While it’s pretty common to find hamburger joints when dining out, The Food Box offers an uncommon option — gourmet burgers with a Mexican twist.
With more than a dozen locations in Mexico, The Food Box in Pacific Beach, which opened in November 2022, was the first U.S. branch of the restaurant.
“We opened a little over two years ago with the goal of bringing that Monterrey-rooted flavor and hospitality to San Diego, while adapting to the local lifestyle and ingredients,” said Jorge de la Vega, owner and manager of the PB location.
Jorge de la Vega, owner and manager of The Food Box in Pacific Beach, and Juan Angel Martinez, founder and chef. (Courtesy of The Food Box)
Founder and chef Juan Angel Martinez combines the carne asada culture of his Monterrey, Mexico home, with unique, flavorful hamburgers, fresh ingredients and friendly service.
The Food Box’s unique focus on burgers is due in part, Vega said, to a television sitcom.
Vega said Martinez was watching an episode of “How I Met Your Mother,” in which one of the characters described “the perfect burger joint” as being an unnamed, small, hole-in-the-wall place in New York. The characters in the show spent years trying to find the mysterious eatery.
Martinez had just returned from a mentorship in Spain with Martin Berasategui.
Berasategui not only has a restaurant bearing his name, but the 3-star Michelin chef is the only Spanish chef to hold 12 stars overall.
Back in Monterrey Mexico, Martinez was working as a fine dining chef and “already had some ideas,” Vega said, but “he decided to focus on gourmet burgers after watching the show.”
Vega said Pacific Beach was chosen because of a shortage of hamburger joints at the time. The scarcity helped land The Food Box on busy Garnet Avenue.
“PB has incredible energy — it’s vibrant, diverse and very community-driven,” he said.
Named after the restaurant’s signature takeout vessel, Vega said The Food Box menu focuses on fresh, never-frozen beef, smashed and cooked to order, house-made sauces and thoughtfully balanced flavor combinations.
“We offer classic burgers for purists, indulgent specialty creations, loaded fries, and vegetarian options so there’s something for everyone,” he said.
The Food Box hamburger, the Spurgeon, is described as “carne asada on a burger.” (Courtesy of The Food Box)
The French-inspired Calvin and the Spurgeon are two of their most popular burgers.
“The Calvin has a 100% natural angus beef patty, with caramelized onion, bacon, cheddar and Chihuahua cheese, spinach and a dijon mustard dressing,” Vega said. “It’s a basic burger, but people love it.”
He described the Spurgeon as “carne asada on a burger.”
Carne asada is a grilled meat known for being smokey, charred and tender, and it plays a huge part in the culture of Monterrey, a small Mexican town near the Texas border.
“Any occasion in Monterrey — a wedding, a birthday, a celebration — is a good occasion to have carne asada,” Vega said.
“The Spurgeon has a 100% natural, 6 oz. angus beef patty, topped with guacamole with cilantro and lemon, grilled regional Panela cheese, spinach, and tomato chipotle and Sriracha mayo,” he said.
Other burgers available include the Sproul, a smashed bacon cheeseburger; the B. Cheese and Billy Cheese, the former a single smashed patty cheeseburger and the latter a double; the Spurgeon Infit, which switches the bacon with chicharrones in salsa verde; the Cali and the Truffle Truffle. Vegan burgers can also be ordered.
Chicken can be ordered in the form of three different sandwiches, the Graham, MacArthur and Whitefield, or as tenders, wings or boneless wings.
Each of the burgers and sandwiches include sauces, packing them with flavor, such as homemade chipotle or chipotle mayo, barbecue or hot barbecue, blue cheese, Buffalo, Calvin dijon and homemade ranch.
A Luther salad, onion rings, and the choice of fries, truffle fries or crazy fries round out the sides. A kids menu is also available.
Shakes are a popular dessert, and the choices range from chocolate trouble to vanilla, coffee, matcha and vanilla, cookies and cream, churro and Mazapan with bacon.
The churro bowl, one of the most popular desserts at The Food Box, is vanilla ice cream topped with caramel sauce and toffee nuts and served in a churro bowl. (Courtesy of The Food Box)
“The churro bowl is one of our favorite desserts,” Vega said. “Vanilla ice cream is topped with caramel sauce and toffee nuts, served in a churro bowl. People love churros and it’s a different way to eat it.”
Drinks include a variety of American and Mexican sodas.
Variety is often called the spice of life, and The Food Box keeps a variety of specials on the menu.
“We’re constantly working on seasonal specials and limited-time creations to keep things exciting for our regulars. Innovation is important to us, but consistency is everything — we want guests to know that every time they walk in, they’ll get the same quality and friendly experience,” Vega said.
The Food Box is offering burgers with a Mexican twist at 978 Garnet Ave. in Pacific Beach. (Courtesy of The Food Box)
He describes community involvement as “a big part of who we are.
“Our guests aren’t just customers; they’re neighbors, students, families and regulars who have become part of our story,” he said, adding the restaurant supports local events, collaborates with nearby businesses and always “aims to be a positive presence in PB.”
Vega said they definitely have plans to expand The Food Box in San Diego and beyond.
“People already love Mexican flavors in their food and are looking for that here; it’s a good place for us to be,” he said.
For the recipe to make The Food Box’s Bacon Jam, see below.
Want to visit?
The Food Box
Address: 978 Garnet Ave., Pacific Beach
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; closed Sundays.
Website: tfbburgers.com
Phone: 858-352-6095
Good to know: Delivery, pickup and catering are available.
Recipe for The Food Box’s Bacon Jam
Bacon jam is made in-house at The Food Box and featured on its burgers.
Ingredients:
• 1 lb. bacon (cut into small pieces)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cold brewed coffee
• 2 T. maple syrup
• 2 T. balsamic vinegar
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Cut the bacon into very small pieces. In a pot over medium heat, cook the bacon without adding oil. Once fully cooked and crispy, remove the bacon and set aside.
2. Leave about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot and discard the rest. Add the minced garlic and thinly sliced onion. Cook over medium heat for several minutes until softened and translucent.
3. Add the cooked bacon back into the pot along with the brown sugar, coffee, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, salt and black pepper. Cook everything together over medium heat for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mixture should become thick and jam-like. Keep in mind it will thicken more as it cools.
4. Let cool slightly before serving.