THE BURGER QUEST: My Eight-Year Journey to Find LA’s Best Burgers
THE BURGER QUEST: My Eight-Year Journey to Find LA’s Best Burgers
by tommyrockum
33 Comments
euthlogo
It’s amazing how much tastes can differ. If you one day manage to crave burgers again, you should try the one at the bar at Button Mash. Would be curious to hear your opinion.
Completely agree about Plan Check. Really holds up after all these years. It’s not my favorite style but the quality really shines through. Couldn’t disagree more about the DH from Amboy. Is it really their namesake burger over the Amboy Classic? I like that one okay. Bit too salty for my tastes.
Cool article, thanks for sharing.
100percentdoghair
did you go to oui melrose? i think their burger is as good as anyone’s
notdsylexic
Amazing article. I agree with most of the burgers on the list. I still think that Fathers Office burger is more of a “cheese sandwich, with a patty in it” than a actual burger. I am glad to see **GoldenStat**e and **Stout** on the list. You should check out **Wicked Cow**. It’s my personal favorite in LA.
bongozim
this gave me an audible laugh “And then there’s the lettuce sandwich masquerading as a burger at the Apple Pan that people kept trying to gaslight me into believing is one of the city’s best”
100% straight facts there
reverze1901
Saving this! As a fellow burger enthusiast, your top picks might just as well be mine (my top 1 if i had to choose, would be Golden State). Amboy doesn’t surprise me at all, seeing the owner/chef had a food show where he travels across the US sampling burgers along the way. Amboy DH + a pourover from Endorffeine in the same plaza is a good lunch for me
Dont_Find_Nemo
L&E has an incredible burger hiding amongst its seafood forward menu. That and a martini, the adult kids meal never hit so good.
Edit to say — Thanks for your public service 🙏
mmmatthew
This was a great read! FWIW I think you could do this for a living, this is better food journalism than a lot of the pros. I feel like J. Gold would approve
Gearjock
I’m glad Stout made the list and the call out for the blue cheese and Fig. Whenever someone has asked me for the best burger in LA I always point them there and suggest this burger. I also appreciated your comments on Balance. That is how I view a great burger over a good burger (and the same way I judge a hotdog or sandwich). Looking forward to trying some new places I haven’t been to on this list.
HistoryGlobal
Great list! My fav was Bowery but they unfortunately closed..
SeantotheRescue
Your writing is exceptional, your efforts commendable and your top 9 inspiring.
Shinroukuro
What’s the farthest you travelled for a burger and were there any you considered adding but they weren’t within your LA boundaries?
jandkas
Tatsu ramen has a burger?
mrsbaerwald
Oy Bar in Studio City has a couple amazing burgers on the menu.
aces666high
Kick ass list. I discovered Amboy thanks to a similar list but this one tops it! Moos was blacklisted among my friends as one of them got a near raw patty during a very poor visit there. I’m still itching to try it though!
Btw, learned how to make smash burgers as my wife fell in love w/them. Fun and easy to do. Also don’t have to drive to Chinatown anymore to get her fix lol.
WaitLetMeGetaBeer
I love this! What a great endeavor. However, I firmly stand by that Hiho cheeseburger is one of the best out there. But maybe that because I’m addicted to spicy food, and their spicy jam is just incredible!
Pod9Reddit
The absolute best thing in this article is the acknowledgement of Mo Better Burgers. A little over 10 years ago, I stumbled upon them when working in the area. The place was so unassuming, but the burgers were the absolute best I’d ever had. I ate there so many times over the course of a few months and got to (informally) know some of the owners.
I had heard that they reopened in spirit elsewhere (somewhere in Hawthorne I believe), but have never gone to seek it out. Knowing that you, too, had a special place for Mo Better Burgers (as well as seeing your rankings) will certainly help me seek out some of those I haven’t tried yet.
​
Also, really hoping the new Cofax in Culver City will also offer some Golden State burgers as well!
