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From A Hamburger Today

A Barbecuer's Cheeseburger at Zeke's Smokehouse in West Hollywood, CA

I got lost on the way there, so I ended up driving past Umami Burger 2X.

The burger came out Med Rare, so kudos for cooking the meat correctly. It was unseasoned, and they barely got any char on it from the grill...this means that the cooks had the flame set too low. The cheese (cheddar) was unmelted, because..............the cooks are incompetent at cooking burgers. Besides, it wouldn't have really mattered. The big, honking, dry, sesame seeded bun overwhelmed the bland patty. I even got all R-rated on this thing and ate it topless. It was still unremarkable in every way. It was just uninteresting and unmemorable.

I bet that they make great BBQ, though.

Overview: Don't expect to get a good burger in a BBQ joint.

From A Hamburger Today

A Burger Lowlight at Brite Spot in Echo Park, California

Less musing and more reviewing, please. These content of these reviews continues to get more and more diffuse as the author layers in paragraphs of "travelogue" before getting to the point.

From A Hamburger Today

Hole in Wall Burger Joint in West Los Angeles

Spot on review....Damn fine beef...deal killer of a bun......you forgot to mention that the homemade ketchup is simply pig awful--watery, bitter---it resembles chunky bile. DO NOT WANT

From A Hamburger Today

A Premium Burger at 25 Degrees in Hollywood, California

Save your money, folks. The burger at 25 Degrees is a sad affair. Today, the service was both inattentive and poorly timed. But on to the food. Great rings and tasty fries. The burger meat itself is great--one is keenly aware that it is sirloin, and that is a good thing. Sadly, both burgers were overcooked, and the bun is a disaster. The top of bun was tough and dry enough to make a "thock" sound when tapped with a fingernail. It basically overwhelmed the burger with dry joylessness. The bottom of the bun, also a shamefully overbaked puck of parched, crumbling sadness.The cheese was not melted over the burger, but simply served as an unmelted pile of gunk in the center of the burger, which had so be scraped from the bun and then spread.

The high point is that the waitress must have stuffed two angels down the back of her pants to present such a compelling view. So, the highlights---Good sides, good sights, good sirloin.

Overview: 25 Degrees is a weak suck and can be avoided.

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From A Hamburger Today

A Barbecuer's Cheeseburger at Zeke's Smokehouse in West Hollywood, CA

I got lost on the way there, so I ended up driving past Umami Burger 2X.

The burger came out Med Rare, so kudos for cooking the meat correctly. It was unseasoned, and they barely got any char on it from the grill...this means that the cooks had the flame set too low. The cheese (cheddar) was unmelted, because..............the cooks are incompetent at cooking burgers. Besides, it wouldn't have really mattered. The big, honking, dry, sesame seeded bun overwhelmed the bland patty. I even got all R-rated on this thing and ate it topless. It was still unremarkable in every way. It was just uninteresting and unmemorable.

I bet that they make great BBQ, though.

Overview: Don't expect to get a good burger in a BBQ joint.

From A Hamburger Today

A Burger Lowlight at Brite Spot in Echo Park, California

Less musing and more reviewing, please. These content of these reviews continues to get more and more diffuse as the author layers in paragraphs of "travelogue" before getting to the point.

From A Hamburger Today

Hole in Wall Burger Joint in West Los Angeles

Spot on review....Damn fine beef...deal killer of a bun......you forgot to mention that the homemade ketchup is simply pig awful--watery, bitter---it resembles chunky bile. DO NOT WANT

From A Hamburger Today

A Premium Burger at 25 Degrees in Hollywood, California

Save your money, folks. The burger at 25 Degrees is a sad affair. Today, the service was both inattentive and poorly timed. But on to the food. Great rings and tasty fries. The burger meat itself is great--one is keenly aware that it is sirloin, and that is a good thing. Sadly, both burgers were overcooked, and the bun is a disaster. The top of bun was tough and dry enough to make a "thock" sound when tapped with a fingernail. It basically overwhelmed the burger with dry joylessness. The bottom of the bun, also a shamefully overbaked puck of parched, crumbling sadness.The cheese was not melted over the burger, but simply served as an unmelted pile of gunk in the center of the burger, which had so be scraped from the bun and then spread.

The high point is that the waitress must have stuffed two angels down the back of her pants to present such a compelling view. So, the highlights---Good sides, good sights, good sirloin.

Overview: 25 Degrees is a weak suck and can be avoided.

From A Hamburger Today

Apple Pan: 'Quality Forever' in Los Angeles

Yep, I can't agree more with GianniB. I just sampled the Steakburger at Apple Pan, and the cloyingly sweet relish overpowered the burger and the cheddar. The burger was BLAND--no seasoning in the mix or on the griddle. The establishment is a groovy throwback to the 50's but the burger is simply not good enough.

I'm bummed, because the place is about a mile from my house. I wanted this to be good. So much for hopes and dreams.

