burgercrewLA

Burger Crew meeting called to order on May 18, 2025.

Members in attendance: Angela, DK, Innie, Trevor, and Wayne (myself)

I. Ordering

DK and Innie: Lil’ Simmzy’s Burger (Simmzy’s own angus beef patties, american cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli) and Mixed Bag of sides (half French fries, half sweet potato fries)

DK: also ordered 15 Minute Wings (Spicy and sweet sauce with homemade blue cheese dressing to cool ‘em down)

Trevor/Angela: Billionaire Burger (Mishima reserve American wagyu beef, pretzel bun, Hook’s 5 Year aged cheddar, Nueske’s candied bacon, pickles, horseradish mayo) and Mixed Bag

Wayne: Bacon Blue Deluxe Burger (Simmzy’s own angus beef patty topped w/ blue cheese, candied bacon, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, frizzled shallots) and Sweet Potato fries. I also substituted the candied bacon with peppered bacon

II. Burgers

Starting with the Even, there were no redeeming qualities about them. They were overcooked (some to the point that they were just burnt), under-seasoned, and just didn’t taste like beef. The grind was coarse and loosely packed, but they were just incredibly dry when biting into them even if they weren’t well-done. Even McDonald’s has juicier patties.

The menu also doesn’t advertise the Lil’ Simmzy as having smash patties, but our waitress told us they were. Maybe she didn’t understand what a smash patty actually was, but they were just standard thin patties with no smash/lace that you would expect from a true smash patty. Innie’s initial impression of her burger on first bite was that there was some smoke flavor but she quickly realized that it was literally just ash from being burnt. DK’s was a little less overcooked but definitely still overcooked, as was my Bacon Blue Deluxe burger. Mine was ok for a “backyard” style burger, but far from ok for a restaurant serving a supposedly premium burger. Trevor didn’t think the patty in his Billionaire burger was TOO dry, and it might’ve been because it was a wagyu beef patty.

As far as non-patty complaints go, DK didn’t like the positioning of the garlic aioli on his burger, which was on the top bun. It would be better to have sauces on the bottom bun so that it hits the tongue first. Angela also didn’t think that the bacon in her burger was thick enough for a billionaire; even the bacon she eats at home is better. Since I subsituted candied bacon in my burger for peppered bacon, I’m assuming that I got the same bacon and I agree that it should be much thicker if it’s supposed to be in a “billionaire” burger. The pretzel bun in the Billionaire burger was “fine” and so uneventful that Trevor didn’t even notice that it wasn’t a traditional bun.

Aside from the mediocre patty in my Bacon Blue Deluxe burger, I actually thought that the rest of the toppings were pretty good, but the patty really brought things down, and this was really a common theme among all of the burgers.

III. Sides

The regular fries were shoestring style and nobody had any complaints about them other than Angela preferring thicker shoestring fries. The sweet potato fries were actually really good. A normal complaint about sweet potato fries that we have is that they usually don’t deliver on how good sweet potato fries actually could be, and these actually delivered. They were crispy on the outside, which is very hard to do with sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were definitely the winner of the whole meal.

There was nothing exceptional about the 15 Minute Wings but they were decently good for chicken wings. They were a little on the small side, which limited how juicy they could be on the inside, but they were executed about as well as they could’ve been given the circumstances.

IV. Misc

The restaurant is located on 2nd Street in Long Beach, where parking can be difficult to find (meters close to the shopping area and residential just beyond it).

V. Rating/Value/Verdict

Angela: 2.3/$13
DK: 1.5/$8.50
Innie: 2.5/$10
Trevor: 1.4/$11
Wayne: 2.4/$12

Despite being a Long Beach institution, Simmzy’s falls really short, and Trevor has been put on notice that his membership with Burger Crew is in jeopardy.

Next Burger Meeting will be our annual trip, this time in Salt Lake City, starting tonight (June 18)!

7454 1/2 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

Members in attendance: Trevor Y., Angela d. Wayne T., DK, and Innie C.

What an absolute gem of a burger stand in the heart of the Fairfax District in LA. Burger She Wrote was created by pro skater Don Nguyen and friend Steve Arroyo. The namesake would imply a play on words to the hit TV show Murder She Wrote helmed by Angela Lansbury in the 80s. The real mystery to me is how this restaurant only has 3.5 stars on yelp. It is criminally underrated and deserves a stop by anyone seeking a top tier burger in LA.

