Burger Bench

02/​22/​2016 Visited.
First off I give this Gourmet Burger Place a Full 4 ½ Stars for the quality of their food. The prices are about the same as any Higher End Specialty Burger House. Special Burger and A Potato Side around $ 15.00
The Ambience is flat out Casual. 3 Stars.
The Staff Very Friendly and helpful. 4 Stars.
The Prices Are Not Bad Considering The Fresh Quality Ingredients and Real Black Angus Beef. 3 ½ Stars.
The Burger was cooked perfectly the way I like them. Outstanding flavor, nice and Juicy, with good bacon.
The Burger alone is $ 9.00 and a good 4 ½ Stars.
The Bacon Cheese Melt is very Large but wasn’t as flavorful as the Burger. $ 7.00. Only giving this one 3 Stars though. Nothing Special.
The Tater Tots were Well, TATER TOTS. 3 Stars.
The Chefs Tomato Soup was a let down as it was way to thick to be called a Soup and tasted more like a pasta sauce than anything else.
1 ¾ Stars.
The Real Surprise Was The Fried Chicken Wings. Big, Juicy, and flavorful with your choice of two dipping sauces. Try The Sweet Chili Sauce. Very Tasty. 4 Stars.
There is a good number of Craft Beer to choose from along with special in house natural soda. Very Good Soda. 4 Stars.
All in all This Is A Must Try If Your Near Escondido.
I’ll Be Back.

If you’re looking for a delicious burger and a nice social but fun modern and quaint atmosphere, burger bench is the place to be! I ordered the classic burger and a side of tots and I was honestly very impressed. The burger is juicy and delicious. The tots are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the way they’re supposed to be. The lady at the counter was so nice to me and my friend and was very helpful with explaining everything to me (because it was my first visit.) Was not disappointed by ordering just a regular burger — it was so delicious (and big), I had leftovers to take home!
Here’s some more noteworthy things about this restaurant!:
— Both indoor and outdoor seating give the restaurant a cozy feel.
— Local stouts & ales and a selection of wines available
— THEY MAKE THEIR OWN (natural) SODAS! Way cool!
— Kid friendly
— Everything smells so good
— Portions aren’t too small
If you’re looking to try yet another delicious burger that will blow you away definitely try burger bench. You won’t regret it!

Such a hip and unique eatery. They got some delicious flavored soda and it’s not the ones you usually would find at a eatery (like vanilla cream soda, black cherry, etc). First time coming here and my boyfriend and i decided to get the bench burger and sunrise burger. They were pretty delicious, the type of beef they used for the burgers are fresh and amazing tasting. We also got their truffle fries, which truffle fries are always delicious. We ordered our fod to go so when we came to pick it up the the brioche buns weren’t soft stuff, but i’m pretty sure it’s super yummy if we ate sat down and ate it fresh. Will come back again to try their sliders and grilled cheeses! and i’ll deff have to try it fresh next time!

Really great place! Food was amazing, service was excellent and they have a good draft beer selection. Will definitely be returning!

The staff was super friendly and the food was outstanding, my wife had the chicken sandwich and I had the black bean burger.
Will be going back!

Really friendly staff.
The burgers were so amazing. It’s like the messy, dripping down your face, juicy kind of burger.
Definitely order the tater tots because they are the best tater tots ever.
I eat here at least once every few weeks.

Friendly, knowledgeable staff. Locally sourced ingredients, beers and wines. What isn’t there to like. The Bench Burger is one of the tastiest, and freshest burgers I’ve had the pleasure of chowing down on.
The only downside is there isn’t a location in LA!

Great burger, great wings, great beer.
My wife and I came in for a quick dinner. We were really impressed. Fun atmosphere, laid back with great service.
I had the chorizo Diablo, it was great! We shared wings and my wife got the fig and brie melt. It was a little heavy on the figs and sweet, but we loved it.
We will be back here soon.

I think this restaurant should focus on burgers and beer, their other selections are mediocre & take away from the name/​theme of the restaurant.
I had the Sunrise Burger, crispy tots & one of their craft beers. I’ve definitely had better. The yolk was way too runny. They also have really unique sodas like Acai Lemon Berry and Agave Cream Soda.
5 stars for the atmosphere.

