Burger crew meeting called to order on Thursday, February 20, 2020.
Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and Innie.
I. Ordering
Trev and I split “The Classic” – $9 – American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, burger shop dressing. We made it a double for $2.99, we also added bacon for $2. We ordered fries for $3.
Wayne got “The 3pm” – $9 – Bacon, crispy onion ring, American cheese, and BBQ sauce. He made it a double for $2.99 and made it a combo for $3.99.
Innie got the “Toro Bravo” – $10 – Roasted hatch chilies, candied bacon, with cheddar, and habanero aioli.
DK got the “Loaded grilled cheese” – $7 – Caramelized onions, tomatoes, pickles, avocado, white cheddar and cheese sauce. Which, as you can see from the description does NOT include a burger patty. DK found that out the hard way! He got his grilled cheese and had to ask them to add a burger patty on it. Not sure if he just got himself kicked out of burger crew.
II. The Burgers
The patties had inconsistent doneness. They were well seared on one side, but not on the other. It was a course grind, hard packed, with a good chew and juicy. The seasoning was inconsistent. I had some pupil dilating bites, and others were ho hum. The double is way too much meat. I would opt for the single if I were to come back again.
The buns were soft and toasty, but Trev thought it was briochey and dry. Most of us didn’t really notice the bun. We weren’t in love, but more in like. We’re just friends.
Regarding the toppings, I was not a fan of the wet lettuce at the bottom of the burger. Poor structural integrity. The bacon was crispy and good! Innie had candied bacon, which she reported was not too sweet, but she liked it. The sauce was good and toppings were all great. Wayne’s onion ring stayed together, the hatch chilies on Innie’s were like more flavorful jalapenos, but a mild heat. So if you’re a heat fiend like Innie or DK, this is a little mellow for you. Burgers were also very instagram ready.
Lastly, the cheese deserved its own section. Everyone thought the cheese was yummy. In particular, Trev and Wayne LOVED the cheese. And we all know how much DK loves an abundance of cheese that’s super gooey. So his grilled cheese (+burger patty) was right up his alley. Not only did it have cheese, but also some cheese sauce? Maybe a cheesey overload for some, but the perfect burger for DK. Maybe he should split off and create the grilled cheese crew.
III. The Fries
They were crispy and seemed to be battered. Very similar to fries you’d get at Pink’s. They were pretty big orders. We had 2 orders among the 5 of us and there was still like an entire order left at the end of our meal. Granted, our resident fry monster was on a diet that day for some unknown reason.
IV. Miscellaneous
Burgershop is in Corporation food hall in downtown LA. So parking is a hassle, but conveniently there is a lot right next door for $6 that closes at 10pm. They had one counter for the regular Burgershop and the other counter for vegan options. It didn’t seem that busy overall on a Thursday night. They had loud music playing. Indoor and outdoor seating. Free refills of soda, and lots of interesting fry options. We were boring and didn’t try any of them. The worker was really nice and gave us free vegan dole whip samples to enjoy for dessert! Really light and refreshing and super nice! They have a sweet neon sign and I did not get a picture of. Wayne promised me he’d send me his picture of it, but he has not.
V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered. We would pay between $10.50 and $12 and on average $12 for a double. Seems pretty on par with what we expect to pay.
VI. The Verdict
The ratings: 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2. Pretty burgers, but if they could get their doneness and seasoning more consistent it could get better!
Next burger crew meeting will be held remotely due to Corona virus. Can’t let social distancing stop us!