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| Hodad's in San Diego's Ocean Beach |
Last month on our first full day in San Diego (read my other reviews from San Diego here), we had to stop by Hodad's in the Ocean Beach neighborhood (just north of downtown San Diego). Hodad's is definitely an institution. It was on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and just look at how many books it's been listed in:
We arrived at 2 in the afternoon on a weekday in January, and there was still a line out the door. I suspect there is usually a line here, and on a weekend during the summer it must really be something.
TIP: You don't have to wait in line, which is for a seat inside the small restaurant or along the sidewalk counter. Skip the line, go inside, and proceed all the way to the back at the cash register. You can place an order to go right away, then go back out and wait for your name to be called. It still takes twenty minutes, but you've saved yourself the time in line, and you can take your grub to the beach which is only a short block away.
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| Sidewalk counter at Hodad's |
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| Bacon cheeseburger at Hodad's |
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| Bleu cheese hamburger at Hodad's |
Hodad's does shakes really well. We got ours to go, so we missed out on the extra shake on the side we would have gotten had we eaten inside the restaurant. But they still tasted great.
Hodad's also does frings (combination of fries and onions rings) but we didn't have the room to try them.
I'm glad we got our burgers and shakes to go, because I don't think it would have been as much fun waiting the extra time in line for a seat inside the loud, small restaurant. But the people inside looked like they were having a lot of fun, so if that's your thing, just plan on waiting a while before you get in.
HEADS-UP: Ocean Beach is very much a typical California "beach town" with its shops catering to surfers and beach-goers, with plenty of beach bums all around. Arrive with the right expectations and you'll have plenty of fun. There's also a pier you can walk out, and grab a drink if you want.
STEVE SAYS: The bacon cheeseburger and a shake from Hodad's makes a great lunch on the beach. Skip the line and get your grub to go.
What's the best beach food you've ever had? Let me know in the comments below.
Hodad's web site with menu and more info
Hoadad's was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
Hodad's on Urbanspoon