«What you get is an amazing burger»
I totally agree with this statement! First time we came in, we ordered the bench burger, sunset burger, and truffle Parmesan tater tots. Kids meal: mini corn dogs, French fries, and a chocolate milk
Food was delicious and the burgers just melt in your mouth kinda good!!! House made ranch dressing is a thumbs up for me and my kid!
Kids meal sides you can opt out fries or tots for a more healthy side like apples or carrot sticks.
Today I ordered the restaurant week special with a classic cheese melt and lobster bisque soup! Delish!!! My kid ordered her usual kids meal… Lol. She already knows what she loves from here.
Great customer service! Service with a smile! They always check on you to make sure you got everything you need.
Will definitely be coming back for future lunch or dinners or take outs!!!

Having tried both the grilled cheese sandwich and the Classic burger, both fall squarely into the category of «better than I could make at home.» The grilled cheese had lots of gooey cheese without being greasy. The burger was fresh and delicious, especially the bun, which I usually just throw away but this one was good enough to eat the whole thing. The truffle fries were really good, with plenty of cheese and truffle flavor. Definitely big enough to share. Service was friendly and helpful.
I’m not sure about the dining area being completely open to the outdoor patio. Last night it was pretty cold out, and of course this being Esco it’s going to be blazing hot come summer. I think that the indoor diners would prefer being 100% indoors, but we’ll see how that goes.
Since this is primarily a burger place, I would have liked a little more flexibility as far as choosing my toppings, and how I’d like the burger cooked. I’m not saying you have to go full-​on Slater’s, just a «design your own» burger option using the toppings already on hand would be great. Sometimes none of the pre-​designed burgers are exactly what I want. To be fair, maybe they would have made a custom burger if I had asked, and I didn’t ask.

Best Burgers fries to die for. Over due for a place like this in the wonderful downtown Escondido Staff very friendly. Owners are awesome. Looking forward to coming back.
Support your local business. Yummm

I appreciate that Burger Bench resides in Escondido. Escondido and especially Grand are becoming a rad and interesting place to spend a days adventure. At Burger Bench you order at the counter and they deliver to your table. Solid selection of beers and burgers. I would definitely say that if you leave without ordering the onion rings you’re making a mistake. They are delish! The veggie burger is with a black bean patty and I do not like black bean burgers. So I ordered the Fig butter, Apple, and Brie grilled cheese and was underwhelmed. For this being a burger place I was hoping for some other burger options for vegetarians like quinoa but I understand that it’s a meat kind of burger place. I’ll be back for onion rings and try some Tots next time. The inside is different and manly with cool touches to lighting. The bar area is bright and welcoming. Dog friendly patio!

This place is definitely delicious! It’s a cozy spot and the wait was a bit long to get food. But only because it was packed. Staff was great and was trying to go as fast as they could so that to us was a plus and didn’t mind the wait.
Lots of local beers on tap which my husband enjoyed! He loved the duck foot red. I on the other hand loved their. Stubborn natural soda and did have kola and black cherry yum!!!
My husband the bench burger which was delicious. I had the sliders and have to say the chorizo burger was amazing ! We shared truffle fries and wings both were perfect
We will definitely return! Glad my Compa Fern recommend this place!!!

This place was amazing. It’s an interesting set up with paying at the front and sitting down so there’s no servers that will take your order from your seat. That’s totally fine though! The seats and tables are nice and the fact that the food comes out quick is even better!
We got the Chorizo Diablo, The Classic, Truffle Parmesan Fries and Truffle Parmesan Tots.
Chorizo Diablo
It was amazing! If you love spicy, then it is definitely your burger. Just a warning, it is definitely spicy but oh so tasty! The buns on the burgers are also the good ones, no cheap store brands at this place!
The Classic
It definitely was good too. We got an egg added on it and it came out perfect.
Truffle Parmesan Fries
They were nice and crispy and had a ton of Parmesan on it but I couldn’t really taste the truffle, unfortunately.
Truffle Parmesan Tots
These were equally as amazing. I love tots way more than fries. The HUGE downside to this is the fact they literally give you maybe ¹⁄₅ of tots to fries. That is totally lame considering they’re the exact same price.
They also have decent kid options, only $ 5 which is amazing.
Beers were good and local. Most were around $ 6/​pint.
The main downside to this place is the fact I can’t order my burger cooked a certain way. They may offer it? but it was never asked… I prefer a more rare burger and these were definitely well done. They were still juicy but well done.
Overall though, this place is a solid addition to Escondido. I will definitely be coming by here for more food and drink. I have heard so many good things about the wings and grilled cheese that I will have to come by for another visit!

