Swagyu Imperial Beach

Hidden Gem of San Diego Imperial Beach. Super Great Staff that Greet you when you arrive. Luis explained the menu in detail and the options on the Menu, very detailed in the description of the options. The Restaurant is Very Clean parking on the street and at the Storefront. Ok, let’s talk about the burger, fresh melting your mouth burger with a perfect mix and texture. The fries are unlike any other fries or potatoes. They knock it out the park. Luis was very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. This is a Stop that you should make.

Delicious!! Must come to try these burgers! We've seen all the other outposts in Little Italy and more are popping up, so having one close that doesn't have the tourist traffic is nice! We stopped by 7pm on a Tuesday, fairly empty and plenty of parking. Service was quick and friendly. We ordered the Classic and Swagador burgers and sidewinder fries and two 1-liter Mexican Cokes. Man, can I say the classic may be my current leader for a classic burger? It's quite pricey but man I was so happy eating it! The Swagador has a lot of flavors going on so definitely keep that in mind. And the sidewinder fries, I didn't know if I've ever seen that style before but they are like twisty wedges. Really crispy on the outside and nice and soft inside! They were playing some good music in the background too, we'll be coming here more to try the milkshakes!

The meats are delicious, the nitro fries always sell out quickly. The best burger I've ever had. Also, sign up for their various 10 course, etc types of meals to try lots of new things. It's awesome

I don't even know where to begin? The melt in your mouth burgers prepared with the freshest ingredients, or the A5 Wagyu Fat shoestring fries, or what about the wagyu fat brownie milkshake. All were spectacular!!! You've gotta try the El Swagador 🔥🔥(Get the serranos on the side if you dont want it spicy). Thank you John and Luis for your amazing service and expertise. Easy top 5 burgers in San Diego but #1 when it comes to quality of meat and ingredients from meat to bun and everything in between.

The burger was decent, it was good when you are really hungry. The service was acceptable, but not great. I would rate this burger joint average.

This place is the spot for an amazing burger. You will not be disappointed! Everything is done with perfection and well seasoned. We have been wanting to stop by for a while and man have we been missing out.

I made reservations at 5pm and we were seated soon after they found enough menus for our group. We thought the staff were friendly, but unprepared for reserved dining. They didn’t check in often enough and forgot items. I was half way through the meal before anyone was around for me to ask what happened to my drink. Thereafter, it took another 10 minutes before I got my old fashioned. It may be better for Swagyu to keep their dining casual because with reservations, you expect a certain level of service. The food, sadly was not as tasty either. Half of our group complained that the meat on their burgers were overcooked. Their burger sauce, as my daughter described it, “was just existing.” It was bland and a little sweeter than what we remembered. We ordered a side of their French fries and they too, were disappointing. The fries were crispy, but lacked seasoning. A little salt would have gone a long way. Seriously Swagyu, what’s happened?!

20 dollars for 2 pieces of jerky! This is absolutely ridiculous. Also it took over a month to get here after I emailed 3 times to check on it. I would advise to never order from them. Terrible customer service and terrible prices for what you get. They should get 0 stars. I understand your a burger shop but your owner runs the online store and when you search swagyu chop shop you store comes up. Sorry you have to receive the bad review, tell the owner do better.

I made reservations at 5pm and we were seated soon after they found enough menus for our group. We thought the staff were friendly, but unprepared for reserved dining. They didn't check in often enough and forgot items. I was half way through the meal before anyone was around for me to ask what happened to my drink. Thereafter, it took another 10 minutes before I got my old fashioned. It may be better for Swagyu to keep their dining casual because with reservations, you expect a certain level of service. The food, sadly was not as tasty either. Half of our group complained that the meat on their burgers were overcooked. Their burger sauce, as my daughter described it, "was just existing." It was bland and a little sweeter than what we remembered. We ordered a side of their French fries and they too, were disappointing. The fries were crispy, but lacked seasoning. A little salt would have gone a long way. Seriously Swagyu, what's happened?!

