burgercrewLA

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

We met on Main Street in a little beach town El Segundo that’s surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, LAX, and a Water Treatment Plant. The area is well known to have a lot tech companies nearby and precovid meant that there were lots of great food options to feed the engineers during lunch. I wish this place existed back then because it is GREAT.

I. Ordering

Wayne – Hickory Double + Dirty Fries

Angela and Trev – Hickory Double + Regular Fries

Innie – Classic Burger Double + Regular Fries

DK – White Boy with chopped chillies + Dirty Fries

II. The Burgers

Really good.

REALLLLLYY GOOD.

They have figured out the art of making the perfect smash patty. It’s tasty and seasoned perfectly. Yummy crispy texture on the outside and perfectly delicious in the center. The center of the burger is the same experience as getting getting the coveted center portion of a giant cinnamon roll.

Did you know you can buy just the centers?

“They hit all the notes” – DK
Toasted bun, great sear, and everyone loved the bacon jam that was JUST the right amount of sweetness. Also the BBQ sauce had more twang and less sweet which helped the balance between the meaty cheesy and sweetness. It’s the perfect blend of savory and sweet. I also happened to be only person to notice that it was a “spicy bbq” sauce on the menu. I guess I’m the only with the perfect palate.

Note: for those that have taste buds that are dead, you can ask for banana peppers.

III. Sides

We only ordered the regular fries and the dirty fries.
Definitely shoe strings fries, we didn’t have measure them (official measuring device must be stuck at customs due to tariffs or something). Salted generously in a good way with great crunch. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

The dirty fries were very cheesy with a healthy serving of the delicious grilled onions.

IV. Miscellaneous

They are moving to a new location down the street to the former location of Big Mike’s which has it’s own dedicated parking lot. The current location (which is no longer there at the time of writing this review) is directly next door to an old school sandwich shop – Rinaldi’s.

V. Value

How much we’d pay for this burger
Trevor – 5.0 $15
I loved this burger gave it the highest score. It had the x-factor.

Wayne 4.5 $12

Angela 4.6 $13

Innie 4.2 $12

DK 4.8 $15

Considering how great these burgers are we find these to be a pretty dang good value

VI. The Verdict

This burger was SOO good, I went back and ordered a dessert burger. As if that wasn’t an indicator, Angela finished the burger when I wasn’t looking. I can count on 1 hand how many times she’s done that with a burger we’ve shared. And the service? That was the cherry on top of this already delicious metaphorical sundae.

Next Burger Crew meeting scheduled for 11/8/2025 at Softies across the street from University of South Central.

Burger Crew Meeting called to order Saturday, September 13th, 2025 at 12p.

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, DK, Wayne, and myself (Innie)

Guest starring: Marissa and Molly

I. Ordering

Wayne ordered the Hellapeno (two 3oz patties, pepperjack cheese, grilled onions, pork bacon, jalapeños, onion rings, smack sauce, Mikes hot honey, $12.25) and a side of waffle fries ($5).

Angela and Trev ordered the Big Smack (two 3oz patties, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, smack sauce, $9.50) and a side of waffle fries.

I ordered the Baydestrian (two 3oz patties, American cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, smack sauce, $10), and added pickles and jalapenos (at no additional charge).

DK ordered the Big Smack and an order of Smack Fries (patty, American cheese, grilled onions, smack sauce, $9).

Marissa ordered the Plain Jane (two patties, American cheese, $8.25)

II. The Burgers

We at Burger Crew are unabashed gluttons for that lace, and the lace on these smash burgers was truly impressive.  The edges of the patty were crunchy and crisp, almost as if they were deep fried. There was no shortage of lace, either, as the patties extended far past the edges of the buns.  The seasoning was conspicuously peppery, which we all personally enjoyed, and the cheese was appropriately melty and gooey.  

All the burgers came with double patties by default, which provided a balanced ratio of meat to cheese to bun.  Through pure anecdotal evidence (which to be fair, we have a lot of), we’ve found that providing single smash patty options only serves to offer a subpar burger experience.  I myself have fallen for that mistake too often.  As wise men say, when in Rome, just order the double patty.

Most of our burgers came with Smack sauce, which Angela speculated was like a thousand island sauce with mustard.  Trev was a huge fan of the Smack sauce, and even though he thought that the burger didn’t necessarily need more, the extra sauce served on the side was a nice flavor enhancer.

