Pono Burger Rocks the Roof Off the Sunset Strip

Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

Santa Monica-based Pono Burger has been plotting their very own Sunset Strip location for quite a while, with plans to run a full bar and keep the kind of late night hours those locals need. By the look of the place today, it seems to have been worth the wait.

The first thing you’ll notice upon entering Pono Burger's new West Hollywood space is all the sunlight. Most of the dining for the restaurant is actually outdoors on a semi-covered patio, where a permanently-tiled bench runs against the street and durable wooden tables make for funky two and four-tops. You’ll find greenery thanks to a long wall filled with living plants, and embrace the warm winter fire thanks to a fireplace in the back.

The rest of Pono Burger's space in West Hollywood is dedicated as a bar, with a long plank of light wood meant for resting drinks and elbowing up to a big burger. The front stretch, up near the entrance, feels similarly airy and open to the outside, while guests who fade towards the back will find comfortable stools and a dim, woodsier vibe.

As for the food, expect the same burgers from chef Makani Carzino, plus a unique selection of pupus meant as Hawaiian appetizers. You’ll also find a full bar, which should make for a great time — particularly during the weekday happy hour from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Pono Burger is now open in West Hollywood, keeping daily hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to midnight on Thursdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night.

Pono Burger
8830 W. Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA