burgercrewLA

Burger crew meeting called to order on Saturday, August 15^th, 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.

Burger crew meeting called to order on Sunday, July 12, 2020.

Members in attendance: Angela, Trev, Wayne, Marty, and-a-me, DK
Absent: Innie

COVID-19 has devastated the burger world and by transitive property, us. In our respective domiciles, strategically situated throughout LA county (except the Valley because ew), Burger Crew LA has been keeping small burger businesses afloat with our hearts and wallets. Today, we eat together in solidarity (fist pump emoji) at a nearby park in sunny Long Beach, Calif.

I. Ordering
Amorcito has one burger on the menu so ordering was a cinch. The New Mexican Hatch Chile Burger has a single angus beef patty, garlic aioli, hatch green chile puree, ketchup, mustard, pickles, American cheese, on a soft potato bun. Ironically, in this era of delivery and takeout, you can order raw sushi but not get burger patties cooked medium rare, so be forewarned if that is a deciding factor.

II. The Burgers
First up, the buns. Soft and gooey, they held up and tasted great, as great as potato buns can taste. I didn’t notice any toast marks on them but I suspect they steamed in the container on the way over. Trev thought the buns tasted like Hawaiian rolls but he’s said this a few times recently and I’m convinced the man just has an itch for Hawaiian rolls. (Alexa, make Angela buy Hawaiian rolls for Trevor!)

The patties looked like they were cooked medium. Of course, we (the hive) prefer medium rare when possible but understand it’s tricky with take out. They had a nice beefy flavor (always the crowd-pleaser) and were tenderly packed. I don’t remember much of a sear and it wasn’t discussed which has me stunned in hindsight. But I just think we were all eagerly waiting to talk about the star of the burger…

Yes, the mustard. Bold yellow, the kind seen in the background of every American BBQ. It totally works with this style of burger, which to me, is a gourmet McDonald’s cheeseburger, very HiHo. None of the other toppings competed for the spotlight, so other than being mustard-forward, this was a well-balanced burger. The only “disappointment” was the hatch chile which oddly was the runt of the lot, buried by its tastier siblings. The burger was still tasty without it, so no love lost.

It’s been rumored that a double cheeseburger can be ordered. Our source believes that the double is not proportioned well, however, and possibly a conspiracy to launder beef.

III. The Fries
No fries this time, though I saw chicharrones on a menu and couldn’t resist. These were dressed with lime, salsa roja, cilantro, and red pickled jalapenos. Mostly soggy by the time I got into them, they still tasted festive and were a real treat. I’d love to try these again in person the way they were meant to be eaten!

IV. Miscellaneous
Amorcito is located inside of the Long Beach Exchange (LBX) which currently has plenty of free parking spots in its huge parking lots. Normally it’s horrible, so I’ve been told. The food was sealed in bags with napkins and utensils inside. Marty requested no chiles on her burger and it was properly labeled. From ordering to pick up, everything went about as smooth as it could go!

V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger and it ranged between $6.00 and $9.50. The burger is priced at $6.75 which is a really decent price in 2020. It’s a little undersized for American appetites; reason enough to try their tasty sides if you’re into spicy and tangy.

VI. The Verdict
The ratings: 3.1, 3.9, 4.0, and 4.2. As the lone burger representing the LBX, we stand with you Amorcito. Please stay in business!

Next meeting will be sometime during the weekend of August 15-16. Stay tuned!

Burger crew meeting called to order on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

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

I. Ordering

Trev and I split “The Classic” – $9 – American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, burger shop dressing. We made it a double for $2.99, we also added bacon for $2. We ordered fries for $3.

Wayne got “The 3pm” – $9 – Bacon, crispy onion ring, American cheese, and BBQ sauce. He made it a double for $2.99 and made it a combo for $3.99.

Innie got the “Toro Bravo” – $10 – Roasted hatch chilies, candied bacon, with cheddar, and habanero aioli. 

