Month: June 2024

Welcome to Seattle burger crew! We had our annual burger crew trip to Seattle and planned to eat five burgers together. Unfortunately, 2 of our members ended up with Covid so we were down to 4 members. We definitely ate all the things in their honor.

Here is burger #1 (though Trev and I did pregame with 3 burgers before Burger Crew Seattle officially started [Juicy J’s Smoked Burgers, Dick’s Drive In, and Local Tide]).

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Friday, June 21, 2024 at 11am in Capitol Hill (Burger Crew Does Seattle).

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

I. Ordering

Trevor and I ordered The Fig and the Pig ($10.50) – a scoop of our own pickled figs, Hills bacon, crumbled blue cheese and mayo.

Marty got the Plain Lil Woody with cheese + plus ketchup and pickles ($6) – 1/4 lb. grass-fed beef on a bun (from the kids menu for 12 and under).

Innie got The New Mexican ($10.50) – slow-roasted Hatch green chiles and our house-made queso sauce and mayo.

Chris and Wayne each got the Lil Woody ($8.50) – 1/4 pound Royal Ranch grass-fed beef, Tillamook cheddar, chopped onions, diced pickles, ketchup and mayo.

Lastly, Lucy got a grilled cheese ($4) – with American cheese and inside out buns.

II. The Burgers
Based on our research, Li’l Woody’s is a rival to Dick’s Drive In. Both are fast food style burgers. Li’l Woody’s is good for what it is. It looks similar to a Dick’s burger.

The burger was grilled and you could taste that grill flavor. The meat was oooookay. It was similar to a Whopper patty. We had asked for the patties to be cooked medium rare, but they told us all burgers are cooked all the way through.

The buns were toasted. Overall, burgers were a bit dry. The toppings varied a lot based on the type of burger. The Lil Woody has a similar construction to a Whopper. The Fig and The Pig had a good idea, but really poor execution. Some bites were too figgy and other bites were too cheesy. And the bacon was chewy 🤨, not crunchy. Yuck. The New Mexican was not spicy. The hatch chili didn’t have much flavor and the queso tasted cheesy despite the watery consistency. Innie said it tasted similar to a Carl’s Jr. Southwest burger.

III. The Sides
The french fries were sad. They were made with Russet potatoes and were fresh cut, but there’s a reason why McDonalds cooks frozen fries (read: double fried french fries are superior). These fries managed to be overcooked and yet limp. They had a burnt taste instead of the saltiness you want in a fry. The only redeeming quality was that they give a lot for only $6. But I’d rather have no fries than a lot of bad fries.

IV. Miscellaneous
There are several locations throughout the city. The one we went to was close to the Starbucks Reserve and parking in this neighborhood is tough. We ended up parking in a paid lot for $13. They have limited indoor seating with room for a big party upstairs. They have a lot of cool looking merch if you’re in the market for some burger themed clothing. They have fountain drinks and water cups available. There is a single bathroom.

V. Value
I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $6 to $8. So we thought the prices were slightly higher than we’d like to pay for these burgers (especially given the fast food quality).

VI. The Verdict
So far Seattle is the home for phallic things (the Space Needle, Dick’s Drive In, and Li’l Woody’s). Burgers were good, but not great. Fast food style burger. If you’re looking for a good burger, keep walking. The ratings: 2.3 2.5, 2.8, and 3.0.

Next burger crew meeting: Friday, June 21st at 7pm – Familyfriend – Beacon Hill

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Sunday, May 5th, 2024 at noon (Innie’s pick)

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, DK, Wayne, and Innie.

I. Ordering

Ban Ban Burger is from the folks that brought us Tuk Tuk Thai. This is your place to get thai-influenced smashburgers. If you’ve ever been to Thailand or anywhere in southeast asia you know they’re very generous with flavors and Ban Ban Burger delivers.

Between the entire group we ordered

Grapow Smash – free range beef, onions with house-made grapow paste. Served a fried egg, house Thai pickle, American cheese, and wild garlic aioli on a potato roll

Wagyu Laab Smash – Wagyu beef, onions, seasoned with zesty laab powder, with house Thai pickle, mint, and herb sauce with American cheese on a potato roll

II. The Burgers

This burger is all about the flavor and not so much the meat because

True to Thai influence the burgers were spicy. As someone who’s pretty sensitive to spicy (but still loves it) would rate it as a medium spicy but I really appreciate the heat doesn’t linger. Our resident spice experts said they were not disappointed with spicyness if it were advertised as a “spicy burger.” The meat itself was a bit plain but all the crazy flavors made it not noticeable. The patty had a good (not great) sear and tasted like pepper was mixed into the beef.

The wagyu patty was also very nice and DK described it as a “deep tissue and shiatsu” flavor and appreciated the mint chutney. It seemed it was better balanced than the Grapow burger.

Both patties were loose pack and thus very messy. I absolutely love the sunny side egg with the large (GMO?!) yolk.

I realize there’s so much flavor but I haven’t described it. The reason is it’s very difficult to describe if you’ve never had spiced thai food. They completely captured the essence and it felt like a party in my mouth and all the spices were invited. <insert some spice girl meme>

The potato bun was super squishy and eggy and the pickles were PERFECT. It’s like partial pickled texture but full pickled flavor. Wayne felt it could been more pickled for his taste but appreciated the crunch. PICK A LANE WAYNE!

The closest comparison to this burger experience to Ban Ban Burger would have to be Chego’s (which is now Amboys… see previous review).

III. The Sides

So now that the bacon debate has been fully settled, the new hot topic is what is considered a “shoe string” fry? We’ve decided to take it upon ourselves and measure. 5mm thick. Is that shoe string? absolutely! Although thinner than McDonalds they’re still fluffy and crunchy. Cooked perfectly and served hot with some sort of lime salt.

Sweet potato fries (measured > 5mm) were also fried nicely with crunch and fluff. No soggy potato fries here.. which seems to be a challenge for most establishments out there.

Ketchup… yes this is a side. I’m usually the first to poopoo any artisanal or homemade ketchup. When I want ketchup I want heinz, del monte, hunts, store house brand, or even fancy castup. Enter Ban Ban and their fancier ketchup that has some sort of lemon grass or curry oil in it. It has a very light touch and it’s good! Trevor approved.

Last note, if you get the Pandan Shake, make sure it’s not frozen solid. Wayne some how got one that was impossible to eat. He had another one made and said it wasn’t as sweet as he expected and had an earthy/grassy flavor (read: dirt). And if you ever happen to be in Singapore the pandan shakes there are superior.

IV. Miscellaneous

Located on Sawtelle south of Santa Monica Blvd. It’s at the end closest to Santa Monica Blvd so parking was not too difficult. YMMV as you get closer to Tsujita etc. Go on a Sunday because parking will be free at the meters. They open at 11:30 or 12 and be the first ones there if you can. As we were waiting for our orders it got quite busy there.

There’s a small refrigerator display case with some unique beers, mexican coke and a water station for those that need/want it.

Lastly, please go to 10 Speed Coffee down the street (walking distance). EXCELLENT cappuccinos, mochas, and espresso.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers.  These were the ratings and value given by the crew:

Trev: 4.4, $15

Wayne: 4.5, $11

Angela: 4.2, $16

DK. 4.8, $17.50

Innie: 4.1, $13.50

VI. Verdict

Another winner of a burger spot! If you’re in the area please pop in and get a burger and afterwards take a coffee break and head over to Plan Check for one LA’s best burgers.