Food was delish! Came with my family and tried out a few items: - Classic Burger 4.5/5 Wish the bread was warm or toasted - 1/4 smash burger 5/5 - 1/2 smash burger 4/5 - Katsu Sando 5/5 my son loved it! Was confused at first being that it looked like a hash brown but said it was soooo good. - Sidewinder Fries 5/5 it's a good portion. We probably could have just ordered one instead of the 2 we got. Servers were nice. It's a small spot intimate spot. Unfortunately, bathroom wasn't available as it's being remodeled.

I've come here before for burgers, but typically for take out. This was my first time dining here. Wanted to take my dad to a good steak place. Made reservations for 5 a couple weeks in advance. Fast forward to our dinner, we were seated in the corner that had the sun shining right on us. The sun was a bit annoying to most of us so I asked if we could move to another table. There was one empty table and 3 others that needed to be cleaned. She said she couldn't move us to the cleaned table since it blocked the door, but there was no consideration to clean the other tables. We ordered 2 orders of fries, not sure if they combined it or forgot to give us one, but we got one bowl of fries and one small side of ketchup to share amongst 5 people. When the food comes, the food itself becomes is good. Overall quality was good but service wasn't great at least not what I would expect coming to dine on high end steaks. At the end our sever came with the bill and announced to everyone the total amount. If you're buying meat or coming to have burgers, I'd recommend coming here. If you're planning to have a steak dinner head elsewhere

Swagyu is an amazing butcher shop and restaurant! The burgers are very rich in flavor. One of the richest burgers I have had ever! You could see the oils drip out of the burger if you're not careful so be prepared for a mess. I enjoyed the burgers immensely. The flavor and juices are amazing. Great place to go to a few times a year! This may be one of my most favorite burgers ever. (And that's saying a lot) Prices are a little high but they have a lot on the menu that have reasonable prices. The best in Town!

Had seen this on my social media feed, and decided to stop in and give it a try. The twist here is their burgers are made with ground Wagyu beef, which is unique. There were three of us in our party, and we all got the 1/2 lb smashburger. We also did an order of the fries and the fried rice to split. Everything was excellent! The fries were large, thick, and seasoned excellently. The fried rice was fried in Wagyu fat, with kimchi added it. Off the hook excellent! Our service was very quick as well, as they were not busy when we stopped in. 10/10 would recommend this place. It is a bit small on the inside, but they are expanding. You can also order a Wagyu steak here, and they have a meat counter as well, where you can buy your steak and take it home.

Delicious burgers in this quaint Imperial Beach spot. Unfortunately they didn't have steaks tonight, but the burgers are so good! I had the El Swagador, but the burger purist in me enjoyed my son's 1/2 lb burger more. The jalapeños and pickles overpowered the flavor for me. But that pork belly is delicious. Service is excellent! Recommend checking this place out. They take reservations, but call first to make sure they have steaks. We'll do that next time.

Overlooked the Chefs table last night and had a really nice meal. Albeit slightly interesting. We got a menu with the specials but only 2 of the 4 were available (at 630pm) and the other steak on the main menu I wanted was also not available. So I went from ordering a 40' buck steak to a 90 buck one. The one steak my husband wanted was also not available so he got his usual lunch order, a burger. The waitress didn't take drink orders, she just asked what we would like to eat, I did ask for a drink in my order. When I finally ordered my steak she asked if that will be "medium well" I actually agreed and then did a double take realizing she said "well" I told her no "rare". Just never been offered a well done steak before. It was more surprising than anything. Our waitress was very very attentive, she got water before we needed a refill and she noticed my hubby was chowing down ketchup and got him more before even asking. excellent service! The steak came out PERFECT! I loved watching the chef cook the steak right in front of us and make our rice. It was a really cool experience and I love the counter. The Parker house rolls are divine! The steak was absolutely perfect and could cut it with a butter knife.

