Best Burgers in Los Angeles
Looking for the best "cafe" burgers in L.A. and the two suggestions that seem to keep coming up are Father's Office and The Counter. . .Any further suggestions or preferences between these two?
Thanks!
shaygo
Jul 25, 2006 04:50PM
I too am desperately seeking a good burger. Father's Office is great when I want a gourmet one, but sometimes I crave a good old-fashioned patty that doesn't need any fancying up. I find the Counter's burgers bland and disappointing.
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the hellman burger at pete's cafe in downtown LA. corner of 4th and main.
get it with the bleu cheese fries and you'll be in heaven.
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Ditto.
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I work very close by, I'll have to check it out.
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If you work near 1st and Main, the cafeteria at the Caltrans Building (100 N. Main) has a pretty good basic hamburger lunch special (hamburger or cheeseburger, fries or fruit and a 12 oz drink for about $4.) I mention it only if you work right around there; it's nothing fancy or worth going out of your way for. But I think it's the best thing they serve!
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The Counter in Santa Monica or the Farm in either Beverly Hills or the Grove.
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Um...I think the question was "other than The Counter." But I second The Farm. Surprisingly awesome.
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I'm only lukewarm about their BBQ, but I think Zeke's has a pretty good burger.
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I agree, Zeke's has a very good burger. I've only been to the Montrose location, though.
Couple more good choices: Billy's Grill in Van Nuys and 26 Beach in Venice.
I can't recommend The Counter. Tried it twice and didn't enjoy it either time.
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I have to agree with Billy's Grill also.. their exotic burgers are very good but their regular cheesburger is great!
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Problem with Zeke's is: overly smoky. Works for ribs but not in my burger thanks.
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Get the hamburger at George Petrelli's Steak House in Culver City. Some have not liked the Steaks here (I do) but the hamburger has not yet been dissed.
A very large patty of real beefy tasting meat with all the condiments. Since they grind their own fresh each day they will cook it any way you like. Comes with fries.
==WARNING== The sodas are from the bar with bar size and price and NO refills. Get the Iced tea instead. Free refills.
George Petrelli's Steak House
5615 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA
Really great burger!
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Thanks Wes! I've been craving a burger all week and was FINALLY going to have one today. George's it is! :)
--Dommy!
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It seems to me that there's an important distinction to be made here. There are, really, two different classes of burger, which are very different animals.
First, there's the high-end steak house type burger. This is typically made with very good beef, is thick, can be cooked to order, and usually costs more than $10. In this class, my favorite is the $13 prime sirloin burger on the lunch menu (only) at Arnie Morton's -- http://www.mortons.com/website/index.... . (I've only had the one at the downtown branch, but maybe, hopefully, they're as good at the other locations). Served with your choice of cheese (I go with cheddar) and grilled onions and/or sauteed mushrooms (I get the later), with fries (although they'll sub sauteed spinach, etc., if you ask them). This burger is excellent. Thick, perfectly cooked and seasoned, massively juicy, with a nice char on the outside. Really excellent.
Of course, the other important category here is the fast food type burger. These, of course, have thinner patties of which there are often more than one, are generally not cooked to order (i.e., medium rare, etc.), and are usually under $10. In this class, In-N-Out, Apple Pan, and Pie and Burger are the perennial favorites, but I also really like the burger at the Beverly Hills Diner (474 N. Beverly Dr., at Little Santa Monica, (310) 271-2227). Since it stopped being a Johnny Rockets, I think the food here has turned around. Stuff is made to order, served piping hot and fresh, and the quality of the ingredients seems to have improved markedly. I get the standard double cheese burger with grilled onions and a side of onion rings. Very delicious. Excellent turkey burgers as well. Plus, you can get a diet cherry Coke. (Why, you may ask, would one bother with a diet Coke when one is pounding down a double cheese burger with onion rings? Well, I always say, it's our little idiosyncrasies that make us special.)
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The first kind you mentioned is the kind I'm after. I am usually prejudiced against sirloin since it is too lean to pack a decent flavor punch. The best burgers I have eaten (including Father's Office) are made with a proportion of ground chuck which usually contains about 15-20% fat. Kobe and ribeye burgers are full of flavor for the same reason - the higher fat content. Does anyone at all do a ground ribeye burger?
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Dunno if this counts as a "cafe" but the Sirloin Burger at MORTON'S is fabulous.
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Hi,
My current favorite restaurant burger is at Wild Thyme in Pasadena. You can actually get a rare burger there, yum! On grilled sourdough, with jack cheese and avocado, it is really good!
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Cassell's
Fatburger
Farmer Boys
Tommy's
Apple Pan
I won't go near Father's Office(no ketchup)
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Barneys in Brentwood on San Vicente (close to Barrington), and also on 26th and San Vicente.