Insert_Clever_Login
Can I ask what was worth recommending about Pie N Burger?
gregatronn
Thanks for sharing. I read some of it so far and am enjoying!!
idk_wtf_im_hodling
I love this list and you nailed it (pretty much) Amboy is my undisputed favorite, but i would rank burger never say die over for the win. And id rank win dow if we are talking value as a burger and fries there are 2-3$ cheaper for essentially the same quality product. I need to go back to everson royce, god thats a great one. We need one of these for BBQ and Thai next lol
septembereleventh
Did you try Irv’s? It is probably my favorite ever.
soze24
Try A Cut Above instead of Belcampo.
druwmendez
Great writing! I’ve been doing this with my bro for about 12 years now myself. It’s been fun looking forward to trying classics, as well as the hip and trendy spots. When we first started, the big burgers with crazy toppings were just starting. Then came the era of the smash burger…and now it looks like thick burgers are the thing again. Although I respectfully disagree with some of your ratings, I’m very happy that you documented all of this!
I’m sure you’ve heard of some of these but if you haven’t, add these as well:
Heavy Handed
Hammer Burger
Broadstreet Street Oyster Company
LKSD
Nexx Burger
Oh My Burger
Yellow Paper Burger
Amor Y Tacos (Chile relleno burger)
Nilly’s Neighborhood Burger Shop
Chispacca
Johnny’s West Adams
Oui on Melrose
These are the ones that come to mind that I don’t think I saw on any of your rankings.
BeerNTacos
This is a nice list to argue over. I have never seen everybody ever agree 100% with any Los Angeles based best burger list so it always brings up a conversation.
I personally would put Cassell’s in the Normandie Hotel above Grill ’em All, but maybe I just had one of the latter’s weaker themed burger.
Many of the ones lower ranked are places I remember in their heyday, some multiple decades ago, when they used to be good, but I’ve been a Los Angeles restaurant history nerd my entire life so I’ve been remarking on such things for years and years. For instance, Brolly Hut used to be THE place to get hamburgers on Crenshaw, but multiple owners and recipe changes killed it off. I’m still surprised it’s open.
BTW, if anybody ever mentions Astro Burgers to you, please be aware that it used to be a chain decades ago but now each one is its own separate company with their own recipes and menu items.
One final thing: You seemed to be fond of Mo Better Burgers, but I didn’t see you mention the South Bay location in Hawthorne. It’s not run by the original mother/daughter group Tami Bennett & Eve Fouche, but they use the original recipes with permission and it’s been open for years. Also, it’s just the most recent iteration of the restaurant that’s been around for years. The one you went to wasn’t even the first version of that restaurant.
The first version Bennett used with the “Mo Better Burger” nomenclature was “Mo Better Burger Meaty Meat” in the Wilshire Vista neighborhood after she took over the existing Meaty Meat location and expanded the very tiny building. The original Meaty Meat was roughly the size of Great White Hut in Glendale. I forget exactly where the original location was, but it was either on Pico or Fairfax if I’m remembering correctly. The original building is long gone, though.
Joshhwwaaaaaa
You saved me a lot of time and I just had a burger at 25 degrees and it was so crazy good. I’m excited to check out all of the finalists.
keeflennon43
This was a really fun read! My partner and I did something similar (though not neaaaaaaaarly as robust) during lockdown/as businesses started opening back up as we found so many new burger spots popped up. We weren’t methodical in terms of having parameters, we just wanted to know what the best smash burger in LA was. But it was really fun way to get outside during lockdown, support businesses, while also getting to explore LA a bit.
My top 5 smashburgers are HiHo, Goldburger, Easy Street Burger, Everson Royce Bar, and Burgers Never Say Die, their’s had The Win-Dow instead of BNSD. Our honorable mentions are burger she wrote, cassell’s, and electric owl.
