Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Damon,

Next time your are in Redondo Beach, try the Bull Pen Bar / Lounge, great burgers and has a blast from the past. I think it's been there for at least 30yrs.

BeachBumBob
X-South Bay Resident

OMG! You're insane, Damon! I love it! Thank you for chasing down this burger truck so I don't have to. Time is money and I have little of either so thanks to you I don't have to spend my money or waste my time trolling Twitter for this one.

I LOVED the pic of you in the food truck. Nice touch. While it looks like the burger sucked, this just might be my favorite of your posts yet.

"The nouveau Los Angeles food trucks have become light bulbs to the moths that make up our local foodie scene."

Wow, what a nice thing to say. When did this site become Pitchfork?

@maxcriden - thanks for the ongoing support. You are a delight to read as well!

@Lorenzo - My imagination is vivid!

@hungrychrystel - I am sorry about the keyboard damage, but I hope it's been worth it. Thanks!

@lambowner - I am indeed lucky. Hope the reviews have helped your burgering!

@sacscottie - Recommendations for reviews are always welcome. I hope to be covering Sacramento and SF more in the coming months!

@FamishedFem - Thanks so much for the huzzah. You are a trusted and appreciated interlocutor.

@Eating The Road - Glad to see you are covering our nation's burgers as well. I ate somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 different burgers. Not all of them made it onto the review schedule.

@jojoprice - Thanks so much for compliment. Love your burger hunting.

@HerbyN - Thanks for all of your comments and interesting thoughts. We are still do for a burger together!

@hookrilla - You and me both! A year goes by fast. That doesn't mean we're old, right? Thanks for the ongoing support.

@Mike13421 - You are incredibly generous to say that. I hope I continue to inform, entertain, and earn my place here at AHT.

@SAKc - What can I say? You are perhaps my most frequent commenter and I couldn't be happier about it. You are so kind to show your support each week.

@dzhughes - Thank you. I am happy that my work has lead you to some great burgers!

I actually ran into this place for the first time tonight. I think if you remove the crazy demand these trucks have established, they start to work out pretty well: there are 4 or 5 trucks with various fusion tacos and things floating around USC, and when you can get a korean bbq burrito in 5 or 10 minutes it can make your day a lot better.
I'm with you on the rice utterly falling apart, grey patty, etc. However, mine came wrapped with some nori, and that made it much better. My mouth interpreted it as a sort of overblown, beef sushi which actually worked out. If you expect a burger, though, you're in for an unpleasant surprise.

They gotta perfect the rice bun and not cook the patty to a crisp, but conceptually I think it has some promise.

I love the stuffed baked potatoes and the garlic bread

The burger looks dreadful, but of course the review was quite the opposite. Thanks for another great read, Damon, and for saving us burger-lovers any culinary cognitive dissonance, collective or otherwise!

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.

just lovely. look forward to trying it one day...

@maxcriden - Thanks for the compliment. Even though I like the original better than the Smothered the photo of the latter gets me every time.

@williamwest - Thanks so much for the kind words.

@juliebugsmama - Ha! I think the Smothered burger is on the edge of NSFW.

@FamishedFem - Definitely a must try. Rustic Canyon is a restaurant I've really come like for many reasons. One caveat: it can get noisy when busy.

@redfish - No need to wait for heaven!

@AmazonGoddess - Thanks! Though I don't think my mother will approve at my budding "porn" career.

@alosha7777 - Thank you for the compliment!

@hookrilla - Hmm, SF? I'll be doing some burger recon there soon so I will hold off on opining. In the meantime, here is Jen Meiser's recommendation:
http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/09/spruce-the-best-burger-in-san-francisco-california.html

@wunami - Almost too good.

@Burger365 - I will find out for you and report back with respect to the exact preparation. As for how it ends up - the final frying crisps the bacon.

@SinoSoul - I guess my short answer is I don't think of toppings categorically, but rather assess them on a case to case basis as to how they enhance or detract from the overall enjoyment of the burger. To your specific question - Tavern vs. Rustic - it's not really apples to apples. First off I loved the quality of Tavern's toppings... I wrote in the review:

"The toppings alongside look as pristine and delectable as a high-end house salad. I sample them on their own. The pickles are perhaps the tastiest iteration I’ve come across."

What didn't work for me was how they interacted with the rest of the burger. Again, in the review I wrote:

"The burger's juiciness and fat seem out of step with the added texture (and water) of the toppings."

As for Rustic Canyon, the mass of toppings married with the burger beautifully. Above I wrote:

"The first bite is first kiss headiness: The flavor of the beef, salty and juicy, is awash in a complex of fat and sweetness that is nearly pitch perfect. Even the arugula —a lettuce choice that usually steams into mushy submission—vanquishes me. Its peppery bite, along with the pickle, cuts the sweet of the onions. The rémoulade blends into the flavor experience adding yet another layer fat and desire. The meat manages to hold its own against all these flavors; salty and wonderfully griddled, it has an intense crust that crumbles into each mouthful."

Phew... I guess that's the long answer. While I think the question you posed is answered in the reviews, the underlying question is a great one. What makes for great toppings on a burger? For me, there isn't a singular answer. I try to assess each burger on its merits while not forgetting to acknowledge my prejudices so as to give the best information.

I hope that clears up your confusion!

@carlita - Rustic is about 15 minutes from LAX... just try not to get distracted by the In-N-Out on your way.

@SAKc - Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed the review!

@iheartcheese - Evan is so interesting. One little tidbit I didn't mention is that his father is an Academy Award winning cinematographer.

@dzhughes - Glad you liked the read, but in the end the real thing is where it's at. This one is definitely worth a try.

@Lvn4life - Nothing cynical about classic potato buns!

I'm a big fan of the "modern" F.O. burger as well as the traditional "Pie & Burger" -- and to me the Westside Tavern cheeseburger strikes a perfect balance between the two. It's one of my favorite burgers in LA. That said, they do tend to do medium rare just like you have it pictured -- but in general I have found them very up front about that, and they usually advise getting it medium for anyone who wants it a more "customary" medium rare.

Yummmmmmmmmmmm. West side, here I come. I'm also into the diversity of Evan's background!

Another great review Damon. (Watch out though, it looks like some one up there might be avidly vying for your job. Ha.)

$17 dollars, same price as the DBGB burger. A few miles away Rustic Canyon has $12 burger and beer nights. I can't imagine Tavern's beer (tho I love the food + ambience), being $5 + a pint of beer better than RC's.