What's your best burger in OC?

[kelela92]

I've been scouring this board for the past few hours. GREAT information, and I love reading about all the great restaurants. Makes me want to go out and eat. I am no foodie by any means, although, my husband is. So, I'll probably visit this board to get ideas.

With that in mind. My favorite food is a cheeseburger. Nothing fancy, just a bun, burger, cheese, maybe lettuce, maybe ketchup. If it's GOOD, it doesn't need lettuce, ketchup, OR cheese.

Yes, I even classify my burgers. Fast food, sit down, and restuarant. So, what I'm looking for are sit down/restaurant types. The type where you order it and THEY bring it to you. Been to TK's, love it. My friend recently introduced me to Mo's in Burbank. Let's just say, whenever I go to LA (I live in Irvine), I make a trip there.

What I love about Mo's is that you don't need sauce, you don't need fries, you don't need no stikin' drink. It's soooo good, sooo tasty, and sooo juicy, it's great alone. (I love their salads too).

The problem is...........Burbank is VERY far.

I want a good OC burger. I've seen some people suggest Muldoon's. I have enjoyed Cafe R&D's burger. I didn't care for Tommy Bahama's (although ppl raved about it).

So, what's YOUR suggestion for a tasty, burger? I think I like burgers with good buns. lol.

thanks.

[ChefRoux]

One of the best Burgers in O.C. is at Varsity Burger on Lincoln in Anaheim. "Greek-Style"
That is, Char Broiled Patty, 1000 Island Dressing, Sliced Tomato,Shredded Iceberg Lettuce
and Sliced Dill Pickles. Also, the Onion Rings are the BEST IN THE UNIVERSE!!
CR

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Varsity Burger
600 W Lincoln Ave, Anaheim, CA 92805

[RSMBob]

Nice to see some old topics pop back up.

As mentioned above, I'm a condiment-free guy...no ketchup, mayo, lettuce, sauce...just give me meat, cheese, and bun.

That being said, for non-ridiculously priced burgers, I think Ruby's is underrated and consistently very good. Portillo's is another very good burger. And dare I say it, Fuddrucker's does it pretty well, also, although I miss the days of Flakey Jake's on Katella E of Disneyland.

I'd still like to find a $7 or less burger (with good fries) that is a good thick hunk of quality beef, seasoned nicely, cooked medium rare to medium, some gooey melted cheddar, on a great bun.

[OCAnn]

Well, we waited in line for 20 minutes and went to Five Guys on Katella/Tustin in Orange yesterday. I had the little CB and Mr OCAnn had the regular CH, both with "everything". We also had both kinda fries (regular & seasoned). While the meat patty was juicy (and a bit greasy), it didn't wow me. For fast food burgers, I'm sticking to In-n-Out.

[Grubber]

thank you, OCAnn. I did the same and was definitely underwhelmed. None of the flavors "popped". Nothing bad, you understand, just didn't live up to the hype IMHO.

[reality check]

I divide burgers into three categories:

Fast Food- In N Out.

Diner style-The greasy spoon type. I put TK Burger in this category and TK is a great burger. I lean towards putting The Counter in this diner style category.

Restaurant/Gourmet- No way you can compare a $15 burger to a $5 burger. I heard The Catch was suppose to have a line of gourmet burgers. But I won't go back because of the terrible service, we received. I didn't care for the Crow Bar burger I got a few years back.

[krick]

Hands down the black label burger at Crow Bar in CDM. Get it with the duck fat fries and it's an awesome meal. Even so, it's so overpriced that ($28ish incl the duck fat fries) it's borderline insulting and hard for me to recommend. At that price it should be damn near perfect, and great as it is, it's still far from perfect. Reminds me a bit of Daniel Boulud's burger at DB bistro in NY that set off the high end burger wars in NY - damn good and yet for the price ($28 almost 10 yes ago) damn dissapointing).

[Searching4Dunny]

Black Label Burger is definitely fantastic and it reminds me more than a bit of the Black Label Burger from Minetta Tavern in NYC. I asked the waiter at Crow Bar if the burger was in fact inspired by the one in NYC and he had no idea. My suspicion is that it was since both use dry-aged beef in their patties, although the BLB at Minetta Tavern has much more flavor in the patty but lacks the bone marrow butter. I believe that burger is $28 as compared to Crow Bar's which is $16-$18. The BLB at Crow Bar is still expensive for a burger but I much prefer it to Houston's burger which is close to the same price.

