Westside Tavern

LOCATION –

After seeing a feature at Landmark Theaters on West Pico Blvd, I went downstairs to check out the Westside Tavern (10850 W Pico Blvd, LA). Walking into this huge 300-seat restaurant I first noticed the enormous bar and comfortable yet classy atmosphere. The waiter told me, the chef tried 17 different burger recipes before he decided on his masterpiece. I was sold.

ON THE MENU –

They call it simply The Cheeseburger. For 13 dollars it comes with Tillamook cheddar cheese, caramelized onions, arugula, roasted garlic aioli on an egg bun. At first glimpse it looked amazing! I cut the burger in half and I could tell the meat was cooked perfectly. One bite and my mouth was very happy and my belly was soon to be. The Tillamook cheddar had amazing flavor and the sweetness of the caramelized onions complimented the flavors of the garlic aioli that was spread on the perfectly cooked egg bun. It almost had too much butter, but is there really such a thing?

ON DRAFT –

Everything! This place has a ginormous drink menu. They have a ton of California craft beers on tap including multiple Pale Ales and IPAs and they even have Dan’s Pick of the Week, which… you guessed it, changes every week. Along with the many beers, they had a tequila list, a single malt list and whiskey list which each had 15 plus selections as well as a good wine selection and many fresh drinks to choose from as well. The options were limitless.

ON THE SIDE –

Awesome, delicious, sea salted, skinny cut, perfectly fried French fries. Some of the best I have had in a while! And they came with the burger, not as a side. You also had a choice of a salad or seasonal soup, but trust me, go with the fries.

TIP –

Westside Tavern is the perfect place to go before or after a movie for drinks and a burger, plus they have free parking. They don’t take reservations so plan ahead. I had no problem at 2:00 on a weekday.

SUMMARY – This place is a contender for the best burger in LA. One of the only gourmet burgers in town that actually comes with a side and they have a huge drink selection. You better get one now before more people find out about this place!

RATING – 9.5 out of 10

Check out their website.

http://www.westsidetavernla.com/

Jinky's Cafe

LOCATION –

Jinky's is located at 2nd and Broadway in Santa Monica. When you walk through the door it looks like a breakfast café with bright yellow walls. I chose to sit on the porch and soak in the sunshine.

ON THE MENU –

I perused the menu looking for what I came for and my eyes lit up when I saw it, the Kobe Burger. I ordered it, even though it was a hefty $14.00. The burger came with your choice of cheese. I opted for cheddar, which covered the sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions and awesomely draped the top of the half-inch thick patty. The cold items were on the side, such as; a tomato, lettuce, pickles, salad peppers and sliced onion. It came on a barley-toasted bun. When I took my first bite, it reminded me of a back yard bar-b-q grill burger (in a good way). The onions were perfectly grilled and the burger was tasty, however they served my burger “well” instead of “medium”. This was a problem because I was paying for Kobe!!! Kobe beef has a higher fat content than regular Angus therefore making it more flavorful and juicy thus making it more desirable driving the price up. When you cook Kobe beef at a temperature over medium it melts the fat, therefore making it almost indistinguishable from your regular Angus burger.

ON DRAFT –

Nothing. Grrrrrrrr. I just had a glass of water.

ON THE SIDE –

You have 2 options that come with the burger, mixed green salad or crinkle cut fries. I ordered the fries and with one bite I felt duped. They tasted like they came straight from the local grocery store freezer section. Note to self – whenever a restaurant says, “crinkle cut fries” this is more than likely the scenario. I also had ordered tater tots as a starter since it was not a side option and guess what… same thing.

TIP –

The place is only open from 7:30am to 3:30pm, so if you are going to go for a burger make it lunch, otherwise I have heard the breakfast is good.

SUMMARY –

Their slogan says “reasonable prices” and “superior quality cuisine”, and those were my two issues with this burger. Even though the burger tasted good, I feel that it wasn’t worth more than 8 dollars, especially when it is served with frozen bagged grocery store fries.

RATING – 4 out of 10

Check out their website.

http://www.jinkys.com/

The Foundry on Melrose

LOCATION –

The Foundry is located on the famous Melrose Ave at 7465. Advanced reservations are highly recommended. However walk-ins are accepted. There is eating in the bar area and few tables on the front porch. Keep in mind that the lounge tables are low coffee tables and not suggested for comfortable dinning. The staff is extremely friendly, but can be a little slow when packed. Even Chef Eric is readily available to help out, greet and serve the customers when needed.

ON THE MENU –

Being in such a nice place with mouth watering selections might make you second guess your decision to go for something like their Veal Osso Bucco, but don’t do it! Stay on course and order what you came for, The "Patio Season" Burger.

The 12 dollar burger is served on a bed of King’s Hawaiian rolls. A cooked tomato is partnered with baby crunchy pickles tossed on top of the open-faced buns. The perfectly prepared patty is cooked in duck fat then blanketed with cheddar cheese and served with additional toppings on the side, including homemade mayo, apple bacon relish, and cider-caramelized onions. Three pickled then tempura fried red onion rings are placed on the side and are amazing weather you eat them by their selves or put them on your burger. Just writing of the experience of the sweet Hawaiian rolls, the savory toppings, and the flawless beef patty, culminating on my palate makes my mouth water as I am writing this. This delectable burger is nothing less than sheer perfection. (Keep in mind the condiments change with the season)

ON DRAFT –

I would assume a place like this would have a few craft beers, but surprisingly not much of a selection. There are 6 beers on the menu with Sierra Nevada being the most desirable. The bottled beers run about $6. They do, on the other hand, have an expansive (and pricey) wine menu and a full bar.

