Burger Crew meeting called to order on Sunday, September 26, 2021 at 12:30pm (8th stop in Burger Crew Does the Best of LA).
Members in attendance: Angela, Sumana, Trev, Wayne, Innie, and your boy, DK
Special guests: Will, Chris, and baby Lucy
I. Ordering
Lord, please do not judge us. We know Grill ‘Em All has an expansive menu of burgers and each one would be a star anywhere else, but the group has jelled into a hive and these bees fucking love peanut butter, jelly, and sriracha. And we also happen to know that it hits the spot every time.
Sumana, Trev, Angela, Wayne, and I had the Dee Snider: peanut butter, strawberry jam, bacon, sriracha.
Innie ordered the Samoa Joe: cheddar, bacon, fresh pineapple, grilled onion, BBQ sauce.
II. The Burgers
The buns were fine. Standard brioche, good toast, ain’t nobody here for the buns. What makes Grill ‘Em All a must-have in your burger rotation are the patties. The half-pound patties are cooked medium-rare nearly every time. They’re seasoned well with a great sear, juicy as fuck, and meaty in taste. Wayne and Angela thought they had a few bites that were a bit chewy but nobody else seemed to mind. They may need to see their dentists.
For the Dee Snider, what a treat. It was a little messy like a burger should be. All of the flavors together with the added texture from the toasted buns, thicc cut bacon that was both chewy and crunchy, and bits of peanuts produced an unrivaled combination of mouth sensations. Tchaikovsky’s 1812 of burgers. Order it every time.
As for the Samoa Joe, the review was less enthusiastic. It was the first time I’ve heard a burger needed more friction, but when the contents are slippin’ and slidin’, that impacts the eating experience. The burger was also too sweet — on top of the generous slather of BBQ sauce and grilled onions, there were three whole slices of pineapple. Innie said the burger needed something spicy and something crunchy.
III. Sides
The fries were very enjoyable. Crunchy and salty, the kind everybody likes. The portion was very generous as well, enough for 2-3 normal sized people.
IV. Miscellaneous
One of the best things about this place is the free parking garage. God bless Alhambra. The place pre-pandemic was mostly indoor seating but they’ve since put a few outdoor tables out. They’ve got awesome heavy metal decor and the music to back it up, a good selection of beers, and unlimited refills from the fountain machine.
V. Value
I asked the members how much they’d pay for the burger they ate. They ranged between $12 and $16 which is just a bit over the asking price. Great value for one of the best burger shops in Los Angeles.
VI. The Verdict
The individual scores were 3.4, 4.1, 4.7, 4.7, 4.8, 5.0. Don’t be scared to try this spot!
Next up… the final destination for the weekend: Lock & Key Social Drinkery + Kitchen.