From A Hamburger Today

Birthday Burger at Tavern in Brentwood, Los Angeles

Sadly, this burger is nowhere near being worthy of the attention or the price tag. This evening's rendition was absolutely insipid. The beef added nothing but bulk to the dish--no satisfying crust, no rich, no seasonings in or on, no aged beef funkiness, and the grind was fine enough to make it resemble baby food in both taste and texture. The bun would really work with a flavorful version of this burger. The dough was worked just a touch longer than a proper scone, which meant that the gluten strands were sufficiently short as to not create a chewy product. This yielded a perfect, but bland mouth feel. One should definitely pass on the rings. The rings were greasy to the touch and greasier in the mouth--"crunchy, oil sponges" comes to mind.

It is no wonder that not a single staff member asked our table how our food was (during and after the meal)--the answer would have been "disappointing." So it goes...I'm sure that other menu items at Tavern, are wonderful (the heirloom tomatoes were very nice), but I would not recommend this burger to any of my friends.

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

They are both excellent burgers, although In-N-Out provides a better value. From the value perspective In-N-Out takes the prize. Keep in mind that you can't find In-N-Out in most states, Five Guys is expanding like crazy and good thing, because it is really good.

From Talk

Five Guys. Not so much.

Try, try again. I have found Five Guys to be consistently excellent.

From A Hamburger Today

Review: The Counter

This is about as close to backyard BBQ as you can get. A nice, but not heavy char on the meat. The bun is buttered and toasted, so it resists turning into a sponge. The burger is on the greasy side, but nothing an extra 20 minutes on the treadmill won't take care of. This is the only place that I've ever been to that has more than one diet soda offering. Cooked perfectly, seasoned nicely, and a massive assortment of toppings to detract from an otherwise great burger. Enjoy.

From A Hamburger Today

Discovering the Fifth Taste at Umami Burger in Los Angeles

Just perfect---the meat to bun ratio is ideal to the last bite. I had the Manly Burger, and the porkbelly was a perfect addition. The ketchup was heavy on the anise, but the burger didn't need it. This is my favorite burger next to the one at Olives in Las Vegas at the Bellagio and the one at the Left Bank at the On The Ave hotel in NYC's Upper West Side. Umami is my new "go to" burger in LA.

From A Hamburger Today

Great Cheeseburgers at La Grande Orange in Santa Monica, California

Yawn--I was there last night--the burger was bland--no seasoning on the patty and no crust from the griddle. The fries were soggy. On a positive note: the bun was fantastic. Sadly, 12 bucks is lot of dough for a nice bun.

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

@thesnorks: yes, you are the only one who thinks In-n-out is over rated. :)

I LOVE In-N-Out. Always have. Always will.

Five Guys is nowhere in the same league. Not even close.

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

Lonely Guy said.........Of course, you can't specify temperature at In-N-Out and they usually cook burgers medium to well-done, but their patties are so thin that with cheese it's not really an issue.


When you go up to the counter and order your burger medium rare........and medium rare is what you will get!

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

I want to eat them both. As for a favorite, well. When I am on the right coast, I'll eat Five Guys, when I'm on the left coast, I'll eat In-N-Out Burger. If I ever get into a situation where I have to choose between the two, I'll just smile and get one from each.

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

I give a slight edge to In-N-Out, simply because of consistency. I've eaten literally hundreds of both In-N-Out burgers and 5G burgers, and In-N-Out kills 5G in consistency. I *always* get a carefully built, good, quality burger from In-N-Out. I often get a 5G burger with the wrong toppings that looks like it's been sat upon.

I like a good 5G, but I'm finding myself increasingly disappointed in them as they expand.

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

For the 15 years I lived in Southern California, I ate at In-N-Out on occasion, mostly because it was a cult thing. As the chain expanded, and I got older and my tastes got more refined and my wallet got less empty, my interest faded. The burgers were better than McD's and BK, but nothing special. These days, when I treat myself to a burger, I much prefer a thick, juicy, medium-rare cheeseburger with a side of twice-fried fries to any sort of lifeless thin-patty version.

I now live in a Five Guys region of the country and have given them a try. Again, nothing special. Although Five Guys and In-N-Out's burgers are quite different, the two places do seem to me to fall in the same category: burgers that are a notch above McD's and BK but still not worth the calories for a burger splurge.

From A Hamburger Today

AHT Poll: Five Guys or In-N-Out?

I refuse to eat at Five Guys because they cook their burgers to death; well-done is the only option -- they won't even cook burgers medium. There is no such thing as a "juicy" well-done burger. Of course, you can't specify temperature at In-N-Out and they usually cook burgers medium to well-done, but their patties are so thin that with cheese it's not really an issue.

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About PeteNeumann

Website:

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About: I am on a national quest to find the perfect cheeseburger.

Favorite foods: Burgers, steak, sashimi

Last bite on earth: Umami Burger in LA, The burger at Olives in Las Vegas, or Spicy Tuna from Hana in Seattle.