My first time eating at this place, since i live a few minutes away. Anyways, good atmosphere, the food and drinks are good, and the staff is friendly.
Unfortunately i would have to say the chicken was a bit undercooked. I also did not get an item described on the burger. I told the staff about the situation but wasn’t handled well. I will give this place another try, just not any time soon.

Burger Bench is a nice addition to the Escondido area. It reminds me of a Burger Lounge with an extended menu such as chicken wings and grilled cheese. Items are ordered a la carte. My wife and my order consisted of the classic ($ 7), bench burger ($ 9), salt & pepper wings ($ 6.9), a side of tots ($ 3) and a soda. Total came out to around $ 30. I had the classic which I liked but I would have preferred a larger sized patty for the price. My wife also wished her bench burger had more blue cheese throughout it. She did really like their salt & pepper wings and would order those again.
Burger Bench is kid friendly if you want to take your little ones out while also having a nice meal. The Unilocal page says waitered service but orders were taken at the front counter.

Honestly this was more of a 3 star experience… BUT I’m crediting them a star because they’re new and I attribute some of the experience to being new and getting the kinks out. I will absolutely give them another visit and update accordingly.
I had the veggie burger with some tots and the man ordered the grilled cheese with the truffle parm fries. The only major issue was speed of service was rather slow. Again I’m going to assume it’s because they are new but all things considered it just seemed a little excessive to wait 25+ minutes for a two person order.
The grilled cheese is absolutely immense. They toast the cheese on the outside of the bread which adds to the texture and flavor. Completely delicious. As for the tots… Also very delicious. I just felt the portion was lacking. Compared to the fries portion it felt maybe half the size. As for the veggie burger, it was good not great. I enjoyed it but it really needed a little more flavor. I’d recommend they season the patty a little more since they make it in house and find a way to crisp it up a bit. Just a little too mushy, needs a bit of a bite to it.
Anyway, I did enjoy it there and look forward to going back. I hope that my next visit it 5 stars and I will update then.

If you love burgers and beer (and who doesn’t?), you will love Burger Bench.
What’s that? Do I hear some dissent from the vegetarians? Well, my wife is vegetarian, and she loved what we shared as much as I, a man who doesn’t label his diet, did.
We shared the black bean burger and the veggie melt. Now, I’ve tasted many a veggie burger in my day. It seems like most restaurants just put them on the menu as the sole vegetarian option without putting much thought into it. Not BB. This was easily one of the most flavorful veggie burgers that I’ve ever had. It was hearty, it didn’t fall apart like so many black bean burgers do, and that tzatziki sauce was a perfect accompaniment (what a great idea!) The veggie melt was also very satisfying. I’d never had a grilled cheese sandwich quite like this. I loved the vegetables, but I think the parmesan-​crusted sourdough bread really put it over the top. Sorry, Mom, but I think BB outdid you here! Oh, how did I almost forget the tomato soup? This was creamy, delicious, and without that acidic bite that some tomato soups have. The parmesan on top was a nice touch, too.
We snagged some of our friends’ tots. «Come on, give me some of your tots!» (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) These have to be homemade. Wonderful and a must-​try.
The beer list is great and has something for everyone. I love that all of the selections are from San Diego County. Why don’t more (like, all) places do this? I am a former brewer, so take it from me: beer doesn’t really travel well, and fresh beer tastes better. Of course, supporting local and independent businesses is always good, too. «Think globally, drink locally.»
Burgers, sandwiches, soup, tots, and beer. What more do you need? Wings? Salad? Onion rings? So many options for the next time we visit, which hopefully will be soon.
Can’t wait to try the shakes!

I think Burger Bench has some of the best burgers and sides around, not to mention a killer craft beer selection (all local to the San Diego area). The owners have put a LOT of thought and consideration into every aspect of their restaurant and it shows. I was lucky enough to attend a soft opening and try out their Bench Burger (freshly-​made juicy patty, bleu cheese, bacon, caramelized onions, greens, and their intriguing «bench» sauce), tater tots (I got it plain and even without the truffle salt it was crispy, tasty and satisfying), onion rings (also wonderfully crispy and non-​greasy), mini corn dogs (yummy – kids and adults will love them), and a little nibble of their black bean patty burger (very flavorful and satisfying for a vegetarian burger). They also have a vegan gluten-​free bun (made locally and surprisingly good) for those who want that option. They’re definitely still a work in progress but I think they’re off a great start and I hope that you’ll give them a shot if you’re in the area!
STEPH JUDGEMENT: New-​style gastropub with old-​fashioned values in downtown Escondido.