Hamburgers stuffed with a plethora of ingredient choices is the gist of a new, two-level restaurant in Clairemont called Boomerangs Gourmet Burger Joint. As the name suggests, the owners hope “you’ll always come back for more.”

The concept of breaking the monotony of a solid meat patty by mixing in ingredients such as black olives, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, butter or you name it has appeared only sporadically in local eateries over the past few decades. For non-traditionalists, it provides a burger rush not easily achieved in a land brimming with so many “award-winning” hamburger joints.

Co-owner José Muñoz opened Boomerangs with his mother in mind, who used to stuff her burgers with carrots and garlic – two of nearly 20 ingredient choices you’ll find here, not to mention a decent selection of cheeses and sauces that you can choose for crowning your flame-grilled creation. Adding to the barrage of possibilities are size options weighing in at one-third, one-half or three-quarters of a pound.

My companion, having already tried the stuffed burgers at Urban Mo’s, declared that “these were just as good.” Skipping over the dizzying decision process, he chose the Boomerangs House Burger, stuffed with roasted garlic, red onions, green peppers, carrots and mushrooms. The beef was fresh and juicy (Angus grade from Sysco), and we could taste all of the ingredients concurrently, which for me resembled something similar to gourmet meatloaf.

I battled through the choices, landing finally on a third-pound burger filled with roasted red peppers and thick, strong bacon that essentially upstaged the overall scheme. The menu’s build-your-own-burger section allows you to choose up to three “mixers,” which means that a synapse of culinary intuition is required for matching ingredients of reasonable compatibility. Naturally, a lot of lawless routes exist should you opt for a combination of, let’s say, fresh horseradish, white onions and sun-dried cranberries. In hindsight, I would have chosen an earthier combo of perhaps artichoke hearts, mushrooms and carrots. Or if I were hankering for an outright zesty burger, I’d gamble on chili peppers, white onions and cilantro. It’s all about trial and error, and thus the principal reason why patrons will likely boomerang back for more.

The word “stuffed” is a misnomer when referring to these burgers. Ingredients are folded into the ground meat, rather than crammed into a center cavity. And since they’re made to order, don’t expect them to arrive with the familiar brevity of a fast-food joint.

Boomerangs’ interior design is an anomaly in Clairemont’s bland outlay of commercial real estate. An elongated, pet-friendly outdoor patio leads to the entrance, where inside you’re greeted by hardwood flooring, vibrant wall colors, splashy artwork and a staircase leading to two upper-level dining areas – one of them boasting a mahogany bar. Compared to the more formal-looking dining room downstairs, which remained empty during our visit, the second floor became the center of activity with flat-screen televisions jumping channels amid a mishmash of chatty neighborhood folk adding to the din.

Though the burgers account for a majority of sales, visitors can also partake in appetizers, salads and entrées. The sampler platter gave us a few jalapeno poppers stuffed with cream cheese and undetectable shrimp. The poppers were spicier than most, though much to our liking because the peppers’ seeds were left in. Conversely, the potato skins with cheese and bacon would have been better if more potato was scooped out.

Several Buffalo-style wings were also included and served appropriately with bleu cheese dressing. But after eating a zillion of these wings while growing up in Buffalo, Boomerangs’ bites didn’t stack up in terms of crispiness. My native San Diegan dining companion, however, gnawed at them with gusto. A couple of deep-fried mozzarella cheese “bricks” coated in panko breadcrumbs rounded out the platter. Their largeness was off putting – giving us way more cheese than our mouths could handle.

Boomerangs’ extra-long, garlic-peppered fries are a must. They’re strewn with petite clumps of sweet, crushed garlic and served with a terrific habanero ketchup that will befriend your burger just as freely. We also liked the chili peppered onion rings battered simply in egg wash and jalapeno juice.

From the brief entrée category featuring steaks, poultry and skewered shrimp, we tried the grilled Citrus Chicken, a moist and skinless breast topped with fresh mango and pineapple, but with only a micro-deep glaze of soy sauce, honey and orange juice that we wished was more penetrating. Slices of green and yellow squash sautéed in butter became the dish’s strong point.

The wine list offers a small congregate of mass-produced varietals, although the beer selection spans into imported and domestic labels, including Blue Moon draft served with an orange slice. Its crisp, light body matched swimmingly to everything we ate and had a homemade quality that you won’t find too easily in these franchised woods.