The jalapenos in Wayne’s Hellapeno burger turned out to be spicier than he expected.  He thought it was on the verge of being too hot for his personal taste. I also had added jalapenos to my Baydestrian, and while they had some kick, I enjoyed their level of heat. The peppers were thinly sliced, and I appreciated that they were generously portioned and evenly distributed.

Per the Hellapeno description, the burger is served with bacon (explicitly listed as “pork bacon” in the menu, presumably to avoid confusion with vastly inferior bacon imposters. *Cough* turkey *cough*). Wayne realized that he actually didn’t notice the bacon, but also didn’t necessarily notice its absence either.  Wayne was of the opinion that this was inherently a bad thing; he considers bacon a selling point, so he wants to notice it.  However, others opined that if one didn’t necessarily miss it, it still played a significant supporting role in the enjoyment of the burger.  Other elements in the Hellapeno included hot honey and pepper jack cheese, but Wayne did not have any particular memory of these elements either. It’s our theory that Wayne’s tastebuds were overwhelmed and overstimulated by the aforementioned jalapenos.

III. Sides

There were absolutely no complaints with the waffle fries; they were seasoned well, fried very nicely, and served generously. We weren’t sure if they were battered or double fried, but they had a great crunch. 

DK’s Smack Fries were also a huge hit with everyone. The hot honey was a surprisingly subtle and delicious touch, complementing the savoriness of the cheese, grilled onions, and patty. I actually avoided ordering the Hellapeno burger due to its inclusion of hot honey, thinking that I would find the flavor too sweet and at odds with the other ingredients. It actually turned out to be both mildly sweet and almost savory.  Wayne noted that the fries in mere contact with the patties were imbibed with a nice smokey char flavor.

IV. Miscellaneous

According to their Instagram, Smack Burgers started out as a pop up in the Bay Area, expanding into brick and mortar locations in both Los Angeles and San Leandro.  This Los Angeles location opened up about a year ago.

There is a parking lot with a decent amount of spots.  It’s located less than a block before the 10W freeway entrance, so your experience with traffic in the area may vary.  There was no public restroom.

In a nice contrast to our experience at Hammy’s Smash Burgers on the other end of Koreatown, we felt very safe here.

V. Value

The crew was asked how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices ranged mostly from $12 to $13, with one outlier of $16.

VI. The Verdict

Solid choice by DK! Our ratings were 4.5, 4.1, 4.0, 4.1, and 3.8.

Next Burger Crew meeting scheduled for 10/25/2025 at Spread, Please! in El Segundo.

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Friday, June 20, 2025 at whatever time we got there (Burger Crew Does Salt Lake City).

Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Sumana S., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis, K. and Innie C.

Fancy burger crew guests: Will G. and Marissa G.

I. Ordering

DK and Marissa weren’t feeling too fancy, so they opted for a single Plain Luxury – Hokkaido milk bun, custom beef blend patty with sharp American cheese and kewpie mayo ($6.50) with jalapenos on the side and the Blood Orange Beet salad – Fresh citrus, beets, feta, roasted pistachio, house pickled onions, house blush wine vinaigrette ($14 full). As we get older, we see the importance of having some fiber with our copious amounts of beef.

Trev and I split a double Classic – Hokkaido milk bun, custom beef blend patty, sharp American cheese, kewpie mayo, lettuce, and tomato ($10.90).

Innie, Wayne, Sumana, and Will also split a double Classic (with a side of jalapenos). Yes, you heard it right, 4 people splitting a single burger. To be fair, it was already the 3rd burger of the day and we still had all-you-can-eat at the Salt Lake City Bee’s game coming up.

II. The Burgers

You know what makes me feel fancy? Lace. And this burger was decked out in a beautiful smash patty lace that’s hard to find consistently at places that claim to have smash burgers. So Fancy delivered in that area. The crunchy edges were my favorite; I found myself eating around the edges, but unfortunately, there was just no pop of flavor from the beef. I really want to know I’m eating a cow instead of just inferring it.

The Hokkaido milk bun definitely sounded fancy. They were good, squishy, and slightly sweet. Our bun was falling apart at the bottom. Pro tip 💡unwrap your burger right away so it doesn’t get steamed and disintegrate your bottom bun.

