Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, February 17, 2024 at noon (Wayne’s Pick). Despite the meeting being at noon, Trev and I didn’t arrive until closer to 1pm due to a lot of street closures because of some event in Chinatown.
Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K., and Innie C.
Slider member in attendance: Lucy Y.
Special Guests: Chris Y. and Marissa G.
I. Ordering
There are 3 types of burgers + 1 for the vegans.
Trevor ordered a BBQ Bacon Lowburger, double ($14) – beef patty, bacon, house made bourbon BBQ sauce, american cheese, griddled onions, garlic mayo, toasted potato bun.
It looks so tiny in his giant hands!
I ordered a Fresh burger ($10) – beef chuck patty, american cheese, crisp iceberg, sliced tomato, shaved onion, house-made pickles & garlic mayo on a toasted potato bun. Trev and I also bummed some fries off of everyone else 🤗
Chris and Innie also got a Fresh burger and a BBQ Bacon Lowburger and handcut fries ($8) that come with ketchup and garlic aioli.
That’s a lot of lettuce
Wayne also got stuck in traffic, but not nearly as bad as us. He ordered ahead of UberEats and got a Lowburger, double ($13) – beef chuck patty, 2000 island dressing, american cheese, red pepper jam, griddled onions, served on a toasted potato bun. He turned that into a combo to get fries + a diet coke (+$6).
Lastly, DK and Marissa got a fresh burger ($10) and a lowburger ($9) + fries ($8).
II. The Burgers
This place is known for their smash patties since LA is all about smashburgers. The meat wasn’t all that beefy nor was it seasoned all that well. The patties did have a lot of lace, but that didn’t make up for the lack of umami flavor we all crave in our burgers.
These burgers were well balanced because despite the lack of meatiness and seasoning, the burgers were pretty good. All the ingredients contributed to a good experience. Though I will say that they are heavy handed on the lettuce. I know it’s called a “Fresh burger”, but damn, I didn’t order a salad!
There was some debate over whether the pickles were good. DK didn’t like them, but others did. For the record, I didn’t notice them. Whether that’s a good thing or not, I’ll leave up to your interpretation.
The bacon was cooked inconsistently between burgers. Some had bacon that was easy to bite through and others had the experience of having the entire slice of bacon come out when you try to take a bite. The buns were squishy, toasty, and yummy.
The burgers are definitely on the smaller side so you should definitely get AT LEAST a double. We discussed that the burgers should come as a double by default. A single is just sad.
III. The Sides
The french fries were alright. They had good flavor, but were totally soggy. So if you like your fries a little on the soggier side, you’ll love these! They have a very generous serving size when you order it as a side. The combo serving is noticeably smaller.
IV. Miscellaneous
Service was fast. And the burgers were actually made next door! They have lots of good beer choices. The place was clean (bathroom, too) and they had both indoor and outdoor seating.
Since it’s in Echo Park, parking is nonexistent. And watch out for Chinatown road closures 🤨
V. Value
I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $8 to $11.75. So we thought the prices were slightly higher than we’d like to pay for these burgers (especially given the size of a single).
VI. The Verdict
The burgers have a nice lace and good balance (but don’t get the Fresh burger, unless you really love lettuce). The ratings: 2.8, 3.0, 3.1, 3.4, and 3.7.
Next burger crew meeting: Saturday, March 16th at noon – THICC Burger L.A. – Fairfax