Top 5 Hamburgers


Here is how we roll in Cali:

Father's Office, Los Angeles
Hodad's, San Diego
In-N-Out, Baldwin Park
TK Burger, Costa Mesa
Jalama Beach Grill, Santa Barbara

How do you roll?
bongofury
Perfect burger: Soft bun, freshly baked. Crisp lettuce. Grilled sweet onions. Fresh meat: nice fat content. Perfectly grilled. Simple seasoning. Gooey real cheese. Freshly made condiments. Pickles with snap.
1) I think the number one importance is good ground beef with a nice, high, fat content. Results in much juicier and tender burger.
2) hand-formed, thick, patties are a must. The production line pre-formed patties are too thin, too dense, and improperly seasoned, if at all
3) Thick wedges of tomatoes, onion(or grilled), and a nice bed of crisp lettuce.
4) Toasted bun with some crunch to it

Get those 4 things right and everything is just a cherry on top. Cheese, mayo, ketchup, mustard are all great, but if the four things above are wrong, then it's simply putting lipstick on a pig.

So, why do so few get it right?

For Southern Californians, the beloved icon In & Out Burgers is classic example of a mediocre product. Paper thin patties with no flavor where buns and condiments end up the being the primary thing you taste in each bite. You have to go off-menu to, at least, the custom "3 by 2" three patty burger to begin tasting meat and it doesn't get real until the "4 by" at which point that's a fairly expensive mediocre burger.
I tend to like the burger grilled instead of pan seared as well. I agree 100% with D-Mob's analysis.

I like a huge variety of condiments, but to be pefectly honest, if I can put some tasty guacamole (or just fresh avacado slices) and pico de gallo on my burger, with that super tasty grilled fat infused patty and a toasted/grilled bun.....

K, it's Goode Co Taqueria and Hamburger for lunch today. Kirby at Westpark in Houston

I have to go to LA (well Orange Co) again next week, so I'm taking BongFury's recomendations. I must admit, in the same vain, that waiting 1 1/2 hrs for hot dogs at pinks a couple of months ago was actually worth it, so I'm stoked about looking for a great LA Burger.
fresh fatty ground beef
burnt medium rare on grill
grilled onions
bit o' relish
ketchup
sesame seed bun

yum!
Macdad

In LA, you should check out Father's Office in Santa Monica?Brentwood. A small bar on 1018 Montana Ave. The owner, who is Korean, hand grinds the beef.

If you head into the OC, you should check out TK Burger in Costa Mesa and the Crow Bar in Corona Del Mar. For good and original Mexican, I can recommend La Sirena in Laguna Beach. Email me if you make it South. Would love to join you.
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