So impressed with this place! We decided to stop by as we were driving around Imperial Beach around dinner time, and I'm so happy we discovered this place! This place feels casual but has high-end dishes (and high-end prices). I personally think it is worth the price because you can tell the meat is high-quality and the dishes are made well!! food ordered - cucumber salad ($9): we ordered this for a starter, and it was very light and refreshing. The sesame vinaigrette is slightly sweet, and we thought it had a similar flavor to sauces found in poke bowls. I'm glad we got this because it is a nice refreshing contrast to the meaty burgers we ordered! - 1/2 lb swagyu smashburger ($20): these burgers are thick! but sooo good. the meat tasted high quality. we enjoyed the pickles because they were slightly sweet - el swagador ($26): imagine the 1/2 lb swagyu burger but then add fried pork belly, smoked onions, and serrano pepper. This burger is good if you are down to go all out!! It's huge and I had to use a knife and fork to eat it because it got messy lol! - A5 wagyu skewer ($20): pure A5 wagyu right here. Each piece was delectable, so tender and melts in your mouth!! it's a small skewer, but you know wagyu is expensiveeee. I'm glad to have found this place. It makes trying wagyu a very accessible experience, especially in a casual environment. If you wanna try wagyu (or even get some tasty burgers!) definitely stop by here!!

I always try to give places a 2nd,maybe 3rd chance. Especially if it's rated high and I rate 1 star. So with that said this time around was better. Ordered el swagador and classic. The classic I ordered without their secret sauce (not a fan of it). And the El swagador had some nice heat to it. Both burgers were tasty. Also glad they got rid of the nitro fries. Unfortunately you're paying a premium price for just an "OK" burger!!

Omg so yummy ! Eggs are runny Bread is fresh Flowers are a nice touch . Atmosphere outside is quaint Tap water taste like dishwasher soap maybe glasses not rinsed or filter in dishwasher is nasty ...or just beach water vibes. But a great relaxing place

Definitely worth the trip South! The 1/4 Swagyu Smash burger is a one hand sized burger. The waitress warned us it was small and I appreciated the heads up. I wasn't starving, so it was the perfect size. Also one of the top 5 burgers I've ever had o_O I don't usually like chunky potatoes- these were crispy all around a fluffy inside. All of them were crispy. I was in on a late Sunday afternoon, most customers were placing orders to go. I'm pretty sure the potatoes would still be crispy after the drive home or wherever you plan on eating.

We ordered the Swagyu Burger, which are smashed A5 wagyu burger patties. The burger is no doubt, both big and delicious. BUT, it is pricey ($18) for a burger. Especially when it tastes like The Friendly Tavern and is 3x the price. We were also not a huge fan of the potatoes, but it's because we like our fries differently. I would come back here to buy some wagyu or a tomahawk from the butcher though!

Ok if the bathroom was working it would be a 4 stars. They are remolding. But get a porta potty/something. Ok food was good. I got the double swagyu burger with fries. Really good. 3 cokes 3 burgers and 2 fries and kastu cheese burger $100. I think I would go another location next time

Amazing food & amazing service by Marina! Also loved the beautiful plants on the ceiling! The Swagyu burger literally melts in your mouth. You must try this place 10/10

My husband and I go here because he loves their brisket burger special they had for $5. So I don't eat meat but I do come here for the onion rings and fries with Jarritos Orange. I have not been to the Pacific Beach location yet but my husband took his mom and nephew there and they said it was a bigger menu and dining room. The IB location is great because it's closer for us. Just know they don't accept dogs inside. There was a family who came by with their pup and they had to keep him in the car with window open while they dined, was super cute as all dogs are but I liked how gracious our server was in enforcing the rules to them. I have their PB location bookmarked already and will definitely post my review later! :)

Small cozy restaurant with some outside seating and a bar. Had a great burger and fries and companion added a cucumber salad. This was the first spot my companion wanted to go after being gone for months so that spoke highly to me. Service was slightly slow with just one waitress.