Toppings? It was on the high end of the mayo spectrum (some liked it while others didn’t care for it). The tomato was cut thin (which I appreciated) and some mixed green salad on top. It didn’t add much to the burger (but Innie appreciated the texture it provided). The jalapenos are house made with capers and onions as well and pack a punch in terms of spice.

III. The sides

The salad was delicious and refreshing. It did feel very fancy with beets, blood oranges, and pistachios.

IV. Miscellaneous

It looks like they used to have a brick and mortar online, but they are in the process of moving to a bigger location. So we had a privilege to eat from their fancy truck. Props to the chef who was toiling in a hot truck on a hot day to deliver these burgers. We ate under easy ups feeling not-so-fancy, but I’m sure once their new location is done, it will be great. Sumana noted that she didn’t get a receipt and had no opportunity to tip.

Since it was a food truck, there was no bathroom available, but I think the owner came by to check on us and allowed us to use the bathroom in the prom dress place (that they’re transforming into their new location). So he was super nice!

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $11 to $13. So they are well priced burgers!

VI. The Verdict

Very solid smashburger that had a bad luck of following Mosida Market Butcher Block. Had we not just eaten their burger (which was amazing, by the way), the ratings here would have likely been higher. Despite the heat and very unfancy location, we enjoyed these burgers very much. For those who will enjoy it in their new location, I’m sure you’ll have a great experience. The ratings: 3.7, 3.8, 3.8, 4.0, 4.0, and 4.4.

Next location for Burger Crew Does Salt Lake City: Copper Onion

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Friday, June 20, 2025
(Burger Crew Does Salt Lake City).

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

Honorary burger crew members: Will and Marissa.

I will preface this review that I got chosen to write this one because I didn’t give a single vote as my top 6 for this trip. I completely poopoo-d the burger based on it’s look of the burger and the establishment.
I was completely wrong with my judge-a-book-by-it’s-cover snap reaction. Upon stepping into the restaurant I felt like I stepped back in time to 1985 and Burger King and Carrow’s had a baby. The decor felt very dated but also well maintained. However, the burger absolutely shined and it’s quite possible the idiom “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” was coined because of Crown Burger. Judging from my experience I would believe they haven’t changed a thing and never needed to.

I. Ordering

Angela & Trevor – Double Pastrami
Innie – Crown Burger Double (split with Sumana)
Wayne – Double Crown Burger
DK/Marissa – Single Crown + Cheese Fries
Will – Gyro Plate

II. The Burgers

First of all, it’s increasingly rare to find burger buns with sesame seeds. The patties felt very avg fast food style patty. If you told me it was frozen, I would absolutely believe it. But the PASTRAMI. Huge win. It was lean in a good way and super tender. We also found that the double beef patty with the pastrami had just the right ratio. You can opt for the single patty if you want a pastrami forward experience. Can’t really go wrong with either, just depends on which adventure you want to go on.

Back to the patty, it was seasoned well enough albeit a little chewy. I can’t imagine it’s top grade beef blend that’s cut and blended in-house.

III. The sides

Sweet Potato Fries – SPOT ON crispy and potato-ey. Very impressed. Usually these are one or the either and rarely both. Great job Crown Burger.

Cheese Fries – best described as “MEH” with the melted shredded cheese. The fries were also thick cut.

Gyro – Does this count as a side? Yes! Side to our burgers. Great portions with lots of meat and dressing although the “pita” was soso and honestly not needed.

IV. Miscellaneous

I

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $11 to $17. You’ll find a pretty good value here with friendly service!

VI. The Verdict

V The ratings: 3.7, 3.8, 3.8, 4.0, 4.0, and 4.4.

Next location for Burger Crew Does Salt Lake City: Mosida Market

So a little birdie told me that we have a reader (which is one more reader than I thought we had) that was clamoring to know about the burger crew trip to Salt Lake City. With life being life and no accountability other than our (very quiet) voices of responsibility, we have not posted about things that have happened 3 months ago.

I decided to do a quick recap of our trip. This one goes out to you, Mark!

Cutthroat Burger

We visited cutthroat, which is a food truck that was parked outside Saltfire Brewing. They showed a deep dedication to burgers by continuing to cook burgers sitting in a metal food truck in over 100 degree weather.

