Burger Crew – burgercrewLA

November 23, 2019November 25, 2019

Burger Crew Home Edition

We typically go out to find awesome burgers, but we decided that we knew enough to craft our own awesome burgers! We’ve had a home edition in the past where we put together a ramen burger and a cronut burger at the height of the craze (yeah, it was a long time ago), but we haven’t done it since.

We decided to make this one a bit of a competition. Each member brought stuff to create 4 burgers so each of us would get to taste half of each. We rated them from 1 to 5 based on toppings and composition of the burgers. We had secret ballots and randomly assigned the order in which the burgers would be made.

First up, was Angela (uh, me). My burger was called the “Peanut Butter Jelly Time” and was inspired by my love of peanut butter burgers with the gripe that there never is enough peanut butter. My burger started with a Hawaiian style bun, had a half pound patty (beautifully cooked by Trev), a good helping of Skippy honey peanut butter, Knott’s boysenberry preserves, a dash of Sriracha, and some Ruffles potato chips.

Next up was Innie’s burger. She named her burger “Eat your Kimchi!” It was like a Korean party in our mouths! There was a lot of stuff on it and you’ll need to ask Innie what exactly was on it. It was quite involved. There was some sauce, some pickles, some kimchi, and some basting of bacon going on. It was spicy, but not “oh my God, I’m going to die” spicy.

[Ninja edit by Innie: The burger had a house sauce (mayo, gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, and minced kimchi), bacon basted with a sriracha/sesame/honey mix, american cheese, sauteed kimchi, a nicely medium-rare beef patty (Thanks, Trev!) and marinated cucumber kimchi on Wonderbread buns.

Eat all the kimchi!! ]

Next was DK’s burger! He named his “I’m scared to bring my burger to the party”. Second time he flaked on us for home edition! Hope you had a good sleep, man. Sucks about work!

Next up was Trev. His burger was called “The HAMburger” (pretty much just to mess with me because I don’t like that word). His was on a Hawaiian style bun, had a beautifully cooked patty (yes, he cooked EVERYONE’S patties), peppered bacon (on the side, instead of a pickle spear), American cheese, crispy cheddar cheese crumbles, and Korean seasoned cucumbers, ketchup and mustard. It was a bit of a salt bomb compared to the other burgers thus far.

The next burger was from Wayne. He called his the Gorilla Mall and he was basically plagiarizing Grill ’em all’s Dee Snider (which is an excellent burger to plagiarize). He was on a brioche bun with an amazingly cooked burger patty (thanks again, Trev). He had crunchy peanut butter, strawberry jam, chewy bacon, and a healthy helping of Sriracha. Though Wayne and I had similar concepts, they certainly ended up different from one another. He had less peanut butter (which Sumana liked since she doesn’t like peanut butter). He also had the bacon to my potato chips.

Last, but certainly not least was our super special member from out of town, Sumana!!! Her burger was called “The Killer” and was very involved! She used the Hawaiian style buns, a Trev cooked patty, boxed mac and cheese mixed with bacon, Sriracha ketchup, and pan fried breaded pickles (which she breaded herself!). She clearly put a lot of effort into this one! It was tough because she was chosen to go last, and she had a plane to catch! So we were in a bit of a rush to prep and eat hers.

Overall, it was a super fun, super stuffed day. This year’s Burger Crew Home Edition Champion is Innie! Congratulations to her! Looking forward to next year’s set of burgers. We definitely need to make this an all day thing with sweat pants as our uniforms =)

October 5, 2019

Nexx Burger – Downey – September 14, 2019

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

Slider member: Marty d.Y.

Guests: Adrian J. and Lulu T.

So Trev and I were totally late to this meeting. Sorry guys!

I. Ordering

Trev and I, Innie and Wayne all got the 1/3 lb hamburger ($6.50). We all added American cheese (75 cents) and bacon ($1.75), plus Wayne also added avocado ($1.50).

Marty had a little burger with everything (no cheese, which is the default) for $4.25.

Innie ordered onion rings ($3.75) and Trev and I made it a combo for $3.95 (that comes with fries and a drink).

DK ordered a double with cheese (which he thinks was $11, thanks DK for the precision).

Adj and lulu split a double with cheese and sweet potato fries.

II. The Burgers

The burgers are touted to be made from the best ingredients. If you’re interested, here is their “story”

These were definitely pretty burgers. In fact, we saw people order a bunch of burgers and spend like half a hour taking photos of them. No sign of eating them though ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We definitely like to eat our burgers!

So there was no char on Innie’s or Wayne’s burgers, but the rest of us had char on ours. The burgers came with onion, lettuce, and “super” sauce. The onion was like a giant cross section of onion, which I often don’t like since it’s too onion-y. However, these were nice and mild and very enjoyable on the burger. I suspect they soak them in water to mellow them out a bit. The super sauce was basically a thousand island sauce. All the ingredients tasted really fresh. My personal preference is to have pickles on my burgers, but this one didn’t have any. I actually didn’t miss them. The bun was nice, toasted, a little sweet, and held up to the meat and toppings.

