…is not at a cupcake shop. Yes, folks, it's true. Since arriving to San Diego five months ago, I have been to a handful of San Diego's most talked about cupcake shops {including Heavenly, Babycakes, Cups, Coronado Cupcakery, and Cupcake Love}. As it turns out, my favorites are not surrounded by a plethora of fancy flavors and cupcake paraphernalia. Instead, they peacefully co-exist with ice cream and burgers. The best in San Diego {in my humble opinion so far} can be found at the Daily Scoop & Burger Lounge.

The ice cream shop, Daily Scoop, makes just two cupcake flavors of chocolate {topped with vanilla icing} & red velvet {topped with cream cheese icing}. They are large, moist, and taste like the cupcakes that Grandma made if you had a Grandma that made cupcakes.

My favorite local burger joint, Burger Lounge, has a classic red velvet, a chocolate hostess {with vanilla cream in the middle}, vanilla hostess {with solid chocolate topping}, and seasonal pumpkin & gingerbread flavors. They are also large and in charge and almost muffin-like with their rich & moist texture.

Not surrounded in cupcake cuteness, trends, or novelty, the cupcakes from these two non-cupcakeries shine in taste, texture, and good old-fashioned homemade goodness.

{photo above by Oh Joy at Burger Lounge}