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Count me out on Barney's. I went to the one at the Brentwood Country Mart (26th and San Vicente) and was extremely disappointed. The burger had very little flavor and came with deep-fried bacon and dried out blue cheese. Bacon should never be deep fried unless you are making it into a bacon bit and even then I would question the cooking method. The onion rings were also over cooked and over priced for what I got. The experience was so disappointing that I don't think it deserves a second chance.
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Go to 25 degrees in the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood. They have a large selection of cheeses and other various toppings for a buck and a bunch for free too. You can get it all done up and try and imitate the FO burger or the Pug burger at Hungry Cat. Or you can do a strip down burger, similar to the "classic" style of Pie N Burger and Apple Pan. The buns are terrific and they are not afraid to cook it to order. It is by far the juiciest burger in town and with all the options you can fit your burger to any kind of mood you are in.
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I was ver disappointed here. Dry and flavorless for a place that specializes.
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It doesn't get much respect, but I happen to really like the chili cheeseburgers at Pinks.
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Jack's Classic Hamburgers on Riverside (on the western edge of Toluca Lake, sort of). Amazing.
Cassell's.
Pie N Burger.
Rick's makes a decent burger...
And there's nothing wrong with In 'n Out.
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Being from Chicago and also a meat lover. I tried a place in Hollywood called 25 Degrees. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the meat and it juiciness also the texture of the buns. The fries are very good, they have a hint of tyme. The dipping sauces were excellent. You must try the milk shakes, they are a meal in themselves. I think in general the food in LA sucks especially when IN & Out is one of your only options but it's getting better thanks to 25 Degrees.
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I like the burgers on the appetizer menu at Cheesecake Factory.
(O.k., line me up in front of the firing squad! )
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I personally like the bacon cheeseburger at Houstons with a side of fries with ranch. Mmmmm.
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The straight hamburger at Houston's is pretty good, too.
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Bowery Bar on sunset/Vine- "the works" burger makes me happy as heck. But for you purists I warn that it is served on an english muffin. I don't usually go for this kind of transgression, but dang, that thing is good.
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Agreed on the burger at Bowery. Especially when enjoyed with a (shared) bottle of Malbec and some sweet potato fries.
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Malbec? I usually have my Bowery burger with single malt!
Bowery is a great burger, but IMO it's not even the best burger in a 50 yard radius, given that Hungry Cat is, um, catty corner to Bowery. But I do like Bowery's burger better than Father's Office, in terms of gourmet burgers.
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does "shared" mean two straws instead of one?
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My usual lunch partner is a friend of mine who found this place when working at a studio nearby. She and I frequently split the Malbec, regardless of a burger or not. It's a pretty consistent wine, IMO. At least, the one at Bowery is. Can't speak for others...
And I agree, SauceSupreme, that the Bowery burger isn't the best out there. However, I have a thing for English muffins and St. Andre, which is why I'd rather go to Bowery than Hungry Cat. HC makes a good Dark 'n' Stormy, though. Maybe I'll try that with their burger next time I'm there.
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btw: i think that malbecs are great. discovered them several years ago from a califonia winery called "imagery", which is owned by a member of the berringer family. have been buying regularly since then. hope that you understand that i'm kidding about the straws... sometimes, anyway;)
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I'll definitely hunt down the Imagery Malbec on my next wine-buying day. Which could be tomorrow, now that you've got me thinking about it. Thanks for sharing :)
And yeah, the straw thing amused me!
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Way too few people are recommending Houstons. Get the California burger or the Cheeseburger. Beef ground to order. A long line, so plan accordingly, and slightly pricey, but you can keep that in check by sticking to a burger, fries and coke. No booze, no appetizers, no desert. Unbelieveable.
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We love Houston's but Morton's is just so much better!
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Which Houstons are you talking about? The only Houstons I know is the BBQ place on Cahuenga, but I can't imagine that's what you're refering to here...
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i believe russkar is refering to the houston's restaurant chain.
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I myself am a huge fan of Lucky Devils -- I dunno if that's too upscale for your prompt, but in my opinion their kobe beef burger, medium-rare, is fantastic. Grab a chocolate cake shake, and enjoy.
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Mortons, Houstons for high end...in and out for patty.
I'll tell though, when I kick and scream loud enough and get them to cook it med rare, the Maui Burger at Islands (guac and swiss add bacon) is one of my favorites. Juicy and seasoned perfectly plus, with respect to Skoobys, still my fav fries in LA. Freshly cut and again seasoned just right.
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I've never had a problem with my local Islands making my burger medium rare. All in all, pretty good for semi-fastfood.
