BURGER DAY

Just a man, a man trying to find the best burger in Los Angeles

Burger Spots I've been to, so far:

In & Out
101 Cafe
Good
The Counter
Apple Pan
Houston's
Umami Burger
Broadway Grill
Comme Ca
The Foundry
Fred 62
Father's Office
8oz Burger Bar
Blujam
Hamburger Hamlet
Capitol City Grille
25 Degrees
26 Beach Cafe
The Bounty

Meat St. Irregulars dinners:
The Bounty
The Foundry
25 Degrees

Oct 15 2009
(Katie, minutes before tearing right into…a salad??!) Hamburger Hamlet, 8.28.09 After we had ourselves a shoot up in the woods above Beverly Hills, Katie and I found that we were both hungry. And, as I’d spied The Hamlet on our way to the shoot, it only made sense to stop there. The Hamlet’s been at the top of my “list of burger places to go to” since I started this here project. Because, see, me and The Hamlet? We got history. When I was a kid, my dad would take me there almost every weekend for a good year, because he worked in the building above the old Hollywood location.  He loved their chocolate cake, called it suicide cake. Which, thinking on it now, little weird, dad. Also, my uncle, who, in his youth waited tables at pretty much every restaurant in this fine town, worked there.  Uncle at Hamburger Hamlet = FREE BURGERS. So that was cool. But that was decades ago. So Katie and I walked in, had ourselves some burgers. Well, I had burgers.  She had some giant salad, because her body’s a temple and she’s an actress and spin coach and obviously does not know what life is all about. It’s about burgers, see. But not the Hamburger Hamlet burger, of which I had two wee sliders, the better to maximize my tasting options.   Their signature burger? oof.  Lemme explain. TIME FOR BULLET POINTS!!! bland patty undercooked cheese plain vegetables (tomato, onion) thousand island dressing too mild (mild how? it was pale ketchup, man. wow.) bun unremarkable Now, their Hickory burger was slightly better, mainly because it was slathered in hickory sauce, and you have to be that deaf/dumb/blind kid Tommy from….well, Tommy to mess that up. BUT.  The service? Excellent.  That waiter was a goddamned master of his craft.  And the chocolate cake? Well, didn’t want to make me kill myself, but I did take the leftover home and nosh on it for several more days. GRADE: D

(Katie, minutes before tearing right into…a salad??!)

Hamburger Hamlet, 8.28.09

After we had ourselves a shoot up in the woods above Beverly Hills, Katie and I found that we were both hungry.

And, as I’d spied The Hamlet on our way to the shoot, it only made sense to stop there.

The Hamlet’s been at the top of my “list of burger places to go to” since I started this here project. Because, see, me and The Hamlet? We got history.

When I was a kid, my dad would take me there almost every weekend for a good year, because he worked in the building above the old Hollywood location.  He loved their chocolate cake, called it suicide cake.

Which, thinking on it now, little weird, dad.

Also, my uncle, who, in his youth waited tables at pretty much every restaurant in this fine town, worked there.  Uncle at Hamburger Hamlet = FREE BURGERS.

So that was cool.

But that was decades ago.

So Katie and I walked in, had ourselves some burgers.

Well, I had burgers.  She had some giant salad, because her body’s a temple and she’s an actress and spin coach and obviously does not know what life is all about.

It’s about burgers, see.

But not the Hamburger Hamlet burger, of which I had two wee sliders, the better to maximize my tasting options.   Their signature burger? oof.  Lemme explain. TIME FOR BULLET POINTS!!!

  • bland patty
  • undercooked cheese
  • plain vegetables (tomato, onion)
  • thousand island dressing too mild (mild how? it was pale ketchup, man. wow.)
  • bun unremarkable

Now, their Hickory burger was slightly better, mainly because it was slathered in hickory sauce, and you have to be that deaf/dumb/blind kid Tommy from….well, Tommy to mess that up.

BUT.  The service? Excellent.  That waiter was a goddamned master of his craft.  And the chocolate cake? Well, didn’t want to make me kill myself, but I did take the leftover home and nosh on it for several more days.

GRADE: D

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