Service was great. People are very nice. However, food was lacking and overpriced. Burgers taste fatty, chicken tastes like... dumplings? Strawberry tasted like Nesquik. Conveniently located within walking distance from the aquarium and across the street from Starbucks. Ambiance is kitschy with 80s memorabilia. The tables each have a theme. read more

When they brought out an off brand ketchup red flag went up for me. Salad had brown leaves. Dressing was not made fresh. Fries tasted like they were cooked in old oil. Shocking that this place could get 4 stars. Won't be back for us! read more

Very cute family owned restaurant. Do not be fooled by the outside. It's very kitchy. But not gross! They have vegetarian and vegan options (which is great in a sea food town). You can sub any meat patty for a veggie one. They also offer lettuce buns. They had great onion rings. My boyfriend is very picky about them. And for him to compliment them is great. read more

For sure coming back. Husband found this spot online and the burger menu brought us in. We tried the all in, western, Uncle Sam burgers. All were very good and flavorful. Fries were nice and crisp. My daughter had the fish and chips and said it was really good. I also tried the pork and cheese papusa and soooo good. Reminded me of the ones in El Salvador. Staff was super nice and the place is just great to be in. read more

I had the best burger of my life here. I'm not from this area so I miss it every single day. I'll be back soon I LOVED this place. The ambiance was really nice and the employees were just the sweetest. I miss you American Burger. read more

Ate it up. Was so good and the staff were super sweet. We even ended up buying a shirt!!

Was craving a burger with the fam, found this place and it didn't disappoint. Solid burgers, good curly fries, and friendly staff/atmosphere. Will return read more

Went for lunch with son and spouse. Little strip mall that's run down on Lighthouse. The place has been here for years and my son loves burgers so it seemed like a no-brainer to try it. Pricing - good for the amount of food. Since COVID everything is ridiculously overpriced, but here the price point is decent for just a simple burger and drink. That's where they win. Atmosphere - funky Americana, but dated. It could use a good wall cleaning and update overall. Not too loud - we're grateful for that. Often restaurants drive you out with playing music too loud and having the A/C turned up too high. Not here though, comfortable temp and sound (especially great for our autistic son). Food - shakes and floats we liked. Sandwiche and fish and chips just okay. Fries were decentif you like steak fries, softish (not crisp enough for me). Where it went downhill for us was service. While the single gentleman at front of house was polite, he was alone. There were multiple tables and some with 5 to 6 persons. Ordering at the counter made sense so the poor guy didn't have to run about the room. It took too long though to just get drinks on the table. Maybe it was a one off on service, but there didn't look like much effort being put into service to the tables - no haste, no asking if there's anything else anyone needed. Just not sure how this place stays in business unless it has to do with their advertised live music that occurs (not while we were there though). read more

I just ate here and was inspired to leave a great review. This is a basic burger place. I really enjoyed my burger and fries, and the service was great. The restaurant itself is intriguing, the walls are lined with books and the tables are simple tables with soft individual chairs, with a lot of memorabilia around. if you are looking for a local place with solid food (the French fries were perfect IMO) give this place a try! read more

Ambiance: time machine back to a simpler] time where juke boxes and burgers were all the rage. Today we stopped in unexpectedly and were greeted by the nicest gentleman and had a great little conversation before grabbing our food to go. I update again after I eat. read more

Ok...Food was really good and classic for a burger joint...that stated the owner? Manager? Not entirely sure however, he made the entire family uncomfortable...as if we were bothering him by even walking in. When asked a basic applied question he gave attitude and made the whole experience awkward. Good food...won't go back. read more