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On the Westside, for a "gourmet" burger:
Father's Office is amazing. Ground sirloin not too overcooked, bleu cheese, carmelized onions, fresh arugula, toasted roll... and it comes with the most amazing shoestring fries and their house aioli. For the whole package, it's a to-die-for burger. The downside is you're going to have to throw blows to get a table or barstool as it's strictly first-come-first-serve and quite packed all the time, unless you come on an off night or early (they open at 4pm I think). Bonus: tons of great beer on tap.
Another option: Beechwood on Washington Blvd at Abbot Kinney in Venice/Marina del Rey. Same type of burger like at Father's Office. Really good, gives Father's Office a run for its money. Your choice of 3 different kinds of fries: shoestring, regular, or sweet potato. Also they have 3 great dipping sauces (including ketchup). Bonus: cool scene, great music, nice "modern" lounge feel. Eat in the bar, not the restaurant. Much easier to get a table here.
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My favorite burger is at Green Street Restaurant in Pasadena called the San Rafael Burger. Don't know why it's not on the menu anymore, but thank goodness they'll still make it if you request it. The beef is nice and thick and is served on sliced grilled baguette so it's crunchy and flavorful, and there are some green chiles added to the burger which gives it a mild kick. I usually ask for fresh fruit for the side which they give generously -- I usually can't finish the the burger and all the fruit. It's particularly enjoyable to eat out on their lovely patio on warmer days, whether it's daytime or nighttime.
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High End: 25 degrees and the Hungry Cat makes a ridiculouly good burger.
Fast food type: Irv's on SM next to the Coast Playhouse makes a mean burger. Great when the Apple Pan is too far.
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I like the ground steak at Musso Frank. They don't have buns so I get it on white toast.
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in n out, double double w/ grilled onions
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I don't know if any of you have ventured over to Opus on Wilshire between Oxford & Western. It has a phenomenal (IMHO) basic cheeseburger. No sauces to cover up for anything, just lettuce tomato & onion on this great egg bun.
For diner style burgers that are consistent, I like pie & burger in Pasadena. I agree that father's office has a great gourmet burger, but there are some good places further east.
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Moonshadows on the PCH in Malibu has a great Kobe Beef burger served with carmelized onions, asian slaw and homemade taro chips. And you get to eat it basking in the sun with the ocean below you.
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The BEST TASTING burger is a little known stand on the northwest corner of Broadway and 20th in Santa Monica. I don't know the name of it -- Big Joe's or something. They're not the biggest burgers, but I've never had a burger with so much flavor!
They're char-grilled, the only kind of burger I'll eat. Give yourself time... there are lines out the door around lunchtime. They're only open till 3pm.
For the best fancy burger, 25 Degrees in the Roosevelt definitely -- green chile with drunken goat cheese -- the best.
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I will eat a char-grilled burger if I must, but very much prefer them done on a surface grill. I have yet to try Pete's, but my two favorite high-end burgers to date are at Second City Bistro in El Segundo and Ford's Filling Station in Culver City - $12 and $14 respectively. Excellent beefy flavor, bun both tender to the bite and able to hold up at least MOST of the way through. Julienne in San Marino has exactly the same basic concept - big patty, cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce - but the flavor is lacking and the bun starts dissolving almost immediately. It's also the most expensive, I believe around $17.
Next on my agenda is Central Park Cafe here in Pasadena. Soon!
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Although, I like many of those mentioned here on this perrenial topic, especially Pie 'n Burger and Father's Office, the Oinkster in Eagle Rock does a great old fashioned 1000 Island dressed version for $4.50 while Billingsley's in W.L.A. prepares a terrific half pounder for $8.95.
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I saw BBQ King's burger featured on the Food Network (I think). They grill them in the smoke barrels underneath the ribs, etc., so that the burgers soak up all the rib juices that drip down onto them. Sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen, but if you do try it, and live to tell the tale, let us know how it is.
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I used to work down there(sunset/ceasar chavez and figuora) and a couple of years ago I had one of their burgers. Usually a long wait, the burger was the size of a dinner plate, but it was dry and tastless. Unless they cook them different now I wouldn't bother. If the above mentioned process of cooking is new it sounds tempting for me to try again.
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Yep, BBQ King's burger is huge, but it's fairly average-tasting. Don't recall anything about rib juices the two times I've ordered one of these.
I thought that place was going to be torn down.
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Today I had the King burger and some fries... huge patty (well it better be if it's a 1 pounder). The meat was okay but definitely not juicy. The fries were seasoned but only in certain spots, and kinda soggy. I still enjoyed the meal since I wanted to pig out, and it was on my way home. I also like their outdoor patio and the people there were nice.
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This is a burger no one would ever know about, but I believe it's one of the best out there. Would be on my same list as Father's Office, The Counter, Houstons, and SF Saloon...
AMER'S FALAFEL in ENCINO. Trust me. A truly unique and awesome burger along with amazing seasoned fries.
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dkent said:
"A truly unique and awesome burger"
ooh, please elaborate...
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