Crown Burger

This Salt Lake City institution was recommended by my co-worker. So we arrived before they opened and got a well-deserved breakfast burger.

Mosida Market

After some miscommunications and lack of reading/following itineraries, we finally ended up at Mosida Market.

This was the burger highlight of the trip! It’s also a butcher shop so they know their meat. The meat was amazing and the sauce was so addictive we had to push it away before we drank it by the gallon

Fancy Burger

This was another purveyor of hot burgers cooked in a hot hunk of metal.

They had the poor luck of following Mosida Market. The burger was actually very good, but with Mosida Market beef juice still on our fingertips, we didn’t enjoy it as much as we could have had we come on a different day with empty stomachs.

Copper Onion

This burger showed up on many “best of” lists. And it lives up to its name. It is definitely an onion burger.

Franklin Avenue

Our last burger stop in Salt Lake City was Franklin Avenue, where everything sounded amazing. All the food was amazing, but the burger was just okay.

So there may or may not be more detailed reviews coming at each of the burger crew members’ discretion. Keep an eye out!

Thanks Salt Lake City!

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at noon (Angela’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Innie C., and the other Korean member (아~ 저예요!)

참석한 슬라이더: 마티, 엘리스

I. 주문하기

팬더를 보지 마세요! 창문이나 웹사이트에 더 좋은 메뉴가 있습니다.

• 트레브와 안젤라는 더블 치즈버거 와 컬리 감자튀김 주문했습니다
• 웨인은 더블 치즈버거 와 컬리 감자튀김 주문했습니다
• 이니는 더블 치즈버거를 주문했습니다
• 천재인 저는 ube 슬라이더를 주문했습니다

II. 버거

이름에 빵 말장난을 사용하는 곳의 매력 중 하나는 빵이어야 한다는 것입니다. 하지만 그룹의 80%에게는 중요하지 않았습니다. 가장 큰 불만은 판데살을 기대하고 있었지만 받은 것이 매우 부드러웠다는 것이었습니다(그녀는 그렇게 말했습니다).

소고기 패티의 식감은 거의 그릴 위에서 익히지 않고 찐 것처럼 부드러웠습니다. 고운 갈아서 가죽 같은 느낌을 주었기 때문에 더 많은 마이야르를 사용할 수 있었을 것입니다.

가장 좋았던 부분은 소스와 치즈가 유화되어 끈적끈적한 맛으로 변했다는 점입니다. 전반적으로 재미있는 버거 콘셉트였지만 필리핀 맛이 많이 나지 않고 지저분했습니다.

III. 반찬

곱슬곱슬한 감자튀김은 정말 환상적이었어요.

IV. 여러가지 종류의

샌드위치 보드를 믿지 말고 창문에 있는 메뉴를 보세요.

V. 가치

멤버들에게 햄버거에 얼마를 지불할 것인지 물었습니다. 우리는 $10에서 $15 사이의 가격을 지불할 것입니다. 따라서 이 햄버거의 가격은 맞습니다.

VI. 평결

귀엽지만 피누이들이 조금 더 원하게 만듭니다. 평점: 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.8, 4.3

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Wednesday, July 2, 2025 at 7pm(Wayne’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela d. (that’s me!), Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K., and Innie C.

I. Ordering

Pretty simple menu with a focus on smash burgers

Trev and I ordered a BBQ Bacon Smash [double] + raw onions and pickles ($12 + 3 for the extra patty). We also got the bacon cheese fries ($7) and a Starry ($2).

Wayne got the Double Smash + pickles, tomato, raw onion, and cheese ($11). He also got an order of fries ($4).

DK got a Bacon Smash + jalapenos (+$1), cheese, and pickles ($11). He also got fries ($4).

Innie ordered a jalapeno smash + cheese, tomato, pickles, and raw onions ($9).

I feel like our Korean members typically order the same burger. If they both wanted bacon and jalapenos, would it be cheaper to start with a bacon smash and add jalapenos or start with a jalapeno smash and add bacon?

II. The Burgers

When we walked in, the delicious smell of maillard hit us in the face. These burgers had a lot of promise as much of taste is impacted by smell. These were truly smashed burgers. There was a lot of caramelization and a great skirt. I thought it was a tad bit oversmashed as the resulting patty ended up too dry and falling apart. As part of his contrarian nature, Wayne disagreed with me. But we all agreed that the overall experience of the burger was “crunchy bland”. We needed more meatiness from the patty and probably more seasoning as well.

