Hodad is a surf term for a person who hangs out at the beach with a nice board but doesn’t know how to surf. Thankfully, none of that posturing exists at the Ocean Beach burger bar by the same name. This was my third visit in the past seven years, and it was as good as ever, a serious contender for the best traditional hamburger in the country.

Byron and Virginia Hardin founded the burger spot in 1969 on nearby Santa Monica Avenue and eventually moved closer to the beach in 1991, on the city’s main drag, Newport Avenue. Son Mike Hardin now owns Hodad’s with longtime friend Teri Rhodes. They’re not modest. The sign touts the “world’s best burger.” They might not be far off.

There’s normally a line near the entrance, but Hodad’s is well run, so you won’t have to wait long for a seat. There are high-top tables, stools at the bar and a large surfboard shaped communal table. The walls are lined with out-of-state license plates and surfboards hang from the high ceiling. We sat at the counter overlooking the sidewalk, which offers prime people watching. Newport Avenue is kind of like Venice Beach was ten years ago, fairly grungy, but with plenty of character.

In the corner, we discovered a Bacon Street sign, which proved to be extremely auspicious.

The prized seats are inside the sawed-in-half surf van, which features flames licking at the hollow windows. While we were there, a family of three occupied the van, and the little girl seemed to love the experience.

The Double Bacon Cheeseburger ($9.50) was tightly packed in a “burger diaper” with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, mustard and ketchup. The patties are formed from fresh ground beef that’s never frozen. The burger is better than the sum of its parts, but the individual components are still pretty stellar. Case in point, the meaty, thick-cut bacon. “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” revealed that the cooks boil the bacon in water, place it on the grill and then form a bacon pattie. Better bacon has never graced a hamburger.

The half-order of Onion Rings ($4.25) was still jumbo-sized, with crisp sheathes that weren’t too greasy. The rings came with containers of tangy ranch dipping sauce.

In Los Angeles, Father’s Office sells an outstanding luxury burger that’s undeniably delicious, but the service-unfriendly experience is always atrocious. As far as traditional burgers go, there are none better than Hodad’s, and the atmosphere is fun and casual. Given the total package, the choice between my two favorite burgers is easy: Hodad’s.

3 Comments

1. mattatouille, November 9, 2008:

   definitely a must try for me.

2. niyaz, March 30, 2009:

   man. nice post! your blog is making me hungry for hodads now!

3. Joshua Lurie, April 11, 2009:

   That’s the idea. Hodad’s is definitely one of SoCal’s best burgers. Have you been?

This entry is filed under California, Hamburger Hut, San Diego, Southern California.