Charbroiled Burgers in the Westside?

[banquisha]

Why is it so hard to find a charbroiled burger? There are a lot of great burgers to be had in L.A. but, I usually am thinking, "I wonder what this would taste like charbroiled..."
Does anyone make a charbroiled burger in the westside? If not then, where can I find one?
Extra points for charbroiled QUALITY meat!!

[grrranamal]

Ok this may sound like a weird pick but I love the burger at the Overland Ave Cafe. Its 1/2 pound charbroiled with choice of cheese if desired and they ask you how you want it done. Its the only thing I order! As for "quality meat" I dont know..but it seems good. (do I get the extra points?)

[NYCnowLA]

has anybody been to George's Burgers on Lincoln and Marine? there are always people in it when i drive by. just wondering if they have a decent burger and if it is char-broiled.

[bulavinaka]

I haven't eaten there in decades and I don't know if it's still the same owner, but a lot of non-Chowish guys used to go there because the breakfasts were really really cheap. Back in the 70s (dating myself - geez I'm a geezer) the burgers were char-broiled and were seasoned with cumin if I remember correctly... or was that Rod's on Artesia? Wow - time for a memory check...

[Jeryy]

George's Burger is HORRIBLE - everything, the food, the employees, the rat-hole atmosphere. Don't waste your time even thinking about it.

[EliAnnKat]

My goodness, you are an early riser. Or up super-late. Thanks for the warning.

[a_and_w]

Any Fatburger will charbroil on request.

[Emme]

Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood (I know not westside exactly, but charbroiled)

IIRC The Coloy Cafe

I believe Rick's Tavern on Main and I think Kate Mantilini

[banquisha]

Where is IIRC The Coloy Cafe? Do they charbroil for sure?

[Emme]

oops If I Recall Correctly, the Colony Cafe on Pico! call 'em

[nosh]

Best inexpensive big burger in L.A.: At a divy sports bar, Philly West, on the east side of Westwood just south of Santa Monica Blvd. Good cheesesteaks, but their burger is phenomenal. Half-pound oblong patty, served on a hoagie roll with grilled onions and the usual condiments. Medium-rare, pink in the middle, drippy messy juicy, and a cheeseburger is about $6.

[banquisha]

do they charbroil it?

[nosh]

Yes. That is what surprised me, since they are known for cheesesteaks which are done on a flattop. I was using their restroom one day and looked into the small kitchen and saw flames surrounding a beautiful hunk of meat, and that's when I first tried the burger.

[banquisha]

I'm soooo there and will report back... thank you Nosh!!!

[wilafur]

i beg to differ on philly's west. went last night and had the burger (because of your review, btw...lol). it was not good at all. loved the philly roll and the onions and bell peppers but the meat was bland, tough and dry. i had to order another pitcher of beer to wash it down.

service was very friendly though.

[baloney]

Twas my experience as well when I went, though it was a while back. I too went on nosh's rec! Agree on the quality of the meat but my roll was a little stale tasting also. I hardly got any onions on said burger.

[nosh]

I am not alone in my high regard for Philly West's burger:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/456360.

Now, I do advise glancing in the window into the kitchen and see who is cooking. If it is the salt & pepper bearded middle aged white guy, no problem. If it is the much younger Hispanic guy, then you must specify rare medium rare and light or no mayo. The former is usually there lunches and afternoons, the latter evenings.

[a_and_w]

nosh, I think your link is broken.

[wilafur]

just gotta add "htm" after the link.

and nosh, i dunno....for me, a beef patty that becomes dense and dry (think spam consistency without the juice ) after cooking = poor quality beef.....well, that is unless you seriously OVERCOOK the sucka. haha!

[karamazov]

Given how often nosh mentions philly west, i'm pretty sure he's sold his soul to them or something :). I think it's a nice place to chill out and have a drink or a beer or two, but the food is definitely nothing to go out of your way for. At the price level (like $5 or $6 for the burger i think), it might not be bad. Probably a lot better than what you get at the fast food joints, but it's still just a bland plain burger.. I really don't think the cook can make that much of a difference there either.

[Mattapoisett in LA]

You might try
Sunny Grill
12035 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
310 390-8989

The Last time I ate there the Burger was Charbroiled and good.

Take Care

- P.

[banquisha]

First I went to Philly West but realized that "the good cook" wasn't working so I went to Sunny Grill.
The people there were super nice and, there were many things on the menu that I would like to go back and try. However, I was on a mission to try the burger.
I love that they charbroil but, the burger meat was sooooo thin! It made for a very dry burger. I believe that if the burger meat wasn't so super thin, they'd have a nice juicy, hearty delicious thing. My theory is that, since they have a drive through, they need to be able to cook things quickly. So, if they had a thicker, meatier patty then it'd take much longer to cook.
Thanks for the rec!!