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Business & Tech

Hamburger Factory: Good Grub and a Side of Atmosphere

The Old Poway restaurant offers a big menu with a unique dining experience.

The in Old Poway Park offers a chance to enter another world—or, to be exact, another time period—while downing great hamburgers.

Craving a hearty meal, my dining partner and I decided to try the Hamburger Factory for the first time. The menu is extensive, with plenty of options for burgers, sandwiches and other traditional dinner options, including barbecue. 

It was a hard decision with all the choices but I settled on the super French dip sandwich ($9.24) with onion rings on the side. In between the French roll was hot roast beef, grilled mushrooms, onions and Swiss cheese. This is certainly one sandwich to try. The bread was warm and the meat combined with the other ingredients created a nice balance of flavor. Au jus sauce was served on the side to dip the sandwich and gave a nice added punch. Now, if only the French roll was crispy on the outside, dipping it in au jus sauce would have created the perfect balance of texture.  Nonetheless, it was a good sandwich overall.

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The onion rings on the side were great. The portion was nice and enough to share between two people. The rings were hot, crispy and flavorful. Also important is the size of the onion rings. They were large and completed my need for a fulfilling meal.

My dining partner ordered the Gringo burger with fries ($8.48). He's a big guy and demands hearty meals. This half-pound burger came with avocado, cheddar cheese, tomato and lettuce on a sesame seed bun. It's definitely filling and the ingredients are fresh. Overall the sandwich is good but needs something extra to give it a bit more flavor. Perhaps extra seasoning on the meat or some type of sauce would make the sandwich complete and bring everything together. 

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His burger came with fries that weren't as crispy as we like. They were a bit limp.  We did arrive early for dinner, and I noticed a rush of people who came in for dinner after us.  I'm sure they got crispy fries and we just got the batch that was sitting around for a bit.   

At the end, we were both feeling stuffed and my heart was slowing down a bit. 

Here, it's not just about the food, it's about the experience. 

It's apparent that the Hamburger Factory is "the" hangout spot for many locals. Perhaps it's the immediate feeling you get when you first enter the restaurant. Even the entrance looks like something out of the Old West with its old-style door and vintage hanging signs. 

During my meal, I couldn't help but gaze at all the items on the wall. Inside is an explosion of Western articles: hanging animal heads, animal skulls, tools, old signs, statues, mannequins and just about anything else you might find lying around in a garage sale.

It creates a nice family atmosphere and a place I'm sure kids would love, especially with its location in Old Poway Park where the train rides lures them in.    

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