Go On — Eat a Cheeseburger Under a Freeway
Sometimes cheap eats lead to the best night out
Once a week, my husband and I go to our favorite cheeseburger spot. Yep, you guessed it — it’s under a freeway.
Here’s why you need to find a place like this.
They have three things on the menu: double cheeseburger, single cheeseburger, and fries. That’s why they’re so good — it’s all they do.
The staff is young and friendly. They play movies on a small 13" TV/VCR combo that looks about twenty-five years old. A stack of VHS tapes towers behind the counter. Sometime they sip beer and all of their napkin dispensers have graphitti and stickers.
As we walked up, music was blaring from the front of the restaurant.
This neighborhood is lively and artsy. It’s in downtown San Diego across from Coronado Island. It’s on a main drag, next to Chicano Park, some incredible murals, and really cool shops. The burger joint is in the heart of this place.
Every weekend, you’ll find the neighborhood happening. It’s always lively. Cars cruise by with loud music, and people hang out on the sidewalk.
Recently, we headed out for our usual burger day, and the place was packed. There are only two tables inside and maybe ten outside. They were all full. It was this odd mix of people. Locals, tourists, and this interesting couple — the man was wearing this lederhosen outfit, and the woman was hammered. They both had on unusual hats.
Had they come from an Octoberfest or something? We weren’t sure. We gave each other the eyeballs.
As we walked up, music was blaring from the front of the restaurant.
There was a guy with a portable turntable jamming to the music he was playing. He was spinning everything from Mexican music to AC/DC. He was elated to be there. His friend was next to him, also jamming out, throwing her long brown hair back and forth.
A lot of “wooooooing” was happening.
I’m pretty sure both of these people were hammered as well. They had on black t-shirts, jeans, flannels — and were absolutely loving life at that moment. Nothing else existed for them but the burger shop and the music.
It was a sight to behold. I felt right at home. I looked at my husband and smiled wide.
The Perfect Evening
We ordered, found a table, and sat down to watch the show.
The cashier ran out and told us it would be a 40-minute wait. He asked us if that was okay. I had a cold beer in a can and front-row seats to this dude with portable turntables. I was all set. I could wait here for a while.
The people-watching was incredible.
Loud music. A drunk, overly happy DJ. His friend beside him danced and exclaimed that she was headed to a bar to get trashed. The audience nodded along.
A Perfect Night
Burgers, fries, spicy ketchup.
The perfect night.
My husband and I have known each other for about 24 years, so we can make eye contact and have a whole conversation. It was one of those nights. We were dying laughing, and neither one of us said a word.
We waited among the buzz of the people and soaked up the cool, clear night. We watched the cars fly on the freeway above us and took it all in. No cell phones were needed to occupy our time. This moment had it all.
The DJ eventually packed up and chatted with the crowd. He was sloppily joyful with his small, portable turntable set up and his plans for the rest of the night. It was so much fun to watch.
Observing people in a rare moment of careless happiness is a rare sight. I soaked up every moment. Too often people are in a rush or they care too much about how others perceive them. This night, none of it mattered.
Routine Night
Get a routine night. They’re great. Choose one night and do the same thing on that night.
You don’t have to think about dinner or where to go. You can go to one of your favorite places and order what you like. You never know who will be there or what will happen, but you know it’s gonna be good.
You know the people will be friendly and the food won’t fail you.
Make it once a week or twice a month. It takes the pressure off, and it’s easy.
I’m thinking about doing this with more things. Whatever meals I can automate, the better.
Oatmeal Breakfast Day sounds way better than, “I guess I’ll have oatmeal again.” Right?
Mind shift.
Make it easy on yourself whenever possible. A routine day is the ultimate easy answer. Not everything has to be made from scratch and not every restaurant in your rotation should list $$$$ by its name on Yelp.
Sometimes the $ listings are the way to go.
Whatever you’re up to this week, enjoy it with your whole heart. Put down your phone, people-watch, and take in all the careless happiness around you.
It’s out there. Watch for it.
Kit Campoy is a freelance writer based in Southern California. She covers Web3, travel, leadership, retail, writing, and more. Connect with Kit on LinkedIn, DeSo, and Twitter. Give yourself a break, and join her weekly newsletter.
