Back Alley Grill, San Marcos, CA

Back Alley Burger

For this review the UBR staff visited the Back Alley Grill in San Marcos based on a recommendation by one of our many fans from around the world..  We were joined by Laurel Madden, our guest reviewer for the day. The Back Alley Grill has a relaxing feel by nature with a nice patio, propped open windows, and a general Pacific island motif. However it’s located directly behind a dog kennel business which added a hint of, let’s just say, flora, to our burger dining experience. And we had plenty of time to savor that aroma, as our meal took forever to cook.  But at least our server had all the qualities that we like when we are served a burger. She was nice, cute-ish, and attentive with a side of tats and butt crack. The burgers were surprisingly served on toasted sourdough bread. Our first thought was ‘epic structural integrity fail during consumption’, but they held up very well.  It was also tough to rate the burger-to-bun (in this case burger-to-toast) ratio. It took 3 bites of toast to finally get to the meat.  The burger earned a 2.87 on the UBR rating. The demerits include the chopped lettuce topping that, once you flipped the toasted lid over, scattered around your plate, your lap or most anywhere but on the intended target.  Not to mention, the lettuce itself clearly showed signs of an expired shelf-life. Additionally, the burgers were overcooked into a dry, well done, meat lump. At least the lack of juice/grease favored a positive post burger experience.  Clearly, the best part of this meal was the fries, which earned a 4.74 on the UBR scale.  They are, arguably, the best fires we have reviewed to date. These folks know how select a fry type and how to cook them to near-perfection! The overall restaurant rating was a 3.3 on the UBR scale.  The Back Alley Grill was a very ‘average’ (and aromatic) burger experience.

Back Alley Decor

Back Alley Reviewers