Not what I was expecting, ordered the 1/4 Smashburger, the main thing we tasted when taking a bite was bun and sauce (too much sauce). I was expecting a thick juicy burger with delicious wagyu flavor but instead bit into bun & sauce. The sauce is like a thousand island with spice. But I thought a good patty didn't need to be smothered in sauce? The bun, although good, was much bigger than the 1/4 patty, the patty seemed small. Also was bummed they only have American cheese, it didn't really taste like real cheese either. The customer service was so so, felt like we were bothering them or something. They could have been warmer, more inviting, the vibe was a bit cold. The positives were the bun, fries and onion rings tho! Perfectly cooked, non greasy, great flavor! I would go back for them but honestly not for the burger.

Located in Pacific Beach it can be a pain to find parking as usual. Visited this place after it was recommended to us. Walked in and the over all ambiance of the restaurant was mellow. It's wasn't very packed when we first arrived, but that soon changed after about 15 minutes. So now the part you're all waiting for....the food. Their fries were absolutely phenomenal. Would return just for those to be honest. As for the burger....once was enough for me. I have to say it was pretty salty overall and when it comes to wagyu it's just so rich that after a few bites it's starts to become a bit much. For me personally, I'm glad I got to experience it, but it was a once and done sort of experience.

Food is outstanding ! Fresh meat awesome fries, salad And service is a plus !! Very nice relaxing atmosphere.

After a long morning bike ride, my husband and I decided to cruise through and pay Swagyu a visit for lunch. Since Swagyu's menu is straight to the point, it didn't take us long to figure out what we wanted. We both ordered their Signature Swagyu Smashburger and one order of their Nitro Potatoes which we shared. While waiting for our order, we also purchased their A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef Jerky to try, which at $15 has to be the most expensive beef jerky I've had for 1 piece. It's tasty, I'll give it that. Despite its price point, surprisingly customers were flocking in just to purchase their beef jerky along with Swagyu gear. There's no doubt that Swagyu has some high-priced items, however, they were tasty and worth trying. We both enjoyed their side of Nitro Potatoes too! They were crispy, made to perfection, and tasted yummy with their secret sauce! Not to mention, the size portions were perfect for us to share. After devouring our burgers, we decided to try another burger that was on their special menu board that was hung up on the wall, which happened to only be served until their food supplies lasted. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name, however, it reminded me of a bacon western cheeseburger from Carl's jr, but way better! During our dine-in experience, there were a number of customers coming in and out with some that drove all the way down from north county just to eat at this location. There was another couple who stopped by hoping to try their A5 Wagyu Pho, but unfortunately, that item was only on their dinner menu and was served for a limited time. Another customer made conversation with us and recommended we try Swagyu's Sous Vide Carrots because it's just that good. Well, if that's an item that is still served on their menu to this day, we'll definitely give that a try on the next visit. As for the restaurant, it's small yet clean with maybe 6-7 tables at most. The staff here were super friendly, helpful, and personable. Their food was served to us piping hot fresh and pretty quick. We were always asked how everything was and if we enjoyed our food. Overall, the experience was a good one all around and we wouldn't mind visiting their PB location next time!

Came and gave this place a try and did not disappoint, I had the El Swagador burger and it was , just be careful cause it has a pretty good spice kick to it, definitely worth the money and will be coming back to try the other burgers

Holy Mother! If you have never been, you better get your ass over there and get one of these burgers! They are on the more pricey end BUT so worth it. Everything about this burger is on point. The bun is so soft, juicy flavorful burger, and the gooey cheese. You have to try this, even if it's the last $18 you have! The customer service is awesome, The shop is clean and has everything you need. If you are looking for quantity and quality, this is your place! Def coming back! Thanks for the best burger in town !

