clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile
More Maps

Los Angeles’s 16 Most Delectable Doughnut Shops

14 Hot Brunch Spots to Check Out in Los Angeles

14 Phenomenal Places for Pasta in Los Angeles

More in Los Angeles See more maps
A tall pub-style burger with dripping white sauce on a large bun with pickles on top, at a restaurant.
The burger from Coucou in Venice.
Nick Walker Studio

9 of the Hottest Burgers in LA Right Now

From a bold new Venice option to a burger with an English muffin bun

by Farley Elliott Updated
28 comments / new
View as Map
The burger from Coucou in Venice.
| Nick Walker Studio
by Farley Elliott Updated
28 comments / new

Hamburgers may very well be the quintessential food of Southern California. The combination of ground beef (or, more recently, plant-based alternatives) and bun is so deeply entrenched in Los Angeles’s dining culture that there’s always a new creation to taste in and around the city. Upscale spots, takeaway joints, and street pop-ups all love to sell burgers to eager audiences, at all price points, and in all formats.

Here now are nine of the hottest newer burgers to know about around Los Angeles, from a Westside spot with beef tallow fries to a river-adjacent newcomer that relies on an English muffin bun. And remember: All of these spots are relatively new on the scene. Anyone looking for legacy burger picks and longtime staples that have come to shape the region’s burger ecosystem over time can check out Eater’s list of essential LA burgers here.

Read More
If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Oy Bar

Copy Link

This mellow Valley bar is hiding one of LA’s best burgers — and the burger may not even be the best thing to get at Oy Bar. Seriously, this cool hangout in Studio City is an incredible mix of dive-bar realness and menu decadence, with a burger that combines a big patty with lots of cheese, plenty of crunch, and just the right amount of bracing pickle-y features.

12446 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 761-8686
(818) 761-8686

Lingua Franca

Copy Link

English muffins make for rare buns on LA burgers, but the combination is not entirely unheard of. At Lingua Franca the unique combo is possible only because the team makes its buns in-house, allowing for a pliability to the bread that would be hard to find with sturdier store-bought stuff. The result is a burger that feels simple in its arrangement but that is deeply complex thanks to black pepper mayo, burnt onions, and a rich black garlic sherry brown butter.

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Also featured in:

Trophies Burger Club

Copy Link

There’s something about simplicity done right (especially in the ongoing LA burger wars) that just stands out. At Trophies Burger Club on Fairfax, chef Geo Delgado channels a career spent cooking burgers at places like ERB, Here & Now, Burgers 99, and Goldburger to make maximum-flavor, minimum-fuss burgers that just taste like pure LA.

519 N Fairfax Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90048
A hand holds a two-pattied cheeseburger with pickles and cheese at daytime.
Trophies Burger Club.
Farley Elliott

Vaka Burger

Copy Link

After years of waiting, Vaka Burger has finally made it official in Historic Filipinotown. This Beverly Boulevard newcomer has only been open for a few weeks but word is already out thanks to the team’s griddled-but-not-smashed burgers and one-of-a-kind flavor combinations.

3107 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 277-1387
(213) 277-1387

Irv's Burgers

Copy Link

Irv’s is not new to LA, in one sense. The restaurant has been around in various forms for decades, but in recent years the product has been overhauled and new locations have been promised, thanks to a change in ownership. The newest Irv’s outlet now sits on La Brea at a former burger walk-up stand, where co-owner Sonia Hong can turn out California classics and pastrami-fueled specials with ease. Next up: a location in Malibu.

1000 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019
A seeded bun with thin shaved pastrami and thick shaved pickle and sauce.
A pastrami burger from Irv’s.
Wonho Frank Lee

Also featured in:

Camphor

Copy Link

The in-the-know burger at Arts District fine-dining spot Camphor is one to watch. Not only is the thick bar and patio bistro table-only option a head-turner in the room, it features dry-aged beef and slowly cooked duck leg meat. The Camphor burger’s bun is even finished off with duck fat, and the burger’s sauce is made with smoked beef fat, making for a seriously rich addition to the LA burger landscape.

923 E 3rd St Suite 109, Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 626-8888
(213) 626-8888
A close up side shot of a thick burger with a yellow-orange bun.
The Camphor burger.
Camphor

Also featured in:

Tiny's Hi-Dive

Copy Link

The former Arsenal in West LA has been turned into an approachable dive bar called Tiny’s Hi-Dive with plenty of tasty food options, from an Italian beef sandwich, hot dogs, and cheesesteaks to a tasty smashburger. All the prices hover around $10, so it’s clear the place isn’t trying to get in the hipsters or cool kids chasing social media likes. Tiny’s certainly conjures a lot of the better-than-it-should-be vibes of the Bear, but locals will just appreciate a well-griddled burger with oozy American cheese and a side of crisp fries done Animal-style.

12012 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
(424) 248-3657
(424) 248-3657
A plaid tray with a burger and sauced fries, at night.
Tiny’s Hi-Dive’s burger.
Matthew Kang

Also featured in:

Heavy Handed

Copy Link

From pop-up to truck to permanent location, the Heavy Handed team just keeps on growing. Their latest space right on Main Street in Santa Monica is a colorful funhouse filled with heavily-seared beef and loaded beef tallow fries. This is the Westside burger spot that everyone’s been talking about, and for very good reason.

