FOTB- Bangin' Burgers

With San Diego Beer Week in full swing, we needed to check out a place to take advantage of a special without fighting the huge crowds that deals seem to attract. So we made our way over to Bangin' Burgers on Miramar Road. The doors opened only 5 weeks ago and they seem to be styling themselves as a sports bar, offering lots of specials during games.

The Food: 3/5 PattiesAwaiting the rest of our dinner companions, we chowed down some mozzarella bites which were very tasty and worth ordering as an appetizer. With a whopping 2 burger options to choose from, you can expand your order by purchasing add-ons or taking advantage of all the extras at the condiment bar. They offer their 1/2 pound "Signature" burger and their 1/4 pound "Lightweight" burger for $5.75 and $3.75 respectively. Toppings of cheese, bacon, and mushrooms run you about an extra 50 cents to dollar extra. I got a Signature burger, added some cheese, and chose to "Get it Bangin," which really just means they add thousand island/mayo sauce, or "secret" sauce. The burger was average, using store bought sesame buns to sandwich the meat patty. The meat wasn't exceptional and reminds you of a backyard barbecue, tasty and filling, but nothing outstanding. They have a huge condiment bar, so you can go crazy with various sauces, maybe add some jalapenos, or douse it with ketchup and mustard.

The Drinks: 4/5 Pints
Drinks are limited to beers, but they offer a good selection to choose from. They support local breweries, offering Stone, Alesmith, and Airdale as well as the macro beers to choose from. They offer their own house brew, but I would never order that (it's tragic when house beers are worse than PBR, but I guess that's why it won that blue ribbon...). You can get pints and pitchers and prices are reasonable to allow for a second or third. And if you show up during a sports game, be sure to take advantage of the prices.

The Atmosphere: 3/5
The place is a cavern. Which makes this ideal for sports, when people pack the place and it can get stuffy with lots of drinking, sweating, and shouting, but it makes it feel empty when there are minimal customers. There were a few couples eating and with lots of seating available, so it felt as if the place was empty. They offer a small bar and a pool table and there are lots of TVs placed around, making sure everyone has a view of the action.

Closing Remarks
Bangin' Burgers is nothing more than an average sports bar. Not a lot of options to choose from and everything is pretty standard fare. The food will leave you satisfied, but not excited. It's probably exciting during a game, but weeknights leave you with the impression that nobody comes here. But hey, there are a lot of beer options and it's reasonably priced, so at least you can get a good buzz here!