UYE: Burgers and Beer @ Balboa Bar & Grill

Let’s just say it, this place rocks. Many thanks to Omar for putting on such a fantastic event. I honestly couldn’t say there is much of a difference between this and an actual Unilocal event. It was just that great of a time. As far as food goes, you know it’s an awesome place when I am going back for seconds. Kudos to Balboa Bar & Grill for being amazing hosts. It’s nice to say that I’ve been here before and the service I had at the event is no different than any other day. A great group assembled here to eat, drink and chat. This really was a memorable time, meeting up with fellow elites while making friends with new ones. I really hope Omar hosts more UYE’s down the road because this was great!

I find it near impossible to decline Omar’s invitations. The quality and variety of establishments we visit are tribute to his love for food. This event was another success.
Burgers are a thing in the US. They are not a thing where I come from, or at least not a thing you look forward to eating. More something to mop up booze on the way home from a very long night. You believe they’ll make the following day more tolerable, but really you’re gambling with your guts. Sometimes it’s better to just suck it up and suffer the hangover. Made with cheap, nasty meat, synthetic cheese and bad buns. Need I say more?
I always thought the burger was a classic American dish so when I moved out here I resolved to eat a few as a bit of a cultural experience, and despite being preconditioned to expect consequences. But to my amazement near every one I picked up was really good! The meat was tasty and flavoursome, a huge variety was available and with garnishes that indicated the chef actually cared. In time I grew brave and, shockingly, dared to order them cooked rare. My mind was blown. This should not be possible, not safe. I should be heading to the hospital. But no. And so I became a convert to the tradition of a burger whilst sat up at some bar, nursing a pint.
After sampling some seriously good burgers all over San Diego, I can offer you two pieces of advice. First, forget everywhere else and head to Balboa Bar and Grill. Hands down they make the best burger I’ve eaten here. Juicy, towering, cooked perfectly per your request. They also add their own little flair in one or two places. When I was told they put butter inside the buns I expected not to taste it, that it was just something to make the menu look interesting. But no, I stand corrected, the buttery flavor really comes through and genuinely adds something to the experience. On top of all of this they come in under that magic $ 10 ceiling that no burger should exceed. Perfect.
My second piece of advice: Never eat a burger in Britain.

We were lucky to be invited to this event by one of Unilocal’s most elite, Omar S.
The fiancé and I arrived promptly at 12:30pm :p… and, we were welcomed by our host. Omar explained that BBG owner had graciously offered HH prices for their burgers and complementary fries, Alesmith had decided to join in with their Tony Gwynn beer along with a commemorative glass, and Henebery Whiskey offered free samples.
I ordered a Hotel Nacional, and the bf ordered a beer with the commemorative pint glass. Hotel Nacional, as I have said in my BBG review, is an absolute must. Each and every visit.
After our drinks, we each ordered a balboa burger (yes, we got our priorities straight). The bf added an egg to his burger for the first time (following Omar’s suggestion), and I added an egg and avocado. As always, the burgers were excellent!
As our last stop, we got a sample of Henebery Whiskey. I don’t really drink whiskey on its own, but Henebery is definitely a great tasting whikey. We look forward to visiting when their tasting room opens.
All and all, this was a great way to spend a few hours of our Sunday. This was my first UYE! And while I wasn’t great on the socializing, I was pretty excellent on the eating and drinking: D
Thank you Omar for planning such fun event!

Unilocal you do me right in so many ways, you’ve put people in my path that I can’t imagine life without, you’ve had super awesome elite events on my birthday, and I’ve been lucky enough to be considered for fun UYE’s like this one. Thanks to Omar for setting it up as well as inviting the cheese. I haven’t been out for a while and what better to call my attention than burger and a beer with great people!
I was of course side swiped by responsibilities of having to pick up the boy from soccer the day of and was late to the ball of course. As I walked in you could tell the party had started! I had been here a while back for a few concerts when it was the tin can ale house and I enjoyed the intimate venue then as well as now.
A few familiar faces popped up as well as some new ones. I wasn’t very adventurous in choosing a drink even though there was free whiskey… my late night of indulging on very strong beers the night before reminded me to be good. I had a Cali Creamin from Mother Earth and a cheeeeeese burger with bacon and avocado. Oh what an awesome choice. I ate the whole damn thing and needed a nap. The fries were pretty tasty as well but that burger was the star.
I stayed a bit to watch the raffle then snuck out to nap and watch movies, the event was just what I needed for a lazy Sunday when I wanted to get out but not do too much. Thank you Balboa burgers for having us, thank you Omar for setting it up and thank you Unilocal for loving me ;)
the cheese