We went to this shop about 2 year ago when they just opened not long. We got a Miyazaki Wagyu from Japan. It was the heaven! We can't say how delicious it was, it's like a soft meaty butter melting on your tongue. This time, we chose two small pieces of Australian Wagyu, one from Jack's cheek, one from Tasmania. They are sooooo different. I mean both of them are delicious, but you can definitely tell the difference easily. I personally love Jack's cheek a little bit more, which is softer and more buttery. It's like an unique fillet mignon. Tasmanian one has an unique texture, it's like a combination of fatty ribeye and buttery Japanese Wagyu. Both are great, I would recommend both of them.

The burgers are absolutely FIRE you cannot go wrong. The mood of the place was also very chill vibes. Wagyu Smash Patties

Swagyu Imperial Beach: Food: 5/5 Service: 2/5 Overall: 7/10 Food: The smashburgers here are amazing. They're juicy, great texture, soft buns, everything you could ask for really. Yes, the prices for the burgers are high, but I find it to be far worth it. You're paying for high quality meat, so I have no issue there. If you're going to get the fries, probably share them with someone. I get a small and it's usually enough for 2-3 people because they're heavy, rich, and delicious. Service: I gave service a 2/5 but it varies. I've had service I would give 3.5/5 here but also service I would give a 1/5. The girl I had yesterday was low key an airhead. It's fine though, the food is so good I keep coming back. Maybe take-out could be the solution.

I want to give them more stars because my burgers are always great, love the nitro potatoes, and the A5 Skewers are bomb. Happy they're making 1/4 lb now because I thought the burgers were too much to enjoy but a waste to try to reheat. Downsides- their pricing is absolutely ridiculous (but Ill drop a good dime to try to find good food). On all web pages the menus are different and when you call to ask about them, they have no idea which is the correct menu. The girl I spoke with on the phone was cool, but didn't seem to have answers and didn't care to find them. It was like I was bothering her to call to ask questions (for lunch for about 10 people who will spend the cash here). It's been a goal to check out the 12 course study hall but I'm a little skeptical given the general pricing overall.

First time here and looking forward to coming back again. Burgers & ravioli was delicious. The fries were amazing! To top it off, our service was great. Will definitely come back again!

Delicious burger and fries . Fast service and waitress where very courteous., will definitely used again..

The 5 stars are purely based on their Wagyu Smash Burger. Yes, it is the way a burger should be: simple and remarkable. They don't have any fufus or frills like other burger joints such as: onion rings, avocado, or fried egg on the burger. It's 2 double patties, cheese and buns. And with those simple ingredients it beats the competition. Easily the best burger in SD! My brother describes it as gourmet and wagyufied In N Out! To provide context: - comparable to Ramsey's burger in Vegas (if not better imo) - Balboa Grill burger I will definitely need to try their steak. They need to open a steakhouse.

Came in try new items on the menu. Mac cheese 3/5 Chicken 3/5 Swagyu burger 5/5 Cucumbers salads 3/5 French fries 5/5 Onion ring 5/5 This place it has nice vibes o wish i can say that about the servers they didn't seem so friendly and happy.

Excellent burger and excellent brioche bun! I would give 5 stars but the inside seating is not the greatest and they should have shades during late afternoon because it's super bright inside.

If you've never had Wagyu steak, you should add that to your bucket list. This is the place to knock that item off the list! Pretty cool spot with a great selection of steaks from New Zealand, American and the best one, from of course, Japan. That A5 Baby!!! Yes, they are expensive! Is it worth it?... that's debatable. To me, not so much. That of course is with no disrespect to this establishment. The customer service is great, the product is great and the over all ambience is dope. Also, after seeing the Instagram posts about the Wagyu Burger, I had to try it. I paid the $18, well $19 something with taxes. It's a two wagyu beef patties, secret sauce (like McDonald's, In-n-Out and every other place... I'm guessing Thousand Island Dressing), pickles on sweet brioche bun. It was good, it was damn good. It was soft, juicy and tasteful. It was good to have at least one time. Will I get it again?.. Probably not, but I will continue to buy steaks from them because the variety and quality is great! Very awesome how they're always doing giveaways and other things on their social media. Give them a try today!

