Randy Jones All American Sports Grill (San Diego)

(Visited November 22, 2011)

Note:  Randy Jones closed its doors May 31, 2014.

Randy Jones All American SportsGrill wasn't on my radar, I didn't even know of its existence, but that's where we ended up.  The menu seemed to have something for everybody, it wasn't overly priced and, since it's an "All American Sports Grill", they have burgers!

Randy's is located smack dab in the middle of San Diego's Mission Valley, and seems to be everything one would expect of a hip, relatively upscale sports bar in a world class sports town.  You've got your pool tables, you've got your 22 hi-def flat screens throughout, you've got your 14 ft. projection screen in the lounge, you've got young and attractive wait staff, and you've got your 25 beers on tap, assorted bottled beers and a full bar with specialty cocktails and assorted wines by the bottle, and you've got All-American, National League All-Star, National League Cy Young Award winner and All Around Nice Guy, Randy Jones.  What more could you want?

How about a good burger?

I ordered the "Padre Burger" which is a "hand crafted patty made with fresh Midwestern 100% USA Certified Beef" with American Cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, American Sauce (whatever that is) all on what looks to be a well crafted artisan bun.  A side of "Idaho Potato Fries" is included.

When it was delivered it was a sight to behold, but unfortunately somebody back in the kitchen must have been painting by the numbers because that's where the burger peaked.  The meat was bland and the bun, that "well crafted artisan bun", was stale.  How, in "a hip, relatively upscale sports bar in a world class sports town" do you serve a burger, even a bland burger, on a stale bun?  Did the bread truck not come that day?  Was there such a run on burgers that you had to go the "bull pen" for a stale bun because that's all you had left?  Or maybe you mistakenly grabbed a bun from the pile headed for the local food bank instead of the fresh pile.  I don't know, but this burger, one of the "Big Bopper Burgers" on the menu was nothing more that a blooper, a little dribble down the first base line for a quick and easy out.

This burger, on my three tier scale of "worth the trip", "worth a stop" or "drive on by", sadly rates my first "Drive On by".

Sorry Randy.

Randy Jones All American Sports Grill is located at 7510 Hazard Center Dr. Suite 215 in San Diego's Mission Valley.  They can be reached by phone at 619-296-9600 and on the web at http://rjgrill.com/