Happy Hound - Los Gatos

I've been on a burger and hot dog kick lately. Must be the approaching summer. This cold weather needs to high-tail it outta here already! One fun place that's just over the hill in Los Gatos is the Happy Hound. It started in 1971, so you know they know what's up.

Happy Hound (Yelp)

There's only a few tables inside and several around the back, so when this place gets busy, to-go is the way to go. We got there at 6pm on a Saturday night and grabbed a couple stools at the counter.

The menu is basic - hot dogs, burgers, chicken sandwich, fries, onion rings and drinks/shakes. You can watch them grill it all up through the glass. So would the food be better than a Boardwalk snack shack or fast food?

Our first order was the Polish Dog ($5.95), which was on a roll with tomato, red onions, mustard and pickles. You get your food in a plastic basket with checkered wax paper. The sausage was grilled perfectly and the roll was toasted. So far, so good!

We got the medium fries ($2.95) instead of the small and the massive size. The massive one would feed an entire little league team since it filled the whole bag. Medium was enough for the two of us, but the fries weren't spectacular.

The onion rings ($3.95) were actually pretty great! They come with either ranch or BBQ sauce and the batter was thick and crispy. They use some sort of seasoning on it and it was a step above the norm.

I was feeling like a burger and got the basic ($4.95) with lettuce, red onion, tomato and pickles. I couldn't get a lot of flavor from the meat, unfortunately, so I'd have to rate it sub-par. A bit too much onion too, so I took off most of it.

I don't know a lot of places in Los Gatos to get a hot dog, so I'd guess this is the place to go. I'd definitely come back for the onion rings, but would stay away from the burgers.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 6 (+1 for onion rings)
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Value for price: 6
Overall: 5.50

Jack's Hamburgers

How could I have a food blog with Santa Cruz in the name without having reviewed Jack's? Today, I rectify this predicament! Jack's has been around downtown SC for decades. The story I heard is when the original owner was going to sell in the 90's, the printers at the Sentinel newspaper bought it. They had been going there for years and didn't want to see it closed. Thank you, printers!

Jack's (Yelp)

I met Big Al for lunch here and he texted me there was still a few spots in their little parking lot around back. It's right on the corner of Lincoln and Walnut, so there's other (paid) parking all around.

You go in to order and it's your standard burger menu. Burgers, shakes, fries. But there's always specials posted on the wall too. I've gotten a good tuna sandwich there when I wasn't feeling like a burger. But burgers are where they shine. They call your name and you pick it up at the outside window. Lots of tables outside to soak the sun. Bring shades.

Big Al got the Cheeseburger Basket ($7.25) with a coke. Is there anything more American? It's served in a coffee filter (brilliant!) and the burger is wrapped up too. The fries are crispy outside and soft and fluffly inside. They are sized in between a shoestring and a steak fry. And they go great in ketchup. Lettuce, tomato slice, pickles and red onion round out the hearty sandwich.

I went with the Mushroom and Swiss Special Turkey Burger Basket and a drink ($8.50). These take a bit longer, but so worth it. I added some mustard and enjoyed it to the last bite. It did get a bit sloppy at the end, but who doesn't love that? Good to the last drop.

Who like deals? This is a late lunch or early dinner deal, but look at the value! They also have a sweet deal for the kiddies = hot dog and a drink for $4. That one is for anytime. They are closed Sundays and there are no bathrooms, so plan ahead.

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: n/a
Atmosphere: 8 (sunny), 6 (cloudy)
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.5 - one of the better burger joints in SC!

Main Street Burger - Los Gatos

Happy holidays everybody! What a great time of year... for eating! Let's jump right into this yummy burger place in Los Gatos (just over the hill from you, Spencer!).

Main Street Burger

Right at the start of downtown, this place is right next to Willow Street Pizza. Besides burgers, they have chicken, fish tacos, hot dogs, salads, onion rings and ice cream too. Even breakfast eats too. A real American cafe.

You order at the counter and they give you a buzzer, so no table service. That's okay with me! You can get a soda at the million-choice soda machine. You can watch the cooks make your food. You can sit at the high tables by the windows and watch the world go by.

I got the Nirvana Burger ($10) with cheddar, bacon-onion jam, lettuce, tomato and Sriracha mayo on an egg bun. As you can see, I couldn't wait to take a picture. But where's the pickle? They didn't ask us how we wanted our burgers cooked, but this one came out medium and was good. The bacon-onion jam is so delish. I could eat a whole bowl of that stuff. I would be sick, but it'd be worth it.

The Idaho Fries ($2.75) were super yummy - skinny like I like them. Crunchy outside, soft inside. Very tasty with the mayo side we got to dip them in. Burger and fries heaven!

She got the Side Burger ($5), which was supposed to be smaller, but it was close to the size I got. Maybe the bun wasn't as large? Either way, she got her burger fix sedated with this - a great $5 deal.

I'm calling this place's burgers as good as In-And-Out, but with more choices for toppings. They have Bacon & Bleu cheese, Mushrooms & Swiss and even the fabled "heart attack on a plate" - two grilled cheese sandwiches as buns for a double-cheeseburger. Eat at your own risk!!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: n/a (but they did give us a dip for free)
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: A solid 7.25

Malone's Grille SV

The best burger in Scotts Valley? I aim to find out, so we are starting with Malone's Grille. They have been around since 1980 and is always full of locals at night and on the weekends. Let's see how their lunch is...

Malone's website

We met at noon and we walked into the outdoor patio. It's nicely spaced out with tables, umbrellas and chairs. The waiter said we could sit wherever we'd like and then asked what we'd like to drink. Two iced teas later ($2.50), we were scanning the menu.

They have fish & chips, pasta, chicken, French Dip, etc. but we were there for the burgers. The Cobb Burger ($10.95 - half is $2 less) with bleu cheese, bacon and avocado. I found my target in the Italian Burger ($13.95) and we chose fries for both.

Big steak fries! As you can see, the burger is topped with many nice things and a soft Ciabatta roll. The bleu cheese was enough for some in every bite. Even at half, it was a good sized portion.

Mine also had tons of goodies: arugula, mozzarella cheese, bacon, tomato and pesto. It wasn't too oily and every bite was very flavorful. Now I know I will get some flack for saying this, but I don't think the Italian burger needed bacon. I know, I know, bacon is good with everything, but I mean the other ingredients held their own. The cheese was smooth and creamy and the arugula gave a nice peppery crunch. The fries were done well and weren't greasy.

The place was about half full on a weekday for lunch, so I guess people know about them. We didn't make it inside where the bar is, but they have karaoke and wine tasting in there during the week. Check out their website for more info. This was a good start to find the best burger in SV!

Scores out of 10:
Food: 8
Service: 7
Atmosphere: 7
Value for price: 7
Overall: 7.75

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