I. Ordering

Trevor and Angela – Oklahoma Burger Double, Smash Burger Double, Hand Cut Fries
Wayne – Oklahoma Burger Double, Hand Cut Fries
DK – Oklahoma Burger Double, dessert Smash Burger Single
Innie – Oklahoma Burger Double

Oklahoma Burger

Smash Burger

II. The Burger
The burgers are made fresh and fast and come out HOT. Absolute perfect smash patty. It brought me back to the days of my first time at Burgers Never Say Die. The sear is what all smash burger joints should aspire to. As a one-two punch to the perfect sear the seasoning was spot on. It’s like they found the maximum amount of allowable seasoning and backed it off a smidge.

“’Give me the ‘maximum-strength.’‘Give me the maximum allowable human dosage.’ ‘Figure out what will kill me and then back it off a little bit.’”—Jerry Seinfeld,”

Pickles were pickley, thick and plentiful and the buns where Kings Hawaiian Rolls which were soft but held up and gave a subtle sweetness that was welcomed. We found the that the double burger is an ideal ratio for bun to meat however a Single burger also holds it’s own and is a great option as a dessert burger as our member DK opted in in.

As for the Oklahoma Burger vs Smash Burger? It’s purely subjective. Pick whichever one speaks to you more. My previous oklahoma buger experience at Tripp’s Burgers did sour my perception on oklahoma style. However, Burger She Wrote has completely restored my faith. You can’t go wrong with either burger.

III. The Sides
Shoestring? Our official fry width measuring device must be stuck in a shipping container in china due to the tariffs. In general the fries felt over fried and had more of potato-chippy exterior instead of the satisfying cripness you may find at a McDonald’s.

IV. Miscellaneous
The space is VERY small. There’s a standup style counter inside that can probably fit 4 people comfortably. The rest of the seating is on the sidewalk in front with makeshift tables and benches. It’s in a residential neighborhood with decent amount of foot traffic. Feel free to explore the local shops. Lastly, no bathroom.

V. Value
We rated how much we’d pay for our burgers and it ranged from $11-$13 which is quite possibly the closest price distribution in burger crew history.

VI. The Verdict
Absolute elite burger in Los Angeles. High quality meat with high level of execution and worth a visit especially if you’re in the area. The crew concurred with ratings of: 4.8, 4.5, 4.6, 4.5, 4.7.

Next burger crew meeting: Sunday, May 18 – Simmzy’s – Long Beach

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, March 8, 2025 (DK’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and me (Innie)

Guest: Marissa

I. Ordering

It actually happened.  Wayne’s and my incessant references to steamed hams finally manifested into an official Burger Crew selection.  At this time of year, in this part of the country, localized entirely within the Mari Vees diner, we all sat down for an unforgettable luncheon of steamed ham(burgers with cheese).

Mari Vee’s offerings include a few different burgers, but all of them feature a steamed beef patty.  Angela, Trevor, and Wayne ordered The Champ ($25), which is topped with mustard, onions, cheddar, pastrami, bacon, avocado, and a fried egg. 

The menu proudly proclaims that this menu item was the winner of the “LA vs SF Burger Battle”, which naturally begs the question of what this burger was called before the battle. And if it didn’t win, would we be eating The Runner Up?

DK and I ordered the Mari Vees Steamed Cheeseburger ($18), which was topped with mustard, onions, cheddar, and bacon.

Also offered on the menu, but not ordered by anyone at this meeting, is the Not So Smashed Burger ($18), with American cheese, smash sauce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.  

All burgers were served on brioche buns and came with french fries.

II. The Burgers

DK, our newly appointed steamed ham historian, provided the crew with a brief backstory on the origin of steamed cheeseburgers.  The steamed cheeseburger was popularized in the 1920s in Connecticut (not Albany, as many would believe).  Cheeseburgers were in high demand, resulting in lots of experimentation using various cooking methods.  One of these new ideas included the use of a steam cabinet, which could accommodate several tin trays of ground beef patties at one time.  The steamed cheeseburger is still a regional dish found throughout Central Connecticut today, with the most famous establishment (Ted’s Restaurant) having served them since the 1950’s.