2912 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
A cheeseburger topped with pickles, sauce, and caramelized onions from Heavy Handed.
Heavy Handed.
Wonho Frank Lee

Also featured in:

Coucou

Copy Link

The burger Americaine at Venice’s new CouCou is already a hit, thanks to a thick wagyu beef patty and lots of grilled red onion. There’s a cognac-based sauce that makes the whole thing about as decadent as the famous Big Mec from Trois Mec, except here it’s served in what may be the newest cool-kid hangout on the Westside, complete with afternoon sunlight streaming in through tall front windows.

218 Main St, Venice, CA 90291
A tall pub-style burger with dripping white sauce on a large bun with pickles on top, at a restaurant.
The Burger Americaine.
Nick Walker Studio

Also featured in:

More in Maps

Loading comments...

© 2023 Vox Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Link copied to the clipboard.

Oy Bar

12446 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91604

This mellow Valley bar is hiding one of LA’s best burgers — and the burger may not even be the best thing to get at Oy Bar. Seriously, this cool hangout in Studio City is an incredible mix of dive-bar realness and menu decadence, with a burger that combines a big patty with lots of cheese, plenty of crunch, and just the right amount of bracing pickle-y features.

12446 Moorpark St, Studio City, CA 91604
(818) 761-8686
(818) 761-8686

Lingua Franca

Los Angeles, CA 90039

English muffins make for rare buns on LA burgers, but the combination is not entirely unheard of. At Lingua Franca the unique combo is possible only because the team makes its buns in-house, allowing for a pliability to the bread that would be hard to find with sturdier store-bought stuff. The result is a burger that feels simple in its arrangement but that is deeply complex thanks to black pepper mayo, burnt onions, and a rich black garlic sherry brown butter.

Los Angeles, CA 90039

Trophies Burger Club

519 N Fairfax Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90048

There’s something about simplicity done right (especially in the ongoing LA burger wars) that just stands out. At Trophies Burger Club on Fairfax, chef Geo Delgado channels a career spent cooking burgers at places like ERB, Here & Now, Burgers 99, and Goldburger to make maximum-flavor, minimum-fuss burgers that just taste like pure LA.

519 N Fairfax Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90048
A hand holds a two-pattied cheeseburger with pickles and cheese at daytime.
Trophies Burger Club.
Farley Elliott

Vaka Burger

3107 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057

After years of waiting, Vaka Burger has finally made it official in Historic Filipinotown. This Beverly Boulevard newcomer has only been open for a few weeks but word is already out thanks to the team’s griddled-but-not-smashed burgers and one-of-a-kind flavor combinations.

3107 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057
(213) 277-1387
(213) 277-1387

Irv's Burgers

1000 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019

Irv’s is not new to LA, in one sense. The restaurant has been around in various forms for decades, but in recent years the product has been overhauled and new locations have been promised, thanks to a change in ownership. The newest Irv’s outlet now sits on La Brea at a former burger walk-up stand, where co-owner Sonia Hong can turn out California classics and pastrami-fueled specials with ease. Next up: a location in Malibu.

1000 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90019
A seeded bun with thin shaved pastrami and thick shaved pickle and sauce.
A pastrami burger from Irv’s.
Wonho Frank Lee

Camphor

923 E 3rd St Suite 109, Los Angeles, CA 90013

The in-the-know burger at Arts District fine-dining spot Camphor is one to watch. Not only is the thick bar and patio bistro table-only option a head-turner in the room, it features dry-aged beef and slowly cooked duck leg meat. The Camphor burger’s bun is even finished off with duck fat, and the burger’s sauce is made with smoked beef fat, making for a seriously rich addition to the LA burger landscape.

923 E 3rd St Suite 109, Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 626-8888
(213) 626-8888
A close up side shot of a thick burger with a yellow-orange bun.
The Camphor burger.
Camphor

Tiny's Hi-Dive

12012 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064

The former Arsenal in West LA has been turned into an approachable dive bar called Tiny’s Hi-Dive with plenty of tasty food options, from an Italian beef sandwich, hot dogs, and cheesesteaks to a tasty smashburger. All the prices hover around $10, so it’s clear the place isn’t trying to get in the hipsters or cool kids chasing social media likes. Tiny’s certainly conjures a lot of the better-than-it-should-be vibes of the Bear, but locals will just appreciate a well-griddled burger with oozy American cheese and a side of crisp fries done Animal-style.

12012 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064
(424) 248-3657
(424) 248-3657
A plaid tray with a burger and sauced fries, at night.
Tiny’s Hi-Dive’s burger.
Matthew Kang

Heavy Handed

2912 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405

From pop-up to truck to permanent location, the Heavy Handed team just keeps on growing. Their latest space right on Main Street in Santa Monica is a colorful funhouse filled with heavily-seared beef and loaded beef tallow fries. This is the Westside burger spot that everyone’s been talking about, and for very good reason.

2912 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
A cheeseburger topped with pickles, sauce, and caramelized onions from Heavy Handed.
Heavy Handed.
Wonho Frank Lee

Coucou

218 Main St, Venice, CA 90291

The burger Americaine at Venice’s new CouCou is already a hit, thanks to a thick wagyu beef patty and lots of grilled red onion. There’s a cognac-based sauce that makes the whole thing about as decadent as the famous Big Mec from Trois Mec, except here it’s served in what may be the newest cool-kid hangout on the Westside, complete with afternoon sunlight streaming in through tall front windows.

218 Main St, Venice, CA 90291
A tall pub-style burger with dripping white sauce on a large bun with pickles on top, at a restaurant.
The Burger Americaine.
Nick Walker Studio

Related Maps