Verified by SPOT · 9.2

The Friendly

North Park, San Diego · Burgers · $$

The smash burger has proliferated across San Diego, but The Friendly on 30th Street remains the benchmark locals cite when the argument starts. The burger is a Dirty Flat Top - griddle-cooked, charred at the edges, served on a soft bun with no substitutions accepted, which is less a policy than an act of confidence. The name isn't incidental: this is North Park's neighborhood counter, where the staff knows the regulars and the regulars show up on weeknights for a Hamm's tallboy and a burger that consistently clears the bar.