Fast forward a century, and the general consensus by Burger Crew is that the steamed cheeseburger is just okay.  We came with open minds and palates, but the lack of Maillard was too disappointing for us to ignore.  A good sear is one of our favorite parts of a burger, and this version of patty couldn’t compare to the experiences we’ve had with grilled or griddled burgers.  The patties by themselves also didn’t seem well seasoned, which we speculated could have resulted from the seasoning steaming/sweating off of the patties as they cooked.

The steaming did result in a very tender, juicy patty, which we could appreciate as a draw for some customers.  The size and texture of the patty was akin to a very thick slice of meatloaf.  There was a lot of mustard flavor present on all of our burgers.  No one thought it was excessive, but it was probably one step below being overly mustardy.  Trev thought that the strong presence of both the onion and the mustard helped cut through a lot of the richness of The Champ, which was heavy on the beef and the toppings.

The pastrami on The Champ was described by the members as very good.  It added a peppery, salty element, and even though there were only a few thin slices piled on top, it was one of Angela’s favorite parts of her burger.  The fried egg was nicely cooked with a runny yolk.  However, Angela thought that the egg and the avocado felt unnecessary to the overall composition of the burger.  The creaminess, richness and fat in the burger resulted in both components simply getting lost within the rest of the toppings.

For both The Champ and The MV, there was an abundance of cheddar cheese, but cheddar’s natural tendency to congeal just caused it to mostly slide off of the patty.  

Angela noticed that the bun had a nice toast, which provided one of the few crunchy elements to the burger.  There was a noticeable lack of pickles, which would have added more textural contrast against the softness of the patty.

III. The Sides

The fries served alongside our burgers were delicious. They were thick cut and battered fries with a nice amount of seasoning salt.  They came piping hot (Wayne compared them to the surface of the sun) and crispy, with fluffy insides.

IV. Miscellaneous

There was a single bathroom accessible through the kitchen, which was a little awkward when trying to avoid food runners and servers during the lunch rush.  Wayne parked in the smallish lot adjacent to the plaza and declared it to be chaos.  The lines on the ground are apparently drawn purely for decorative purposes.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices given were $16, $20, and $15 for The Champ, and $17 and $17 for The Mari Vees.

VI. The Verdict

While we enjoyed trying out a new twist to our beloved burgers, we believe there is a reason why steaming is not a popular option in the burger scene.

These were the ratings given by the crew: 3.6, 3.6, 3.7, 3.0, and 2.8.

Nex Burger Crew meeting will be April 27, 2025 at Burger She Wrote.

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, February 18, 2025 at noon (Angela’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K. (*waves*), and Innie C.

I. Ordering

The menu has one giant flaw: the small text is wrong! The last line in the bottom-right corner of the menu says: PICKLES, RAW OR GRILLED ONIONS & CHRIS N’ EDDY’S SAUCE

THE ONE THING CHRIS AND EDDY WON’T TELL YOU is if you order your slider(s) with grilled onions – aka Eddy’s Way – it doesn’t come with pickles, you have to ask for them. The opposite is true with raw onions – aka Chris’ Way – which comes with pickles.

We went in blind and found out the Hard Way!
– Trev and Angela ordered the Combo #2 with grilled onions
– Wayne and Innie ordered the Combo #2 with grilled onions
– The Burger Savant ordered the Combo #1 with raw onions and pickles

II. The Burger

The buns were soft and squishy on the outside and nicely toasted on the inside, adding great texture to each bite. The beef patties were seasoned well and had an impressive sear with bits of caramelization joy. In terms of meat-to-bread ratio, the crew agreed that a double was solid, even if the size of the “slider” felt more like a burger. I feel that Chris and Eddy probably call these sliders as more of an homage to the original sliders found in diners across America – wait never mind, I’m not gonna give them that much credit.

For the toppings, let’s start with the controversial onions and pickles. The grilled onions tasted sweet and thoroughly cooked down, but there was some serious pickle FOMO going around the table so we asked the cashier gentleman for some on the side. We were then transported back to 1930s Great Depression era upon receiving pre-portioned 4 oz. plastic cups, each filled with two pickle slices each.

I thoroughly enjoyed my raw onion and four pickle burger. It tasted like a modern In N Out style burger without the shredduce and tomato.