Omar has done awesomely in all the UYE’s I’ve been too! (This is the second one) The burger he recommended to me was the Balboa burger with a fried egg. THE BEST EVER. I for one was in love with the garlic fries. And the homemade aioli — which was amazing! But as I am not too much of a fan of the tomatoes — I passed on that; but Lesley told me how fantastic they were on the burger. Everything was freshly made on the spot — and just delicious! I been looking forward to this event since I have heard of it — and boy was I right! I was pretty stumped at how they kept the bun crisp — and it wasn’t soggy like I’ve experienced at other burger places.
The venue was smaller than I thought, but it was quite roomy and enough for everyone invited. Omar welcomed everyone who took a step in, prepared with name tags for every person! I also got to meet a few new people — in which I am elated to know and look forward to stalking everyone’s reviews to find out more delicious places to eat. *Cough* Isabella *Cough* Service was splendid — Tom, Chris, and Nick were all so fast in serving everyone, swooping in every once in a while to drop off a still fresh burger off the grill.
There were quite a couple of unfamiliar faces — but some became familiar after a while. Luckily it was also not too hot inside so we all avoided the burning heat on the outside. Totally need to come back for their fries and to try their other burgers. Had lots of fun taking photos and hope to see everyone again!

What a fun event! Got to catch up with some of my regular friends.
Mel and Vin, sounds like you guys had an amazing vacation! Chang, sounds like Japan is going to be sort of a life style change for awhile. I’m sure it will be fun and adventurous. Isabella, I’m so jealous that you got to go to all those wine tasting events up north, they sound like a blast!
As always, took the time to meet a few faces, Leslie, and Lisa the photographer and Mathew, i hope to run into you at future events.
Ive had the Balboa burger here before, and Its still the juiciest burger in town! Yes even better than Rocky’s, Far better! I ordered mine with bacon, and it did not disappoint, thick and crispy bacon like it should be so it adds both that smoky bacon taste as well as a crunch. The twice cooked french fries were awesome and shows the knowledge of Balboa bar and grill to make fries properly. If only In n out could figure this out! Balboa bar and grill is officially on my list of places to bring out of town guests for the best burger in town, yes that good!
The Henebery whisky was a nice touch, wish i wasn’t on call for work so i could have had some. Oh well theres always a next time.
Omar thanks for putting on another stelar event!

Omar, you sir have taken UYE’s to the next level. Your good work and deeds to gather some of the best of the best of Unilocal has caught the attention of many.
UYE, YEE, IYE, doesn’t matter. If it has booze and people down for an after/​preparty I’m in. Make it on a weekend and I’m double down. I can eat anytime, anywhere on my own, but gathering of like minded people is where it’s at. There is no 1 true authority at or among Unilocal because as we all know there is a huge disparity in quality, thoughtfulness among us, even among elite’s so seeing a real mix of people based on writing, interests. Locking a venue down that is secretly doing things no one else is impressive.
Balboa Bar & Grill review to come separately. What makes the unique from every other burger in the city is they have no refrigeration. All their ingredients are fresh, not frozen or even chilled for periods of time. Forget farm to table if it’s being stored for days in a fridge. The burger patties are excellent ⁷⁰⁄₃₀ from Central Meats with great toppings and accoutrements, classy enough to eat with your pinky out. Their produce is provided from specialty produce who anyone who is anyone should be using. Garlic aioli is what everyone seems to like, but for me throw some halal guys white sauce on everything. The buns are from Bario and I’m told are bolillo, but I don’t get the crust or sweetness or shape, frankly they reminded me more of a sweet pambazo minus the filling or crust. I’ll elaborate on the haunted stage door and bathroom situation separately.
The venue is dark and small, but the service was amazing from Tom helping on the grill or Christian running food or Nick slanging drinks. Along with the Henebery owner Jessie (me and him go way back) pouring his prized whiskey set the stage for organic introductions between everyone. For those of you from North County look for big things happening among the distilling community. Omar was nice enough to make the rounds and chat and make everyone feel welcome, but it’s hard not to when the people invited here are genuinely friendly.
Les & I were a little anxious for this we showed more than an hour early and got drinks at SRO down the street, and by drinks I mean drinks. Walking in and having a few beers and a few pours of whiskey on top meant we really needed those burgers and fries to absorb some of that alcohol. It was great meeting so many new people, sorry I wasn’t able to meet you all, but special shout out to Omar once again.

