Good News/Bad News: 8 oz. Burger Bar

When Govind Armstrong and the Table 8 team opened 8 oz Burger Bar two weeks ago, they admitted to letting the people come see the transition of the uber-goth Table 8 2.0 to this new casual gourmet burger and beer joint after only one day of training. Of course with a quick open comes the early reviews. Most were even keeled with the harshest criticism reserved for the burger-to-bun ratio and the $1 charge for homemade ketchup, both already addressed by management. Since burgers will ignite serious debate with just about any Angeleno, let's have a look at some of the good and bad for 8 oz:

Very Good: "For my money, this is great recession dining -- budget friendly comfort food with a ton of good beer on tap and affordable stiff cocktails. I think this will be my sort of middle of the week, I've-had-a-bad-day spot...Will 8oz replace F.O as my favorite burger? Certainly not, but I think this place will serve a different purpose and I'll probably end up here just as much." [Chowhound]

Good: "Food overall was good. I had no problem with the (I assume, retooled) bun. Actually quite liked it. However I really didn't care for the fries (which others here seem to be raving about). They reminded me of In-N-Out's which I've always hated. Definitely won't be ordering those again. The onion rings were pretty great but I thought the portion was still kinda miserly. And I actually didn't care for the Heirloom Ketchup that much. It was interesting to try, but I'd rather have some Heinz next time." [Chowhound]

Not So Good: "'Not deafeningly loud,' '10 minutes after they opened,' when '1/4 full.' Try coming back at peak hours and you'll find...one of L.A.'s most offensive acoustic set ups ever." [Chowhound]

Bad: "My overall impression: Its just kinda a weird place. The restaurant is slightly gimmicky. The menu isn't as logical as it should be. 8 oz is not big enough for their BIGGEST burger (the others are only 5 oz!). Did Govind just want to stick with the number "8" in the title? Is he really even involved in this place?" [Yelp]

Just Pissed: "The French fries were really soggy and our waiter, when asking if we wanted any extra sauces said we got ketchup, and then the fries came with no ketchup, and I asked about it and he said, 'oh, they were supposed to,' and ca-ching, $1.00 later on our bill. Plus, it wasn’t like it was some amazing ketchup, it was ¼ of a little plastic cup and Heinz would have been fine. Just charge me an extra dollar for my burger and don’t fucking point out that you’re charging me for some watery, house-made ketchup I didn’t even like or want. Overall, the best thing about our dinner was the $5 beers, but I think 25 degrees is WAY better and not nearly as irritating or confusing." [Eater Inbox]

Back to the Good: "I opted for the signature 8 oz. burger, and the big, bready bun was perfectly sized. In fact, I needed that much bun to soak up the 1/2 cup of fatty juices that ran out. Any thinner and that bun would have dissolved completely (sometimes my complaint about the Father’s Office burger)." [Digest Blog/LA Mag]

And the Great: "I think what makes 8 oz stand out from the rest of the burgers in town is, and this may sound weird, the FLAVOR. The beef tastes like real beef, the homemade ketchup like tomatoes, the Manhattan like a real Manhattan. Also the best idea to come along in burgers since bacon is the fried cheese patty you can put on top here. Off the friggin charts." [Yelp]