Hodad's Bacon Cheeseburger Copycat! | Secret Bacon Technique!

[@Mickcotton]

I’m making this burger today ! Exactly like you have taught us😊. National Burger Day Thank You So Much I’m Boiling Bacon 😂😂❤️Cheers 🙏🥂

[@Docstantinople]

Mike was a character. I remember the episode of triple D, he cracked me up pretty good. “A lot of people don’t like Swiss cheese because of the holes, I tell ‘em’ just eat around them” 😅

[@BallisticBurgers]

He was a very cool guy. Cheers, Doc!

[@Chowdown777]

And put a little spice on the bun trick.

[@bobjohnson8169]

Greg, It is apparent in your voice and reverence that you appreciate Mike’s Hodad Burgers. Great representation! Thank you! Bob

[@SmokedReb]

What he said. Paying tribute to a legend!

[@manbrodude23]

This burger is seriously amazing though. Thank you for bringing this to people like me who dont live in San Diego. I never knew you could even boil bacon. It really does give it a chicharon taste like you said. The bacon takes on a whole different texture/bite. That bacon with the beef sandwiched inbetween the 2 pieces of melted cheese really gives off such an awesome crunch/taste/flavor profile (sesame bun goes perfect with it). That's what really makes the burger IMO. That's what I'm addicted to and why I've made HoDad burgers for like 4 dinners in a row now. I never get tired of that. I wonder if a cheese burger with crispy fried onions or crispy fried shallots can recreate that same thing. Because it does start to get annoying having to wait 45mins to boil the bacon...lol or... could you even actually use actual chicharonis from the store instead of the 1 hour long boiled bacon lol?

[@BallisticBurgers]

I love fried onions and shallots on burgers, but it wouldn't be the same (IMO). I think actual chicharonis would be next level epic though! I'll have to give that a try. Cheers!

[@twivey61]

The best burger in San Diego. Mike was a great friend of mine and I still miss him greatly

[@BallisticBurgers]

His passing was a great loss.

[@jamewakk]

I'm a swede, but I had a burger there when I was in San Diego and it was really good.

[@Moondoggy1941]

I am in So. Cal. and I have not been there, hanging head in shame.

[@Alex-ye1br]

@@Moondoggy1941 Rocky's, Balboa, Hayes, & The Friendly are better burgers in SD.

[@BrokenMachine85]

No trip to San Diego is complete for me without spending a day or two in OB and hittin’ up Hodad’s. One of my favorite burgers I’ve ever had.

[@chads7796]

Just as good as your original video in 2014. To me this is the ideal bacon cheeseburger...simple and very well-composed. RIP Bossman Mike.

[@BallisticBurgers]

I agree! Thanks for watching, brother!

[@scotto3826]

Burgers are such a personal endeavor. There are literally a million ways to make a burger. And while everyone has some burger making rules they swear by, none of them are really right or wrong. With that said, one rule of mine I have a hard time breaking is that toppings are called toppings for a reason...they go on top. Otherwise, they'd be called bottomings. I never really thought of the idea of the juices flowing down through the veggies. My reasoning has mostly been that the buns are designed for the burger on the bottom and veggies on top. This burger just might have changed my mind! I wasn't hungry when I started this video, I am now! I just wish I lived in San Diego! And as usual, your production and critique is elite level! Thanks Greg!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you for the comment Scott! One advantage of having the veg on the bottom is it reduces the slippery falling apart action!

[@woodsiethewestie6263]

I was in San Diego for 6 months and ate at hodads many times. Truly a must visit burger joint. And boss man Mike was a larger than life character. RIP Mike Great job reproducing their burger Greg

[@etherdog]

The bacon technique is the great take home lesson here. Thanks Greg!

[@EverydayBBQ]

There is a lot of thought and expertise in this burger. As simple as a bacon cheeseburger sounds, the details are what make it outstanding instead of just ordinary. Great job as always, brother! Nobody does it like you. Nobody!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you Mike! I appreciate the kind words my brother!

[@jeffpeters2915]

My wife and I visited the downtown Hodad's location several years ago while I was visiting my daughter, and your video has my salivary glands getting wet virtually. Well done, my friend!