I was in the Monterey Bay Area and decided to grab lunch. I found this place on Yelp. It's a couple blocks of Cannery Row so not right in the touristy section. It's located in a small shopping strip mall plaza next to a gas station so definitely doesn't stand out at first glance. We picked a table when we walked in - it was pretty quiet on a Friday afternoon. There was one only party that left right as we were getting in so we had the whole place to ourselves. The guy working came over quickly and gave us menus. I decided to order the Classic Burger - obviously can't get something else if the word burger is in the name. My friend got a grilled cheese and we both got curly fries. What was cool is the menu mentioned asking for other options of fries and they had a good variety - including onion rings. It's a unique place with checkers board on table and cool throwback music decor, typewriters, books. We started setting up our checker board with the bottlecap pieces. But before we could start (since we were researching the rules - haven't played checkers in 20 years) our food came so it was pretty quick. The burger was good. The "house" sauce looked like the typical mayo and ketchup (yum). The burger was nicely cooked. The fries were super crispy and not to greasy - plus you got a ton of it! I loved this family owned vibe of the place and the guy helping us was extremely friendly. We got the bill and went up to the counter and paid. Definitely a cute place! And great prices! read more

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I came down to Monterey and was looking for a restaurant close by! Americans burger was close by the pier so decided to give it a try. I got the Wild West burger which comes with onion rings and fries. The burger tasted dry and the bun was dry as well. The fries had little to none flavor. The onion rings were good but I wish they put the dressing on the side instead of all over the onion ring. Covid: wear mask/as of now no outside dining Parking: small parking lot read more

American Burger - location - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

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This place was definitely a surprise! From the parking lot we definitely didn't know what to expect. It's in a small shopping plaza next to an old lingerie store. However, once you walk inside it's like a Time Machine. The vibe is amazing! The old school music playing in the background. All of the creative tables, vintage furniture and cool throwback equipment... just super cool!!!!!! The guy at the front was sooo nice!!! He helped us decide what to get and we were not disappointed. The burger had so much flavor and so fresh! The curly fries were epic!! So much that we ordered a second batch to go ‼ The ladies restroom was decorated for Marilyn Monroe or something... or atleast that's what it felt like...it was sooo vintage and adorbs! I would recommend anything on the menu read more

American Burger - Burger and curly fries - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

Was craving a milkshake so I went here! We got an chocolate shake and a peanut butter shake! Definitely a good choice both were yummy and hit the spot. Decited to get a side of onion rings and try a pupusa. Well everything was absolutely delicious! Definitely will be back to try the burgers. read more

American Burger - Pork and cheese pupusa! Almost ate it all before I took a picture! Delicious! - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

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Came here for lunch during Thanksgiving, they were the only few restaurants that were open that day. Thankfully they were open because this spot was good! I called in our orders and pick up was easy and they were all following Covid protocols. My husband and I got the burgers. I got the call me crazy burger since I was feeling adventurous and love this flavor combination. The slight sweetness of the peanut butter complemented the spiciness of the jalapenos and pepper jack. Their burgers were big and just what I usually crave for when I want a real juicy burger. Also got milkshake, don't remember the flavor but it was also yummy and creamy. Definitely a good spot to go to in Monterey. Support local! read more

We just had lunch here and it was great! Friendly staff and passed vibe check. Not sure why more people weren't eating in.

Not a good experience, we were charged more that what the menu said and the burgers where not the best either. Have nothing good to say! I will not go there again. There might be locals that will go there but I don't recommend it. read more

So maybe not 5 stars but a solid 4. Fries were a little cold. Can't be doin cold fries. Burger was delicious tho. The girl got a chicken sandwich and she be getting talking about it for like 3 days now. read more

Didn't want to wait @ another burger place on the same street and found this by accident. WOW! Great food, cool music vibes, good service! MUST TRY! read more

Never been here and never heard of it but I will be coming back and telling all my friends! Amazing burgers and onion rings are fresh. 10/10 would recommend!!! read more

