Consider Juicy Burgers in Midway District your go-to spot if you like meals with a modernistic or Southeast Asian twist.
The offerings on the menu of the new chain restaurant in the mall at 3555 Rosecrans St., Suite 109, include a Manila burger, as well as cowboy and hangover burgers, plus crispy chicken wings, Filipino spring roll lumpia, vegetarian offerings, and seasoned fries. Best of all, Juicy invites diners to “discover” your style of burger inviting them to “create your own” burger.
Juicy Burgers is near Liberty Station and the Sports Arena at the corner of Rosecrans and Midway in the same plaza as Rubio’s and Crumbl Cookies. There are two other Juicy franchises near San Diego State University and in North Park.
Juicy Burgers Midway has local craft brews Coronado’s Salty Crew, Societe’s The Pupil, Stone IPA, and Buenaveza on tap. The retail space was previously inhabited by Naked Cafe.
Franchisee John Vicencio, a Las Vegas resident who splits time between there and San Diego, talked of how he broke into the San Diego restaurant industry.
“I was looking for a simple business to invest in,” said Vicencio, a self-employed computer programmer, who was exploring options for a side business a couple of years ago. He thought the Point Loma strip mall location was ideal. “I like the neighborhood here because there are a lot of shops,” he said. “There’s a big church here, a lot of military here (Naval Base Point Loma) as well as lots of college and school kids.”
Of their company name, Vicencio noted, “That’s our brand, juicy burgers: That’s what everybody comes here for.”
Vicencio pointed out that their menu was not only varied but distinctive too. He said they offer classic cheeseburgers, building upon that by branching out with other tasty derivations like the cowboy burger served with onion rings.
Of the origin of their Manila burger, Vicencio said quite a few Filipinos came by and suggested that he find a way to make a burger using Philippine cuisine. “A Manila burger is made with Filipino sausage which is a little bit sweet,” he said. “That’s the signature for our Manila burger. It’s also made here in-house. It’s trademarked. No other store has it.”
Lumpia egg rolls are another Philippine menu option. “Everything on our menu is quite big in this area (Peninsula),” concluded Vicencio adding some customers dine in, then order take-out to bring home to their families. He added a lot of local families also come in to eat after church on Sundays.
A lot of Juicy Burger’s patrons are locals, but the eatery gets a lot of travelers too because the local military bases draw family members visiting from all over. “We offer military and senior discounts,” added Vicencio noting, “We have free meals for kids age 12 and below on Tuesdays with an adult purchase.”
Of being a franchisee, Vicencio said: “It’s very time-consuming but fun. It’s a new venture for me. I like people and I like them knowing there’s a new burger place in town. The locals were complimenting us because they didn’t have this type of establishment before other than national chains. A lot of people are looking for something unique – like what we offer.”
JUICY BURGERS
Where: 3555 Rosecrans St., Suite 109
Hours: Mondays-Thursdays noon-7:30 p.m., Fridays-Saturdays 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and Sundays 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Contact: juicyburgerssandiego.com, 619-230-5073.