[IDavis]

As far as fast food burgers go, TK Burger is the best in OC. It is slightly better than In 'N Out.

As far as restaurant burgers? I have several favorites. One every should try is the Surf 'N Turf Burger at Jack Shrimp. Outstanding! Eat Chow Cafe in Costa Mesa has awesome gourmet burgers! In fact, their parmesan fries are the best fries in the world (so are their onion rings with blue cheese aiola).

-----
Chat Noir
655 Anton Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Jack Shrimp Restaurant
2400 W Coast Hwy Ste M, Newport Beach, CA 92663

[Skiptink]

In case anyone is still reading this... Haven in the Orange Circle. They have one burger. They serve it one way. And you will thank them for it... Totally worth the $12.

[Das Ubergeek]

Even better: it's $8 at happy hour.

[A5 KOBE]

Jerry's Wood Fired Hot Dogs has a pretty good hamburger.

Not the best, but definitely great tasting.

[kelela92]

Where's it located?

[Wonginator]

Jerry's Dogs is in Santa Ana and La Habra and Mission Viejo.

-----
Jerry's Dogs
2276 E 17th St, Santa Ana, CA 92705

Jerry's Dogs
1360 S Beach Blvd Ste C, La Habra, CA 90631

Jerry's Dogs
1701 Corporate Dr Ste C8, Ladera Ranch, CA 92694

[CucumberBoy]

If you fnd yourself in West Hollywood, look for the Hamburger Mary's on Santa Monica Boulevard, a few blocks west of Crescent Heights. Park wherever you can (watch those parking meters). Head towards Hamburger Mary's -- you'll see lots of patrons on the street-side patio -- and check out their menu.

Then turn around, cross the street, and go to Irv's Burgers. You won't regret it. Fantastic burgers (great meat and super-fresh toppings and seasoned salt) and incredible fresh-cut french fries. Best burger-n-fry meal in town for my money.

And the owner, Sonja, will crack you up. I was there recently and the guitarist for the band Alice in Chains was eating there; Sonja kept playfully yelling at him, "Jer-wee, CUT YOUR HAIR, Jer-wee!"

I (heart) Irv's.

Oh, and file this one under "fast food" as you order at the counter, then Sonja or her mom or one of the boys will bring you your food. It's patio-style, not an enclosed place. Looks like a dump -- god bless 'em.

Long live Irv's Burgers!!!

-cb-

[kelela92]

For anyone reading this still. I have visited a lot of these places, so far, Morton's is still top of my list. However, they and Pacific Whey tie. Muldoon's wins for ambience and damned good fish and chips.

I still have a lot to go. :) I think I've only eaten at half the places listed. It's been awhile now too. I guess, with Muldoon's being close, I don't venture out as much. hehehe. Time to check it out. If you have any new suggestions, add them on!!!

[russkar]

Bistro West has a pretty wicked burger and I've been to almost every place mentioned in this 2 yr old post. Located at the District in Tustin across from Whole Foods.

[kelela92]

Cool. Close by, easy access. Definitely will need to try that one out. Thanks for the suggestion. Question, since the large parking lot is in front of Whole Foods, what exactly does "across" mean? Do you mean across the parking lot? Across the parking lot AND small street? Across Jamboree the other direction? Hmmm.....lol

[OCEllen]

It's in the front part of the parking lot shared by Whole Foods (I think). I want to check it out, too!

[groover808]

If you go to the Bistro West website and sign up with your e-mail, 25% off $30 or more. I think it's through the end of March, opening promo.

[kelela92]

Ohmigod. I am going to get SOOOOOOOOOO fat. lol. You guys have all given me some great places. I'm adding the newest ones to the list. I figure, if I'm in the area, why not. Y'know.

BTW, went to Beachcomber. We went at dinner, to check out the sunset. First, they don't have burgers on their dinner menu. We were VERY worried. But, then I asked the waiter and he said, "no worries, I'll take care of it" and we got burgers and fries. Personally, the meat was good, but the bun wasn't anything special. and at $15 a pop with soda being $2 something and no free refills, I didn't feel it was worth the money. I didn't realize how EXPENSIVE that place was. The grilled chicken was about to cost me almost $30, ouch.

