Since when were hamburgers so complicated? Los Angeles is known as the birthplace for some of the most famous (and infamous) hamburgers in the world, but the city that gave birth to Umami Burger, Father's Office, and McDonald's also houses a fine and storied tradition of old-school burgers — including a handful that are known only to the city's locals. From new school to mostly old school, here's a guide to LA's Most Iconic Burgers.
Read MoreLA's Most Iconic Burgers
No frills, just grills — so leave the truffles and foie gras at home.
Pie 'n Burger
The brightly lit, oak-adorned environs and the crank-operated cash register at Pie 'N Burger hearken to a bygone era, a time before a fast food giant like McDonald’s ever became capable of selling a billion burgers. Pie 'N Burger’s patty is a marvel — sheathed in an off-the-charts amount of crust and topped with iceberg lettuce, onions (grilled or raw), a bed of tangy pickles and Thousand Island dressing in a pillow-soft bun, the burger is something the Big Mac could only aspire to be in its wildest McDreams.
The Apple Pan
National Geographic might have had a strong case when it named The Apple Pan the purveyor of the best hamburger in the nation back in 2012. At peak hours, seating at the Westside burger-and-pie counter is still a logistical Hunger Games (hint: don’t bring more than two dining partners), but once seated, revel in the Steakburger or Hickory Burger in all of its maddeningly uniform, reassuringly delicious glory. On the Steakburger, expect a decent crust blanketed in melted Tillamook Cheddar aided by the sweetness of their famous relish, all housed in a gently-toasted bun.
Bills Burgers
The hamburgers at this mom-and-pop establishment might look uncannily like an In-N-Out burger, but look a little closer and you’ll find what the chain won’t do, like adding bacon or chili and refusing to put up with inane customer requests to hold the mayo. Leave your demands for customer service for your hard-earned dollars at home: Bill Elwell is no frills, all grills, and he’s going to make you a burger his way. The surly World War II vet would much prefer he doesn’t get any more business which, if you’ve noticed from the never-ending stream of customers jostling for seating at lunch while waiting for a taste of his masterfully grilled double cheeseburgers, is a pretty ineffectual request.
In-N-Out Burger
The Snyder Family’s West Coast empire is at once old-fashioned and industry forward — refusing to franchise or expand too far eastward (much to the chagrin of the Californian diaspora) out of concern for quality, and paying its associates a wage comfortably above the state minimum. All this wouldn’t mean all that much if the burgers didn’t taste good, but at In-N-Out taste is a foregone conclusion. With fans like Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay and, you know, just about everyone on Planet Earth who’s tried it, this California icon is still the burger by which all others are judged.
Hawkins House Of Burgers
Hawkins House of Burgers has been a hit with Watts locals and out-of-towners alike since the word got out that they make some damn fine burgers. Beware the Whipper Burger, a leaning tower of double patty, hot link, egg and pastrami, and an altogether tourist trap of excesses. The loosely packed, crumbly and altogether phenomenal patty at Hawkin’s House of Burgers is deserving of a more demanding simplicity, and reaches optimal flavor and proportions with the classic single cheeseburger treatment.
Irv's Burgers
Irv’s Burgers is in the business of making a world-class version of an All-American classic at an affordable price point, and after re-opening in 2014, Sonia Hong’s burger stand resumed business. The hamburger at Irv’s is juicy with a decent amount of crumble, proving that it doesn’t take Kobe Beef or $15 to put out a thicker burger that satisfies even the most discerning burger snobs.
Marty's Hamburger Stand
This burger shack (literally, it’s a shack) on the Westside puts out the equivalent of a backyard barbecue on Pico. The friendly grillfolk will prepare your burger or Vienna beef hot dog your way — so feel free to ask them to hold that slightly spicy white onion if you’re not feeling the funk, or to butterfly your frank to maximize that all-important seared surface area. Their burger has a nice charred crust, onion and lettuce which all provide a nice crunch to counterbalance a slightly toasted bun; it’s as satisfying as a cheeseburger gets for four bucks — just be prepared to eat quickly and go, since parking is sparse and exclusively streetside.
Fatburger
While it doesn’t enjoy quite the iconic status of In-N-Out Burger, Fatburger has made its mark in the airwaves and the headlines among hip-hop royalty: Aside from being referenced in everyone’s favorite Ice Cube song, it also got an X-rated shoutout from the Notorious B.I.G. in “Going Back to Cali,” a visit from Tupac in “Late Night,” and even a franchising agreement with Kanye West that eventually went awry. The chain still grills all of its burgers to order and allows diners to add a fried egg and bacon to their burgers, which come in at an already hefty 1/3-pound standard “Fatburger” size or the hulking 1/2-pound “Kingburger.” If that’s not big enough, you can always add more patties, since inducing a food coma is your right as an American citizen.
