[Photographs: Erin Jackson]

San Diego's beer culture, fueled by the abundance of breweries and year-round "room temperature" weather, provides fertile ground for bars and pubs. To compete, having an extensive tap list is a necessity, and almost equally important is offering a burger worth slapping down a Hamilton (or more).

Sublime Ale House does both. The tap list features dozens of local, small batch brews and the menu has a selection of smartly conceptualized burgers.

Sublime's burgers are made from a mix of brisket, top sirloin, and chuck, ground fresh each morning, in house. The blend of cuts gave the patty deep and complex flavors, with notes ranging from nutty to grassy. Big spots of char flecked the exterior, which was well seasoned with salt and amply portioned black pepper. The fat-to-meat ratio was a bit on the lean side, but despite the fact that the patty wasn't dripping with fatty juices, the flavor wasn't compromised—even when cooked a shade past my requested medium rare. A blanket of bubbly melted cheese and fresh toppings rounded out a very fine example of a classic cheeseburger.

Deciding on a second, cheffier option was easy once I saw the Spinach Dip burger, topped with roasted tomato and a dollop of spinach artichoke dip. With the top bun in place, the dip squished to the edges of the burger, registering as an extra-savory cheese spread, with a soft and sweet tomato to balance out the sharp flavors of the Parmesan and garlic.

The house-made bun deserves to be singled out. Squishy, spongy, and soft, it provided the ideal amount of cushion for the beef. The lightly toasted and buttered bun has the texture of a sweet Hawaiian roll without the sweetness and could stand up to even the greasiest burger.

Burgers come with your choice of chips, slaw, tomato and cucumber salad, or fries. Parmesan truffle fries are an option, but if you're unsure about your stance on the divisive oil, stick with the regular fries—it's applied with a heavy hand, and can be overwhelming.

Another reason to choose fries is as an aioli delivery method. With nine options available, sampling at least a few is a must. All of the options I tried (roasted garlic, lemon basil, and roasted red pepper chipotle) were delicious, particularly the pleasantly sweet and smoky roasted red pepper chipotle and the herbaceous (and surprisingly refreshing) lemon basil. Roasted garlic is also tasty, but it's more like a paste than a dip. For a creamier texture, stick with the regular garlic aioli. (Side note: a bit of aioli mixed into the mac and cheese is a very good idea).

Another must? Beer. With such an umami-heavy meal, you're going to need something refreshing to cut through all of those fatty, savory flavors. Flights ($10-$13) are a good option, like this mostly-local Belgian sampler.

What I liked best about Sublime Ale House is whether you're a staunch burger purist or looking for something more adventurous, it's there. The undoing of many gastropubs is attempting to glamorize a sub-par burger by glomming on distracting, confused toppings, but Sublime got it right by first nailing a burger in its purest form, and then improving upon it.

About the author: Erin Jackson is a food writer and photographer who is obsessed with discovering the best cheap and tasty eats in San Diego, including all things sweet and sugary, for her dessert blog San Diego Sugar.

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