It’s not very complicated: I do not patronize dive bars. End of review.
That is, until Omar S. hosted a UYE at Balboa Bar & Grill. I girded my loins and tightened my shoelaces, expecting. .. Yep, there it was, a motorcycle parked right in front of the joint. An omen.
Walking inside, my eyes straining to adjust to the darkness, I heard Omar’s welcoming greeting (and eventually saw him, too). The place was delightfully crowded with Unilocalers, seated at the bar, seated at the tables, hanging around, and many standing in line for shots of Henebery whiskey, on the house.
Complementary fries were quickly delivered to our table, and they were hot, fresh, garlicky and excellent. Ketchup? I don’t think so, not with a container of homemade aioli waiting to be dipped in.
My wife and I ordered the Balboa Burger, costing $ 7.75, and worth maybe twenty bucks. Best burger, by far, that either of us have tasted in years. Not a complex arrangement of questionable components and unidentifiable condiments lashed together with a huge frilly toothpick. No, this was a simple, down home, juicy, delicious burger speared with a steak knife. Fresh lettuce, slices of tomato, onion and cheese, and the not-​so-​secret ingredient, that incredible homemade aioli sauce. The bun was fresh, and somehow, not soggy. Why can’t other places produce such a wonderfully simple and excellent product?
I got to thinking. .. If their signature burger is this good, the other burgers on their short menu are probably equally as good, or maybe better. Need to come back.
We washed our burgers down with outstandingly fresh St. Archer beer. Then more fries and aioli arrived. On the house. Gotta go back for some more whiskey. Hoo boy, life is good.

I’m breaking one of my Unilocal rules. I prefer to give bars/​restaurants at best 4-​stars upon first visit. That way I can evaluate over time whether my impression was influenced by alcohol or other factors. But how cannot I not give 5-​stars to Balboa Bar & Grill where each team member has infused GREAT customer service to their core?! It all starts with owner Tom. From some of my other reviews you may notice I’m always impressed when an owner is onsite working alongside the staff. I like it when there’s no class distinction… you couldn’t tell owner from the newest employee if not given an introduction. And Christian and the rest of Balboa Bar & Grill’s team were actively seeking to understand and exceed customer desires. Something as simple as serving a drink at the bar was done with customer focus. Christian wouldn’t just fill a glass, place it in front of the customer and walk away. Christian would ensure eye contact in taking the order, then fill the order and return it to the customer again with eye contact asking, «Is there anything else you need?».
Two minor points for Tom & Team:
a. Turn down music volume. Although the tunes were good and gave positive vibes, the volume made conversations challenging.
b. Reduce fat in Balboa Burger. The buttered bun, slightly fatty meat and Aoli was very tasty. Perhaps if I had requested to hold Aoli it would have seemed better balanced.
Above minor points do NOT sway me from recognizing a true 5-​star Balboa Bar & Grill operation.
Also a special shout-​out to Jesse and Henebery Whiskey. Who would have thought that world-​class whiskey was being crafted in Vista?! (OK, not me!). Wife and I loved depth of taste and hang time on palate of Henebery Whiskey. THANKS to Henebery we don’t have to purchase whiskeys from out of country or even out of state to experience top caliber, delicious whiskey.
Lastly THANKS to Omar for his tireless efforts in raising Unilocal awareness of noteworthy small businesses!

What an awesome way to spend an afternoon! Thanks to Omar for organizing and to the fabulous human beings at Balboa Bar and Grill for hosting! I fell asleep last night dreaming of that burger — the avocado! the buttered and toasted bun! the perfectly seasoned seared crust holding in all those delicious burgery juices! So many exclamation points. The dudes behind the bar and manning the grill were gallant and patient and generally awesome, putting up with our attempts to chat while they were busy churning out beautiful burgers and delicious fries.
While our ever-​gracious impresario with the mostest Omar perhaps underestimated all of our public speaking anxiety, much praise to be heaped upon him for thinking up this excellent event, we’re psyched to have found this spot!

Sunday Fun-​day at the balboa!
It’s been said that all you need are good food and good friends. This event showcased both in the simplest form. Burger– no frills, glitter, gold dust, micro-​greens nor gastrique needed. Friends– no suits, ties; visit your in laws etiquette expected. You see, the equation is simple, burgers+ friends= good times.
I’ve had the balboa burger before, and I’m always surprised by the caliber of food produced in the tiny a$$ kitchen. The burger was juicy and delicious, and the free fries were awesome too. Friendly staff, amazing food. Props to Omar for putting this shindig together, it was a blast.