Anyhow. It was good, but not GREAT. I think I prefer Muldoon's over this one. Although, nothing beats the view. that's for damned sure.

[byrannewell]

Cassidy's in Newport Beach, although a bar, has a delicious burger.

Looking at some of the other posts, I had to throw in my two cents:
TK's is ok- nothing truly special.
Heroes is good the first couple of times, they're like the Claim Jumper's of the bar world- HUGE portions.
A's in Dana Point- not worth a long trip, but it's great after a night of drinking.

[MeAndroo]

I have a buddy who lives in Fullerton, and I've been to Heroes a few times. Huge portions of everything (huge beers and a great selection on tap) and good burgers. I'm more of a chicken sandwich guy, and I'm usually happy too. Plus they have curly fries that make me happy regardless.

[EclecticEater]

If you're willing to go out along Crown Valley, head for the PCH. At that intersection, in the mall that has Gelsons in it, is the Salt Creek Inn. Their burgers are very good. Besides using great beef, they grill everything over a real wood fire. Their burgers aren't cheap, the In-N-Out type, but they're big, messy with a kaiser roll and lots of tomato, pickles or relish, onion and I love catsup, and of course very delicious meat. Try them with a draft beer or a margarita, listen to their house band on the weekends, and enjoy them in the bar. I've found this place to be a great Friday or Saturday night spot. My wife and I head to this spot whenever it's that kind of evening.

[kelela92]

Oh yummy, REAL wood fire. I love that taste. I'll have to check this out. My husband and I were down there this past weekend, I wish I knew about this then. Darn, gotta check this thread more often. lol

[OCGirl]

You MUST try the burger at Chat Noir. OMG- delicious! They used to be open at lunch. On the lunch menu there were two burgers- one was made with kobe beef and was $35 so I never tried that one. However, the $10 burger is probably the best burger I've ever had in a restaurant type setting.

For good "burger joint" burgers, nothing beats Brea's Best in Brea on Brea Blvd. Fresh ingredients and very good. Actually everything there is delicious. I love the tuna melt and chili dogs too.

Great thread- I'm going to try Muldoon's this weekend!

[kelela92]

What'd you think of Muldoon's?

$35 bucks, huh? Ouch. I think I'll try Morton's instead. lol. I'll put Chat Noir on my list. :) You wrote "used to be open at lunch" are they not anymore?

Y'know, I think I've actually been to the Brea's Best. I'll have to ask my husband. I think he took me there.

[OCGirl]

It's odd. I work in the building across the street from Chat Noir. It opens around the holidays for lunch, but closes at lunchtime for the rest of the year. I'm still thinking about their burger. You can get it with gruyere or blue cheese. The roll it comes on is a brioche-type roll and the sauce that comes with it is to die for. Sort of a thousand isand, but tastier. And it comes with delectable shoestring french fries.

Oh my lord, I need to go have a burger....

And I still haven't tried Muldoon's burger. Didn't get a chance this past weekend. Usually when I go there I order the beef stew and soda bread so I'm looking forward to expanding my horizons.

[kelela92]

Oh man, that sucks. I guess I'll have to wait for the holidays again then. :( boo. That's a LONG ways away. You'd think they'd be open for lunch, considering where they're located. TONS of work ppl around. {shaking head}

Ohmigod. I love love love the soda bread (another weakness of mine...bread)

[Husky J]

Husky Boy Burgers Laguna Beach! All "home-made" gourmet burgers: Kobe, Buffallo, Ostrich, Turkey, Garden and soooo much more...You haven't been to Laguna Beach, if you haven't been to Husky Boy!

[kelela92]

Thanks. I'll add it to my list. For now, we seem to go back to Muldoon's....a lot! lol

[liltamby5]

I second that!

[mrsjoujou]

We were at Muldoon's on sat also! I liked the burger very much. I can't wait to go back,fries was just OK.

[kelela92]

I actually liked their fries the first time I went. reminded me of In-n-Out fries, however, when we went the other night, they were hard as a rock. bleah. Burger was good though. :)

[OCGirl]

Get the sweet potato fries. YUM!