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Mom's Burgers
In 1992, Andre Young introduced one of Compton’s greatest exports: The Chronic, a hip-hop classic that made Dr. Dre a household name as one of the genre’s luminaries in addition to a reputation for being an obsessive perfectionist. Mom’s Burgers in Compton might have been referencing that very album and artist when they named their most popular sandwich The Chronic Burger: A high-powered bacon-egg-and-cheese burger that’s practically piled to the clouds with toppings and just might land you in the doctor’s office.
Hinano Cafe
The only thing that’s fairer than the burger at Hinano Café is its price tag: The old-school joint just steps from the sand at Venice Beach charges a little under seven bucks for its hamburger, which is really only a couple bucks more than a cold brew at Intelligentsia Coffee up on Abbot Kinney. Celebrate finding the best deal in Venice Beach with a real cold brew — like a pint of Sierra Nevada — while you rub elbows with Venice Beach locals and catch a game on TV at this venerated Venice institution.
Astro Burger
Vegetarians rejoice: Astro Burgers actually serves Gardenburgers — and doesn’t sweep it under the menu as an also-ran! Vegans will appreciate soy mayo and soy cheese in addition to a vegan soy patty, so they can pretend they’re eating a hamburger with the very real knowledge that they’re not contributing to the slaughtering of cute cows or further enabling the commodity meats industry.
Original Tommy's Hamburgers
The original location of the burger stand that puts chili on everything but the soda is open 24/7, and though their burgers are a mess to eat, chances are you won’t mind that too much. If burgers aren’t your speed, you might want to opt for the tamale: The admittedly standard chili-stuffed corn pocket is slathered in — you guessed it — more chili and topped with onions, pickles and tomato. The resulting product works out a lot better in your mouth after a night of hard drinking than it does on paper... or on your floor mats.
Howard's Famous Bacon & Avocado Burgers
Slices of the humble, buttery avocado are a mainstay at every self-respecting backyard barbecue in California, and Howard’s knows exactly where those slices are supposed to go: On a burger, with some bacon for kicks. This Westside institution might set diner’s expectations a little high by tooting its own horn on the signage, but in absentia of expectations the burger delivers on providing a solid rendition of the California backyard favorite at any time of the year — no chimney, coals or company required.
Hamburger Habit
KABC AM 790 named Hamburger Habit the best in the city — a fact Hamburger Habit proudly displays on its website and to the left of its signage facing National Blvd. We’re probably not willing to go quite that far, but what it doesn’t have in terms of In-N-Out mystique or Pie N Burger bona fides, it might just make up for in charm. The storefront is reminiscent of a ‘50s diner, replete with a screaming red-and-white interior and sassy neon signs (“Never trust a skiny [sic] cook,” indeed, Hamburger Habit). The burger itself is a quarter-pound chuck patty that stands up well to the litany of toppings and thick bun that’s built for sopping up chili.
Father's Office
Widely considered one of the best burgers in town, Sang Yoon's original pub creation still stands as the originator of the fancy burger trend. With a straightforward roll-like bun, the dry-aged beef adds a deep flavor while the maytag blue cheese adds a dose of richness. Round it out with some sweet caramelized onions and some arugula, and you have a burger that doesn't need anything else, especially ketchup.
The Golden State
This new classic in Fairfax District comes loaded with cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, arugula, aioli and ketchup, all atop a thick Harris Ranch beef patty. It's about as perfect as a new school burger can get.
Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers
This seven-location chain has an outpost in Brentwood, and it’s an old school joint serving up some intriguing twists on the classic burger. The patty doesn’t really crumble or teem with juices the way most of these classic joints do, but it might be made up for by the fact that certain burgers come on a crusty toasted baguette — or the fact that the baja burger comes with extra massive slices of avocado and bacon for the avocado-bacon burger fans.
Umami Burger
Adam Fleischman's original creation still stands as his best concept, bringing new flavors and combinations to the timeless burger. Using a sweet portuguese bun and thick patty, Umami Burger changed the way Angelenos thought about the fast food classic. Consider the truffle, hatch chile, or original Umami Burger at various locations around town.
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