We still need to try amboy, for the win, and chris n eddy’s for smashburgers. I’ll be adding your champions and honorable mentions to our list!
aztnass
Great list, and the writing was great it was a really enjoyable read all the way through!
Not that you need another burger to try but [Banh Oui](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XukbRNWWdbQjabkZ7?g_st=ic) on Cahuenga is my favorite. I am a sucker for anything with fesh herbs and nauc cham and chicken liver pâté really puts it over the edge. Great complex flavor and balance that is so good it really has no place being in a little take out sandwich shop. That place is so under rated it is criminal!
360FlipKicks
OP i just wanna let you know that this is my favorite post ever in this sub. You didn’t just go to 100 spots and call it a day – you set rules and guidelines to produce the most unbiased list possible. The time, effort and thought that went into this is amazing and i hope this gets picked up by some media outlets so it gets the audience it deserves.
Edit: the fact that Pier Burger got an honorable mention just shows me how thorough this was. It’s a very, very good burger that gets overlooked because it’s a tourist spot. I only tried it because my wife worked at the pier and swore it was good and yeah…it’s unexpectedly good for being pretty much a theme park shack.
VolfgangAmadeus
Amazing. Shared this writing with several of my friends. Thank you for your research!
Checkplease0
Such an enjoyable read — even as someone who very, very rarely eats burgers. One thing that I found interesting is that Amboy seems to be a universal favorite, while I was entirely unaware the not so much Eggslut even had a burger. The head chef is the same, the listed ingredients are nearly identical (minus the egg), and yet the experience appears to be worlds apart. As a burger neophyte, a fried egg seems like it could be a welcome addition when wielded by a deft artist. This is a rather pointless post, just found that curious. I suppose I have a lot to learn, and a lot to eat. Thanks for the entertaining read.
BortLicensePlate22
So happy Grill Em All made it. By all means they appear gimmicky and flavor of the month edgy… but I’m blown away by the unique flavor that just works each and every time. It’s so good! Love love love them.
clnsdabst
massive props for taking this on, fathers office for life
wayne_grepsky
I really like the effort and the methodology here – the food scene needs more folks like you!
I’ve had my hundred burgers (and then some), so I’m gonna say it: Proudly Serving not being on the list is a criminal omission.
Minister_Garbitsch
Thank god, no fucking In-N-Out or the insanely overrated Apple Pan. And yeah, Slaters 50/50 is a pile of shit drier than Ben Shapiro’s wife.
33 Comments
It’s amazing how much tastes can differ. If you one day manage to crave burgers again, you should try the one at the bar at Button Mash. Would be curious to hear your opinion.
Completely agree about Plan Check. Really holds up after all these years. It’s not my favorite style but the quality really shines through. Couldn’t disagree more about the DH from Amboy. Is it really their namesake burger over the Amboy Classic? I like that one okay. Bit too salty for my tastes.
Cool article, thanks for sharing.
did you go to oui melrose? i think their burger is as good as anyone’s
Amazing article. I agree with most of the burgers on the list. I still think that Fathers Office burger is more of a “cheese sandwich, with a patty in it” than a actual burger. I am glad to see **GoldenStat**e and **Stout** on the list. You should check out **Wicked Cow**. It’s my personal favorite in LA.
this gave me an audible laugh “And then there’s the lettuce sandwich masquerading as a burger at the Apple Pan that people kept trying to gaslight me into believing is one of the city’s best”
100% straight facts there
Saving this! As a fellow burger enthusiast, your top picks might just as well be mine (my top 1 if i had to choose, would be Golden State). Amboy doesn’t surprise me at all, seeing the owner/chef had a food show where he travels across the US sampling burgers along the way. Amboy DH + a pourover from Endorffeine in the same plaza is a good lunch for me
L&E has an incredible burger hiding amongst its seafood forward menu. That and a martini, the adult kids meal never hit so good.