[@SmokedReb]

Amazing burger from an amazing place. Thanks for your dedication and love to share a story not just a burger, Greg!

[@dgax65]

Hodad's burgers are absolutely the best I've ever had in my life. Everything they make is fantastic. The Bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a shake was the perfect meal. Just as with Las Cuatro Milpas, Hodad's was definitely worth waiting in line for an hour or more. Those are the only two restaurants in San Diego I'd say that about. Thanks for this video. It brings back great memories of my time in San Diego.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Ahhh! Love Las Cuatro Milpas! Before Logan Heights became all trendy, we used to call LCM "The Green Fly." I never found out exactly why, but man is that place legit.

[@Kreeves11674]

My wife and I go to San Diego every summer for a conference for my work. Several years ago we ate at the one in downtown SD, and it was amazing. Luckily, last week we were able to make it to OB and eat at the original. It was amazing to say the least! The food was excellent, coupled with a very friendly staff and great ambiance made it a memorable experience for us. Can't wait to make it back there. Thank you so much for this video, I will try to make one myself, but I know I can't do it justice! RIP Boss Man!

[@manbrodude23]

Thank the Lord Jesus for your channel and that I found it. Some random youtube short showed up on my feed, and it was someone basically saying that they only trust 2 people when it comes to burgers, you and alt kenji lopez. So I looked up your channel. I watched your Big Mac video (I love Big Macs). Just following what you said, I made something that tasted just like the Big Mac. It honestly blew me away. Other big mac videos gave me burgers that tasted nothing like a Big Mac. So to know that I can now make Big Macs at home because of you was awesome. Thank you for simplifying things for newbs like me, for always keeping it simple, and for staying faithful to the originals when you do your recreations. I also really enjoy the history lessons and facts you give us. Feels like an awesome class room lol. You do things in great taste and with always great respect for the sources. Your channel is a blessing! I again followed your simple instructions and made these HoDad burgers at home, and they tasted delicious. I'm almost addicted to them lol (I live in Los Angeles, so I can make them at home instead of having to travel). But now I know what that random youtube short meant. You are now only 1 of few I trust when it comes to burger/cooking channels. Your research in getting the exact recipes is second to none, and astounding. You arent the stereotypical pretentious cook, over complicating things just for the sake of it, you are always straight to the point, you simplify things in such a great easy to understand way for newbs like me, you give actual directions; cooking times, heating settings etc. Just spot on faithful recreations. Again, thank you for such a great channel. You've been responsible for my dinners for like the past month lol. I have a few questions though. When it comes to knowing when to flip the burger, you've said to wait until you see steam coming through the top/patty getting wet(for traditional patty). But the more I try to cook, I've been really wondering, do you flip at the first signs of steam/wetness? Or do you wait until a certain amount of the patty is steaming/wet? If so, like over half? 75%? Until the whole patty is steaming and wet everywhere? When it comes to a smash patty, basically the same questions. Do I flip at the first signs of holes forming/bubbling? Or until after a certain amount? And if so what amount? Thank you in advance for any answers🙏God bless

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you for the comment! On regular patties, I'm looking for that moisture surfacing on about 1/3 of that burger. Smash burgers are pretty forgiving and a lot of it depends on how thin you smashed it. REALLY thin burgers will show those holes and bubbles quickly, so I'll allow a little bit of the surface to start changing color (to a gray) and then flip. This will allow time to get that nice crust. On say a slightly thicker burger (like smash burgers) I'll flip when a few holes start presenting themselves. I don't really have a number I'm looking for, but the holes will form and the surface of the meat will look wet.

[@manbrodude23]

@@BallisticBurgers Awesome. Thank you for very much🙏I'm motivated to go cook with this new info and finally make great patties lol🙏

[@joelsmith552]

Not about to argue with the Bossman. Rest well, Mike.

[@papajoewil10]

What a satisfying cook! Love how thorough all of the steps were and I can't wait to cook this myself. Great job, Greg. I'm also a big fan of the ranch from Hodad's.

[@dwaynewladyka577]

I like how that burger turned out. Lots of onion is a good thing on a burger. Cheers, Greg! 👍🏻👍🏻✌️🍔

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, Dwayne! Everything just works with this one.