DK got the “Loaded grilled cheese” – $7 – Caramelized onions, tomatoes, pickles, avocado, white cheddar and cheese sauce. Which, as you can see from the description does NOT include a burger patty. DK found that out the hard way! He got his grilled cheese and had to ask them to add a burger patty on it. Not sure if he just got himself kicked out of burger crew.

II. The Burgers

The patties had inconsistent doneness. They were well seared on one side, but not on the other. It was a course grind, hard packed, with a good chew and juicy. The seasoning was inconsistent. I had some pupil dilating bites, and others were ho hum. The double is way too much meat. I would opt for the single if I were to come back again.

The buns were soft and toasty, but Trev thought it was briochey and dry. Most of us didn’t really notice the bun. We weren’t in love, but more in like. We’re just friends.

Regarding the toppings, I was not a fan of the wet lettuce at the bottom of the burger. Poor structural integrity. The bacon was crispy and good! Innie had candied bacon, which she reported was not too sweet, but she liked it. The sauce was good and toppings were all great. Wayne’s onion ring stayed together, the hatch chilies on Innie’s were like more flavorful jalapenos, but a mild heat. So if you’re a heat fiend like Innie or DK, this is a little mellow for you. Burgers were also very instagram ready.

Lastly, the cheese deserved its own section. Everyone thought the cheese was yummy. In particular, Trev and Wayne LOVED the cheese. And we all know how much DK loves an abundance of cheese that’s super gooey. So his grilled cheese (+burger patty) was right up his alley. Not only did it have cheese, but also some cheese sauce? Maybe a cheesey overload for some, but the perfect burger for DK. Maybe he should split off and create the grilled cheese crew.

III. The Fries

They were crispy and seemed to be battered. Very similar to fries you’d get at Pink’s. They were pretty big orders. We had 2 orders among the 5 of us and there was still like an entire order left at the end of our meal. Granted, our resident fry monster was on a diet that day for some unknown reason.

IV. Miscellaneous

Burgershop is in Corporation food hall in downtown LA. So parking is a hassle, but conveniently there is a lot right next door for $6 that closes at 10pm. They had one counter for the regular Burgershop and the other counter for vegan options. It didn’t seem that busy overall on a Thursday night. They had loud music playing. Indoor and outdoor seating. Free refills of soda, and lots of interesting fry options. We were boring and didn’t try any of them. The worker was really nice and gave us free vegan dole whip samples to enjoy for dessert! Really light and refreshing and super nice! They have a sweet neon sign and I did not get a picture of. Wayne promised me he’d send me his picture of it, but he has not.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered.  We would pay between $10.50 and $12 and on average $12 for a double. Seems pretty on par with what we expect to pay.

VI. The Verdict

The ratings: 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 4.1, and 4.2. Pretty burgers, but if they could get their doneness and seasoning more consistent it could get better!

Next burger crew meeting will be held remotely due to Corona virus. Can’t let social distancing stop us!

Welcome to the first Burger Crew meeting of the decade!

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and Innie (and guest starring Chris)

• Ordering

Electric Owl has only one meat burger for dinner (the other burger is an Impossible burger), so our choice was more or less made for us, and this is what we ordered.

Wayne: Smash burger (wagyu+dry aged beef, house cheese, griddled shallots, pickles, savory spread, frico bun) with bacon and ranch tots

Trangela: Smash burger with ranch tots
DK: Smash burger with bacon
Innie: Smash burger

• The burgers

Innie thought that the burger was super rich and cheesy, but that the burger didn’t fit the definition of a smash burger because the patty wasn’t a smash patty; maybe it was pressed down onto the griddle during cooking but it wasn’t the thin type of patty that one would expect from something called a “smash burger.” The house cheese was very gooey and melty to the point that several of us compared it to nacho cheese in texture. When I asked everybody what they thought of the patty, Trevor’s immediate reaction was “oh yes!” because of how much he enjoyed it. It had the right amount of fat to make a very juicy and meaty tasting burger; when I bit into it, still-hot meat juices poured out of the burger and onto my hands. It also had just the right amount of seasoning and had a very good sear. However, Trevor and Angela’s burger had very uneven doneness; one side was rare while the other side was well-done, but they still thoroughly enjoyed their burger.