III. The Sides

We all got normal fries for our side. They were crinkle cut and honestly not that bad. They were double fried and fluffy on the inside, served with fry sauce. There is also unlimited Cascabella peppers available next to the register.

IV. Miscellaneous

This is on the Thai side of Hollywood, not as sketchy as the other side of the 101. Most of us found free street parking but there is a small parking lot behind Chris N’ Eddy’s. Food came out quickly and they have a fountain soda machine and Mexican cokes. The bathroom is single occupancy and looks kinda like a scary funhouse.

V. Value

I asked the members how much they would pay for their burgers, and the responses ranged from $4.90 to $11. Most said they would pay more than the listed price.

VI. The Verdict

Great burger, misleading menu. Not bad if you’re in the area but not worth driving out of the way for. Good pick, Angela!

The ratings: 3.6, 3.8, 3.9, 4.2, 4.2

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, January 18, 2025 at noon (Wayne’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., and Innie C.
Slacker member who needs a reminder what a calendar is: Dennis K. 

I. Ordering

The menu here is pretty straightforward. They do burgers, fries, and Philly cheesesteaks. Yum!

Trev and I got a Double smash ($13) – Double meat n cheese with grilled onions, pickles n house sauce. It came with some pepperoncini on the side.

We also ordered the Philly Fries ($14) – 5oz certified ribeye n cheese with grilled onions, mushrooms, n house sauce. I LOVE Philly cheesesteaks, but opted to get them in fry form since this isn’t the Philly cheesesteak crew . . . but maybe I could be persuaded 🤔

Wayne and Innie both got a Double Smash ($13) and added jalapenos (+$1.50). Additionally, Wayne got an order of the regular fries as well.

II. The Burger

Let’s start on the outside and work our way in. First off, the size of the burger was good. Not too big and not too small. Goldilocks would be satisfied. The bun was nice and fluffy with a good toast and a nice sweetness to it (Trev mentioned that it might be a touch too sweet). The edge of the bun was sealed, which I never understood the utility of.

The smash. Let’s talk about that smash. In the land of smash burgers, it’s hard to stand out, but this one does. There was an excellent lace and the meat was nicely caramelized without inching over the line into burnt. I love how the meat overflowed out of the bun. It makes me feel like I’m getting a good deal! It’s like the overflow sake of the burger world (side note: if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re missing out).

Toppings were great! The cheese was cheesy. The sauce was saucy and added a really nice saltiness to the burger. The jalapenos were raw (instead of the typical pickled) and seemed to have all the seeds removed. This is definitely a friendlier jalapeno for my spicy intolerant friends. Wayne and Innie agreed that it added a nice flavor of jalapeno without the spice.

III. The Sides

Alright, let’s get this new rating system off the ground:

– Method Cooked: Double fried
– Moisture Content: Low. It was weird. They seemed fresh, but hard (read: different from crunchy). Perhaps it was fried a tad too long? Not sure what the problem was
– Category: I would call these shoestring but some may disagree with me.
-Flavor: Good seasoning. I know that people had complained on yelp about the fries and it looks like they’ve taken that feedback to heart and improved! That’s what I like to see!
-Seasoning: salt. The Philly fries had meat, cheese, onions, and mushrooms. The Philly fries are where it’s at! They were HUGE and all the toppings were delicious. They were mostly concentrated at the top so there were quite a few naked fries as well. I would definitely get these again.

IV. Miscellaneous

There is a small parking lot where many of the spots are limited to 15-20 minutes so make sure to watch signage when you go. There is limited seating (maybe 6 bar seats inside and a few two-tops on the sidewalk outside). They don’t have a bathroom! So if you have a tiny bladder, make sure to use the bathroom before you go.

You can order at a kiosk or with a human. Workers were all pretty friendly. They don’t have a soda machine so your options are canned soda or bottled water. Wayne particularly liked their music selections while we ate.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $12 to $14. So these burgers are priced right and we all had a nice tight distribution.

VI. The Verdict

Excellent burger. I’d definitely come back. I also want to try their Philly cheesesteak (but am a bit skeptical because it’s served on a bun instead of a roll). Good pick, Wayne! The ratings: 3.9, 4.1, 4.5, and 4.6.

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Dec 14, 2024.

