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Why is Los Angeles known for its burgers?
- Nearly everyone in Los Angeles has an opinion about the best burger in town.
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How long have some of L.A.’s burger restaurants been around?
- Some of the restaurants on this list have been around for 50 years or longer.
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What role have Los Angeles burger spots played in food culture?
- These Los Angeles icons have played a large role in defining the quintessential California hamburger.
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Are there upscale burger options in Los Angeles?
- L.A. also has its share of upscale and modern burger restaurants that offer creative and elevated takes on the humble hamburger.
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1. Badmaash, Downtown L.A.
Try bold burgers and enjoy a fun, modern night out.
Badmaash, Downtown L.A. is an Indian gastropub-style restaurant that specializes in burgers and beers. The restaurant is well known for its casual Indian dishes such as samosas stuffed with traditional potatoes and peas or butter chicken as well as chicken tikka poutine and other Indian favorites. The walls feature interesting artwork, including Gandhi wearing neon sunglasses.
Badmaash's unique burger features a patty made from spicy ground lamb leg cuts. The lamb is free range and hormone free. It is both butchered and seasoned each day at the restaurant. The patty is topped with iceberg lettuce, red onion, cilantro, and smoky paprika mayonnaise. The burger is served on a toasted brioche bun from Breadbar.
108 W 2nd Street #104, Los Angeles, CA 90012, Phone: 213-221-7466
2. Plan Check Kitchen and Bar, Sawtelle
Try bold burgers and enjoy a fun, modern night out.
Plan Check Kitchen and Bar, Sawtelle features three neighborhood restaurants in Los Angeles serving modern American small plates, craft beers, and a selection of hand-crafted, artisanal cocktails. The menu features a small but memorable list of burgers, including the most popular, the PCB (Plan Check Burger). This burger is topped off with dashi cheese, schmaltz onions, and mixed pickles. However, the restaurant's homemade Ketchup Leather is what gives the burgers their signature flavor and mouth-feel.
Plan Check also features a blue cheese-topped burger, a mushroom swiss, and a double-stacked veggie burger, among others. The substantial appetizer menu, selection of sides, and impressive drink menu make it easy to find the perfect burger accompaniment for any guest.
1800 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, Phone: 310-444-1411
3. Stout Burgers & Beer, Hollywood
Pair craft brews with gourmet burgers on a lively evening visit.
Stout Burgers & Beer, Hollywood is an upscale, pub-style restaurant specializing in simple burgers and brews. The restaurant serves a well-done classic burger but offers several artisanal burger creations as well. One of the most indulgent burgers on the menu is the Six Weeker.
This decadent burger is topped with Brie cheese and a delightful fig jam. In addition to delicious burgers, Stout offers a wide variety of draft beers from some of the finest microbreweries around the world. The wine list is quite impressive as well. Stout Burgers now has three Southern California locations with restaurants in Hollywood, Studio City, and Santa Monica.
1544 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, Phone: 323-469-3801
4. Father's Office
Bite into the iconic burger and enjoy a romantic, upscale pub stop.
Father's Office has gained a reputation due to its super-strict no-substitutions policy. The well-known chef and owner Sang Yoon doesn't allow ketchup or customizations of the popular burger. There is only one burger on the menu and it only comes one way.
The dry-aged beef patty is dressed to mimic a French onion soup. The burger is topped with a pungent blue cheese, applewood bacon, arugula, and caramelized onions. All of this is served between a lightly toasted garlic butter roll. The restaurant also has a robust, international beer menu, a selection of small plates, sides, and more.
3229 Helms Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034, 310-736-2224
5. Hinano Cafe, Venice
Sip cold beer and enjoy a cheap, beachside burger escape.
Hinano Cafe, Venice is a funky, adult-only beachside sandwich, burger, and breakfast shack on Venice Beach. The restaurant has been serving burgers at the beach since 1969 and is famous for being a popular hangout of Jim Morrison. The restaurant is simple and unassuming, but that's the beauty of it. They have a wide selection of beers on the tap.
The restaurant additionally has three pool tables, a jukebox, TVs with college and NFL sports, and free popcorn. They feature live music with local bands on the weekends. Hinano Cafe serves several hamburger options, but the world-famous Hinano Cheeseburger is what lands them on this list. The burger is topped with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, onion, mustard, and lettuce with a choice of cheese and is served atop a fresh-baked sesame seed bun.
15 W Washington Blvd., Venice, CA 90292, Phone: 310-822-3902
6. LocoL, Watts
Support a community kitchen and enjoy a quick, affordable meal with purpose.
LocoL, Watts was created around a unique premise - to bring healthy, affordable food to poorer neighborhoods and support the idea that eating well doesn't have to be expensive or time-consuming. The menu has two main categories, $5 burgers and $7 bowls. There are several burger options and most of them come with a choice of a beef patty or veggie patty.
Rather than serving sodas, the restaurants offer aqua frescos, coffee, and milkshakes as beverage options. In addition to the restaurant's flagship location in Watts, they also have a location off of Broadway in Oakland and a food truck that can be seen all around the city.
1950 E 103rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90002
7. Original Tommy's Hamburgers
Taste a chili classic and enjoy a fun, nostalgic food trip.
Original Tommy's Hamburgers is a hamburger chain in Southern California with two locations in Los Angeles. This popular fast-food restaurant is famous for their chili and chili burgers. The burgers are made from quality, all-beef fast-food style patties and topped with real cheese, freshly chopped onions, and thick tomato slices.
All of Tommy's entree items are served with chili. In addition to burgers, Tommy's serves chili and chili-cheese fries, a limited breakfast menu, coffee, soft drinks, and milk shakes. Chili fans can take chili to-go in 8, 16, and 32-ounce sizes. In addition to the location on Beverly Boulevard, Tommy's has a location in Hollywood and many other stores throughout California.
2575 W. Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057
8. Petit Trois, Central LA
Indulge in the Big Mec and enjoy a romantic, French twist on burgers.
Petit Trois, Central LA is a cozy French restaurant with a full bar and a memorable burger. The massive burger is topped with caramelized onions that are reminiscent of French onion soup as well as a garlic aioli, American cheese, and a red wine bordelaise sauce made with foie gras. Burger options range in size from a Petit Mec with one 4-ounce patty to the Big Mec, which has two patties.
The patty itself is French-style as well, meaning it is more like a chopped steak than a ground beef patty. The patty is prime beef and has a nice, steak-like flavor. In addition to the burgers, the restaurant serves a nice selection of French entrees, appetizers, sides, and desserts.
718 Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038, Phone: 323-468-8916
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