[kelela92]

For all those that suggested Muldoon's, THANK YOU!!!! Ohmigod. Got their burger Saturday. It was VERY good. I still like Mo's better, I think because of the bun, however, Muldoon's, is definitely up there for OC. Now, to try all the other places.

[crystaw]

Oh, and if you're ever in the San Gabriel Valley-Jim's Burgers and Tops in Arcadia (my hometown) have great burgers (and fried zucchini ;) ) Oh, and just a warning their portions are quite hearty. If it's just me and a friend we aren't ever able to get through a a small order of any of their fries (zucchini or potato ones) even though they are tasty.

[kelela92]

I rarely go into the SGV, however, I will add it to my list because you never know where I'll be and craving a good burger, right? lol. I'm putting this list in my car. hehehe. Thanks.

[SouthOCHound]

I'll throw something different out there. If you happen to be in my neck of the woods [the southern portion of OC, that is] there is a hole-in-the-wall joint called A's Ace Burgers that is located off Avery Parkway and Camino Capistrano just off the 5 FWY in San Juan Capistrano [although it might as well be Laguna Niguel]. It is literally across the street from an Inn-N-Out, although I'll drop by this place any time over its franchising neighbor. Great burgers at cheap prices. One word of warning, though. If you are not big on mayo on your burger, you should say as much as the tendency is to err on the side of "if-it-doesn't-get-all-over-the-place-it-doesn't-belong-in-your-face" kind of condiment slathering. BTW, their fries and fried zucchini are to die for as well. It's out-of-the-way, i know, but worth a trip if you are ever in the area.

[kelela92]

So my husband is craving burgers, I wonder why. Hehehe. Thanks for the South OC tip. I'll be sure to write it down. We are down there once in awhile, or maybe it's a great place to stop from a trip to SD, know what I mean? I know exactly where you're talking about, as I've stopped at that In-n-Out. :) Yummy. Love fried zucchini Thanks.

[RSMBob]

I live down in south OC as well...and I admit I have driven past this place many times only to stop at In-N-Out. Now I'm a plain burger eater...just bun, meat and cheese...so the quality, quantity, seasoning and proper doneness/juicyness of the burger is what I judge on. I look forward to giving it a try...maybe I'll take the kids there as I am wifeless for the next 7 days!

[RSMBob]

Ok, gave it a shot over the weekend...it was good but not great in my opinion. Now, I'm a guy who likes a plain burger...just bun, meat and cheese...so I like a good sized (thick) juicy burger on a good bun. It was a bit small for my liking (tasted the outside crispness more than the meat itself) but still tasty. Fries were so-so at best...tasted like the battered BK fries. I'll be back if I'm in the area, but it wasn't what I hoped it would be.

[kelela92]

Thanks for the review of it. I think I'll move it down my list, but still keep it on there, in case I'm in the area.

[Midlife]

A's is also in Dana Point, on PCH, just North of the Camino Las Ramblas (Hwy 1) exit from the 5 Fwy. Their breakfast burritos were my kids' favorite all through high school, and I've become addicted myself. Burger's good too.

[FoodiePastor]

Ok so I just started a new job in Laguna Niguel, and was looking for good lunch places, I read this review and realized that A's was mere seconds away from my work, so I went there just an hour ago. To be honest it was just ok. The burger was nothing to right home about, I would much rather have a Fat Burger. Although the fried zucchini was greay and a lot of the other items on the menu looked good, so I'm sure ill be back just probably not for the burgers.

[Midlife]

Onion Rings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FoodiePastor]

didn't try them but wanted to, so your saying they're good.............

[Midlife]

I think so, but I think the burger is passable too. I'd say the rings are better than the burger.

[FoodiePastor]

haha so this place should really be in an "onion ring" thread, not burger

[Midlife]

Actually it should be in a breakfast burrito thread. (See my Feb 23, 2007 post above)

[1000steps]

Best onion rings. great breakfast burritos. Good burger.

[JAB]

Their burger tasted like meat loaf to me.

[Midlife]

"Their burger tasted like meat loaf to me."

Not necessarily a bad thing.

[FoodiePastor]

Yeah those breakfast burritos looked really good!

[StivKaye]

You can't go wrong with Knowlwood. Fresh ingredients, reasonable prices, very laid back ambiance, 1/3 lb. burgers, great appetizers, and a decent selection of beers (bottled and on tap).