Members in attendance: Angela, DK, Innie, Trevor, and Wayne (myself)

I. Ordering

Everyone but Wayne: The Royal burger (pronounced with an invisible “e” at the end of Royal): 1/3 lb Angus beef patty, with lettuce, American cheese, an over-medium egg topped with special aji sauce, served on a brioche bun, and a side of yuca. Also, it’s not listed on the menu, but the Royal has a separate sausage patty in addition to the beef patty that surprised everyone

Wayne: The Suprema burger: 1/3 lb Angus beef patty marinated in beer, Italian sausage, 2 strips of bacon, over-medium egg and grilled onions. Served on a brioche bun, and a side of yuca

Angela/Trevor: also ordered The Butifarra (labeled as the world’s most famous sandwich): jamon del pais made in-house, and a side of fries

II. Burgers

We started off discussing my Suprema since it was different from everyone else’s. I thought it was overly salty, where every ingredient just layered on the salt. I couldn’t taste the Italian seasonings in the sausage over the salt, the bacon was salty, and I couldn’t notice any beer in the patty’s marinade, maybe because of the salt. The egg was perfectly over-medium, which is how I like eggs in my burgers because the yolk is still like a thick gel without being overly messy.

As for everyone that ordered the Royal, they really liked the sausage patty and considered the beef patty to be an afterthought and not necessary for the burger to taste good. Innie jokingly said that they might’ve included the beef patty just so that they could officially call it a burger. Trev said he’d want that kind of sausage patty on his pizza. Angela said that if the Royal had hash browns instead of a burger patty, it would be a wonderful breakfast sandwich since it had an egg and sausage already.

We all thought that the burgers were constructed really well. The buns didn’t fall apart, and the burger ingredients didn’t fall out of the burgers and drip everywhere. Having the lettuce as a barrier to the bun from the wet ingredients probably helped in terms of structural integrity. We did all wish that the burgers had more acid of some type to balance the flavors. The brioche buns were soft and buttery while still being sturdy.

III. Sides

The general consensus was that both the yuca and fries were cooked perfectly well, with crispy exteriors and fluffy interiors, but they were both unseasoned, and both would’ve benefited greatly from at least a little salt. We still enjoyed both for what they were, but seasoning would’ve put them over the top. Innie also said that the yuca was really good when they were hot but became more dense in texture when they became cold.

The Butifarra was really good. The bread was fluffier than it looked, and the meat was shaved into thin slices and it had sauce on top of it, somewhat like a Philly cheese steak.

IV. Misc

There’s a tiny parking lot in front of the restaurant. They had just opened three months earlier when we visited them, so it seemed like they were still trying to figure things out (aka: service was slow, even for our cups of water to come out). The menu missing a pretty integral part of the Royal (the sausage patty) is another hint that they’re still figuring things out. Interestingly, they took over the space of what used to be a donut shop, which might present its own challenges when running a restaurant.

V. Rating/Value/Verdict

Angela: 3.8/$14
DK: 2.2/$12.50
Innie: 4.0/$14
Trevor: 3.7/$12
Wayne: 2.2/$14

Next Burger Crew meeting will be at Double N Up in Los Angeles.

Yelp
701 Lincoln Blvd Venice, CA 90291

Members in attendance: Trevor Y., Angela d. Wayne T., DK, and Innie C.
Special Guests: Marissa

I. Ordering

Trevor – Banh Mi Burger (med. rare)
Angela – Lincoln
Wayne – Banh Mi Burger + Fries
DK – Banh Mi Burger
Innie – Banh Mi Burger

Banh Mi Burger Description
Angus beef, mozzarella, pork pate, fried onion, jalapeno, cilantro, pickled daikon and carrots

Lincoln Description
Angus beef, American Cheese, lettuce, tomato & onion

II. The Burger
Walking in everyone was clearly excited about the Banh Mi Burger and I’m sad to report it didn’t live up to expectations. Not necessarily because it wasn’t good but perhaps more because we had high hopes.

With that said, as a group we found the meat to have a good beefy flavor however poorly seared it may be. The most enjoyable bites of the burger were when it had a right mix of the patty, pickled veggies and jalapenos. The least enjoyable bites were the ones that had too much of the over-powering sweet sauce that was drizzled? on the burger. We could have gone without the sauce or much less of it and much much more pickled veggies. If we ever come back I would ask for those modification if getting the banh mi burger. I also need to mention this last since it was so forgettable, the mozzarella cheese really didn’t add anything flavor wise to the burger. I imagine a havarti could have elevated this to a new level.