Everybody loved the savory spread, which was a horseradish-mustard aioli. Angela thinks that the burger should actually be renamed to the “French dip burger” because the addition of the aioli reminded her of a French dip sandwich. Trevor thought that the spread gave you all of the good of horseradish in terms of flavor but none of the bad in terms of how strong horseradish can be. The bacon was thick cut and what I would describe as “80% crispy,” meaning it was cooked enough that it stood on its own, but it still had a bit of chew to go along with a bit of crispiness.

The pickles were cut into long flat slices, and they were very good but they unfortunately didn’t put enough of them into the burger to ensure some pickle in every bite. The griddled shallots gave the burger a sweetness that some of us liked, particularly Trevor. The buns were toasted, which probably helped keep the burger from falling apart, but DK and I had buns that were over-toasted (DK described his as burnt).

• The sides

There’s not a whole lot to say about the ranch tots other than that they were very good (some said maybe the best tots they’ve ever had). They stayed crispy for the entire meal and the ranch dust helped set them apart from more generic tots. At $2 for a side, they were also very reasonably priced.

• Miscellaneous

Trevor appreciated the “ketcup in the squeezy bottle that’s extra extra large” for optimal ketchup consumption. Their cocktails are very spirit-forward (strong). The booth we sat in was very comfortable, and the restaurant had great ambiance and felt very lively, helped in no small part by being fairly noisy. They don’t use an online reservation system and in order to make reservations, you have to email or call. Only street parking is available so you’re at the mercy of finding a meter if you want to park nearby.

• Value & Rating

Most of us thought that the burger was priced pretty approriately at $15, with only one dissenter at $12.50. Overall, the burger was a pretty big hit for all of us, with scores ranging from 3.7 to 4.5 and an average score of 4.1.

Next Burger Crew meeting will be in February at BurgerShop in Downtown Los Angeles!

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, December 15, 2019

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and Innie
Guest member: Isa

I. Ordering

Continuing our pop up trend, Burgerdaddy setup a tent behind Standing Butchery. True to most popups the menu was very simple. You can order either the “single” or the “double.” The owner recommended to get two “singles” if we were hungry instead of getting one “double.” Spoiler alert, she was wrong. Get the double. Always double (except at Cassel’s).

II. The burgers

Along with the pop up trend, Burgerdaddy is another place that smashes their patties. The burger patty came pre smashed super thin before reaching the grill. We found this highly unorthodox. The beef was made from all sorts of grass fed cuts from the butchery (i.e. chuck, steak cuts, other typical meats). With that said, the patty was super juicy and had an amazing sear and was seasoned “full salt bae” status according to Wayne. Great execution.

Cheese was super nice and melty.  The double had two slices of cheese. The consensus was that it wasn’t too much cheese.  Some members felt like there was too much mustard and pickles were a “little heavy” but good. In my book, they get extra points for using mustard in the first place. Great job Burgerdaddy!

After being somewhat disappointed with the meat volume in the single, we went back and ordered the double burger. It was MUCH juicier and meatier.  I may have had the first single off the grill that was a smidge overcooked with a weird crust but I still enjoyed it

Chopped onions were good because they weren’t too strong.  Maybe they’re soaked to mellow them out.

If you haven’t noticed, this burger seems to be another McDonald’s style clone. However, it didn’t taste anything like a McDonald’s burger.  The mouthfeel of the burger is VERY different and tasted excellent.

Innie felt it had a backyard burger vibe.  Angela astutely observed that “well because it was in the… back… yard.”

