Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 11:30am (DK’s pick).
Members in attendance: Angela, Trev, Wayne, DK, and me, Innie
Special guests: Marissa and Chris
Burger Crew progeny: Marty and Lucy
Burger Crew, Canine contingent: Molly
Preface: Season 2 of The White Lotus has taken over all available real estate in my head. I’d like to give a fair warning that there will be a number of absolutely unnecessary references to this show throughout this review, and while I have the self awareness to know that this show has no relevance to a burger review, non me ne fotte!
That said, on with the review!
I . Ordering
The menu at Spoke has a smorgasbord of breakfast and lunch options, ranging from fancy toasts, to breakfast sandwiches/burritos/tacos, to salads and sandwiches and burgers. There are vegan and non vegan versions for several of their dishes, and they offer gluten free bread upon request. We all ordered the one non-veggie burger option on the menu (Spoke Burger, $15: grass fed California beef, vintage cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, green lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, picked onions, special sauce, soft griddled bun), medium rare. Angela made some allergen-related modifications, opting for their gluten free bread, and no cheese or spread.
II. Burgers
The beef patties here are hefty, definitely not the popular smash patty that seems ubiquitous for most of LA’s burger places (not that we’re complaining). For most of us, the patties were cooked perfectly medium rare and were very juicy. While the sear could have been better, the beef was tender, almost crumbling. DK suspected that the patties may have been grilled in butter. Unfortunately, Angela had the sole overcooked patty among our orders, even though she also ordered it medium rare.
The choice of cheese was a bit disappointing. They opted to go with an aged cheddar, which tasted too funky and distracted from the burger. DK commented that they “got too cute with the cheese” and would have been better off with American.
The buns were very thick, and were sliced so lop-sidedly that we thought that they may have been hand cut by a small child. They were grilled, and aside from their mysterious asymmetry, served their purpose to hold together the burger just fine. Angela’s gluten-free option in place of the buns were toasted slices of GF bread. She rated them as okay; not an ideal swap since they weren’t burger buns, but were a passable substitution that held up surprisingly well.
The “special sauce” was not particularly notable, but wasn’t lacking either. It was a good, standard, tangy sauce that complemented the richness of the burger patty. DK, Trev, and I really enjoyed the thinly sliced pickled red onions, which weren’t too sour and added a nice crunch. The applewood smoked bacon was thick and crispy (but not brittle), and impressively satisfied both sides of the “chewy vs crunchy” bacon factions of the crew (i.e., Wayne vs everyone else). The heirloom tomatoes were very fresh.
III. Sides
The waffle fries were nice and thickly cut, with a perfect crispy exterior and fluffy insides. We all thought they were the ideal waffle fries: seasoned well, crispy, potato-y, and satisfying. Angela’s side salad was very much like a steakhouse salad, and had onions, tomatoes, and a vinegar-based dressing. Angela thought the dressing was very tart, but added that the tomatoes were really good.
IV. Miscellaneous
On a sunny Saturday afternoon, this cafe was very busy. The parking situation was a bit of a pain, and since this cafe is located right along the LA river bike trail, it may be better to just bike. The line to order was very long, but there is always an option to order via their website (which most of us opted to do once we saw the wait). There’s a large, covered outdoor space with several long picnic-style tables, and they filled up pretty quickly on such a busy day. Their beer selection was limited, but seemed well curated and had various styles of craft beer. The coffee connoisseurs of the crew collectively ordered a cappuccino, an espresso, and a mushroom “coffee”, and gave them solid approvals (with the sole exception of their decaf). The one downside we experienced was that there were a lot of flies, but that’s probably just a unfortunate factor stemming from being located right next to the LA river.
The cafe is also a bike shop that also rents out bikes. The vibe here is very fun, relaxed, and overall really enjoyable. The cafe was also very accommodating for Angela’s allergen-related requests, which included the need for gluten, soy, and dairy-free modifications.
V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. Our answers ranged from $10 to $13.50, so we would have expected to pay less than the actual price of $15.
VI. Verdict
Very cool find by DK! Spoke Bicycle Cafe seems to be a very LA spot in the best of ways, and seems to be well appreciated by the local crowd. The ratings from the crew ranged from 2.8 to 3.6, with most of the ratings skewing on the higher end.
Next Burger Crew meeting will be held at Stand-Up Burgers on December 10, 2022.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to bopping to the bass drop from the White Lotus opening credits.