Angela being the lone purist with the Lincoln burger found it be a solid yummy burger. She described it as:
-good patty
-melty cheese
-Pickle-y pickles
-good grilled onions

So if find yourself at Lokal Sandwich Shop and not feeling adventurous, the Lincoln is a very safe burger to order.

III. The Sides
I feel like this burger crew is about to have it’s spin-off mini crew for fries. I will submit to the readers of this blog post a template to judge fries moving forward.
– Method Cooked: Double fried
– Moisture Content: too high, soggy
– Category: >5mm, <10mm therefore not shoestring and not steak fries….sooo regular?
-Flavor: too potatoe-y (read: outer crisps to fluffy center ratio is off)
-Seasoning: salt

IV. Miscellaneous
They have both indoor and outdoor seating so if you have that pup you want to bring along they are welcomed in the outdoor benches. It’s the corner tenant of a small parking lot however the parking spaces in the lot are huge. I would recommend carpooling in the biggest car you can find.

The service is very fast and very good and friendly and the menu is very diverse. I ended up getting an actual banh mi sandwich to go and it was delicious!

V. Value
We rated how much we’d pay for our burgers and it ranged from $10-$13 which is a nice tight distribution.

VI. The Verdict
If compared to the elite burgers of southern california it would get a “good-ish” rating and not something worth going out of your way to get. But if I were in the area I wouldn’t be opposed to getting another burger with the modifications I had mentioned above. Most of the crew concurred with ratings of: 3.7, 3.9, 3.6, 3.8, 4.2.

Next burger crew meeting: Saturday, Dec 14 – allikaphiy – Long Beach

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, October 5, 2024 at noon (DK’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, and me, Innie.
Member in attendance 24 hours later:  DK

As highlighted by its prominence in the restaurant’s name, the unique feature of this establishment is their made-in-house flatbreads.  According to their website, the flatbreads are baked to order from dough that is made on-site from scratch.  

I. Ordering

The menu at BunGraze includes several different burger options.  Trev and Angela ordered the BBQ Burger (bacon, bacon jam, onion ring, and BBQ sauce, $11) as a combo (+$5), Wayne ordered the Breakfast Burger (bacon jam, eggs, cheese, lettuce and tomato, $11), and I ordered the OMG Burger (jalapenos, mushrooms, roasted garlic, onion jam, and onion rings, $12).  DK ordered the Smashed Burger (cheese, pickles, spread, and onion jam, $10).

II. The Burger

We have to hand it to the restaurant… They know to highlight the best feature of their burgers.  The flatbread was universally loved by all the members, and was hands down one of the most praise-worthy buns we’ve had.  It was soft, yet still had a satisfying chew and subtle crispness, reminding us of a good pizza crust.  Some of us spied a conveyor type contraption in the kitchen, which was likely the oven that baked these goodies fresh to order. 

That said, the meat patties of the OMG, BBQ, and breakfast burgers were a sad, tough, and dry counterpart to the delicious flatbreads.  In addition to their textural issues, the patties for these burgers were also formed into an odd, thick puck that concentrated all the meat into the middle ⅔ of the burger.  Structurally, this led to an uneven ratio of meat to bun throughout the burger, with no meat on the edges and a jaw-unhinging amount of patty in the middle.  Tellingly, one of the members stated that the bites with just bread and toppings were their favorite parts.

Those of us who were in attendance on Saturday speculated that most of our issues with the burger construction would be solved by ordering the smash patties.  We assumed that the flattening of the patty would result in a much better distribution of the patty and toppings within the burger.  As luck would have it, DK ended up ordering the Smash Burger during his venture the next day, and he indeed did not have the same complaints as us.  He reported that the smash patties were nicely seared and beefy, and had no mentionable issues besides the burger being a bit too mustard forward.   

The opinions on the burger toppings ran the gamut from good to bad.  The sauces in the burgers (as well as the optional sauces served tableside) were all flavorful and played well with each other.  The onion rings in the OMG and the BBQ were a bit too bready, with the breading getting soggy quickly amid the sauces and with not a lot of onion in the middle.  The bacon on the BBQ and the breakfast burgers were unanimously panned by Wayne, Trev, and Angela.  They reported that the bacon tasted stale and was very chewy in a Wayne-NOT-approved kind of way.