Wayne’s second burger was a little too salty.  Wayne had two doubles.  A different person made the second burger maybe that was it. So be possibly prepared for inconsistent experiences based on who’s making your food.

III. The fries/sides

FREE CHIPS but probably only today.  They could have sold them.

NO FRIES

IV. Miscellaneous

Pop up tent in the back.  Parking in laBrea is tough.  Started the pop up about 8 months ago.  No place to sit.  Very quick, very simple, super friendly.  Pay cash in butcher shop or pay at the tent with credit.  Every weekend is here at the butcher shop.  We’re writing this review in coffee shop next door.

 DK got mustard on his hand and no hand sanitizer for him.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered.  We would pay between $9 and $12 and on average $10.25 for the “double.” Since the double costs $9 we would say the pricing is

.

VI. The verdict

The scores for Burgerdaddy from the members were 3.7, 3.4, 4.2, 4.2, and 3.5.  Solid burger worth checking out if you’re in the area but I wouldn’t go TOO far out of my way to get it. Pink’s hotdogs are around the corner so if you’re friends are waiting in that long line for a hotdog, you can get a burger and meet them back in line and make everyone around you jealous.

Next burger crew meeting will be held January 11 at Electric Owl (coincidentally it’s around the corner from burgerdaddy).

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, November 9, 2019 @ 12:30pm.

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and Innie
Mini member: Marty

I. Ordering

True to their pop-up origins, the menu items at Goldburger are short and sweet. They offer 3 types of double cheeseburgers (Goldburger, California Classic, and LA Special), a Kids Cheeseburger, and classic fries.  Chopped chilis are available on request.

Angela, Trev, Wayne and I opted for the flagship burger of the trio, the Goldburger (grilled onions, dill pickles, house-made garlic-mustard aioli) for $11.  DK went rogue and ordered the LA Special (topped with pastrami, dijonaise slaw) for $12.  DK and I requested chopped chilis added to our burgers.  Unfortunately, the California Classic (shredded lettuce, diced onions, dill pickles, house made classic sauce – $9) went unrepresented during this trip.  (Shredduce does not seem to be a selling point amongst the Burgr Crew collective.)  Marty the Kid had herself a Kids Cheeseburger (single patty) at $6.  Everyone had an order of classic fries.

Goldburger’s offerings also included bottled drinks: Various flavors of fancy bottled soda (Swell Soda) or Jarritos Mineral water for $2.50.  Wayne ordered a Pomegranate soda, and DK went with Lemon-Lime. 

II. The burgers

Smash burgers done properly are a beautiful thing.  These patties were very good, very seasoned, and beefy.  When compared to Burgers Never Say Die, these patties were not as caramelized, but still had a great sear.  Wayne said that Goldburger’s patty was not as paper thin as BNSD, and while Goldburger could probably get away with one patty, 2 was much better.  Trev and Angela thought the one patty in the Kids Cheeseburger still gave a good ratio of meat to bun, and felt that it might have been thicker than the ones served in the Doubles.

The grilled onions in the Goldburgers were super thinly sliced, caramelized, but not overcooked to be mushy.  They still had some nice bite and was a nice addition to the flavor and texture of the overall burger.  The pickles were also a hit with everyone.  Angela liked the cut of them; sometimes pickles are cut so thin that they don’t give a satisfying crunch.  Wasted pickle potential is a real problem in the burger community.  With the melty cheese and soft buns, everyone liked the texture of each bite.  To quote Wayne, “There was a nice amount of goo everywhere.”   

The pastrami in DK’s LA Special was very thinly sliced and chewy, and not crispy around the edges.  DK likened them to Tommy’s or The Hat’s pastramis.  He noted that there was an “appropriate” portion of pastrami topping that didn’t overwhelm the flavor of the burger.  Past burger ventures have yielded a lot of pastrami mountains, which are great for wow factor, but not great for a lot of other reasons. (How the heck do you bite into a literal sphere of food?)  The slaw in his burger didn’t really stand out, but blended well with the chopped chilis and had a nice crunch.