WOW Omar, you’ve done it again! I was really looking forward to this event. I got my introduction to Balboa Bar and Grill from Omar himself. We met here for lunch one day, not too long ago, and he introduced me to Tom and the burgers that changed my world.
The burgers here are so juicy and wonderfully crafted that I’ve been thinking about them ever since. And don’t get me started on that garlicky aioli sauce, it’s so delicious paired with their twice cooked kennebec fries. Tom has created something special here. The buns he uses are perfect and made specially for them and to go with the ⁷⁰⁄₃₀ meat. The produce is fresh, it comes from Specialty Produce. The roma tomatoes are divine in those burgers. Next time, I’m definitely getting an egg on mine. I suffered serious egg envy after seeing all the photos of everyone else’s burgers.
Omar did an awesome job getting Henebery Whiskey there to give out samples of their whiskey. I’ve always been a Jameson girl. My grandfather left the streets of Dublin to try his luck here in the states, if he hadn’t I wouldn’t be here today. I’m pretty open minded though. I tried the Henebery whiskey and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! I don’t generally mix whiskey with anything. I drink it on the rocks, the way my ancestors intended it to be served. Jesse, the founder of Henebery, served his fine whiskey on the rocks. I would definitely order this if it’s available where I’m at. I talked to him for a bit, he was funny.
Walter, Lisa, and I got a jump start on our celebrations at a nearby bar before the event. I spent so much time socializing that I nearly forgot to eat. I also forgot to take any photos, I’ve done this at events before though, haha. It was great to see everyone. I finally got to meet Chang. We’ve been at the same events, but never met, so that nice. It was great to see Mel and Vin again. I got to see Joseph briefly. I met Mathew L for the first time and he was charming. Omar does a great job of putting us all together so we get to meet new people and hang out with familiar faces. He has a great group of Unilocal friends, truly. And he’s so incredibly generous with his time to arrange these events for us!
Thank you so much to Omar for all your hard work, and to Tom and everyone else at Balboa Bar and Grill. Also thank you to Jesse at Henebery Whiskey for the delicious samples :-).

What’s not to love about free fries? Seriously, they had me as soon as I heard where this UYE was to be held — Balboa Bar & Grill. A couple of my friends, including Jeff S. and Omar S., the organizer of this outstanding event, had recommended this place on Unilocal for having some really tasty burgers! Balboa Burger & Grill is the new bar, having taken the place of the Tin Can about six months ago. Bye-​bye, Tin Can — this place is a big step up!
I got to say that the burger I ate was absolutely outstanding! I chose it straight up, without any of the ad-​on goodies, in order to really taste the meat. The patty was charred perfectly, and it was well-​cooked but still moist and full of flavor. Not too salty, but well seasoned, The brioche bun was a homerun, too.
We got to sample some delightful Rye whiskey from Henebery, and one lucky attendee even win a free bottle!
Thanks Omar and the staff and owners of the Balboa. This was a fun and intimate event. I definitely need to come back for more of your tasty burgers — this time with some of the toppings «as God intended» (quoting Omar).

This being my first Unilocal/​UYE event ever. I walked away with a smile, full and a little tipsy. I say that was a great time. The zen master Unilocaler and organizer of the event, Omar, in conjunction with the owner Tom. Threw a first class party for us all at the Balboa Bar & Grill that ran from 12 noon to 2 PM.
With burger specials, never ending complimentary fries and samples of a local whiskey out of Vista. Everyone seemed to be having a lot of fun. The most enjoyable part of the whole event for me was meeting other fellow Unilocalers for the first time. Some I have followed for years like Joseph Y. Great guy.
I appreciate everyone who took the time to talk to my wife and I. You definitely made my first event a memorable one. Very cool people that I am now Unilocal friends with.
Omar, great job setting this all up. Again, first class. Been to Balboa Bar & Grill before thanks to Unilocal.Loved it the first time I came here. Now I love the place even more. Cheers.