Books! Music! Burgers & Shakes!! Major points for character!!! It seemed like a great place to have a snack after a busy day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. However, there were a few downers: 1. The server's kid had to take our orders while the server was selling his car to a customer. Look, I don't have a problem with child labor. Heck, we put our four-year-old to work all the time. We tell her to clean her room, put laundry away, scrub the bathtub while she showers, wash a couple of dishes, etc. The thing is that every time we asked the "kid server" a question about the menu, she would walk away and ask her dad (I'm assuming). She went back and forth a bunch of times. I wouldn't have been annoyed if I wasn't so tired and hungry. 2. My burger was overcooked. I mean, geez, the cow is already dead. No need to cook the heck out of it! Or were they just trying to make sure no harmful bacteria survived?!?! Thankfully, the Swiss, mushroom and the other veggies helped to make this burger good enough to eat! My partner in crime's Bacon & Avocado burger was a little better. At least his burger was not burnt. We had plenty of yummy fries between the two of us so I was more tolerant of my burger. 3. I thought my toddler's dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets were so freakin' cute. Then a few days later, I saw my student eating the same thing. She said, "It's from Costco! Would you like one?!?!" OH man, I was so tempted to try it and see if it was the same as the restaurant's, but I didn't feel right taking my student's lunch. It's suspect though. FYI Costco, according to Caleb Colton, "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Just sayin'.... 4. Only standard flavors - strawberry, vanilla, chocolate - are free with the Yelp Check-In. The other fun flavors are $1.50 extra. My toddler enjoyed the Oreo Milkshake and I liked it too! This wasn't really much of a downer. Overall, I would give this place 3 & 1/2 stars. I don't even mind that much that they put the kid to work or that they serve Costco nuggets. Just take it easy on the burgers!!!! I guess I have more compassion because I really dig their cool decor with books and music! read more

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The food was amazing and the service was excellent and fast, Will definitely be coming back in in the future. The Gilroy burger and Uncle Sam Burgers were excelente and cooked to perfection. I love the retro theme and atmosphere of the restaurant and the staff was all very friendly and super helpful pointing out the farmer's market down the road. read more

American Burger - Menu page 1-2 - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

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This spot did not disappoint! We got America's Messiest Burger and the California Burger. Sad I didn't get a picture! BUT food was 10/10 and the vibe inside was pretty cool and welcoming. We'll definitely come back for lunch next time we make a trip to Monterey. read more

The decor and theme of this place has a old-school vintage vibe that puts a smile on your face. I'd give the "Call me Crazy" burger I ordered 3 out of 5 stars. It has peanut butter, pepper jack cheese, grilled onions, jalepenos and the default lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. Although I think the peanut butter was a good topping, I kept feeling something just felt missing. The more bites I took the taste got boring real quick. I'd probably recommend adding bacon to this burger and maybe if they added their house sauce along with the peanut butter it would elevate it to 5 stars. The rest of the toppings where fresh and the patty was cooked perfectly. The curly fries were awesome, definitely 5 stars. I think they use some sort of cajun seasoning as they have an "orange" appearance to them. Curious and excited to try more of their burgers in the future. read more

American Burger - "Call me Crazy" burger with curly fries. - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

Pretty decent burger in this casual spot. It's not a huge burger and I consider that a plus since I want to actually be able to walk out of the restaurant, haha. I loved the curly fries and used my Yelp check in to get a free Coke. read more

The food was amazing And the service was good. The place is a bit empty which doesn't make sense because the line should be out the door. 10 out of 10 recommend. read more

Great little spot with good food. Love the decor! I had a burger which was cooked perfectly. My husband had the Cobb Salad which he said was good. The only comment I have is that Jose be a bit more enthusiastic!! read more

Truly a rock n' roll burger experience. They have images of all the greats adorning every inch of the walls - Hendrix, Elvis and some British Invasion non-Americans that stole America's hearts. Good meat, good cheese, good buns. Good stuff. read more

My first review on Yelp about 10 years ago was for American Burger, loved it back then! I had left the area and recently came back, and tried it again yesterday. I was so happy to know that it was still owned by the same family, and still creating delicious burgers, and providing amazing and friendly service to their guests. Love this place and highly recommend it to anybody visiting Monterey! Love the Americana music and album themed decor too! read more