Extremely disappointed that they didn't notify people with existing reservations that they were closed. I made the reservation weeks ago and drove an hour in traffic for my 5:30 pm reservation for 5 people only to see a hand written sign on their door stating "Sorry Closed". I called all of their locations to see if there was a voicemail message or if someone would have an explanation but nobody answered. I understand things happen but it takes 5 seconds to post something on social media or change their voicemail.

Sooooooooo I keep seeing this place at events and there car driving around in convoy so I was determined to one day finally try it... My sister and her bf were coming down from vegas and it was both his and my bfs bday so I said let's make reservations and go to this location. Came to see that there isn't much parking, and literally my bf was not so looking forward of the area it is located. I'm clueless I GPS everything so I wasn't sure... otherwise the place is next to a liquor store and not much lighting around at night if you park near the houses. So we parked and omg the place was cute but very very small. Literally possibly 5-6 tables. For some reason I thought it was gonna be slightly fancy dress up but it's like a cute little burger joint with spiced up foods to order. Let's begin with, they do not serve alcohol but you are able to buy liquor from the liquor store next door and bring it over, water.... They ran out of water so had to give us water bottles, we wanted everything on the menu... but everything ran out. Fries, the skewers, etc. in the end we were able to order appetizers to share: kimchi fried rice w/ wagyu fat, broccolini's, cucumber salad, and burgers w/no fries (sad face*I live off of fries!!!). It was pretty good, but I guess I hyped myself too much I was a little sad. But I will definitely give it another try when they are more up in business possibly... and not out of things. We did come around 6pm but had reservations and idk if they have a sign saying possibly can run out of things then I would of made reservations earlier or somewhere else.

The location is a little small whole in the wall kind of spot. It is well worth your time and money. Can definitely be a little pricey, but you're definitely paying for great food. The meat is wagyu which is why you're paying more than for just a regular burger. This is no regular burger. The meat is so tender and melts in your mouth. It's so juicy and packed with a lot of flavor. You're going to want to scarf the burger down, but take your time. Pro tip, don't forget to add the sauce and put extra sauce really. The staff here was really helpful and responsive. I had gotten a protein style burger and needed utensils to eat the burger meat and the cashier recognized that and came outside to bring me utensils even though I had forgotten to ask for it. You can dine in at this location or dine out. Like I pointed out earlier, the shop is small so even ordering ahead and picking up you're food could be a great way to go if you're in a hurry

The texture of the meat was just different/soft. Soft but cooked thoroughly. It was good!! Got the southwestern burger with the onion rings and a milkshake and a regular cheeseburger. All delicious.

So let me start off with this place is pretty good. This burger was big and it better be for the price. The nitro potatoes were so crunchy I enjoyed every bite. They needed just a sprinkle of salt. My issue was i felt for 18.00 it should have been a whole meal. The cheese in the burger kind of overpowers this burger. I love a good juicy burger and this burger does deliver, but I started to miss the onions, lettuce and tomatoes. My own preference for sure but I'm glad I finally tried these famous burgers.

We were craving a good burger and have driven by this place multiple times so decided to check it out. The inside is pretty small but there are also a few seats outside. Also, the menu itself is pretty limited - we ended up trying the Swagador, regular burger and also an order of the nitro potatoes. Our food came out relatively quickly and portion sizes were decent. The burgers were a bit greasy for my taste (not sure if that was because of the wagyu meat) but the potatoes were awesome! They were super crispy and were the perfect texture - no joke, these might be the best potatoes that I've ever had in my life. Overall, this place is worth checking out at least once because of their potatoes and unique burgers.

