Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

@jbuffalo - thanks so much for the huzzah and bonus points for dropping in the "gallimaufry."

@oneiron - certainly price matters, and this burger is no cheap eat, but I think I'd say it's worth it for a special treat burger. is the "oneiron" a golf reference, if so kudos! Watch out for some golf themed posts in the future.

@mattatouille - thanks! This is indeed a "luxe burger."

@Schimming - I'll have to try Burger Lounge -- La Jolla isn't too far away.

@chrisatdomainerestaurants - glad you enjoyed it. kudos to you all on the good burger. happy to contact you. happy to talk to all our AHT readers!

@awkwardcabbage - Thanks so much. I really appreciate the support. Glad you liked the review! Two snaps up and a twist right back 'atcha!

@dzhughes - you are mucho generous. Thanks, mate!

@shred - Ok. This is a tough one. First off, I love The Golden State and think Jason and James are superstars. They've built a great cafe and I encourage everyone to support it. 25 Degrees is also a seriously good burger. Personally, I find the bacon at TGS distracting, but then again I usually feel bacon is misplaced atop burger. For me, it distracts from the clean beef taste I crave. The TGS burger sans bacon gives me just that. The 25D burger is a more extravagant burger taste. My choice of one over the other might be mostly based on my burger mood.

25 Degrees is still my favorite upscale burger joint, though I frequent Umami more often because it's in my neighborhood.

Damon, which would you rate higher, the burger at 25 Degrees or The Golden State? I appreciate the variety at 25D but can't find a combo I like better than the bacon cheeseburger at TGS.

i have to say, this particular article was especially well crafted (though i always love your reviews). two snaps a twist!

That sounds delicious...I am going to have to try it when I am up in LA. Meanwhile i get my burger fix at Burger Lounge in La Jolla!

That burger looks and sounds quite wonderful--Enjoyed your review as usual.

@Adam - YES! on mac and cheese. They make it in the manner that I prefer (sans saucy mess). As for the bacon - I'm with you. I generally don't want/need it on my burgers.

@maxcriden - Thank you, sir!

@megannesta - a number of items on that menu are yummy. I like the pork sandwich too. Hope you enjoy.

@jboylan - thick cut seems to be the rule these days. I say - yes to bacon at breakfast, otherwise, it's a harder sell.

@Nebagakid - As Nick mentioned in his review - the Father's Office burger might not even qualify as one. That said, it is a delicious! sandwich. And I'm with you on Umami.

@Paula Maack - Thank, Paula. Glad you liked the piece and photos. If you swing by Rush Street - tell 'em where you heard about it...AHT!

@mattatouille - Yeah - as is clear from this review, i didn't have such high hopes for this place. They definitely serve a good burger and few places serve food as late in that area.

Love this post! Glad that you covered a diverse range of eateries that makes up multicultural LA. Makes a great itinerary for LA eats :)

Really enjoyed reading this - sounds like a fantastic trek through a lot of really good food. Thanks

As a native socal resident, loved your reviews. We do have serious great eats here, despite some easterners comments to the contrary. My thought about the Dodger Dogs: it is part of the Dodger game experience - I personally would not eat one anywhere but at Dodger Stadium, but NEED one when I'm at a Dodger game. Go figure.

as an LA resident i think this is one of the best LA "casual dining" primers i've ever read. i may not have agreed with all of your takes, but you pretty much covered all the bases for anyone that is coming to LA and wants to know what places to try in order to get a decent cross-section of the cities "eats scene". well done.

Wow, you really dug into the junk! Great job!!!

I love the Apple Pan, and I had the exact same donuts at Stan's a couple of weeks ago!

Also, Cielito Lindo is my favorite stand at Olivera Street, although I haven't been in YEARS. I love those taquitos, and the squeeze bottles of salsa on the tables. I used to stop there whenever I took the Amtrak "Coaster" train from the gorgeous Union Station across the street down to San Diego (the Coaster is probably the most picturesque way to travel the California coastline - fyi).

Here are some recommendations (along the same lines) for your next trip:

Hotdogs - Let's Be Frank
Donuts - Randy's
Tacos - Tito's Tacos
Pastrami - Johnnie's Pastrami
Empanada's - Tiendo Rincon Chileno
Cuban - Versailles

Enjoy!

~ Paula

Fabulous review! This should be mandatory reading for any food lover who visits LA. It's wonderful to see someone who really did their homework before coming to town as opposed to going to the same, tired places. You ate like a native, and as an LA denizen, I pretty much agree with your assessments.

A few notes...the Luck Devil's shake is toasted pecan, not almond, and it is awesome.

The Hollywood Farmers Market is pretty similar to the Santa Monica except Hollywood has more prepared food and a bit more local color; many of the vendors are actually the same; both are great and we do appreciate them.

Dodger Dogs suck. If you're a hot dog lover, next time you're in town, try Skooby's in Hollywood or Carney's, with locations in West Hollywood and Studio City.

Next trip, you've got to hit some Thai food and some of our Korean BBQ.

Thanks for writing.