In terms of toppings, the jalapeno smash had a spicy burger sauce that wasn’t too spicy (calibrate for Korean palate), but the jalapenos overpowered the entire burger (perhaps because it was a single). The BBQ bacon double smash was very messy and the onion ring was fine. I just didn’t get enough flavor.

III. The Sides

– Method Cooked: Double fried
– Moisture Content: Medium. There was definitely a nice potatoey-ness to the fries.
– Category: These are battered fries
– Flavor: Great flavor. They look really sad, but don’t let appearances fool you. They are crunchy, potatoey (in the best way), and had a great flavor.
– Seasoning: salt. The Bacon Cheese fries were way too much. The fries alone were good enough, no need to spend an extra $3 to get extra sodium and calories. Much more enjoyable to get these fries sans toppings

IV. Miscellaneous

Soooooo, this location isn’t in the best neighborhood. We encountered some sketchy looking people walking to the restaurant. And there was this guy who came in saying that he left his burger in here yesterday and that they should give him another one. The workers seemed really vigilant of this and guided this person out of the restaurant. Perhaps consider going to the Westwood location.

It’s in LA so street parking, but it’s free after 6pm (just be mindful of where you park).

This place is pretty small. There are 7 tables. You order at the kiosk so minimal human interaction is required to eat here. There is a small bathroom available. And the wait was a bit long. The fryer was slow as well. DK’s fries didn’t come until we were almost done with our burgers. They have canned soda and no free water available.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $9 to $14. So these burgers are priced right.

VI. The Verdict

Great crunch, solid fries, but the burger needs more soul. It’s all looks and no substance. The ratings: 3.0, 3.2, 3.7, 3.7, and 4.1.

Next burger crew meeting will be at Panda Sal’s in Bellflower!

Burger Crew meeting called to order on May 18, 2025.

Members in attendance: Angela, DK, Innie, Trevor, and Wayne (myself)

I. Ordering

DK and Innie: Lil’ Simmzy’s Burger (Simmzy’s own angus beef patties, american cheese, romaine lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli) and Mixed Bag of sides (half French fries, half sweet potato fries)

DK: also ordered 15 Minute Wings (Spicy and sweet sauce with homemade blue cheese dressing to cool ‘em down)

Trevor/Angela: Billionaire Burger (Mishima reserve American wagyu beef, pretzel bun, Hook’s 5 Year aged cheddar, Nueske’s candied bacon, pickles, horseradish mayo) and Mixed Bag

Wayne: Bacon Blue Deluxe Burger (Simmzy’s own angus beef patty topped w/ blue cheese, candied bacon, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli, frizzled shallots) and Sweet Potato fries. I also substituted the candied bacon with peppered bacon

II. Burgers

Starting with the Even, there were no redeeming qualities about them. They were overcooked (some to the point that they were just burnt), under-seasoned, and just didn’t taste like beef. The grind was coarse and loosely packed, but they were just incredibly dry when biting into them even if they weren’t well-done. Even McDonald’s has juicier patties.

The menu also doesn’t advertise the Lil’ Simmzy as having smash patties, but our waitress told us they were. Maybe she didn’t understand what a smash patty actually was, but they were just standard thin patties with no smash/lace that you would expect from a true smash patty. Innie’s initial impression of her burger on first bite was that there was some smoke flavor but she quickly realized that it was literally just ash from being burnt. DK’s was a little less overcooked but definitely still overcooked, as was my Bacon Blue Deluxe burger. Mine was ok for a “backyard” style burger, but far from ok for a restaurant serving a supposedly premium burger. Trevor didn’t think the patty in his Billionaire burger was TOO dry, and it might’ve been because it was a wagyu beef patty.

As far as non-patty complaints go, DK didn’t like the positioning of the garlic aioli on his burger, which was on the top bun. It would be better to have sauces on the bottom bun so that it hits the tongue first. Angela also didn’t think that the bacon in her burger was thick enough for a billionaire; even the bacon she eats at home is better. Since I subsituted candied bacon in my burger for peppered bacon, I’m assuming that I got the same bacon and I agree that it should be much thicker if it’s supposed to be in a “billionaire” burger. The pretzel bun in the Billionaire burger was “fine” and so uneventful that Trevor didn’t even notice that it wasn’t a traditional bun.