Edit to say — Thanks for your public service 🙏
This was a great read! FWIW I think you could do this for a living, this is better food journalism than a lot of the pros. I feel like J. Gold would approve
I’m glad Stout made the list and the call out for the blue cheese and Fig. Whenever someone has asked me for the best burger in LA I always point them there and suggest this burger. I also appreciated your comments on Balance. That is how I view a great burger over a good burger (and the same way I judge a hotdog or sandwich). Looking forward to trying some new places I haven’t been to on this list.
Great list! My fav was Bowery but they unfortunately closed..
Your writing is exceptional, your efforts commendable and your top 9 inspiring.
What’s the farthest you travelled for a burger and were there any you considered adding but they weren’t within your LA boundaries?
Tatsu ramen has a burger?
Oy Bar in Studio City has a couple amazing burgers on the menu.
Kick ass list. I discovered Amboy thanks to a similar list but this one tops it! Moos was blacklisted among my friends as one of them got a near raw patty during a very poor visit there. I’m still itching to try it though!
Btw, learned how to make smash burgers as my wife fell in love w/them. Fun and easy to do. Also don’t have to drive to Chinatown anymore to get her fix lol.
I love this! What a great endeavor. However, I firmly stand by that Hiho cheeseburger is one of the best out there. But maybe that because I’m addicted to spicy food, and their spicy jam is just incredible!
The absolute best thing in this article is the acknowledgement of Mo Better Burgers. A little over 10 years ago, I stumbled upon them when working in the area. The place was so unassuming, but the burgers were the absolute best I’d ever had. I ate there so many times over the course of a few months and got to (informally) know some of the owners.
I had heard that they reopened in spirit elsewhere (somewhere in Hawthorne I believe), but have never gone to seek it out. Knowing that you, too, had a special place for Mo Better Burgers (as well as seeing your rankings) will certainly help me seek out some of those I haven’t tried yet.
​
Also, really hoping the new Cofax in Culver City will also offer some Golden State burgers as well!
Can I ask what was worth recommending about Pie N Burger?
Thanks for sharing. I read some of it so far and am enjoying!!
I love this list and you nailed it (pretty much) Amboy is my undisputed favorite, but i would rank burger never say die over for the win. And id rank win dow if we are talking value as a burger and fries there are 2-3$ cheaper for essentially the same quality product. I need to go back to everson royce, god thats a great one. We need one of these for BBQ and Thai next lol
Did you try Irv’s? It is probably my favorite ever.
Try A Cut Above instead of Belcampo.
Great writing! I’ve been doing this with my bro for about 12 years now myself. It’s been fun looking forward to trying classics, as well as the hip and trendy spots. When we first started, the big burgers with crazy toppings were just starting. Then came the era of the smash burger…and now it looks like thick burgers are the thing again. Although I respectfully disagree with some of your ratings, I’m very happy that you documented all of this!
I’m sure you’ve heard of some of these but if you haven’t, add these as well:
Heavy Handed
Hammer Burger
Broadstreet Street Oyster Company
LKSD
Nexx Burger
Oh My Burger
Yellow Paper Burger
Amor Y Tacos (Chile relleno burger)
Nilly’s Neighborhood Burger Shop
Chispacca
Johnny’s West Adams
Oui on Melrose
These are the ones that come to mind that I don’t think I saw on any of your rankings.
This is a nice list to argue over. I have never seen everybody ever agree 100% with any Los Angeles based best burger list so it always brings up a conversation.
I personally would put Cassell’s in the Normandie Hotel above Grill ’em All, but maybe I just had one of the latter’s weaker themed burger.
Many of the ones lower ranked are places I remember in their heyday, some multiple decades ago, when they used to be good, but I’ve been a Los Angeles restaurant history nerd my entire life so I’ve been remarking on such things for years and years. For instance, Brolly Hut used to be THE place to get hamburgers on Crenshaw, but multiple owners and recipe changes killed it off. I’m still surprised it’s open.
