SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - It may not attract the numbers that Sea World and the San Diego Zoo do, but thanks to some national publicity and a longstanding reputation, Hodad's in Ocean Beach has become a major tourist must-do, with folks standing in line for hours just to sample one of their juicy burgers. Now the downtown crowd can mack down on Hodad's menu without the wait.
"It's exactly the same menu, so we had to make sure that the burgers are exactly the same, make sure the attitude and the atmosphere, they're all beautiful, people just like me working here," Mike Hardin said.
Even though the Hodad's at the corner of 10th and Broadway has been open less than two months, it already exudes that authentic beach vibe.
"In Ocean Beach, everything in there was brought by customers. We're doing that here. We had a starter kit of plates that people gave us, so we put those up and slowly but surely people are bringing things in. Every single day we'll get something," Mike said.
But for Hodad's downtown, the proof is in the product.
"I want our food to be the same size as the burger. You see the onions, they're enormous," Tim said.
With a kitchen double size that of Ocean Beach, Hodad's is able to pump out their signature items, like the bacon and pastrami burgers, more efficiently than ever.
"My lack of education is actually a plus to all the customers, because an educated person wouldn't sell a burger this big for that cheap," Mike said.
Business at both locations is booming.
"You know what I'm really stoked about is in this economy, we're hiring people," Mike said.
Now the overflow crowd in OB can find a downtown enclave to cure their ultimate burger crave.
"We didn't bring Ocean Beach downtown, we brought our hamburgers downtown," Mike said.
Good seats are still available, great burgers just minutes away.
Hodad's Downtown
945 Broadway Avenue
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 234-6323