Neighborhood

Burgers again! It's been quite a long time since I took these photos, but I still remember all gustatory sensations. I think...

I apologize beforehand for camera shake. This place was PACKED on a Friday night so me and the tripod kept getting jostled around.

Here we go:

Idaho Potato Fries - w/ garlic herb mayo.

Shoestring fries tossed with a wee bit of minced garlic for some kick. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The accompanying garlic herb mayo was bland and to be honest, the fries are great on their own. The minced garlic really packs a punch...maybe a bit too much for my taste. Also, note that this is the full order, which costs a paltry $4. For $2, you get a sizable amount to go with your burger (see picture below).

The Neighborhood Burger - caramelized onion, blue gruyere cheese, pepper greens.

Awesome burger. Flavors are really balanced here and the caramelized onions really shine to make this one of my burger favs. The lightly toasted ciabatta bun seems like such a natural choice for Neighborhood's burgers. I can't explain it, but the bun really accentuates the flavors of the gruyere and patty. My god, the patty. I do not remember the last time I had a patty so packed with beefy flavor and juices. While Crest Cafe's burger patties do pack a whollop of YUM, their mix-ins somewhat detract from the deliciousness that is called beef. Neighborhood's patties are unadulturated and taste lighter and "cleaner" on the palate. If a burger could be considered "light," then the 'Hood Burger certainly nails it. Unlike burgers at most joints, you do not feel any oily residue in your mouth after eating a burger at Neighborhood.

As you can see, $2 nets you a whole lot of fries. I recommend you go this route instead of a whole order. These fries were lighter on the garlic and (perhaps a fluke) were more well-done and crispy than the whole order. Me liked very very much, but not as much as the sweet potato fries.

Sweet Potato Fries - peppered malt mignonette, gold mine shaft cheese crumbs.

Blew the regular fries out of the water. Seriously, order these if you go to Neighborhood. I hear Charlie* didn't have such great luck with the crispiness factor, but the night I went, these fries were spot-on. The cheese crumbs pretty much taste and look like blue cheese. Their twang really helps balance the sweetness and oil. My dining companions either loved or hated the malt mignonette, which tasted kinda like creamy caesar dressing with a good dose of shallots. I didn't really care for it and only dipped my fries in there once in awhile to mix things up a bit.

Mushroom Marsala Burger - sauteed wild mushrooms, swiss cheese, marsala wine sauce.

"Failure" of the night, but that isn't as bad as it sounds since the other items were so kick-ass. My beef with this burger is the fact that this is essentially a meat sandwich. 'Shrooms and cheese add a bit of nuttiness to the burger, but you really don't taste them all that much. Then there is the AWAL marsala wine sauce... On the bright side, I still got Neighborhood's amazing patty.

777 Burger - organic baby spinach, plum tomatoes confit, bernaise sauce.

Cut in half to give an idea of ratios in these burgers. Looks like a good meat:bread:stuff ratio, doesn't it! Damn right. I'm having a hard time deciding whether or not I like the 777 over the Neighborhood Burger. Leaning towards the 777 right now because the subtle acidity of the tomatoes confit and the sweetness of bernaise sauce really heighten the overall experience.

In both the 'shroom burger and this order, house chips were complimentary. Thinly cut (think Lay's), well done, and lightly dusted with paprika/cayenne, I think they clear your mouth of burger taste better than the garlic fries can.


I am chalking Neighborhood up as my #1 burger joint for now. Fantastic burgers, fresh ingredients, purity of flavor. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah. GREAT BEERS ON TAP.
Try my all-time fav: Alesmith Speedway Stout. Goes down great with these burgers at night, especially if you're sitting outside in the cold patio.

Still have a whole lot of other restaurant burgers to try and I'm really looking forward to it! Going to take a break from burgers, though. Stay tuned for a fun post about my favorite beer style.


*Charlie's review can be found here.




Neighboorhood

777 G St

San Diego, CA 92101

Get Directions

619.446-0002