If you want a straight up delicious hamburger experience, break your piggy bank and eat here. You need to try this burger. The fries are delicious as well.

I was in town so I decided to come by and give Swagyu another try. This time I actually came to sit down and eat. It was easy to find a seat (outside because I brought my dog with me). My brothers and I ordered some Smashburgers and a Swagador. I had the Swagador and honestly I wish I would've went with the regular Smashburger because the pork belly and Serrano peppers don't really add anything to the burger. Maybe if you want a spicer burger I would recommend but the Smashburger is where it's at. Reliably juicy and cheesy, a great simple burger. Nitro fries are really crispy and seasoned well.

Came here with the hubby and son. Son and I had the 1/2 lb hamburger and hubby had the burger with belly fat. Overall, food was good. Patties were not dry but could've used a bit more flavor. Son liked it as is but I noticed he was adding more of their sauce with each bite so I think he probably wanted more flavor. My hubby likes pretty much everything so hard to determine if this was an "out if this world" burger for him. I know it wasn't super special but better than other burgers from this type of restaurant. Maybe next time I'll upgrade the meat and see if that enhances the flavor. Service was okay. The girl waiting on us didn't give off the vibe like she really wanted to serve us so the service could use some fine tuning. At least act like you like to work there. The burgers were also pretty expensive considering they don't come with fries or other sides. We bought the cucumber salad, fries and onion rings. The fries were good but the cucumber salad was just odd tasting to me. Ambience: it was lunch time, so it just felt like going to a hole in wall place. Looked like they open the bar area later in evening.

We've been wanting to try this place for so long and finally got a chance to do so. Let me start with ambience: happy to see that there are tables to sit down and have our meal and the restaurant is air-conditioned so that is a plus. Service is good and attentive. Now to the food. My wife and I each ordered the classic burger which is their signature dish. When it arrived, it was served on a small plate with no utensils except a knife. I cut my burger in half and the top of my bun immediately fell apart. I would expect a better bun to hold all this goodness. The 4 Oz burgers are smashed to a crisp so hard to appreciate the high-quality swagyu beef. The only choice of cheese is American, for $24 you should be able to call what type of cheese you want. The condiments including the heirloom tomatoes, butter lettuce and the fried onion rings were the bomb. if you are looking for a high priced burger with quality ingredients, this is your place. But if you are looking for a well, price, burger with good ingredients, go to five guys instead. The bill for two classic burgers, a side of onion rings and just ice water with tax and tip came to $70.

Swagyu is first and foremost a butcher shop. Their focus is on wagyu cuts and they have various American, Australian and Japanese (A5 or higher, separated by appellation) cuts for sale. The staff will gladly tell you this. BUT the best part about Swagyu? Surprisingly enough the *burgers*! The key to making this burger is to take the trimmings from the steaks and repurpose them into another thing to sell. But if you can't/won't splurge for a steak this is the next best option! In the style of In-N-Out there are only two main offerings on the menu when it comes to burgers. This is their signature wagyu burger ($18) and their nitro fries ($10). The secret to these fries is that the potatoes are blanched before being twice frozen in liquid nitrogen followed by frying. The end result is a potato that retains its crispness for much longer than usual - they successfully maintained their crispness at least 1-2 hours after getting them home from takeout. As for the burger it is very rich - one of the richest burgers I've ever had. You could see the oils drip out of the burger if you're not careful so be prepared for a mess. So goes for the fries. So although I enjoyed the burgers immensely, I don't think I could do this even once a week - a few times a year is good. Because of this experience I may have found one of my most favorite burgers ever. And this is coming from a person who tried noma's burger (yes, that noma) a few weeks later. Not only is this cheaper by a few dollars, at least this also doesn't require a plane ticket.

