I am waiting to find a burger, a cheese burger with onions, tomatoes, crisp lettuce on the perfect bread, something that my sister used to make when we lived at home, or a burger that my cousin barbecued in his backyard on Golden West back in the late '60's. Some places get it partially right. For a flavorful patty, nothing surpasses
#1 Hamburger Hamlet in Pasadena at 214 South Lake Avenue. Their beef has some of the best and subtle natural seasoning that I have ever tasted. They can add avocado, bacon, extra cheese, extra sauce. Add to that an iced cold beer, and you're swinging in heaven for an hour. Their French fries aren't bad either, but I'll reserve that discussion for another post.
#2 In-and-Out's burgers with 3 locations near us: one at 4242 N. Rosemead, across the street from Rosemead High School; two, 10601 Lower Azusa Blvd. in Temple City; and three, 2114 Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena. What makes their burgers tasty is the combination of ingredients: 2 meat patties, grilled onions, 2 slices of American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and a fresh bun. You can also get that same burger protein style, which is a sandwich without a bun. They make it work. In-and-Out is a fast food restaurant; hence the name, In-and-Out. But the service isn't all that fast. Rarely is anybody in there and out of there as the name would make us believe. But people are okay with that. In the old days when the restaurant first opened, the service was much faster. You'd get in and get out under five minutes. The store gets us in there for their great burgers and their delicious fries. Their chocolate shakes are terrific, too. Not only does the food taste good, but we're led to believe that because the ingredients are advertised as being fresh that we're getting a healthier burger than at one of the larger national chains like Burger King, McDonald's, Carl's Jr., A&W, and so forth.
#3 Not the best burger around, but maybe the burger belonging to a national chain is Burger King's Whopper with cheese. You can find one at the Temple City store at 5541 Rosemead in the KMart shopping center. It's their meat. There must be more fat in their beef because it tastes really good. A Whopper with cheese is just the fix: special sauce, mayonnaise, pickles, onions, and a leaf of what passes for lettuce, all on a sesame-seed bun. I can wolf down one of their burgers and feel completely satisfied. My least favorite national chain is Wendy's. I ate there once and got sick. They kept pre-prepared burgers under a heat lamp for too long. Their marketing department is quite good. They made some of the most visually convincing commercials. Tommy's Burgers in Los Angeles and elsewhere used to be phenomenal in the '60's and '70's. Tommy's marketing department was their parking lot, where you'd see and hear customers gorging on chili-cheese burgers and fries, and sucking on the fingers before a gasp of fulfillment was heard a few feet away from you at the outdoor metal bar. Most of the burger chain meat today is suspect. I understand that some chains treat their meat with ammonia that kind of destroys the flavor.
#4 One of the best places that I have found for a really good burger, good meat taste, fresh bread bun, and tasty ingredients is The Back Abbey in Claremont. It is out of the area but if you're dying to try something wonderful, that's the place that I recommend. They advertise themselves as a kind of beer joint. Don't let that fool you. Take your family there for the burgers. They are terrific. One caveat, however, special orders are almost verboten because they want you to taste the flavors that they've concocted in their burgers before you try any other alternative.
#5 If the photos resemble anything near to what actually shows up on your plate, then the Umami Burger in Studio City looks really good.
#6 The 8 oz. Burger Bar on Melrose in Los Angeles looks pretty good, particularly their blend of meats: sirloin, tri-tip, short rib, and chuck, and they cook the burgers over a wood-burning grill. According to their online menu, all of their meats are cooked medium rare to medium. Sounds delicious. I'll have to give them a try. They are located at 7661 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, 90046. Their phone number is 323-852-0008. Their hours are . . . actually, they have no hours. They are out of business. I phoned the number shown just above and got a disconnected recording. Too bad.
#7 Stout Burgers and Beer.
#8 R + D Kitchen
#9 Pie 'n' Burger on California in Pasadena.
#10 Lucky Devils. Whoa! This definitely looks rich.
#11 Hole in the Wall Burger Joint in Los Angeles.
#12 The Counter Burger all over the Southland with one next to the East Green Street Cafe in Pasadena.
#13 Cassell's Hamburgers, what Tommy's used to be?
#14 The Original Tommy's named for Tommy Koulax
#15 25 Degrees in Hollywood.
#16 Upper West in Santa Monica
#17 The Market Grill in Monrovia.
#18 Bill's Hamburgers in Van Nuys.
#19 Sean's Burgers in Silver Lake.
#20 Yuca's Hut on Hillhurst in Los Feliz.
#21 Apple Pan on Pico in Los Angeles.
#22 Ercoles in Manhattan Beach.
#23 The Oinkster Restaurant in Eagle Rock.
#24 Capitol Burgers on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles.
#25 Simmzy's Pub in Manhattan Beach
#26 Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills
#27 Father's Office. The online site for this place gives the appearance that it is an exclusive club with private party bookings and work parties and larger events. Kind of interesting. The burgers look terrific, and by the sound of it the taste is pleasing--good meats.
#28 Susan Feniger's Street on Highland in Los Angeles.
#29 Go Burger at 6290 Sunset in Los Angeles.
#30 Kalbi Burger at 4001 Wilshire in Los Angeles.
#31 Burger Kitchen at 8048 West 3rd Street in Los Angeles.
#32 The Oaks Gourmet Market in Los Angeles. The critics.
#33 Hinano Burger at 15 Washington Blvd. in Venice.
