FOTB- Burger Lounge, La Jolla

With multiple Burger Lounge locations existing, it was impossible to pass up the La Jolla venue. Let's hope that this store serves as fair representation for the chain, but maybe a future visit to another location will be needed for confirmation.

The Food: 3.5/5 Stars
There is no doubting the quality of the Burger Lounge's beef, especially for a price of $7.95. I can tell you about it, but they do a much better job on their website as well as in their stores-- Burger Lounge is all about promoting it's grass-fed beef for the flavor and health benefits. And the beef was tasty, no denying that. But as a burger, it was very disappointing... The burger proved to be a complexity-- the burger was dripping juice, completely soaking through the buns, making it a very messy burger. Despite this, the burger tasted dry. I kept transferring grease from my burger to my pint glass (I had already eaten through a lot of napkins trying to manage the levels of grease on my hands). I think part of the issue is that Burger Lounge cooks their burgers medium, drying out the meat. I'm a believer that if you cook beef past medium-rare, you are doing a great injustice to yourself. The fries and onion rings aren't worth noting, and I probably wouldn't have a desire to order them again, except that the burger doesn't fill you up, almost forcing you to purchase the additional food. The quality of the product and it's lack of large size actually left me feeling good- I wasn't bloated or weighed down, but I was still a little hungry.

The Drinks: 2.5/5 Stars
Burger Lounge offers little choice for alcohol. And what they do offer is extremely overpriced, even for La Jolla. They have really hurt themselves with their pricing point. I can walk across the street to Karl Strauss and get more beer offerings at a better price (apparently, they are quite aware of this and not-too-politely harassed us about this). But I was able to get Boont Amber Ale on draft (I really enjoy this beer but rarely find it available on tap, so nice surprise!) There shakes are good, but nothing better than what's available at most places.

The Atmosphere: 3/5 Stars
If this wasn't located in La Jolla, the score would be way lower. The establishment itself lacks intelligent planning. Seating is extremely tough due to lack of space for groups of more than 3 people (not kidding). The ordering counter takes up most of the inside, and the burgers are still cooked in the kitchen. But they seem to be aware of this, by keeping walls to a minimum and maximizing windows-- Burger Lounge is a sterile white color, so they know to take the focus away from their blandness and direct it outwardly to La Jolla. For the most part, the staff was friendly and helpful-- they got a little bitter at the idea of us possibly going to Karl Strauss for a pre-meal drink, even though we hadn't been discussing it.

FOTB Calendar Girl June '09-->

Overall: 3/5 Stars
Burger Lounge knows how to attract its demographic-- providing an affordable high-quality beef burger at a certified green restaurant. However, it doesn't have enough going for it to make me want to go back. I know other options for better beef and drink and better atmosphere. If you want a quick and easy grass-fed burger, this place is an okay option, but you're better to go elsewhere.

FOTB- Jeff's Burger

Jeff's Burgers is tucked away in the shops at La Jolla Shores. A quick walk from the beach to 152 Avenida De La Playa in La Jolla, Jeff's Burgers has been there as long as I know. Parking is a huge problem, but then again it's always a huge problem in La Jolla (the only place that attracts more tourists than La Jolla is Disneyland... this fact may be purely anecdotal and not based on any real data).

The Food: 2.5/5 Stars
Jeff's Burgers is a simple menu, consisting mainly of burgers and gyros. Their gyros are really good, unfortunately we're here to score their burgers. Their burgers are big, which helps a lot. Their quality of meat isn't too high and that's the problem. Jeff's tastes similar to what you make in your backyard or at a picnic. It's a large hunk of average beef thrown on the grill. It doesn't taste like much of a dinner burger, but it's good on a hot summer day.

The Drinks: .5/5 Stars
With almost no drink offerings at all, Jeff's just barely earned anything in this category. Your choices include the soda fountain or a milkshake. It's a good thing that their milkshake is decent, but with such a lack of choices, it needs to be amazing. It's not.

The Atmosphere: 2/5 Stars
Jeff's Burger is walking distance to the beach, which is a big plus, but that's all it has going for it. The inside is sanitary-white: the tile floors, walls, and ceiling. I understand that it is low-maintenance. The lack of anything allows for easy washing, because all day long, people drag in sand from the beach, but just not enough attention was put into making the place look better. Also, a negative is their early closing time, which makes eating dinner there difficult; getting the boot at 7 sucks.

Overall: 2/5 Stars
It doesn't really feel fair for me to rate Jeff's Burgers to all of the other places on the list. Jeff's Burgers is in it's own microcosm. The only time I think of going to Jeff's is when I'm at the beach; I'm not giving up my parking spot, so I make the walk over and chow down. If I'm not at the beach, I never think of going to Jeff's. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but if you can't give up your parking spot to some fat, pasty Zonie, it's a good option.