[@mikeflorence8655]

Hi Greg, it's Mike Florence and I hope you and your good lady are well. Great to be watching a new recipe from you and SOOOOO worthwhile. Some neat techniques with the bacon and the pattie. Then, what an incredible build. I tend to shy away from large stack burgers, but I REALLY rate this, right up there with the Au Cheval and Ironchef 2. Many thanks for the meticulous demo as always. Cheers for now Greg, Mike.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, Mike! This is one of my favorite burgers. It's big, but not pretentious (in my opinion). Cheers, brother!

[@oThDeth]

You are a passionate teacher! Thanks for sharing such awesome knowledge. This is generosity .

[@Mickcotton]

I have boiled Bacon 🥓 and made this. Absolutely Amazing. ❤Thank You So Much ❤

[@kevinlott9626]

What a great burger, Greg. The owner definitely thought out everything regarding all the fine details. 👍👍

[@jmbkpo]

Pure technique, that's the secret. Thanks for redoing this

[@AaronChapman-s3t]

Made several of your featured burgers and Hodad's is the winner. He got it right.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thanks, for the comment! It's one of my favorites!

[@RTMZ06]

That's an awesome burger, and great technique with the bacon I will have to try that for sure. Rest in Peace "Bossman Mike", nice to hear that his children are carrying on the torch of their father and their grandparents before them. Cheers Greg!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Hopefully, this will be one of those iconic burger joints that last several generations. Cheers!

[@DonPandemoniac]

Glad to know the family keeps the place going, a great legacy. As for the ketchup, I even stir that through my caramelized onions along with some balsamic, it's good!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Sounds great! I'm going to give that a try!

[@kinglouie4115]

Greg, I’d love to see all your backyard BBQ and cooking equipment! I’ll bet it’s a ton!!

[@garryhammond3117]

Thanks for your meticulous attention to detail with this awesome recreation Greg! - Cheers!

[@pamelagreen1307]

I remember seeing him and the restaurant featured on Diners, Drive ins and Dives, and was sad to hear when he died. Hoping to get to try eat at one of of locations when I go back to visit family one day.

[@DennisBuys]

I normally don't eat pickles, but, I think I would with this burger. Going to try making it soon. Thank you

[@movzhepok3997]

This burger looked absolutely fantastic, loved the bacon section, simple ingredients, there's nothing not to love about it !

[@Mickcotton]

So Perfect & Delicious. Thank you so much I’ve had Hodads ✅. Excellent. Cheers Bro 😎 Happy Cinco de Mayo 🇲🇽🇲🇽.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Happy Cinco de Mayo, Mike!

[@Cremantus]

Yep... what a great burger! Best regards from good old Deutschland.

[@mr.shadestrains6033]

It looks delicious 🍔😎👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@robertwayman7974]

Burgers, my favorite channel here. So many new ideas for me to try.Thanks.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, Robert! I appreciate your taking the time to watch!

[@hecutsit]

Some good eats right there. Need one of those hats too!!

[@tech1238]

That’s a serious burger 🍔 I love it. Thanks Greg

[@BallisticBurgers]

Serious is right! You should see the double!!!

[@oldnoob1917]

A burger maker after my own heart. Great stuff as always

[@ronaldyeater3322]

Sup Greg, getting old I remember old video, was a staple burger I made for years, did use foil wrappers, I did put the spreads on top bun or let people put own, shredded lettuce all day, lucky cuz otherwise I have to say no lettuce lol, great burger bro, tyvm tc 🍔

[@hoopztube]

Hey Greg. Think I've been here too long! I still remember you don't this in your normal BBQ channel before you started ballistic burgers! Yes been here way too long...

[@ChuckDeCarlo]

Hey Greg, looks absolutely amazing! 🥓🧀🍔 That coming from a long-time "Scriber" !! 😂 Take care, man 🍻

[@bobbicatton]

I love the techniques and build of this burger👍😊

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, Bobbie! 😋

[@davidandrews-lq6vy]

Perfection in a bun , looks beautiful and I bet tastes the same . It's huge and a proper meal in itself . 👍🍔

[@amphetaminelogic7006]

My wife is an absolute sucker for raw onion on burgers (and diced isnt good enough!), so she will love this one. My bet is she will curse me for boiling bacon , and then love it anyway. Hotlisted for next weekend burger night !! Cheers Greg!

[@michaelbaumgardner2530]

I love lots of onion and the bacon is unique the way it's prepared definitely got to try this.

[@backwoodscountryboy1600]

I'm going to have to try this one also

[@4seasonsbbq]

Absolutely delicious burger, Greg. I'll have to give this a try. Great video, brother. 👍

[@tossedsalad5532]

Use a Zip lock style bag, sandwich plastic bag or tin foil. A&W used a foil pouches originally as a wrapper. Just options to wrap the burger 🍔 and hold the mess in

[@davenothear4353]

Very well done, Bravo......

[@jaquestraw1]

That is truly a thing of beauty!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you! Hodad's is a treasure out here.

[@jaquestraw1]

@@BallisticBurgers Lived in SoCal for years. Wish I'd gone while Mike was still with us.

[@alh2664]

Been to downtown and pb

[@Trethar512]

I think your first Hodad's vid was the first I watched!

[@kevincrooks187]

Thank you for sharing that Greg I love hamburgers its morning time here in Michigan I'd rather have that than my breakfast and thank you for sharing that video that thing looks very delicious 😋

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you for watching, Kevin! I can do burgers in the morning too!

[@BourbonISvegan]

Sounds simple Greg. “Cheese Burger” But so does “automobile” 4 wheels & a gas peddle? Some examples are exceptional. As is this epic cheeseburger 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

[@garyjennings9458]

😛Delicious burger!!

[@dyrellcunningham]

Morning, where can you purchase a Wildlife Grill?

[@durbanbudz]

Nice!

[@RorysRamblings]

You should do the crocodile burger from "The Tap" in Darwin, Australia.

[@rainham1]

what type of onion yellow, white Vidalia? thanks

[@all5hrzns99]

There's a surprising amount of technique in building this burger and its not hard. I will be cutting some onions and painting them with Ketchup soon.

[@robert7984]

The dude seemed like a very good man.

[@ProPyroPower]

Thats a Nice big burger!!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you!

[@ProPyroPower]

@@BallisticBurgers Thank you sir, this went into the list of tryouts :)

[@Jason-hg4pd]

Great video! I wanna make this for sure. I'm not familiar with Lawry's products. Is it their seasoned salt that was used in this video?

[@BallisticBurgers]

Yes, their seasoned salt. I'm 99% sure that's what they are using at Hodad's.

[@seanmcwhirk405]

Appreciate your tenacity to duplicate these burgers; so many to choose from all of them delicious. You are a Burger King lol

[@PapaKryptoss]

Yummy

[@Mies78]

sold

[@billstewart1747]

That looks A MA ZING!! 🤣👍👍🥳

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, Bill!

[@bobnorman5269]

Can anyone help with more descriptions on how to prepare the bacon?

[@BallisticBurgers]

Boil the bacon for about 45 minutes, then strain it. Grab a nice tong full of the boiled bacon place it on the hot griddle (in a little mound) then place your weight on it. Check how it's doing after a few minutes and if it's looking nice and crispy, flip.

[@bobnorman5269]

@@BallisticBurgers thanks for taking the time to help me on this. I only recently found your KZbin channel. It is filled with fun and informative info. Haven’t had my griddle too long so my burger journey is relatively short. Still trying to find a press with a lip for smash burgers that aren’t quite so thin. Thanks again for your help and excellent videos.

[@bobnorman5269]

@@BallisticBurgers made Hodad burgers for my wife and I tonight. Wow. Thanks for your help.

[@Herman_vi]

Hey Greg! I love your videos, lately I've been watching them with my 5 year old, who recently discovered his love for burgers. 🙂 If you're still taking requests, could you do a copycat of the L&L burger from Leroy & Lewis in Austin, Texas?

[@BallisticBurgers]

I will try to find out as much as I can about that burger. When you can, could you shoot me an email? [e-mail]

[@sparkus01]

When I boil the bacon for the patty, all the flavor is lost in the bacon? Any tips to avoid that happening?

