A Hamburger Today
Exploring the Mild and the Wild Side of Crazee Burger in San Diego, CA
Today's burger report comes from Erin Jackson, a food-obsessed Torontonian-turned-San Diegan who's helping us bring more San Diego burger coverage to AHT. You may recognized her from her review of Hodad's back in February. If you want to recommend a San Diego burger to her, leave a comment! —The Mgmt.
[Photographs: Erin Jackson]
Crazee Burger
4201 30th Street, San Diego CA (map); 619-282-6044; crazeeburger.com
Cooking Method: Grilled
Short Order: A wide variety of exotic burgers and even the simplest option (Angus beef) is perfect
Want Fries With That? Don't miss the sweet potato fries, topped with salt and Parmesan cheese blend
Price: Angus burger, $4.99, or $2.99 during happy hour; sweet potato fries, $2.99; Santorini burger, $7.49
Notes: During happy hour (3-6 p.m. Mon. to Sun. and 9-11 p.m. Fri. to Sat.) a burger and a pint are $2.99 each
At Crazee Burger, even the most basic burger is made of premium Angus beef—beyond that, things get more interesting. The inspired list of burgers includes buffalo, blue crab, venison, and gator. Each type of patty is topped with hand-crafted sauces like curry fruit tapenade, smoked chili sauce, or creamed horseradish sauce, to name a few.
Crazee Burger doesn't even take a breather when it comes to veggie options. Vegetarians have two solid contenders: the portobello burger with avocado and tartar sauce, or the house-made veggie burger with chipotle sauce.
Since I was visiting during happy hour, when the Angus burger can be had for a mere $3, I decided to try the most basic menu item as well as something a little more, shall we say, "Crazee."
After one bite into the Angus burger, I got a surge of adrenaline and my teeth tingled. Typically this only happens when I eat steak. The burger was the perfect example of the ideal meat-to-bun-to-toppings ratio. While so many burgers rely on sauces and condiments for flavor (and usually end up tasting like a pickle and grease sandwich), this one tasted as it should: like beef. Glorious beef. The burger was cooked medium, and was dripping with juices.
As I ate, my fingers left dimples in the pillowy bun. It was just dense enough to hold and cushion the patty, but not so bulky that it was distracting. The toppings were standard (pickles, lettuce, tomato, and red onion, which I chucked), but very fresh. As a wave of satisfaction washed over me, I realized the burger was half gone. I was lost in Burger Euphoria and I didn't want to leave.
Rounding out the meal was a bowl of sweet potato fries with Parmesan cheese topping that were worth the visit alone. Cut into thin planks and fried until just crispy, they were the perfect accompaniment to a burger with that much soul.
Across the table, my dining companion was biting into a Santorini burger (half lamb, half beef) and eyeing me with suspicion and mild jealousy. When he persuaded me to trade bites, I was surprised that aside from the cool and creamy Tzatziki sauce, his premium burger was no improvement over my more basic patty. Unfortunately, this particular Santorini burger was on the thin side, and overcooked, which made it slightly tough.
My advice? If you're in the mood for something unique, go whole hog and try one of the truly "Crazee" burgers, or visit during happy hour and get a $3 "insurance plan" in the form of an Angus burger on the side. A restaurant like Crazee Burger is best served by making multiple visits, and the excellent deals on grub and grog during happy hour make eating your way through everything on the menu an accomplishable feat. Or if you like to stay on the safe side, you can always find perfection in a plain Angus cheeseburger.