ON THE SIDE –

The Macaroni & Cheese looked amazing, but was not too impressive. The pasta seemed slightly undercooked. The Cheesy Tater Tots appeared more like hush puppies filled with a potato puree, but these tots had a rubbery outer shell and were served with blue cheese and mustard dipping sauces. On a previous occasion I had the Sunchokes, which were delicious.

For starters order the Caramelized Bay Scallops. They are served over a bed of fennel orange, shiso and absinthe mustard giving this dish a unique and satisfying punch. They were so delicious, I can not wait to have them again.

TIP –

They are only open nights, so get there early for walk-ins or make your reservation in advance. This is also a great place for cocktails and live jazz, blues and more, which usually starts around 8:30pm.

SUMMARY –

One of the best burgers in Los Angeles! Add to your bucket list immediately.

RATING – 9 out of 10

Check out their website.

http://www.thefoundryonmelrose.com/

BRAVO CUCINA

LOCATION -

Bravo Cucina in Santa Monica on the famous 3rd street Promenade (1319 3rd Street) is a small Italian restaurant with a porch out front. The outdoor seating provides a front row view of some of the best people watching in Southern California.

ON THE MENU –

I told the waiter I would take their signature burger, it took a second, but he said that would have to be the Bravo Bacon Cheeseburger, since it is most ordered. Being an Italian restaurant, I was not expecting much and was served exactly what I was expecting. The 9 oz. cheddar covered patty came with sautéed onions and mushrooms. The bun looked like it was straight out of the bag, except for the one-inch burn mark on the edge (as if they had tried to make it look toasted). The sliced red onions, tomatoes, and lettuce were served on the side. The apple wood-smoked bacon, with its permeating delicious smoky flavor, was cooked to perfection. Overall, the burger was very reminiscent of your average hotel room service burger, and equally overpriced for $13.00.

ON DRAFT –

No beers on draft, but they have about six including Stella and Peroni in bottles (for about 6 bucks). I however was in the mood for a glass of Louis M. Martini Cabernet, which came with a price of 9 bucks a glass (which was the cheapest cab on the menu). The wine selection was typical of any decent Italian restaurant.

ON THE SIDE –

There was no choice, you only get one option, just normal everyday restaurant fries. They served in a silver martini shaker (I am still trying to figure that one out). Although there was nothing really special about the fries, I did eat all of them. French fried potatoes are hard to completely ruin.

TIP –

Bravo Cucina is fine for pizza (according to Zagat), but if you want a burger, save some money, walk directly across the Promenade, and get yourself Johnny Rocket’s Burger. It doesn’t take a genius to know an Italian restaurant in one of the most notorious tourist destinations is going to serve an average overpriced burger, but I had to save you from making the same mistake. You’re welcome.

SUMMARY –

Due to the price (around 25 dollars with tax and tip), this average hotel room service burger made me want to check out.

RATING - 3 out of 10

Check out their website.

http://www.bravosantamonica.com/cucina/

D-Town Burger Bar

LOCATION -

I picked up my lunch break burger at D-Town Burger Bar at 6th and Spring. Their other location, also in downtown Los Angeles, is at 8th and Olive. The 50’s retro diner décor looked inviting but I grabbed my grub to go.

ON THE MENU -

"One Double Cheeseburger, I’ll take it how you make it", unfortunately, not the best choice this time. My personal preference is mayo, but was served with plain ordinary mustard. For some this could be a plus.

The toppings included a small amount of raw onions, chopped lettuce, pickles and two flavorless tomato slices (you know like they were pre-sliced before they were ripe and stored in the freezer for a month). After my 3rd bite they had to go. The bun was, well, just a normal average bun, nothing special to it, but the meat was good.

The two thin patties were covered with cheddar cheese and dripping with grease. This was positively the best part of the burger (which it should be). It reminded me of the burgers I got as a kid at my neighborhood hamburger joint, nothing fancy, just a greasy burger. Now, I am not a burger snob, I don’t have to have aoli or blue cheese to like it, but disrespecting the burger by putting the toppings under the patties is plain unethical. I don't know if this is their normal construction, or their not so brilliant fad, but I took it as the cook's laziness and just one more thing that questioned the burger’s integrity.

ON DRAFT -

Nothing! No Alcohol. AKA not the place for me. However you can get sodas and orange juice. Fresh Squeezed? Beats me, I’m still thinking about the bottom toppings and not crying over my beer.

ON THE SIDE –

To my surprise, my side was a conglomerate of traditional skinny cut potatoes and sweat potato fries. Here is my opinion on sweet potato fries - if you can't make them perfect don't make them at all. On the other hand I did enjoy the “normal” fries. They tasted fresh cut and fried to perfection.

TIP -

I would only recommend eating here If you happen to be downtown after a night of bar hopping, because D-Town Burger Bar is open until 3 am Thursdays through Saturdays, and breakfast is on the menu.

SUMMARY -

In the end this is just a greasy burger and great fries for about 10 bucks, but the key is that it is open late!

RATING: 3.5 out of 10

D-Town Burger Bar links

twitter.com/dtownburgerbar

facebook.com/dtownburgerbar