Also, stock up on napkins when you eat here.  The flatbread on the burger is utilized such that one edge of the burger is “sealed” (sort of like a pita wrap or taco).  While this may seem like it would be helpful in keeping the eating experience neater, the edge acted like a funnel to leak all the sauces and juices to the sides.  Eat with napkins handy. Or, perhaps we all just need to take a lesson from Joey to understand proper sandwich eating protocol.

III. Sides

Trev and Angela ordered a combo, and opted to choose garlic parmesan fries as their choice of side.  These fries were amazing.  They were well-seasoned, crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside.  We were impressed with the uniform adherence of the garlic and parmesan to the french fries.  In our experience, most garlic parm fries share a similar issue, where all the toppings immediately fall off during the delicate transfer of a loaded fry from basket to mouth.  We give kudos to whatever fry seasoning technology Bungraze has.

IV. Miscellaneous

Bungraze is located in Little Tokyo, which means parking may be tricky and/or expensive.  We met at lunch on a Saturday so we felt the full force of this predicament.  From personal experience, be cautioned that the Japanese Village Plaza parking structure across the street may be tempting in its convenience, but may cost you an arm, leg, and/or your first born child. 

Our ordering experience was a bit curious.  We arrived and lingered at the register for a good 5 minutes in front of the (assumed) owner, without being addressed. While he wasn’t unfriendly, it felt odd to just wait there for a while in front of him.  There was also an ordering kiosk at the corner by the door, so maybe this was a subtle hint to use it?  

If you choose to order tap water to accompany your meal as I did, be prepared to either be thirsty or to constantly go up for refills, because the cup I received was TINY.  

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices given were $8.50, $10, $10, $10, and $13, so fairly close to the given prices.

VI. The Verdict

The ratings given by the members were 2.9, 3.2, 3.0*, 3.1, and 4.3.

[*Only because of the bun]

Due to me procrastinating this review, the following burger crew meeting has already happened! That review coming soon….

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at noon (Angela’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K. (waves hello), and Innie C.
Slide member in attendance: Lucy Y.
Special Guest: Chris Y.

I. Ordering

The menu is stored in the cloud, accessible via QR code.

• Trev and Angela ordered the Blvd Outlaw (med-rare) and a Smash Cheese Burger (off the kid’s menu)
• Wayne used Uber Eats to order a Blvd Outlaw (med) because he thought the restaurant staff didn’t speak English
• I ordered the Cali Club (med-rare) with kosher pickles instead of bread butter pickles
• Innie ordered the Blvd Burger (med-rare) sans antics

II. The Burger

Each member of the crew had nothing but positive things to say about the buns. Some burgers are served with sesame seed buns, others with brioche. Angela was especially delighted with the seediness of hers but both choices are solid. If you’re partial to one, I can personally attest to the staff’s willingness to substitute ingredients… just ask!

Folks were less enthusiastic about the patties. While some complimented the pepper-forward taste and smoky aroma, they weren’t cooked to the doneness we had ordered and had no “pop”. The smash patty did get some love from Trev and Angela, but neither shared any with the rest of the group.

As the world turns, slices of bacon stir a controversy. This time, even though they were very generous with their porcine portions, the bacon tasted like it was cooked a tad too long,

III. The Sides

Included in the pricing of all of their burgers are french fries! And they were surprisingly good. Double fried, great texture, with a fluffy interior, albeit slightly under-salted. Fantastic choice of julienned potatoes!

IV. Miscellaneous

It’s mostly street parking and the worst kind: sparse and sketchy. On the flip side, if you’re looking for a quick taco, there are plenty of options. The owner was pretty cool; he came by and told us about their humble beginnings while his wife whipped up delicious cocktails. If you’re planning to chill here for a while, you may want to consider bringing a jacket!

V. Value

I asked the members how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices ranged from $9.50 to $15 (big range!) and so these burgers are considered overpriced.

VI. The Verdict

The ratings: 3.7, 3.8, 3.8, 4.0, and 4.0

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, August 10, 2024 at noon (Wayne’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K., and Innie C.
Slider member in attendance: Lucy Y.
Special Guests: Chris Y. 

I. Ordering

The menu here is pretty simple, which we took to be a good sign. Burgers are their mission!

