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Fundamental la Joshua Lurie

10 Underrated Restaurant Burgers to Try in Los Angeles

Because LA > NY in the restaurant burger department

by Farley Elliott and Matthew Kang
4 comments / new
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by Farley Elliott and Matthew Kang
4 comments / new
Joshua Lurie

Today Eater LA’s colleagues at Eater New York wrote an opinion piece about why diners shouldn’t order burgers in restaurants. It’s a contentious take that might make sense in the Big Apple, where burger prices are nearing atrocious prices and the techniques yield relatively bland or badly prepared burgers. Not here, in LA, where the burger culture is strong, all the way from fast food places like Apple Pan, Pie ‘N Burger, and In-N-Out to fancier type burgers at Republique, Petit Trois, and Father’s Office. And while there are plenty of notable burgers, Eater has compiled a handy guide to underrated burgers that can be found in full-service restaurants, omitting burger specialists and more casual spots.

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Baltaire

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Brentwood’s upscale new hit Baltaire is smart enough to not ditch their lunchtime burger, which utilizes steak scraps for a hefty, iron-rich daily grind. Yes, it’s $21, but that’s okay sometimes. Just remember that the burger is only available at the bar, not in the main dining room.

11647 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
(424) 273-1660
(424) 273-1660

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Lunetta All Day

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Lunetta All Day’s burger is helped along tremendously by plenty of aged white cheddar and caramelized onions. Not that the burger needs any more love; it’s already a favorite for the daytime dining crowd in Santa Monica.

2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
(310) 581-4201
(310) 581-4201
Lunetta Yelp

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The Tripel

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The Tripel is a longstanding Playa del Rey favorite, known for its great drink list and criminally underrated burgers. The backyard burger is about as classic as it gets, while the restaurant’s signature pretzel burger is its own hefty half-pound meal.

333 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey, CA
(310) 821-0333
(310) 821-0333
The Tripel Yelp

fundamental LA

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At Fundamental, the restaurant’s flagship burger comes as a big, beefy double-stacked affair. It’s requested often from the kitchen by first-timers and long-dining locals alike, but those who aren’t prepared should beware: Despite the inexpensive $13 price tag, it’s more than a meal unto itself.

1303 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
(310) 444-7581
(310) 444-7581
Fundamental la Joshua Lurie

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A-Frame

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There was a time when A-Frame’s burger felt like the best thing on the Westside, but in the years since the place has morphed and changed while the rest of the city caught up. Luckily that double-patty monstrosity is still going strong, topped with a roasted tomato, plenty of maui onion, and some fantastic sesame mayo.

12565 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA
(310) 398-7700
(310) 398-7700
A Frame Yelp

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Connie and Ted's Seafood

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The Hook burger is far from a cop-out at Connie & Ted’s. Forget feeling like this is an odd order to make at a seafood restaurant; the burger is really, really great, helped in no small part by Neuske’s bacon and aged cheddar cheese.

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
(323) 848-2722
(323) 848-2722
Farley Elliott

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Delilah

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Don’t let the $22 price tag scare you off from ordering the burger at Delilah. With its potato bun, red onions, and American cheese, this is a standard-bearing iteration of a Southern California classic, updated in all its deserving glory.

7969 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
(323) 745-0600
(323) 745-0600
Delilah Burger Poppyseed Agency

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Preux & Proper

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The “fully dress” po’ boy burger from Downtown’s Preux & Proper is a glorious thing, inflected with plenty of Southern charm. The addition of fried oysters on top may dissuade some, but add in the slaw and the grass-fed beef and the fries on the side and it all, magically, works.

840 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA
(213) 896-0090
(213) 896-0090
Preux & Proper Yelp

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Flintridge Proper Restaurant and Bar

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One of the most surprising burgers in greater Los Angeles comes from Flintridge Proper, tucked up at the base of the Angeles National Forest in a strip mall. The restaurant looks and feels like fine dining once you’re inside though, and the half-pound burger with bacon and thousand island dressing only helps with the luxury of it all.