Wow!!! SWAGYU is worth the hype and MORE! Let's start with what's most important; the food is 10/10!!! I've known and have been to Swagyu shops solely for their quality of meat. The burgers are amazing, and they now offer a 1/4 instead of just the 1/2 pounder. Great from top to bottom, from cheese to sauce....just amazing! Service- amazzzing! We were served by Marina and she was great, educated us in the menu, the background and growth of the restaurant and even brought out one of the chefs to our table. Everyone on staff was so friendly and very welcoming. Dining area- the design and space is perfect, clean, cool interior decor, and small enough to feel intimate. Total of 5 tables but they also have the option for outdoor seating, overall LOVED my experience and can't wait for them to open their full service dine-in experience. As an IB local, I This is a "must visit!!!!" 5 stars

went here a few months ago and surprised I never left a review. Found swagyu chop shop on tiktok and had to try. Everything we had was Aaaammmaaazzzing... First time trying wagyu and I highly recommend. We had the swagyu burger and nitro potatoes, amazing mind blown . A5 Katsu Sando is basically an A5 skewer in between a bread... but oh my gosh both are so delicious... I can't wait to go to San Diego to the restaurant and try brunch and dinner

Rich, fatty, $18 burger! Too much cheese for me... I guess wagyu doesn't taste beefy enough for me. Wish they had fresh onion and S&P shakers on the the table. I put the wasabi or horsey cream that came with my $38 A5 deep fried skewers on the burger & it broke up the richness of the burger for me. Burger kinda got boring after three bites. A5 skewer sauce on the burger instead of thousand island Big Mac tasting sauce would have made it for me. Nitro potato's were amazing! Five stars for the meat case & customer service... it's what Wagyu dreams are made of!

Drove down to try their burgers as they promote their meat as wagyu, an expensive but often worthwhile ingredient that typically isn't used in burgers. At a price point of $25+tip for a half lb burger I was expecting to really enjoy the higher quality ingredients. Brioche bun was perfect, but sadly that is all I could find to compliment. For an expensive burger with a superior meat, I expected to be able to taste what made it worth the price tag. What I received instead was flavourless and smothered in faaaaar too much 'secret sauce's, so much so that the pickles barely made a dent in the flavor profile. This is a classic example of a chef who wants to bring in customers with promises of quality food, but doesn't know how to present it appropriately. This burger was afraid of being delicious, so opted instead to go for a composition that was bland and honestly comparable to a $3 carls classic. Duck fat grilled wagyu burger sounds like you couldn't go wrong, but they managed. The outer grill on the burger was superficial burn, not caramelization, and the patty itself overcooked and under-seasoned when separated from the flood of sauce to verify. onion rings were fantastic. But who wants to spend 10$ on onion rings paired with this pretentious waste of top tier ingredients. Those looking for comparable, superior burgers in SD would do well to stick to the friendly or Hayes for a burger that tastes better for a quarter of the price. At least until they balance their flavors here. Staff basically couldn't be bothered to acknowledge us or were unhappy when we attempted to pay, just a really disappointing meal.

Delicious classic burger. When I go somewhere new, I go with the classic cheeseburger to see how it compares. Theirs is no fuss, just good flavor and fresh ingredients even down to the bun. Got the angus for the kids and the classic smash burger for me. Both were great. Onion rings were perfect too!

Stop what you are doing and go. No more scrolling. No whining, "I don't know what to eat." Get off your ass and go to this place. When you're there, don't look at your phone, talk to your neighbor, anything; focus on the myriad of tastes from the burger that explode on your tongue like pop rocks in coke. It's insane how good this burger is. I merely ate and rolled my eyes at how amazing this burger was. I grew up on a ranch eating beef regularly: this burger made my life better. Also try the cucumber salad. Carlos make it specially to pair with the richness of the burger, and the light, tangy sauce coupled with the crisp cool cucumbers and radishes makes for a glorious experience. Go. Give Carlos a hug. Tell him he's a burger wizard. Then sit down, shut up, and give the burger the kind of attention you'd give your significant other if they tasted as good as this burger.