Recently on the show we reviewed Fuddruckers, home of the exotics, featuring a topping bar and elk and bison and kobe burgers.  With liquid cheese by the barrel-full and an awesome dining room full of Americana, this experience was fun and fabulous.  They have a very sterile looking onsite butcher shop, which tickles my caveman bone, and also their own bakery with giant fresh cookies, brownies and the like.  Their huge, tender, juicy exotic burgers landed them a spot as a contender in this glorious challenge.

We have also reviewed Eureka! A laid back burger lounge, that snagged the second contender spot with their perfectly cooked free range California beef burgers and 48 hour fry process.  Their UTC mall location boasts an incredible couture barnyard vibe and the quinoa watermelon salad, the only known salad that I would consider eating as a main course.  This left only one more spot and we had to chose wisely.  We needed to find a burger place that not only had a fantastic, unique burger that offered something the others did not, but it also had to have a great atmosphere that made us feel welcome, comfortable, and attended to.  The staff had to be friendly, the bathroom had to be clean, the ceiling had to be dust free!  What.  I’m a bit of a neat freak, ok?  That stuff’s important..

Then, by chance, we found something kinda new: Slaters 50/50, named for its half beef, half bacon burger patty.  Yup, they have done it.  It’s done.  The patty is half ground bacon.  I was so happy, but skeptical.  Now, upon entering this cozy Point Loma eatery, one cannot help but see the wall to wall beers and ciders on tap.  Impressive.  The atmosphere is cozy dark wood style and when you close your eyes you can enjoy the hum of happy conversations that you can only get in a burger place.  Happy chewing and full mouth mumbling.  Ah, that’s a great soundtrack.

And this restaurant features an unusual way of ordering.  They have a menu, but they also have this little ticket with all the possible ingredients listed, and a little pencil.  You can invent your own burger.  You choose everything from the bread to the patty to the sauces, including a fried egg or peanut butter.  If you’re hungry and also feeling a bit like a mad scientist, as I have been known to feel, this is the place for you.

After composing a winning burger layup on paper, we enjoyed Marshmallow shake with Pop Rocks and a Maple Bacon shake and ordered half bacon patties and pre-ordered the bacon chocolate brownie for dessert:  yes I know that’s a lot of bacon, this restaurant is not kosher, but neither am I so that works out nicely…  Its important to note that in this eatery the fries are like an appetizer, which means you get them before you get your burger.  This means that by the time you get your burger you will be out of fries and you will need to order more.  Clever, as it sells twice as many fries that way.

Now the burger I ordered was composed thusly:

brioche bun

50/50 patty

Blue cheese

Sprouts, tomato

Fried pickle chips

Strawberry jam and sriracha aoli.

The only other sweat and savory burger I noticed on the menu was the peanut butter and jelly burger, and you only make that mistake once…

The sriracha and jam make a sweet and spicy aoli that won’t quit and goes so well with the blue cheese that it’s like a sweet, creamy firecracker for your taste buds.

The burger patty was thick, the bun was tall, this thing comes with a knife down the middle holding it all together!  These things are big and tall!

It was delicious! Tender, juicy, well rounded, the flavors all worked together to create a complete and total taste bud symphony!  I was hooked.

Chef Marcus made a mean burger to with there fire patty and fried jalapeno chips. He loved it, I peered at it suspiciously.

In a world of burger places where you are merely a guest, a customer, an anonymous face with an open mouth…. Slaters 50/50 turns you into a creator, a chef, an artist!  And the palette is made of meat!

This is what the dining experience is all about, feeling like you are a part of it, getting involved and witnessing your burger’s birth!  I love them for this.

So hats off to our winner for the Best Burger in San Diego 2013: