It's Burger Week - Ch-Ch-Chain: Boll Weevil

*** This location of Boll Weevil has closed

I thought it would be appropriate to end burger week, with a visit to a "chain" of sorts....well not a nation-wide chain, but a local chain, called Boll Weevil. I did a quick search on Wikipedia and quickly found out what a nasty looking fellow the Boll Weevil is. Now who the heck would name a restaurant after such a destructive, nasty looking fellow? After looking through Wikipedia again, I found the story here. According to the entry, the proprietors of a steak house called "The Cotton Patch" opened up a chain of smaller, casual burger restaurants next to Cotton Patch Restaurants and they called them Boll Weevil. Am I the only person who finds some irony in the fact that Boll Weevils are still around, and all the Cotton Patches are gone? Guess them little Boll Weevil ate all the Cotton Patches......he-he-he!

The location of Boll Weevil we visited recently is located on Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, and in  addition to all the standard Boll Weevil dishes, also offer BBQ, and other items....you can check out the smoker in the front of the restaurant. I'll pass, but you may be interested. It seems that recently several Boll Weevils have closed down, I know that the one on Convoy Street, among others(Midway) have closed down over the years....don't know why, they just seem to be disappearing.

We arrived at Boll Weevil, and found a table - this is the type of Casual-Family-Bar-Restaurant, where you sit yourself, the place was doing some pretty bang up business on this night. The Missus and I opened our menus, and suddenly both thought, "prices have gone up a bit since we last visited."

Well maybe it was just us.......since we aren't regular customers at Boll Weevil.

The Missus decided on a 1/2 pound Blue Cheese Bacon Burger, with Seasoned Curly Fries as her side($9.79):

I now understand the necessity of the condiment tray at Boll Weevil, the burger was on the tough-bland side, the "Goo"(not Blue) Cheese was just salty and had been placed under a broiler or something to melt it into a gooey texture, and the bacon tasted a bit old. The Curly Fries were great though. Nice and crisp, and well seasoned.

I got the "Super Burger"($5.09), which is the 1/2 pound "Steerburger"(after all Boll Weevil is "The Home of the 1/2 lb Steerburger)  straight-up, which for me is the test of a burger, no cheese or "secret sauce" to hide behind:

My burger tasted better than the Missus's, it was fairly moist, though tough. And even though the menu states this....in plain English:

Both our burgers were cooked way beyond well.....

I tend to use the burgers at Mr Peabody's as a reference point for these type of burgers, and Boll Weevil fell short. Tough and on the bland side, these were just mediocre.

On previous visits, I'd always order some Frings(French Fries and Onions Rings - regular order $3.79):

The portion size was alot smaller than I remember...let's do the math; if the small portion of fries is say, worth $2(and that's really stretching it), that would make each one of those onions rings cost about 45 cents a piece.... The fries were just okay, nothing special, and the rings had been over cooked and proceeded to shatter into little pieces when I bit into them.

I dunno what happened to Boll Weevil, was it just a fluke? I will say that the service at this location of Boll Weevil was very nice, though a bit slow...but mostly due to the couple across from us who kept sending everything back(soup not hot enough...I don't like this salad dressing....I don't like this spoon!!!), and running the poor Gal ragged.

I know so many people who love Boll Weevil, but I'm kinda like this guy.....on the fence:

I really don't know if I'll be back.......

Boll Weevil
9330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92123-1223
(858)571-6225

Comments

[Jim]

Dude!

How can you end burger week without eating the best single bacon cheeseburger San Diego has to offer??? Hodads!!!

Happy holidays to you and family!

[Kirk]

Hi Jim - Because I didn't feel like going there.....OB, that is.

Happy holidays to you and the Missus as well!

[Chubbypanda]

Ouch! I can tell those burgers are bad just from the photos.

Love this series, buddy. Great idea!

- Chubbypanda

[Kathy]

hehe, I like how they rename the fry combos - frings, crings! You know what you should do? Grill up some juicy burgers at home, add on slices of avocado (Kua Aina) style and get curly fries from Jack in the Box (I swear on my blog, their curly fries are so good!) :) Merry Christmas!

[mizducky]

Y'know, I've only been to a Boll Weevil once--the one on the Shelter Island causeway--but I clearly recall being similarly underwhelmed. Maybe that's why they've been closing branches recently. ;-)

Happy holidays and happy eating to both you and the Missus!

/the duck

[cathy]

No, Really, Kirk, at the one in Santee(just closed) and the one on Mission Gorge (closed a few years ago) and the one in La Mesa (still open) We would ask for and get medium rare...and the bun was toasted..and it was good. The rings were never any good and we do cheese fries only...because, sometimes, that plastic cheese turns into a craving for me. Sorry yours wasn't as good. We haven't been to that location, near the Registrar of Voters office, because we try to avoid that area when we are not working for them.... :) Happy Merry!

[Scott J.]

I went once in Poway - pretty dry hamburgers as I remember. They since closed that location.

Way off topic: I didn't get a chance to comment on your big LA meal - excellent write up! It wouldn't quite be for me I don't think. We may splurge some time on a Spago tasting menu.

[jchow]

Kirk,
Hey Merry Xmas to you and the Missus. Hope you both have a safe and fun holiday season.
If you're ever out this way, we should go check out the Heart Attack Grill. They've got a website. Take care.

[Jenn]

Jeeze I want a burger now. Merry Christmas to you and your Missus and the doggies!

[Brian]

Wow, I didn't know there was still a Boll Weevil's still around. Great review :) I never got to try the Boll Weevil at National City on Palm Ave. and Plaza Blvd. before they closed down indefinitely a long time ago. I wonder if Rally's Burgers is still around??

[cathy]

Brian- There is a Rally's in Spring Valley, just off the 54 at the Jamacha exit-SE corner, in the Sears Essentials parking lot. Its the only one that is still a Rally's that I know of, and I do drive around the county....the others are still physically in the locations but have turned into taco shops and/or drive thru coffee places. There is also a Boll Weevil in La Mesa on Fletcher Parkway at El Paso, in the Souplantation/Michael's mall. They will cook a burger medium rare.

[annie]

funny pelican joke! those things are humongous!

[Captain Jack]

Hey Kirk,

I have to agree, the best thing about the Weevil was always the condiment tray, (and the beer).

How bout those Rainbow Warriors? Colt Brennan kicked ass. Timmy who?

Hope Santa was good to you.

[Kirk]

Hi CP - We've never had a good experience at Boll Weevil, but thought the prices were pretty good. But, now.....

Hi Kathy - Happy Holidays...I know alot of people who love those curly fries from JIB...

Hi mizducky - Happy holidays to you as well!

Hi Cathy - WEll, I've been to 4 different Boll Weevils...we once asked for a medium burger at the now defunct Covoy location, and the crabby old waitress said simply, "can't you read what it says....", nice, huh? And they proceeded to serve us an ultra well done burger. The Morena location and Midway location were the same food(even though it says how the burger is served in print, you mean you still have to ask???)...with the same lousy service. I must say that the Young Lady at this location was realy nice.

Hi Scott - Happy holidays! Spago's not a bad choice at all!

Hi Jeffrey - Same back to you and the Missus! Heart Attack Grill? Sounds right up my alley!

Hi Jenn - Happy Holidays!

Hi Brian - There are still a few Boll Weevils around, but more seem to be closing every year.

Hi Annie - Happy Holidays! That particular pelican was checking out the fish that a guy was rinsing out....just waiting for one false move.

Hi CJ - I enjoyed it so much, that I stayed up til 230am to watch all over again! Happy Holidays!

[Joe]

I recently tried the BBQ brisket at the B.W. at that location in Kearny Mesa. It was not very good. The BBQ joint I used to go to on Balboa (CJ's BBQ Pit) closed early this year. I used to like Boll Weevil for lunch with co-workers because we'd play billards and maybe sneak in a beer. That was a long time ago and I don't go to B.W. more than once every couple of years... and I love burgers! So that kinda says something since I've been here since 1970. By the way there was *one* Cotton Patch on Midway and when it closed it became a strip joint. By the way Boll Weevil used to be good, but the business has been neglected after the founder died and the kids are fightng over the estate. The driven entreprenuership and pride of ownership is gone...

[Kirk]

Hi Joe - Welcome, and thanks for taking the time out to comment. Thanks for the insight and the bit of history as well.

[Joe]

Kirk, thank you. And thank you for burger week! I love your blog... because I love food!

[Dave]

I grew up eating at Boll Weevil late 60s to early 80s. They used to be great. They do seem to be slipping and closing up everywhere. It breaks my heart!

[Kirk]

Hi Dave - It is sad, when a local establishment slips for whatever reason......these are the places that should be forever establishing a greater foothold in the community, instead of taking advantage of their position.

[Glenn]

In 1972 two friends of mine that lived in San Diego turned me on to the Boll Weevil. It was the best hamburger I ever had.
My next visit was in 1995 with one of the same friends. We agreed
that the burger sucked
I told the waitress about my wonderful 23 year old memory, and asked her what was the deal.
She told me that the Boll weevil
had been purchased a few years back. Exactly how long back I don't know. I asked her where we could get a good hamburger, and
believe it or not she told us in
detail.
Looks to me that the name itself
is what has keep the Boll weevil
going for the last 15 years or more.
So yes at one time they were great
hamburgers.