Trev got a Brunch Burger ($11) – Everything Krunch Burger, Crispy Bacon, Egg Your Way. He opted for the egg made medium (they gave him 3 options of easy, medium, and hard). This burger is only available on the weekends until 2pm. So get ’em while their hot.

I ordered a Double Krunchburger ($8.50) – house seasoned smashburger, signature cheese blend, onion, zesty house pickles, on mayo’d buttery bun. I opted for single cheese.

We also got an order of fries ($3.25) – house seasoned with a choice of house made dipping sauce (we got the pickled garlic aioli).

Wayne got the Brunch Burger, egg medium, double cheese. He also opted to make his burger angry (which means you add jalapenos +$0.75). [Side note: there were 3 levels of spice: angry, extra angry, and pissed off.] Wayne also ordered fries with the pickled garlic aioli.

DK ordered the Double Krunchburger single cheese and was pissed off. Plus fries.

Innie also ordered a Double single cheese, but was just extra angry instead of pissed off like DK. She also had fries.

II. The Burger

So as the name would imply, Krunchburger is known for their crunchy cheese! Trev and I got there early so we got to see the chefs in action. They would smash their patties, then add the cheese blend on top and let it get all melty and crispy on the bottoms.

If you had double cheese, the 2nd layer of cheese would just go on top and not get the crunchy bits on the bottom.

While watching them make these burgers I had a lot of excitement. They generously seasoned their meat. They properly smashed their patties (which were preformed and already pretty thin to begin with). They cooked on a flat top, which I love.

Unfortunately, what I put in my mouth did not match what I was seeing them make. The meat was spongy and rubbery (kind of like eating an eraser). Given the amount of seasoning I saw them put on the patties, I was shocked at how bland the meat tasted. So disappointing.

Let’s talk cheese. Innie described it as “caramelized cheese jerky”. Some people liked it, while others didn’t care for it. Personally, I enjoyed it and really just wanted to eat the outer edge of my burger while leaving the sad middle bits behind.

On to toppings. Trev thought the bacon was the texture of beef jerky, but Wayne liked it. He described it as “nice and chewy”. And so the bacon debate continues. Everyone liked how much coverage of jalapenos there was. The 3 levels of spiciness was also a nice customization. They think there were 3 different types of peppers used for the 3 levels (not just different quantities of peppers). The eggs were cooked perfectly and looked so good that we questioned whether they were real eggs (it harkens back to Las Vegas: the land of perfectly cooked eggs). The pickles were house made, but there wasn’t much acid in the them. The whole burger was missing the acid balance we look for. The bun was non-descript (as a bun should be).

So look, as a crew, we’ve eaten at over 200 burger spots and we’ve gotten a bit spoiled over the years. It’s easy for us to be nit picky about stuff that the more casual burger eater wouldn’t even notice. There is a bit of Instagram hype over this place and most people would really enjoy this burger. But if you’re a burger connoisseur like we are, don’t waste your time.

III. The Sides

The fries were really good. They came out hot. They were crispy. They were well-seasoned. All you could ask for in a fry. No dips were needed for these fries, but the dips (all house made) were really good. We really liked the jalapeno aioli and garlic aioli.

Side note: when asking about the dips, the descriptions weren’t really clear. You could pick from BBQ chipotle, Jimmy fry, pickled garlic aioli, creamy jalapeno, dill ranch, and krunch island. I suppose most of these are self explanatory, but when asked about what the “Jimmy fry” dip was like, it was described as a “fancy” dip 🤔

IV. Miscellaneous

Krunch burger is located in a strip mall with easy parking. The kitchen was open for all to see, which was fun to watch the chefs at work. All the seating was high top or counter seating (a bit difficult if you have littles with you). Though, they also had high chairs available, but I don’t think they’re high enough to match up with the tables. Food was served in little baskets, which is good for sustainability. They had a single bathroom that was clean.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $7 to $12.75. So these burgers a reasonably priced. They’re actually pretty economical given the current burger climate. It’s hard to get a burger under $10 nowadays and here you can get a double for $8.50. I’ll make a not-so-subtle barbed comment though that you get what you pay for.

VI. The Verdict

Lots of hype. Execution looked good, but ultimately didn’t deliver. The ratings: 2.4, 3.0, 3.0, 3.3, and 4.1.