464 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada Flintridge, CA
(818) 790-4888
(818) 790-4888
Flintridge Proper Yelp

Magnolia House

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The $13 house burger at Magnolia House is a classic example of quality ingredients used correctly. Laced simply with a bunch of chopped pickles, smoky bacon, and reduced onions, the burger is an under-the-radar hit in Pasadena, the home of the cheeseburger.

492 S Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA
(626) 584-1126
(626) 584-1126
Magnolia House Yelp

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Baltaire

11647 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Brentwood’s upscale new hit Baltaire is smart enough to not ditch their lunchtime burger, which utilizes steak scraps for a hefty, iron-rich daily grind. Yes, it’s $21, but that’s okay sometimes. Just remember that the burger is only available at the bar, not in the main dining room.

11647 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
(424) 273-1660
(424) 273-1660

Lunetta All Day

2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA

Lunetta All Day’s burger is helped along tremendously by plenty of aged white cheddar and caramelized onions. Not that the burger needs any more love; it’s already a favorite for the daytime dining crowd in Santa Monica.

2420 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA
(310) 581-4201
(310) 581-4201
Lunetta Yelp

The Tripel

333 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey, CA

The Tripel is a longstanding Playa del Rey favorite, known for its great drink list and criminally underrated burgers. The backyard burger is about as classic as it gets, while the restaurant’s signature pretzel burger is its own hefty half-pound meal.

333 Culver Blvd, Playa del Rey, CA
(310) 821-0333
(310) 821-0333
The Tripel Yelp

fundamental LA

1303 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

At Fundamental, the restaurant’s flagship burger comes as a big, beefy double-stacked affair. It’s requested often from the kitchen by first-timers and long-dining locals alike, but those who aren’t prepared should beware: Despite the inexpensive $13 price tag, it’s more than a meal unto itself.

1303 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
(310) 444-7581
(310) 444-7581
Fundamental la Joshua Lurie

A-Frame

12565 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA

There was a time when A-Frame’s burger felt like the best thing on the Westside, but in the years since the place has morphed and changed while the rest of the city caught up. Luckily that double-patty monstrosity is still going strong, topped with a roasted tomato, plenty of maui onion, and some fantastic sesame mayo.

12565 W Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA
(310) 398-7700
(310) 398-7700
A Frame Yelp

Connie and Ted's Seafood

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA

The Hook burger is far from a cop-out at Connie & Ted’s. Forget feeling like this is an odd order to make at a seafood restaurant; the burger is really, really great, helped in no small part by Neuske’s bacon and aged cheddar cheese.

8171 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
(323) 848-2722
(323) 848-2722
Farley Elliott

Delilah

7969 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA

Don’t let the $22 price tag scare you off from ordering the burger at Delilah. With its potato bun, red onions, and American cheese, this is a standard-bearing iteration of a Southern California classic, updated in all its deserving glory.

7969 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA
(323) 745-0600
(323) 745-0600
Delilah Burger Poppyseed Agency

Preux & Proper

840 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA

The “fully dress” po’ boy burger from Downtown’s Preux & Proper is a glorious thing, inflected with plenty of Southern charm. The addition of fried oysters on top may dissuade some, but add in the slaw and the grass-fed beef and the fries on the side and it all, magically, works.

840 S Spring St, Los Angeles, CA
(213) 896-0090
(213) 896-0090
Preux & Proper Yelp

Flintridge Proper Restaurant and Bar

464 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada Flintridge, CA

One of the most surprising burgers in greater Los Angeles comes from Flintridge Proper, tucked up at the base of the Angeles National Forest in a strip mall. The restaurant looks and feels like fine dining once you’re inside though, and the half-pound burger with bacon and thousand island dressing only helps with the luxury of it all.

464 Foothill Blvd, La Cañada Flintridge, CA
(818) 790-4888
(818) 790-4888
Flintridge Proper Yelp

Magnolia House

492 S Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA

The $13 house burger at Magnolia House is a classic example of quality ingredients used correctly. Laced simply with a bunch of chopped pickles, smoky bacon, and reduced onions, the burger is an under-the-radar hit in Pasadena, the home of the cheeseburger.

492 S Lake Ave, Pasadena, CA
(626) 584-1126
(626) 584-1126
Magnolia House Yelp

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