These three California burger joints rank among nation’s best. Why fans crave them
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Cheeseburgers are a classic American meal that many of us can’t seem to get enough of.
For those who live in Southern California or are planning to visit soon, there are three burger joints to keep on your radar in San Diego, Huntington Beach and Santa Monica.
Yelp recognized these places on a list of the nation’s “20 best places to grab a cheeseburger.”
To create the list, published Sept. 9, Yelp said it studied burger joints across the country. Then, it “ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews” left over time from Elites, who are regular users of the platform.
The Friendly — San Diego
A small and bustling restaurant in San Diego caught the eye of Yelp Elites, who ranked the place No. 3 for the best cheeseburgers in the nation.
The menu is simple at The Friendly on 4592 30th St. as customers can order beer and choose an $8 dirty flat top cheeseburger or a $3.50 slice of pizza.
There aren’t any sides, and no modification can be made.
Despite this, Yelp reviewers still raved about the oily smash burger.
“This is a solid, no-frills cheeseburger. It’s literally grilled onions sandwiched between two smashed beef patties, cheese, and toasted buns,” one reviewer wrote.
“Seasoned thin patties with gooey cheese and this delicious aioli, it’s so simple but so good - you will get messy with grease dripping, but it is fricken amazing,” another person wrote.
The restaurant is open until 1 am on Friday and Saturday. There are four locations.
Bunz Burger Co — Huntington Beach
Burgers and the beach? Bunz Burger Co is a fast-casual burger joint in Huntington Beach and was recognized as the fifth best spot for burgers.
Bunz has a little bit of everything from burgers to hot dogs to sandwiches and salads.
It also has several cheesy burgers like the classic cheez-burger, a bacon cheez-burger, a double cheez-burger, a pastrami cheez-burger and smash burgers.
“I’m in burger and fry heaven right now. The meat quality was excellent, sauce was delicious, veggies were fresh and crisp, bun was perfect,” one Elite reviewer wrote on Yelp.
“Highly recommend trying the smash burger if this is your first time as well! be prepared to wipe your lips every other bites from the juicy liquid gold drip drip,” another reviewer said.
HiHo Cheeseburger — Santa Monica
HiHo Cheeseburger stands out from the other restaurants because it serves burgers made with 100% grass-fed Wagyu beef.
Yelp ranked this burger joint No. 6.
The restaurant offers several burgers, including a classic double with beef, cheese and ketchup for $8.95. There’s also a gluten free and vegan burger option.
“Perfectly cooked smashed pattys and excellent toppings. The flavor is something I can’t describe, but burger lovers know it,” one person wrote on Yelp. “A balance between savory umami meat and melted cheese with the perfect amount of bun.”
Customers can also order shakes made with natural ingredients and hand-cut fries.
This story was originally published September 11, 2024 at 3:17 PM with the headline "These three California burger joints rank among nation’s best. Why fans crave them."