DK thought he detected a bit of a metallic note in his burger, which he theorized may have come from the pastrami.  The jury is still out on this one, since he also thought his Lemon Lime soda was weirdly bitter and off-putting.  The rest of burger crew offered a couple theories: perhaps his palate was having an off day, or his schmancy soda royally screwed him over and tinged everything with a bitter taste.

III. The fries/sides

The fries were very good- salted well, and crispy when hot and fresh.  The crispy quality did drop off significantly as the meal finished (unlike the Win-dow’s fries, which I can vouch survives a 10 minute car ride impressively well).    

IV. Miscellaneous

Holy ground beef, it was a HOT day.  The lineup to order didn’t have much relief from the sun, so we made some semi-pathetic attempts to shield ourselves by lining up in the shadow of a utility pole. 

The situation wasn’t made much more comfortable by the slow-moving line.  We estimated that it took about 15 minutes to reach the front of the line with about 4 people ahead of us.

The seating is in a covered, but open area (so no A/C).  Goldburgers does seem to be pretty popular, so seating was tight and in high demand.  Same goes for the parking area adjacent to the restaurant – if you want to grab a spot, you’re going to need either luck or patience. 

A bathroom is available on site, but is not the cleanest.

Goldburger is temporarily residing in the patio section of the former Hache burger restaurant, which is going through some redevelopment.  Interestingly, Hache was a previous Burger Crew destination, and was another of DK’s picks almost exactly 5 years ago in November of 2014.  Coincidence or conspiracy?

Also, if you happen to go to this establishment on another of LA’s beautiful 90+ degree days, a Baskin Robbins is 0.2 miles away and is a pretty decent place to eat ice cream and discuss your burgers.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered.  They ranged from $7 to $10.50, so they were priced higher than what we would have expected.

VI. The verdict

The scores for Goldburger from the members were 4.5, 3.8, 3.3, 4.2, and 4.2.  Great pick, DK!

Next burger crew meeting will be held December 15^th at Burgerdaddy (Innie’s pick)

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, October 5, 2019 @ 12:30pm.

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, Innie, and DK
Slider member: Marty
Guest: Chris

I. Ordering
The menu is all business: a list of 17 or so burgers and sandwiches (ingredients not listed) in descending order of carnal attractiveness, and a pair of prices–one for the burger only and another for the combo. You want to know what the fork is inside a “jumbo cubby”? You’ve come to the right place.

Trev, Angela, and Wayne ordered the main attraction, the Jumbo Cubby, which includes lettuce, grilled onions, pickles, tomato, house sauce, beef patty, a slice of cheese, two hot dogs cut length-wise, and another slice of cheese, all between sesame buns.

I ordered the Regular Cubby. Same ingredients as above but with a slimmer patty.

Innie ordered the Double Cheeseburger (double patty, double cheese) which also had the same ingredients minus the hot dogs.

II. The burgers
These are old-school grease burgers. I mean, they’re served out of a how-do-two-people-fit-into-that-little-thing of a shack in the parking lot of a gas station… look for your glamour elsewhere!

The burgers are served on toasted sesame buns, a nice call back to a time when the burger world didn’t revolve around the brioche. Unfortunately the bottom bun had to fight its own Normandy against an onslaught of sauce and wet lettuce (more on that later…) and it wasn’t pretty. To be fair, most buns would not have fared well against all that moisture.

The patty had an average sear and lacked seasoning. It became clear mid-burger that these patties were the preformed/frozen variety—i.e. weak in terms of beefiness and the texture was dense. Most of the meaty flavor came from the hot dog, naturally. Innie thought her double cheeseburger had a good balance of toppings to meat but the beef would have been lost had it not been for the second patty.

Speaking of toppings! Thoughts from the table: the tomato was fresh and juicy, pickles added the right amount of acid, but the freaking aforementioned lettuce was pulled straight out of an ice bath and gave the burger a slip-and-slide quality (which nobody has ever asked for)!