[@garyK.45ACP]

How do you boil the bacon? Do you start with the cold bacon in water, or do you boil the water and then add the bacon? We also get bacon "pieces" at our grocer, $9 for 3 pounds! They work great for just about anything, but especially for burgers, BLT sandwiches, beans, etc. Curious...what is the price of that burger in S.D., California? $20? $25? (w/fries and drink?) Looks fantastic, but I'll make it at home. 👍

[@BallisticBurgers]

This burger with a basket of fries is $15.25 at the Ocean Beach location a 20oz soda is $2.75.

[@garyK.45ACP]

@@BallisticBurgers Not bad. I guessed higher.

[@mtaylor7]

That's a good lookin burger

[@macEboy]

Thanks, Greg, Please demonstrate how to cut open and serve "diaper a burger" . I searched and no good results were found... Your welcome :)

[@BallisticBurgers]

I can do that!

[@pezboy715]

4:43 The longer I've been cooking, the more I've become a firm believer in this simple fact - Anyone who "hates" any one single ingredient has not yet developed a palate mature enough to appreciate what it contributes to the final composition. Sure, drown this burger in ketchup and it'll be ketchup-heavy. But it still has extraordinary value as an INGREDIENT, not a crutch.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Well spoken! It's puzzling how ketchup is seemingly the most loved and hated condiment in the US.

[@oldfarmshow]

❤

[@davidmccleary5540]

How much does this burger cost? Looks delicious

[@BallisticBurgers]

$15.25 with a basket of fries.

[@keithbrookshire]

The word "epic" is overused in today's lexicon. This burger is truly EPIC!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, Keith!

[@eleishar18]

You need a whole lot of fries for that burger, to collect all juices and toppings falling off, as you eat ;)

[@joshhoffman1975]

I like this one more as it has vegitables, as opposed to just meat no veg. I would customise it fried onion, no pickels, with spicy sauce! 😃🇺🇲😍💯

[@cr1138]

It’s just the order of operations, folks. Make a meat salad dressing for your meat salad and hold the cruton.

[@RaiderGraf]

Ive never understood why some people get upset with ketchup on burgers. I personally like it but i think to each their own

[@garyschartz3023]

Cool. If the juices ain't flowin'...

[@bradg1440]

That's a huge burger! But it looks delicious!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you 😋

[@jesusm2159]

Jalapeños burger please

[@Moondoggy1941]

Your email links does not seem to work.

[@BallisticBurgers]

Thank you, there was a typo. [e-mail]

[@CarolgTX]

Byrger looks delicious, except for the pickles. I would have expected a higher quality dill pickle chip.

[@sidford8419]

I know you did this before, but.... Rocky's!

[@BallisticBurgers]

Another KILLER San Diego beach community burger!

[@thisworldaccordingtome9495]

I use a BIG piece of lettuce as a burger diaper.

[@MrDanbecker]

🙂👍🥂

[@danielesbordone1871]

If there was a bit of relish , it would have been a 10/10 , but still this is the way a burger should be.

[@oldnoob1917]

For a little more sweetness. I can see that

[@jasonyancura741]

Didn't i already see this before in a previous dream? Its like posting a vid of eating a mcdonalds cheese burger, and then years later posting a vid of eating a mcdonalds cheese burger. Someone's running out of burger ideas😮

[@BallisticBurgers]

No, not running out of ideas. Like I explained in the beginning of this video, I thought this burger belongs on my burger channel, instead of the BBQ channel.

[@78LedHead]

Looks great but all those veggies seem impractical because of slideage. You'd need a fork irl.

[@jedtattum9996]

the only way a burger will change your life is if you choke on it

[@BallisticBurgers]

Or if your name is Ray Kroc.

[@xavierpaquin]

Nah

[@Alex-ye1br]

A classic that has now become an overrated tourist trap of a burger, sadly.

[@RealBigBadJohn]

I can't do better than being 2nd?????

[@wiwingmargahayu6831]

dont eat rat snake scorpion centipede meat

[@acrophobe]

As soon as you showed the picture of Bossman Mike I remembered him from his appearance on Diners Drive Ins and Dives 🍔🤌