It's always been one of favorite casual hang-outs...

[kelela92]

I was thinking, I think the reason I never went was when my folks used to take me, it was mostly senior citizens who'd go there. So, I rarely went back. lol. If you're a senior citizen, um, sorry. If not, hope yours is more hip than the one I've been to (Norwalk, I believe).

[Midlife]

There are two Knollwoods I know of in South OC. One is at the 5 Fwy and Sand Canyon (Irvine), the other is in Laguna Niguel, on Greenfield just North of Crown Valley Pkwy. Never see many seniors at either one. Food's fresh and good. The wait always seems rather long for an order-at-the-counter place, but I chalk it up to 'they're making it fresh',

I don't think anyone's mentioned Fatburger. It gets mixed reviews here, but I like it. One I know of is in Aliso Viejo, another in San Clemente.

[kelela92]

Oh cool. I'll have to check them out when I'm down there one day. I think, for myself, I don't put Fatburger in with the types of burgers I'm looking for, however, I do like them. And I love the one in Vegas, Open 24 Hours. LOL.

I'm looking for more of a "restaurant" burger.

[crystaw]

The cheeseburger at the Pilsner Room is pretty tasty and it's one $1.95 during happy hour. I think you have to buy a drink though. Here's elmomonster's entry about it. http://elmomonster.blogspot.com/

[kelela92]

Can I buy a coke? I don't drink. lol. Oh well, it may still be worth it to buy a drink for a $2 burger. :) BTW, i'm enjoying that blog, thanks for the link.

[wilafur]

mccormicks is a chain and i have been able to partake in the happy hour deals with only a soda at both the beverly hills and downtown la locations. i doubt they would change the rule in OC.

[crystaw]

I wasn't 21 when I went to the Pilsner room and neither were any of the people I went with so on that note you can definately get a soda or something and still get the happy hour prices....haha, it think the drinks cost more than the burgers if I remember right.

[kelela92]

Cool. :)

[kelela92]

Thanks everyone for all your replies so far. I have a BIG list. My husband thinks I'm crazy. But hey, for a man that went to Morton's every week, and he doesn't know about the burgers, guess he's not a connessier of burgers. lol. He's not, I'm just kidding. This is great. Thanks. Keep them coming if you wanna add. My list is getting long.

Oh, and my husband said we DEFINITELY have to go to The Beachcomber. :) I can't wait. Maybe when the weather warms up a bit.

[venture6]

Sorry, but what is TK's and where is it?

[kelela92]

TK Burgers is a burger stand type of place. The original is near the Newport Beach pier. There's one near the Huntington Beach pier, and I hear there's another one on Bristol in Costa Mesa, but it's not that great. I'm sure if you do a search, you'll find a lot of info about it. Great burgers.

[mikester]

But my favorite burger is the one I make for my wife and I ! Find a good butcher, get them to sell you a chuck roast, then have them grind it (on coarse, twice) for you. Take that home, form it into very thick, nice patties using as little pressure as you can (you want it just barely staying together), season with good salt and pepper to taste, then grill or fry 'em up (grilling preferred, on a nice hot grill). 3 minutes first side, flip, then 3 - 5 minutes per second side depending how done you like it (please, no more than med. rare to medium, it's good beef you're using, why ruin it, right ?)

[kelela92]

I'll be honest. I can't cook worth beans. I think, I'd rather go to your house and have you make it for me. :) I know my brother made an AWESOME burger ONCE. lol. He couldn't replicate it. He put salsa in the burger and grilled them up. They were so juicy and tasty. You should try that one day (but maybe not with such great meat first, lol. Wouldn't want to ruin it).

[mikester]

If you're near the Huntington Beach area, try the burger at Lazy Dog Cafe (on Beach near the 405), it's pretty darn good, esp. the one with the blue cheese !

[kelela92]

I remember when this place first opened. I can't remember the background, but I believe the owner is the same as another chain. I'm not big on bleu cheese, however, I can always give the place a try. I have heard good things about them.

[brekkie_fan]

The related chain is Mimi's Cafe. I think it was the son of the founder who branched out.....SOMEday they'll have more locations (crossing fingers). My brother loved it when i took his kids and wife there. I even had a chill bday there once, and floored everyone with how reasonable (and tasty!) everything was. I mean, even the lamb rocked....lamb!