Another comment from Trev that made me laugh but I have not confirmed: they seasoned the vegetables instead of the patty! That is a high-level technique; most cooks don’t have the courage to pull that move off in front of customers.

III. The fries/sides
The combo comes with a side of fries and they were sadly not a hit. They were on the dry side, the seasoning too light, the potatoes stale. The only member who liked the fries was Trev, and in his defense, he is the resident fry connoisseur and master of the double fry. He described them as “juuuust right” with the straightest of faces.

IV. Miscellaneous
Parking is tough with only six spots, not to mention that it’s shared with a gas station so a spot may be taken by someone there for completely different reasons than getting a burger. If you’re worried about smelling gas fumes, it’s airy and clean enough that we didn’t smell any (to Angela’s disappointment). Seating is outdoors only, the ladies crank these burgers out quick (would be neat to see if you could finish a burger while filling up the tank), and it’s cash only.

V. Value
The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered. They ranged from $6.50-$8.00 so they were about or even cheaper than what we would have paid. Only in Long Beach!

VI. The verdict
The nostalgia and novelty factors are there, but the love for burgers takes a back seat to the love of profit. Cheap ingredients translates to a cheap burger, in more than one way. The scores were 2.3, 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1. Best of luck, Dave’s Burgers!

The next Burger Crew meeting will be held Nov 9 @ Goldburger (DK’s pick).

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at 12pm.

Members in attendance: Angela d., Trevor Y., Dennis K., Innie C., and myself (Wayne T.)

1. Ordering

Wayne: Monk Burger with Skinny’s Garlic Fries

Trangela: Monk Burger with Portobello Fries (and Pulled Pork Sliders for Marty)

DK: Double Burger with pickled jalapenos and bacon, and Skinny’s Garlic Fries

Innie: Double Burger with bacon, and Skinny’s Garlic Fries

2. The burgers

Monk Burger: The bleu cheese in the burger was the star of the show for Angela. The patty was neither beefy enough nor seasoned enough, although it was surprisingly juicy despite being overcooked (I asked for medium rare and it came out medium). The flavor of everything else in the burger besides the patty was very good but the burger was just lacking in beefiness. There was also no acid the complement everything else in the burger, especially since the burger was a bit sweet. The buns did hold up surprisingly well considering all of the wet ingredients.

Double Burger: DK didn’t get a sense that there was double cheese in his burger, but he did feel like the burger was made better by the addition of jalapenos, and he enjoyed the texture of his burger, with a nice crunch from the lettuce and pickles. Innie felt that the presence of cheese helped with the patty’s lack of seasoning, but she did find the buns to be odd since the top bun was cut much larger than the bottom bun.

3. The sides

Skinny’s Garlic Fries: These fries were pretty amazing. They were thinner than most shoestrings, and they stayed crispy for the entire meal. Definitely order the fries if you come here.

Portobello fries: These were also a hit with everyone. Lots of mushroom flavor, and the batter provided great texture. The included sauce was a good complement as well.

Pulled pork sliders: Angela really liked them, although she said that they had some kind of spongy balls inside of them that tasted good but had an off-putting texture. Marty didn’t seem to have any complaints about them.

4. Miscellaneous

There’s a parking lot next to the restaurant but it was very full, so you might need to find metered street parking. The restaurant had self-serve beef on tap with beer cards, so you could try as much or as little of each beer as you wanted as long as you paid for it. According to the beer snobs, the selection was just ok. Seating was very plentiful on a Saturday afternoon.

5. Value

The burgers were ok as far as value goes, with the range between $10.50 and $12 for the group.

6. Ratings

Most of our ratings for this places were pretty average, ranging between 2.6 and 3.5. The sides were the real star of the show here, although if they could improve their patties, it would go a long way towards turning them into very solid burgers.

Our next stop: Nexx Burger in Downey on Sept 14.