Food was amazing! I got the wild West burger. Bacon was perfect. Jose the owner was really nice and showed passion for his business playing some guitar when I walked in. Great little spot in PG. read more

5 stars because this place is solid! The service was amazing the owner is super nice and the food was delicious I got the Wild West burger and it was so good! The establishment itself was so cute and cozy I love the collection the owner has. Definitely going back to try their famous milkshakes! read more

A normal, inconspicuous burger joint in a mini strip mall, but what great burgers! These aren't your fancy gourmet $15 burgers with truffle sauce, but just an American burger with flavor and tasting homemade. It's got a campy fun feel inside with an amazing record collection and each table comes with a mini checker board to play while you wait for your food. I ordered the grilled cheese and chili cheese curly fries were bomb! My boyfriend ordered the classic American burger and loved it. Good, prompt service and the milkshake was amazing! Definitely a nice local spot and for a good, filling burger come here! read more

American Burger - Clam chowder - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

Amazing!! Love the onion rings. Price is right for the amount you get. Highly recommend! read more

American Burger - American double lettuce wrap with onion rings - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

A strawberry milkshake ,fries and a well done burger. Checkers with bottle caps. Free books to read too. The chairs are very comfortable and inviting. Within walking distance of the aquarium. We loved it!! read more

American Burger - Pkaying checkers at American Burger - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

Unexpected stop but grateful we did. Excellent food and ambiance. I'll be back for sure.

Thanks to José, family and crew, American Burger - on Lighthouse near Prescott - gets a big thumbs up from me!.) Their Annual SuperBowl Party was an enormous blessing to the financially disenfranchised and residentially challenged on the Monterey Peninsula's Cannery Row. Kindhearted in the acme sense of the word kindhearted. Skip the overpriced tourist traps. Come to American Burger! Have a burger, fries and a root beer. Bring a couple of friends for good food, good music, awesome entertainment system and a great time. Too blessed to be stressed, all the best, Rev read more

American Burger - Super Bowl Sunday thanks to Al's Sunday Breakfast and Jose from American Burger! Go Cubbies! All the best, Rev - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

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We were looking for a place to grab lunch and we decided to stop at American Burger. Its great that there is a small parking lot right in the front, which makes it super easy for customers to find parking. The place has a nice atmosphere with lots of records and record covers displayed on the wall. I decided to order a bowl of clam chowder and my husband went with the burger. The chowder was hot and delicious! There were chunks of potatoes in the soup. This dish came with 2 slices of garlic bread, which tasted great. My husband really enjoyed his burger and fries. Service was really good here. I'd definitely come back. read more

American Burger - Chowder - Burgers Near Me - Monterey, California

DO NOT EAT HERE! MCDONALD'S IS BETTER!! The burgers were mediocre at best. The crazy shake was disgusting . It's supposed to be a combo of peanut butter and bacon with vanilla ice cream. They used bacon bits instead of real bacon. This place is self service but they charge an 18% gratuity that they do not tell you about. The cashier tried to give me a receipt with only the final charge and not the itemized charges. If I hadn't asked for an itemized receipt I wouldn't have known about the 18% she tipped herself. The other people in my party were unaware that the cashier automatically tipped herself and gave an extra tip. read more

Flavor on point! This is a real hometown mom & pop operation that deserves major love! Monterey residents and visitors, please continue to support American Burger!! We traveled all along the California Coast the past few days so I was needing some beef. I did a quick yelp search and this place popped up. It deserves a solid 5 star! It's about a 4 minute walk from Cannery Row, away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist spots. A local family owned joint that features burgers, shakes and a secret menu with pupusas! Shout out to my El Salvadorian Brothers and Sisters! We ordered clam chowder, a chicken quesadilla for the kid, and western cheeseburger. Everything had TONS of flavor. Even the simple quesadilla was flavorful. The fries were crispy and well seasoned and my burger was packed with freshness and flavor. This is a definite return spot during our next trip to Monterey. Good eats for sure! You won't be disappointed!!! read more