Aside from the mediocre patty in my Bacon Blue Deluxe burger, I actually thought that the rest of the toppings were pretty good, but the patty really brought things down, and this was really a common theme among all of the burgers.

III. Sides

The regular fries were shoestring style and nobody had any complaints about them other than Angela preferring thicker shoestring fries. The sweet potato fries were actually really good. A normal complaint about sweet potato fries that we have is that they usually don’t deliver on how good sweet potato fries actually could be, and these actually delivered. They were crispy on the outside, which is very hard to do with sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were definitely the winner of the whole meal.

There was nothing exceptional about the 15 Minute Wings but they were decently good for chicken wings. They were a little on the small side, which limited how juicy they could be on the inside, but they were executed about as well as they could’ve been given the circumstances.

IV. Misc

The restaurant is located on 2nd Street in Long Beach, where parking can be difficult to find (meters close to the shopping area and residential just beyond it).

V. Rating/Value/Verdict

Angela: 2.3/$13
DK: 1.5/$8.50
Innie: 2.5/$10
Trevor: 1.4/$11
Wayne: 2.4/$12

Despite being a Long Beach institution, Simmzy’s falls really short, and Trevor has been put on notice that his membership with Burger Crew is in jeopardy.

Next Burger Meeting will be our annual trip, this time in Salt Lake City, starting tonight (June 18)!

7454 1/2 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036

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

What an absolute gem of a burger stand in the heart of the Fairfax District in LA. Burger She Wrote was created by pro skater Don Nguyen and friend Steve Arroyo. The namesake would imply a play on words to the hit TV show Murder She Wrote helmed by Angela Lansbury in the 80s. The real mystery to me is how this restaurant only has 3.5 stars on yelp. It is criminally underrated and deserves a stop by anyone seeking a top tier burger in LA.

I. Ordering

Trevor and Angela – Oklahoma Burger Double, Smash Burger Double, Hand Cut Fries
Wayne – Oklahoma Burger Double, Hand Cut Fries
DK – Oklahoma Burger Double, dessert Smash Burger Single
Innie – Oklahoma Burger Double

Oklahoma Burger

Smash Burger

II. The Burger
The burgers are made fresh and fast and come out HOT. Absolute perfect smash patty. It brought me back to the days of my first time at Burgers Never Say Die. The sear is what all smash burger joints should aspire to. As a one-two punch to the perfect sear the seasoning was spot on. It’s like they found the maximum amount of allowable seasoning and backed it off a smidge.

“’Give me the ‘maximum-strength.’‘Give me the maximum allowable human dosage.’ ‘Figure out what will kill me and then back it off a little bit.’”—Jerry Seinfeld,”

Pickles were pickley, thick and plentiful and the buns where Kings Hawaiian Rolls which were soft but held up and gave a subtle sweetness that was welcomed. We found the that the double burger is an ideal ratio for bun to meat however a Single burger also holds it’s own and is a great option as a dessert burger as our member DK opted in in.

As for the Oklahoma Burger vs Smash Burger? It’s purely subjective. Pick whichever one speaks to you more. My previous oklahoma buger experience at Tripp’s Burgers did sour my perception on oklahoma style. However, Burger She Wrote has completely restored my faith. You can’t go wrong with either burger.

III. The Sides
Shoestring? Our official fry width measuring device must be stuck in a shipping container in china due to the tariffs. In general the fries felt over fried and had more of potato-chippy exterior instead of the satisfying cripness you may find at a McDonald’s.

IV. Miscellaneous
The space is VERY small. There’s a standup style counter inside that can probably fit 4 people comfortably. The rest of the seating is on the sidewalk in front with makeshift tables and benches. It’s in a residential neighborhood with decent amount of foot traffic. Feel free to explore the local shops. Lastly, no bathroom.

V. Value
We rated how much we’d pay for our burgers and it ranged from $11-$13 which is quite possibly the closest price distribution in burger crew history.

VI. The Verdict
Absolute elite burger in Los Angeles. High quality meat with high level of execution and worth a visit especially if you’re in the area. The crew concurred with ratings of: 4.8, 4.5, 4.6, 4.5, 4.7.

Next burger crew meeting: Sunday, May 18 – Simmzy’s – Long Beach

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, March 8, 2025 (DK’s pick).

