[Photographs: Erin Jackson]

When a restaurant finds the delicate balance between an elaborate beer selection and a solid menu, it's a beautiful thing. So many restaurants place a disproportionate amount of attention on amassing an enviable collection of taps or putting together an excellent menu, often resulting in a good place to get a pint or something to eat, but rarely both. San Diego's beer culture (and 30 local breweries) has bred some shining examples of when restaurants get the balance right, including Encinitas Ale House, which offers 31 varieties of beer on tap, plus over 100 by the bottle, including specialty and limited release beers. Better yet, it came highly recommended by two SE'ers, drocksd and PommeDG.

The restaurant is dominated by a large bar, bracketed by a handful of tables, some of which offer a view through a window into the kitchen. Dim lighting and tight quarters make it the kind of casual place you'll want to get cozy and order a couple of beers.

The half-pound Angus beef Santana Burger featured a flame-kissed patty with visible grill lines and crunchy bits of char and caramelized fat. Despite being cooked through, the beef was moist and full of flavorful juice. My only complaint is the beef was so loosely packed that the patty fell apart while I was eating it, making for a messy experience that required several napkins.

The burger was loaded with flavors from smoky and spicy ancho mayo and pepper jack cheese, mild roasted poblano pepper, and creamy avocado. As evidenced by the autopsy shot, it's clear that this burger was heavy on the avocado—so much so that it looks like an avocado patty on top of the burger patty. For me, the abundance of avocado worked; the creaminess balanced out the spiciness and provided a compelling texture. My onion phobia compelled me to discard the caramelized grilled onions immediately after taking this photo, but my onion-friendly better half confirmed that they were delicious and added a tasty note of sweetness. With or without the onions, this was a stellar burger.

A slim toasted oat bun provided a good meat-to-bun ratio. The bun was denser and more substantial than most, which worked well with the slab of avocado. (A more typical soft, fluffy bun would have probably resulted in a too mushy burger.)

The grass-fed Kobe wagyu burger came out as a towering powerhouse of 10 ounces of Greg Norman Farms grass-fed (American style) Kobe beef, a slice of melted Gruyère cheese, gorgonzola crumbles, crispy onion straws, baby greens, and tomato.

After reading the AHT Guide to Hamburger and Cheeseburger Styles, I feared that the Kobe burger would be mushy. Thankfully it wasn't, perhaps due in part to the patty's thin shape. Unfortunately, the beef wasn't particularly moist or juicy, despite being medium rare. What was most impressive about this burger was that the strong steak-like flavor of the beef shone through all of the other toppings, even the gorgonzola. This burger seems to have broken AHT's string of Kobe burger flops around the country.

I'm serious about my sweet potato fries, and the spuds at Encinitas Ale House were definitely worth the $2 upgrade. The light and crunchy fries had a flaky, crisp coating, which yielded to a soft and fluffy center. The only thing missing was a little bit of that smoky ancho mayo on the side.

The main decision you're likely to face at Encinitas Ale House is whether to get one of the Angus burgers, or splurge for the Kobe burger. Based on my experience, I can say either option is a good idea. And with over 30 brews on tap (and 2-for-1 burger night on Tuesday nights), it's the type of spot that demands a return visit anyway.

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