Omar, a honorary CM and SD’s most involved Elite Unilocaler, introduced 30 of his Unilocalers to an awesome afternoon of mouthwatering burgers and drinks with complimentary fries and air conditioning. He organized yet another successful event and many thanks to him for another event well done!
CONCEPT: Tom, one of the partners and who oversees the day-​to-​day operations of the business, rebranded the former Tin Can and decided to make burgers. He established business relations with two businesses in his neighborhood the Barrio — a Mexican bakery owned by two men and their wives who source the bolillo bread for the buns and Central Meats, a butcher who sources the burger patties — ⁷⁰⁄₃₀ meat-​to-​fat and steak trimmed so that there is more fat in the burger. Props for using local SD businesses to source their ingredients!
VENUE: Literally a block as you exit the 6^th Street/​Downtown exit off I-​5 along 5^th Avenue. I got really lucky and I found a parking space as I turned around and parked a block away on 6^th.
The establishment is small and reminds me of one of the nicer dive bars. There’s only a small sign hanging overhead that can be easily missed.
SERVICE: Tom, Christian and Nick did such an awesome job serving us Unilocalers. I was honored that they closed down their shop to allow 30 people to try out their burger. It was an added touch for Nick to change out the wet napkins that served as coasters for our drinks.
We got to try our complimentary twice-​cooked Kennebec fries, one sample with seasoned salt and the other flavored with garlic. They were quite delicious with their side dipping sauce.
Their signature burger is so far the best beef burger I’ve had in San Diego, *period*. Their secret is the brioche-​tasting bolillo bread with the sweetness of a somewhat rich brioche and the ⁷⁰⁄₃₀ fat ratio on the meat, which is not commonly encountered in burgers. The end result is this super juicy burger with a LOT of meaty flavor. The veggies tasted fresh and their bacon crispy. I have two regrets — not taking a picture (Lisa however took a picture of said burger) and not getting fried egg, which was one of Omar’s suggestions. Looked like mostly everyone got this. Even as I got home an hour later and writing this review the taste of this burger still lingers in my mind.
Omar also knows how to create a guest list that encourages meeting new people: I enjoyed getting to see familiar faces (Joseph, Mel, Vin) and getting to meet new ones (Paul, Adam, Lisa). I hope to see you at future events, official and/​or unofficial.
I look forward to eating here again, hopefully with Omar and the No1DP.

Balboa Bar and Grill has been on my list as a place to try out for a long time. Lots of people have touted how great this place’s burger was and today I was finally able to have one. Thanks to Omar our host for putting so much time and effort into planning and organizing this event. Balboa Grill was the perfect place to enjoy lunch on an unbearably hot Sunday afternoon, there certainly was no reason to even attempt to be outdoors. Tom the owner of the restaurant gave us a few words about his vision for this bar as he decided to remodel the former place here called the Tin Can. The location is rather perfect for the local crowd and visitors alike as its right at the entrance of Hillcrest coming from downtown off Fifth Avenue.
The event its self was a fun way to spend the afternoon eating great food and talking to fellow Unilocalers including some of their plus ones. I’m not really quite the burger person, so I don’t consider myself to have a large authority on the subject, but damn the burger here was delicious. The burger was good to the last bite and I was even tempted to order another one if it hadn’t been such a large portion. The Balboa Burger (
) which is what this place is famous for, features a large juicy patty compromised of locally sourced meat. They add cheese, their house sauce, tomato, lettuce and any add-​ons you wish. A lot of people were going for the fried egg on top, but I went for the avocado. Nothing beats slices of fresh ripe avocado on a burger, and the avocado here tasted perfect on it. Perhaps my favorite thing about the burgers here is the bun they use is bolillo bread like you get on tortas. The garlic fries (
) were put out by the kitchen on plates as a community dish for everyone to enjoy along with their house sauce. The fries were seasoned perfectly with a balance of salt and garlic but I wished they let them crisp up a bit more in the fryer before plating them.
The UYE was a smashing success with everyone enjoying the company, the service and the venue. Omar sets up some pretty damn good events, and I am definitely looking forward to the next one in an about a month away. It was definitely great to catch up with my fellow Unilocalers and meeting newer ones that I look forward to seeing in the future.

90 proof Henebery Whiskey infused with spices slid sweetly between my lips. Look for the secret menu of new cocktails featuring this whiskey to appear at select bars. This is the first whiskey that was smooth enough for me to enjoy on the rocks, without anything sweet added to it. Whiskey that tastes like Christmas in August… that was a treat!
The UYE at Balboa Bar & Grill in Bankers Hill is where I enjoyed my Henebery whiskey. My Unilocal friend Omar S planned this laid back and fun UYE, where 30 Unilocalers enjoyed juicy Balboa burgers for $ 5 with a soda, or $ 10 for beer & burger, plus complimentary well-​seasoned Kennebec” fries, which had a little Cajun kick.
Free samples of the Henebery whiskey were provided by the local distiller, who will be opening a tasting room in Vista. I enjoyed a lovely chat with the owner of the distillery, who is inspired by his great great great grandfather, who was making whiskey way back in 1851.
Thanks to Tom, the owner of the Balboa Bar & Grill, and his friendly and hard working staff, we enjoyed an exciting afternoon of beer, whiskey, burgers, fries, and conversation with some of the most well-​travelled, well fed, and well-​written Unilocaling characters that I have ever met. (-; Hello to Les and Gayle and Lee Ann and Paul S, some new friends that I met at this event.
Omar S, thanks for your hard work and inspiration, as you put together outstanding UYE’s. It’s stimulating to try new places in the company of such a welcoming group of Unilocalers (and their plus 1’s).