Curated from a history of culinary expertise and named after his grandmother, Nick Balsamo opened Rosemarie’s Burgers brick-and-mortar location in early 2023 in Mission Beach.
With a goal to make customers fall in love with sliders and brew the same way he had, Rosemarie’s has grown in popularity over the past year.
Located at 3852 Mission Blvd., the extravagant slider spot is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and serves up an array of carefully-crafted bites.
His method is simple and by keeping prices affordable and his recipes unique, Balsamo has gained a cult-like following of hungry fans.
“I went to culinary school in Cincinnati and started my culinary journey in Hong Kong,” he said. “I became incredibly ionate and worked my way through the Phoenix restaurant circuit and eventually moved to San Diego.”
It was when his grandmother ed that Balsamo stepped back, realized he wanted to pursue the restaurant industry seriously and dove headfirst into creating the concept of Rosemarie’s.
“My grandmother ed away and at the time, I had just gotten out of the military,” he said. “I wasn’t super happy with what I was doing, and my grandmother was one of my best friends, so her ing really shook me up. It made me realize life is really short.”
When he settled down in San Diego, Balsamo initially opened Rosemarie’s in the form of a food truck, which quickly gained traction. By early 2023, the permanent restaurant in Mission Beach was opened, with new and old customers flocking in.
“Rosemarie’s started to shine through at the food truck in Bay Park. We had regulars coming two or three times a week, and they really became family,” Balsamo said. “It was such an organic transition into having an actual restaurant. I grew up going to Mission Beach and when a spot became available, we thought ‘OK, let’s go.’”
From a classic wagyu slider to a chicken and grilled pineapple sandwich, Balsamo has tied in a range of culinary learnings, gaining inspiration from what his customers give a positive reaction.
“I’ve lived all over the world, but San Diego’s energy is just different. People come here and they get on the San Diego level, and get excited to be met with good energy,” Balsamo said. “We brought in a phenomenal chef. The whole experience has been us doing a good job of keeping customers coming back. Having repeat customers is like seeing a friend you haven’t seen in a while and you just pick up right where you left off. I think it’s so important to keep it consistent.”
In addition to traditional, savory and saucy main dishes, Balsamo and his team pride themselves on keeping their drink selection local and affordable.
With his early food truck ties to Harland Brewing, Balsamo has made a conscious effort to keep drinks as local to San Diego as he can. All beers and mimosas are in the $7 to $8 range and during daily happy hour (noon to 6 p.m.) prices dip down to $5.
“At the end of the day, we are buns and brews,” Balsamo said, emphasizing his efforts to keep his selection of food and drink simple and well-curated.
For Balsamo and his team, high quality ingredients and sticking to the techniques he learned along his culinary journey are vital.
“My Nashville hot chicken is the best in California, I am so willing to compete. We use such specific ingredients and I learned how to make it in Nashville. We also use a highly desirable fat,” Balsamo said of Rosemarie’s chicken sandwich, which uses a house-made hot sauce.
On the sweet side, fritters are the name of the game with three flavors decorating the menu: coconut banana, caramel apple and blueberry pie. (To read the recipe for the carmel apple fritters at Rosemarie’s Burgers, see below.)
Additionally, non-burger and sandwich sides such as elote fries and blue cheese bacon fries are customer favorites.
In the main dish department, the Cajun Style Soft Shell crab slider is a current hit among staff and customers. With soft shell crab nestled atop Rosemarie’s signature Old Bay slaw and cradled between the soft, buttery halves of a fresh brioche bun, the dish is more of an experience than a meal, Balsamo explained.
Looking at the future of Rosemarie’s, Balsamo is excited to continue evolving and sharing his recipes with the Pacific Beach and Mission Beach communities. With warmer months ahead, and the location’s hotspot for tourism, Balsamo said he is eager and anticipatory for this summer.
“It is such a positive thing to be busy, but we always want to make sure we still deliver the best product,” Balsamo said.
Want to Visit?
Rosemarie’s Burgers
Address: 3852 Mission Blvd., Pacific Beach
Hours: Daily, 11:30 a.m.- 9 p.m.
Website: rosemariesburgers.com
Instagram: @rosemariesburgers
Good to Know: Balsamo recommends customers don’t sub or change any menu items.
Recipe for the Carmel Apple Fritters at Rosemarie’s Burgers
Ingredients:
FOR THE FRITTERS:
- 2 C. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 C. granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 T. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 whole Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced
- Powdered sugar, optional, for dusting
FOR THE GLAZE:
- 1 ½ C. powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
- 3 T. whole milk
FOR THE CARAMEL:
- 1 C. granulated sugar (make sure it’s labeled “pure cane”)
- 6 T. unsalted butter, at room temperature and sliced into 6 pieces
- 1/2 C. heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. salt
Directions:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add milk, melted butter and vanilla.
- Gently fold the dry and wet ingredients together until just combined (do not over mix.) Fold in the apples.
- Heat a couple of inches of canola oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. When it gets hot (about 350°F), drop a little drop of batter into the oil. If it sizzles immediately and rises to the top, the oil is ready; if it burns quickly, lower the heat.
- Drop 1 tablespoon of batter into the hot oil, 6 or 8 at a time. Sometimes they’ll flip over by themselves; sometimes you have to flip them. Just watch them and make sure they don’t get too brown, but cook them long enough to make sure the batter is cooked through, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes total. Repeat with the remaining batter. Remove the fritters and drain on a paper towel.
- For the glaze (if using): In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla, and milk.
- Dust the fritters very generously with powdered sugar, or dip the fritters in the light doughnut glaze. Drizzle with the caramel.
Courtesy of Rosemarie’s Burgers