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and me (Innie)

Guest: Marissa

I. Ordering

It actually happened.  Wayne’s and my incessant references to steamed hams finally manifested into an official Burger Crew selection.  At this time of year, in this part of the country, localized entirely within the Mari Vees diner, we all sat down for an unforgettable luncheon of steamed ham(burgers with cheese).

Mari Vee’s offerings include a few different burgers, but all of them feature a steamed beef patty.  Angela, Trevor, and Wayne ordered The Champ ($25), which is topped with mustard, onions, cheddar, pastrami, bacon, avocado, and a fried egg. 

The menu proudly proclaims that this menu item was the winner of the “LA vs SF Burger Battle”, which naturally begs the question of what this burger was called before the battle. And if it didn’t win, would we be eating The Runner Up?

DK and I ordered the Mari Vees Steamed Cheeseburger ($18), which was topped with mustard, onions, cheddar, and bacon.

Also offered on the menu, but not ordered by anyone at this meeting, is the Not So Smashed Burger ($18), with American cheese, smash sauce, pickles, onions, tomatoes, and lettuce.  

All burgers were served on brioche buns and came with french fries.

II. The Burgers

DK, our newly appointed steamed ham historian, provided the crew with a brief backstory on the origin of steamed cheeseburgers.  The steamed cheeseburger was popularized in the 1920s in Connecticut (not Albany, as many would believe).  Cheeseburgers were in high demand, resulting in lots of experimentation using various cooking methods.  One of these new ideas included the use of a steam cabinet, which could accommodate several tin trays of ground beef patties at one time.  The steamed cheeseburger is still a regional dish found throughout Central Connecticut today, with the most famous establishment (Ted’s Restaurant) having served them since the 1950’s.

Fast forward a century, and the general consensus by Burger Crew is that the steamed cheeseburger is just okay.  We came with open minds and palates, but the lack of Maillard was too disappointing for us to ignore.  A good sear is one of our favorite parts of a burger, and this version of patty couldn’t compare to the experiences we’ve had with grilled or griddled burgers.  The patties by themselves also didn’t seem well seasoned, which we speculated could have resulted from the seasoning steaming/sweating off of the patties as they cooked.

The steaming did result in a very tender, juicy patty, which we could appreciate as a draw for some customers.  The size and texture of the patty was akin to a very thick slice of meatloaf.  There was a lot of mustard flavor present on all of our burgers.  No one thought it was excessive, but it was probably one step below being overly mustardy.  Trev thought that the strong presence of both the onion and the mustard helped cut through a lot of the richness of The Champ, which was heavy on the beef and the toppings.

The pastrami on The Champ was described by the members as very good.  It added a peppery, salty element, and even though there were only a few thin slices piled on top, it was one of Angela’s favorite parts of her burger.  The fried egg was nicely cooked with a runny yolk.  However, Angela thought that the egg and the avocado felt unnecessary to the overall composition of the burger.  The creaminess, richness and fat in the burger resulted in both components simply getting lost within the rest of the toppings.

For both The Champ and The MV, there was an abundance of cheddar cheese, but cheddar’s natural tendency to congeal just caused it to mostly slide off of the patty.  

Angela noticed that the bun had a nice toast, which provided one of the few crunchy elements to the burger.  There was a noticeable lack of pickles, which would have added more textural contrast against the softness of the patty.

III. The Sides

The fries served alongside our burgers were delicious. They were thick cut and battered fries with a nice amount of seasoning salt.  They came piping hot (Wayne compared them to the surface of the sun) and crispy, with fluffy insides.

IV. Miscellaneous

There was a single bathroom accessible through the kitchen, which was a little awkward when trying to avoid food runners and servers during the lunch rush.  Wayne parked in the smallish lot adjacent to the plaza and declared it to be chaos.  The lines on the ground are apparently drawn purely for decorative purposes.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers. The prices given were $16, $20, and $15 for The Champ, and $17 and $17 for The Mari Vees.

VI. The Verdict

While we enjoyed trying out a new twist to our beloved burgers, we believe there is a reason why steaming is not a popular option in the burger scene.

These were the ratings given by the crew: 3.6, 3.6, 3.7, 3.0, and 2.8.

Nex Burger Crew meeting will be April 27, 2025 at Burger She Wrote.