[ocshooter]

They already have more locations. They at least are at the Irvine Marketplace and in Orange not too far from the Pond. Plus there is one in the South Bay. I love being able to go with the dogs and be served a cocktail. Don't know how they do it with the health codes, or why other places don't.

[stephaniem]

It's a chain, but Yard House has pretty decent burgers...also, if you are in West LA, you MUST try The Counter - even looking at their website makes me salivate. thecounterburger.com

[kelela92]

As much as I have been to Yard House, I can't remember if I ever ate their burgers. That means, either I never have, or they were forgettable. lol. I'll put it on my list though. Can't hurt to try again, right? I'll definitely check out The Counter. I do go up to LA once in awhile. Always willing to try a burger place. Thanks.

[kelela92]

I went to The Counter here in Irvine. Burgers were pretty good, but their sweet potato fries is what won me over (and I hate sweet potato). :)

[Professor Salt]

TK is my default burger because its close to work. The meat's not special, but taken as a whole, the sum is greater than its parts

I had a very nice one yesterday at The Beachcomber. The patty's loosely formed by hand, and it retained its juices nicely (cooked medium-ish). I really like the bun here. Too much lettuce and extraneous stuff, but you can remove that. The one downside is they didn't salt the meat before cooking, which is a minus in my book.

Also, it's a really busy spot and you'll have to wait a while to get seated. But you can't beat the view. See my blog post for more photos. I'm attaching the pertinent burger pic to test our new Chowhound features.
http://professorsalt.com/2007/01/11/t...

One other place: The Steelhead Brewery in Irvine tops their very good burger with some super thick bacon studded with cracked black peppercorn. If you're a fan of this sort of thing, Steelhead is across from the UCI campus. Check it out.

[kelela92]

TK is definitely good. My husband took me a bit ago. GREAT burgers. That falls into my "sit down" category. :)I'll definitely have to try out The Beachcomber, looks like it's down the street from me. That'd be great. :) And Steelhead isn't too far either. Thanks for the suggestions. Cant' say my husband will be happy to go to all these burger places, but TOO BAD. lol

[Wonginator]

Hamburger Mary's has a nice variety of gourmet burgers to choose from.

Others I like are Knowlwood and Fuddruckers.

[kelela92]

I think I have been to a Hamburger Mary's, but I'm not sure, will need to check into that. :) I definitely love Knowlwood's, but I never really cared for Fuddruckers. Thanks for the suggestions.

[thome50]

Hamburger Mary's in Newport is no more. They closed up shop a little over a week ago. (for the record, i never found the burgers that special.)

[kelela92]

Yup, all gone. I never found it "special" but it wasn't bad either. Better than most I've had. :)

[SRosie]

I think the next closest one that still exists is in West Hollywood near the city hall.

[TBB3]

Houston's is great but nothing compares to Morton's. They only serve it at lunch.

[kelela92]

Definitely going to Muldoon's. :) I had a Houston's, wasn't too impressed, however, I'll have to go try Morton's. My husband wants to go, so lunch would be a great time. :) thanks for all the suggestions so far.

[kelela92]

I went to Morton's. I'm not sure why, but I didn't care for it. I don't know if it's because the beef was GOOD beef and I'm not used that quality, or that the bun was bland, the fries were bland, the burger was eh. I wouldn't spend that much for their burger ever again. I felt Pacific Whey had a MUCH better burger.

[High Maintenance]

Muldoon's has incredible burgers! Just a perfect burger, and they rate #1 in my book. I really enjoy Houston's Cheeseburger, and Morton's burger as well for lunch.

[rdub5]

Its not a restaurant, but its a must try. You need to get the Husky Boy Kobe beef burger in Laguna Beach. Its on PCH. You have driven past it for sure. Its just a burger stand. Try it.

[kelela92]

Writing all this down, thanks. I will definitely check it out. I'm game for any burger tasting session. lol

[lintygmom]

Oh, wow. We had the Husky Boy Husky Burger--a burger with cheese and pastrami. Was succulent and juicy and surprisingly delicious. Was glad I was coaxed into it. With pretty good onion rings and fries. Wish I had spent the month before gearing up by eating a lot of meat, though. The experience put my stomach down for the count.

And two of them served three people with burger and pastrami left over, they were that big.