LAist's "10 Best Burgers" points you in the right direction.
The Burger Review, maybe the best burger review on the market.
#1 Hamburger Hamlet in Pasadena at 214 South Lake Avenue. Their beef has some of the best and subtle natural seasoning that I have ever tasted. They can add avocado, bacon, extra cheese, extra sauce. Add to that an iced cold beer, and you're swinging in heaven for an hour. Their French fries aren't bad either, but I'll reserve that discussion for another post.
#2 In-and-Out's burgers with 3 locations near us: one at 4242 N. Rosemead, across the street from Rosemead High School; two, 10601 Lower Azusa Blvd. in Temple City; and three, 2114 Foothill Blvd. in Pasadena. What makes their burgers tasty is the combination of ingredients: 2 meat patties, grilled onions, 2 slices of American cheese, tomato, lettuce, and a fresh bun. You can also get that same burger protein style, which is a sandwich without a bun. They make it work. In-and-Out is a fast food restaurant; hence the name, In-and-Out. But the service isn't all that fast. Rarely is anybody in there and out of there as the name would make us believe. But people are okay with that. In the old days when the restaurant first opened, the service was much faster. You'd get in and get out under five minutes. The store gets us in there for their great burgers and their delicious fries. Their chocolate shakes are terrific, too. Not only does the food taste good, but we're led to believe that because the ingredients are advertised as being fresh that we're getting a healthier burger than at one of the larger national chains like Burger King, McDonald's, Carl's Jr., A&W, and so forth.
#3 Not the best burger around, but maybe the burger belonging to a national chain is Burger King's Whopper with cheese. You can find one at the Temple City store at 5541 Rosemead in the KMart shopping center. It's their meat. There must be more fat in their beef because it tastes really good. A Whopper with cheese is just the fix: special sauce, mayonnaise, pickles, onions, and a leaf of what passes for lettuce, all on a sesame-seed bun. I can wolf down one of their burgers and feel completely satisfied. My least favorite national chain is Wendy's. I ate there once and got sick. They kept pre-prepared burgers under a heat lamp for too long. Their marketing department is quite good. They made some of the most visually convincing commercials. Tommy's Burgers in Los Angeles and elsewhere used to be phenomenal in the '60's and '70's. Tommy's marketing department was their parking lot, where you'd see and hear customers gorging on chili-cheese burgers and fries, and sucking on the fingers before a gasp of fulfillment was heard a few feet away from you at the outdoor metal bar. Most of the burger chain meat today is suspect. I understand that some chains treat their meat with ammonia that kind of destroys the flavor.
#4 One of the best places that I have found for a really good burger, good meat taste, fresh bread bun, and tasty ingredients is The Back Abbey in Claremont. It is out of the area but if you're dying to try something wonderful, that's the place that I recommend. They advertise themselves as a kind of beer joint. Don't let that fool you. Take your family there for the burgers. They are terrific. One caveat, however, special orders are almost verboten because they want you to taste the flavors that they've concocted in their burgers before you try any other alternative.
#5 If the photos resemble anything near to what actually shows up on your plate, then the Umami Burger in Studio City looks really good.
#6 The 8 oz. Burger Bar on Melrose in Los Angeles looks pretty good, particularly their blend of meats: sirloin, tri-tip, short rib, and chuck, and they cook the burgers over a wood-burning grill. According to their online menu, all of their meats are cooked medium rare to medium. Sounds delicious. I'll have to give them a try. They are located at 7661 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, 90046. Their phone number is 323-852-0008. Their hours are . . . actually, they have no hours. They are out of business. I phoned the number shown just above and got a disconnected recording. Too bad.
#7 Stout Burgers and Beer.
#8 R + D Kitchen
#9 Pie 'n' Burger on California in Pasadena.
#10 Lucky Devils. Whoa! This definitely looks rich.
#11 Hole in the Wall Burger Joint in Los Angeles.
#12 The Counter Burger all over the Southland with one next to the East Green Street Cafe in Pasadena.
#13 Cassell's Hamburgers, what Tommy's used to be?
#14 The Original Tommy's named for Tommy Koulax
#15 25 Degrees in Hollywood.
#16 Upper West in Santa Monica
#17 The Market Grill in Monrovia.
#18 Bill's Hamburgers in Van Nuys.
#19 Sean's Burgers in Silver Lake.
#20 Yuca's Hut on Hillhurst in Los Feliz.
#21 Apple Pan on Pico in Los Angeles.
#22 Ercoles in Manhattan Beach.
#23 The Oinkster Restaurant in Eagle Rock.
#24 Capitol Burgers on Pico Blvd. in Los Angeles.
#25 Simmzy's Pub in Manhattan Beach
#26 Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills
#27 Father's Office. The online site for this place gives the appearance that it is an exclusive club with private party bookings and work parties and larger events. Kind of interesting. The burgers look terrific, and by the sound of it the taste is pleasing--good meats.
#28 Susan Feniger's Street on Highland in Los Angeles.
#29 Go Burger at 6290 Sunset in Los Angeles.
#30 Kalbi Burger at 4001 Wilshire in Los Angeles.
#31 Burger Kitchen at 8048 West 3rd Street in Los Angeles.
#32 The Oaks Gourmet Market in Los Angeles. The critics.
#33 Hinano Burger at 15 Washington Blvd. in Venice.
LAist's "10 Best Burgers" points you in the right direction.
The Burger Review, maybe the best burger review on the market.
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