Burger crew meeting called to order on Saturday, August 15th, 2020.
Members in attendance: Angela, Trev, DK, Wayne, me (Innie)
Special guest appearance: Trophy husband, Christian
The second socially-distanced, in-person burger crew meeting of our post COVID-19 world. It was amazing to see everyone’s faces again! Or at least the parts not covered by masks. We all met up to order take out at Uncool Burgers then drove to a nearby grassy area to eat outside in camping chairs (while simultaneously being eaten by mosquitos… The circle of life!)
Shower thought tangent: If Rafiki holds up a burger at Pride Rock, does that make it a Burger King?
I. Ordering
Uncool Burgers offers 6 burgers on the menu, all of which can be ordered as a single or double patty burger, a salad, or a rice bowl. They also offer a couple of vegan-specific options, as well as quite a few variations of crispy chicken sandwiches. There were a couple of ways to order: either in person at the restaurant, or through their website online. We all ordered at around the same time, with a few of us using each option, and the food came out within a few minutes of each other. The food came out way earlier than the quoted time when ordering online, however, so keep that in mind if ordering ahead!
Wayne ordered the double Breakfast Burger (uncool sauce, onion jam, fried egg, hashbrown, and gruyere), $10, with a side of onion rings, $4.
Angela and Trev ordered the double Rolls Royce Burger (raclette cheese, kewpie truffle mayo, wild arugula, fennel salad, onion jam), $15. They also ordered funions (half fries, half onion rings), $4.50.
DK ordered the double Classic Burger (burger sauce, caramelized onions, tomato, house pickles, lettuce, American cheese), $7. I ordered the single Uncool Burger (uncool sauce, onion jam, cheese crisp, American cheese, house pickles), $6. Chris also ordered the Uncool Burger, but as a double, $8. We ordered onion rings, $4
Side note: By the time we sat down to eat, it was already dark, so our pictures turned out to be terrible potato representations of what I’m sure were actually very appetizing looking burgers. To avoid doing Uncool Burgers a disservice, I’m omitting the pictures for this round of review.
II. The Burgers
We had a hard time choosing just one burger, since a lot of them sounded intriguing. The house patties were a blend of grass-fed beef chuck and short rib, and from what we could tell, were of the smash type (though not markedly thin or lacey). We didn’t discuss the sear of the burgers, but that may have been mostly because we couldn’t see anything besides the general burger shape vehicle of meat and bun.
One of the winners of the bunch was the cheese crisp on the Uncool Burger. That element was the shining umami MVP; salty and rich, with a nice thickness and chew. Chris and I wondered for a few minutes if we had somehow gotten bacon in our burgers. (Surprise bacon is best bacon.) Along with the house pickles and sauce, the Uncool Burger had a really satisfying bite of textures and flavors.
Wayne’s Breakfast Burger was pretty messy, since his fried egg ended up bursting in transit. Despite the congealed egg getting stuck to the wrapper, Wayne said that he enjoyed his burger. The hashbrown was crispy, and was slightly thinner than a McDonald’s one.
DK thought that his Classic Burger had a bit of a horseradish/mustard hint, although neither ingredient is listed in the description. DK called his “an all around good burger.”
The Rolls Royce Burger, split between Angela and Trevor, was very cheesy and gooey, likely a product of the melted raclette cheese. They mostly tasted a lot of cheese and arugula, and thought the burger could have used more balance and flavor.
All the burgers were messy and saucy (not in a bad way), and the buns for all burgers held up well, even for Wayne’s eggy mess. We all thought that the burgers were still solidly enjoyable for being slightly cold and would be even better fresh. The flavors all melded well together, where we didn’t really know where one ingredient ended and another started.
Those that ordered the double patties thought it was a nice ratio of meat to toppings. I was the loner who ordered a single, but I definitely didn’t feel like I was missing the second patty.
III. Fries
The fries were good, even after a few minutes of moving locations. They were thin and crispy, with the thinness of McDonalds fries but not the texture. The onion rings were very crunchy, with a rough textured batter. The onions stayed mostly inside when biting through them. They didn’t taste seasoned or salted, and needed sauce. There’s a selection of 8 different sauces to choose from, with a couple options having an extra surcharge (chimchurri ranch +$0.50, and vegan truffle island (+$1). Chris and I had the Uncool sauce, which reminded us of Chick-fil-A sauce, so it may have similarly been a mix of honey mustard and barbeque. Wayne also ordered the yuzu chipotle aioli that he really enjoyed.
IV. Miscellaneous
Uncool Burgers opened mid-pandemic, in June. Admirably ballsy, and we’re glad they decided to open! DK mentioned that the owner also owns a couple of other businesses in the Larchmont area. There were plenty of metered spots available, but that may have been because we came pretty late in the day when most of the businesses were closed. Uncool burgers is open late! Until 11p on Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. They also offer a couple of all-day breakfast options (breakfast burrito and a vegan sausage sandwich), a kids menu (grilled cheeses and a plain burger), and a few dessert options (hand pies and a vegan milkshake). Their crispy chicken sandwiches sounded tempting enough to consider having a second dinner after the meeting.
V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger and it ranged from $10 – $12. Since our burgers’ actual costs ranged from $6 – $15, most of us got a pretty good deal. We generally thought that their menu prices were very reasonable, especially for a pretty trendy area in LA.
VI. The Verdict
The ratings were 4.2, 4.1, 4.1, 3.0, and 3.4. With the exception of a particular burger, this place got high marks and praise from the crew! We’re happy to see that the burger landscape is still churning out great places amidst the shutdown. I can’t wait to come back when I’m able to see the burger and/or chicken sandwich I’m eating.
Next burger crew meeting is set for Saturday, September 12th at Tripp Burgers at the corner of Sepulveda and Palms.