topped with both melted cheddar and a fried patty of panko-crusted, three-cheese macaroni, served on a brioche bun. Funky didn't repeat as People's Choice, but it did win the Media Hour vote!