BTW, if anybody ever mentions Astro Burgers to you, please be aware that it used to be a chain decades ago but now each one is its own separate company with their own recipes and menu items.
One final thing: You seemed to be fond of Mo Better Burgers, but I didn’t see you mention the South Bay location in Hawthorne. It’s not run by the original mother/daughter group Tami Bennett & Eve Fouche, but they use the original recipes with permission and it’s been open for years. Also, it’s just the most recent iteration of the restaurant that’s been around for years. The one you went to wasn’t even the first version of that restaurant.
The first version Bennett used with the “Mo Better Burger” nomenclature was “Mo Better Burger Meaty Meat” in the Wilshire Vista neighborhood after she took over the existing Meaty Meat location and expanded the very tiny building. The original Meaty Meat was roughly the size of Great White Hut in Glendale. I forget exactly where the original location was, but it was either on Pico or Fairfax if I’m remembering correctly. The original building is long gone, though.
You saved me a lot of time and I just had a burger at 25 degrees and it was so crazy good. I’m excited to check out all of the finalists.
This was a really fun read! My partner and I did something similar (though not neaaaaaaaarly as robust) during lockdown/as businesses started opening back up as we found so many new burger spots popped up. We weren’t methodical in terms of having parameters, we just wanted to know what the best smash burger in LA was. But it was really fun way to get outside during lockdown, support businesses, while also getting to explore LA a bit.
My top 5 smashburgers are HiHo, Goldburger, Easy Street Burger, Everson Royce Bar, and Burgers Never Say Die, their’s had The Win-Dow instead of BNSD. Our honorable mentions are burger she wrote, cassell’s, and electric owl.
We still need to try amboy, for the win, and chris n eddy’s for smashburgers. I’ll be adding your champions and honorable mentions to our list!
Great list, and the writing was great it was a really enjoyable read all the way through!
Not that you need another burger to try but [Banh Oui](https://maps.app.goo.gl/XukbRNWWdbQjabkZ7?g_st=ic) on Cahuenga is my favorite. I am a sucker for anything with fesh herbs and nauc cham and chicken liver pâté really puts it over the edge. Great complex flavor and balance that is so good it really has no place being in a little take out sandwich shop. That place is so under rated it is criminal!
OP i just wanna let you know that this is my favorite post ever in this sub. You didn’t just go to 100 spots and call it a day – you set rules and guidelines to produce the most unbiased list possible. The time, effort and thought that went into this is amazing and i hope this gets picked up by some media outlets so it gets the audience it deserves.
Edit: the fact that Pier Burger got an honorable mention just shows me how thorough this was. It’s a very, very good burger that gets overlooked because it’s a tourist spot. I only tried it because my wife worked at the pier and swore it was good and yeah…it’s unexpectedly good for being pretty much a theme park shack.
Amazing. Shared this writing with several of my friends. Thank you for your research!
Such an enjoyable read — even as someone who very, very rarely eats burgers. One thing that I found interesting is that Amboy seems to be a universal favorite, while I was entirely unaware the not so much Eggslut even had a burger. The head chef is the same, the listed ingredients are nearly identical (minus the egg), and yet the experience appears to be worlds apart. As a burger neophyte, a fried egg seems like it could be a welcome addition when wielded by a deft artist. This is a rather pointless post, just found that curious. I suppose I have a lot to learn, and a lot to eat. Thanks for the entertaining read.
So happy Grill Em All made it. By all means they appear gimmicky and flavor of the month edgy… but I’m blown away by the unique flavor that just works each and every time. It’s so good! Love love love them.
massive props for taking this on, fathers office for life
I really like the effort and the methodology here – the food scene needs more folks like you!
I’ve had my hundred burgers (and then some), so I’m gonna say it: Proudly Serving not being on the list is a criminal omission.
Thank god, no fucking In-N-Out or the insanely overrated Apple Pan. And yeah, Slaters 50/50 is a pile of shit drier than Ben Shapiro’s wife.