The burgers were salty. I like places that aren’t afraid of salt, but this burger was a bit over the top. I suspect that it was the bacon plus the cheese that oversalted our burger. That was totally our bad and I would come back again to try their 1/3 burger without any add-ons. That being said, all the add-ons were really great quality. The bacon was nice and crispy. The avocado was a good ripeness (not too mushy, but not too hard . . . that’s what Wayne said!). The cheese was nice and gooey.

The overall construction of the burgers was good. The ratio of all things together was good. There was a really nice mouth feel to the burger. There was a lot of texture in it with all the toppings. DK reported that the double is too much meat. I know my motto is “always double”, but in this case try it the way they designed it. It’s clear that the people putting the menu together put some thought into it.

III. The Fries/Sides

The onion were rings very good and crispy, and they stayed with the breading. The fries seemed like they were battered. They were really crispy and tasty with just the right amount of salt. These, amazingly, stayed crispy even when they got cold. Not sure who sold their soul to the devil for that power, but I appreciate it!

IV. Miscellaneous

You order at the counter and all the workers are very friendly. There is a good amount of indoor and outdoor seating, and they have high chairs (win!). There is a TV inside to keep you entertained. They have beer on tap, and the selection is ooookay: 3 craft, 3 mainstream. They carry Stubborn soda, which is not my jam but others may like it. They also have a drive thru if you don’t want to eat there. They are located in a little strip mall so there’s lots of parking.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for the burger they ate. We would pay anywhere between $9.75 to $12.50 for these burgers, which means they’re pretty well priced!

VI. The Verdict

Like I have said, I think the chefs know what they’re doing. I would come back and try the basic 1/3 burger. I suspect it will be better than what we ate that day. The ratings: 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.7, 4.0. There’s certainly potential for growth here.

Next burger crew meeting: October 5, 2019, 12:30pm

Location: Dave’s burgers, Long Beach, CA

June 29, 2019

4505 Burgers & BBQ – San Francisco – 6/28/19

Our first burger of Burger Crew Does San Francisco!

Burger crew meeting called to order on Friday, June 29, 2019 at 8pm.

Members in attendance: Angela d., Sumana S., Trevor Y., Dennis, K., Wayne T., and Innie C.

Guests: Christian Y. and Isabel G.

I. Ordering
There’s only one burger – the Best Damn Grass Fed Cheeseburger – Quarter pound grass fed beef patty with lettuce, onion, Gruyere cheese, and secret sauce on a buttery, griddled sesame & scallion bun.

DK & Isa and Innie & Chris each split a single ($9.95) and added bacon (+$2).

Trev & I, Wayne, and Sumana got a double ($14.25). Trev and I added the bacon, but Wayne and Sumana got theirs as specified in the menu.

Innie & Chris also ordered the brisket fries – brisket & cheese melted together over crispy fries topped with salsa verde, pickled onions & house white sauce ($11.50). DK & Isa got the spicy fries – chimichurri sauce & lemon parsley aioli ($5.50).

II. The burgers
We had mixed reviews on this burger. I think it had to do with the doneness of the burger that people got as well as single vs. double. Trev & I, Wayne, and Sumana all got burgers that were done medium rare. They had good chew. The meat to bun ratio was perfect with the double patty. The meat was nicely seasoned and tasted beefier than expected (given it was grass fed). The bun was nice. You know I love me some sesame seeds! It held up to the juicy patty, but the burger was very slippery and difficult to eat. Sumana ended up taking out her lettuce because of it. The bacon was chewy and didn’t really add anything to the burger (I wouldn’t suggest adding the $2 for the bacon). I thought the Gruyere was excellent!

So Innie & Chris and DK & Isa had a single burger and both of their burgers were overdone. They came out well done instead of medium rare (which is supposedly their standard). Because the burger was overdone, they didn’t really taste any beefy flavor. The entire burger was really dry (bun and patty included). DK and Innie both said the burger had the texture of meatloaf. The chewy bacon was the highlight for DK (that’s how bad the burger was).

III. The Fries/Sides
Spicy fries were not spicy, but they were pretty delicious. Maybe they should call them chimichurri fries instead. The brisket fries were just okay, but as it cooled, all the sauce and stuff congealed. The brisket was pretty good, but we were not wowed.

IV. Miscellaneous
As for most places in the city, there is crappy parking. There was a very long line to order. Once you place your order, you find your own table. There is outdoor seating only, and tables are communal. It was cold AF. The heaters only point at half the tables and the other half is SOL. We got there at 7:45pm. The first burger came out at 8:41pm. The last burger came out at 8:50pm. So be prepared to wait for your food. They have utensils, napkins, and sauces at the table (mustard & vinegar, house white, bbq, & ketchup).

V. Value
I ask the members how much they would pay for the burger they ate. We would pay anywhere between $3 to $12 for these burgers, which means they’re a little more expensive than we would expect to pay (but I think that’s the San Francisco tax.

VI. The verdict
We were split on this burger. I think you need to go double patty and make sure you get it medium rare (send it back if it’s overdone) The ratings: 1.7, 2.5, 3.2, 3.7, 3.7, and 3.8.

Next burger crew meeting: however long it took us to walk to Black Sands (1/2 mile away). Location: Black Sands Brewery, San Francisco, CA.