burgercrewLA

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at noon. Welcome to 2026 where things are figuratively on fire, unlike last year when it was way more literal…

Members in attendance: Angela d., Trevor Y., Wayne T., Dennis K. (wave emoji), and Innie C.
Sliders in attendance: Marty, Ellis, and Molly
Special guest: Marissa G.

I. Ordering

Move aside Eat Fantastic *theatrical shove*… welcome to Beasties! where the line between burger and torta blurs to infinity. Ordering was a cinch since the burgers are named after the number of patties en español.

• Trev and Angela ordered a dos
• Innie ordered a dos
• Wayne ordered two unos
• DK and Marissa ordered an uno and two smash tacos
• Marty and Ellis ordered plain with cheese (off-menu)

Each burger came with a side of queso for dipping.

II. The Burgers

The potato buns were great: a little hint of sweetness, held up great without sogging. Great choice to go with this style of burger.

The patties are made of angus beef: a blend of chuck, brisket, and short rib. This was another great choice as the Crew really liked the primal beefiness, especially los amigos that ordered las doses. Great maillard and seared well, but not too much of that lacy skirt we love.

On top of the patties is a thin layer of chorizo. Very complementary on the dos but a smidge overpowering on the uno, so definitely go double if you want a burger experience and go uno if you’re fiending for a chorizo sandwich.

Whether you get an uno or dos (or heck, even a tres), you’re in for a flavor bomb of a meal. These burgers have great texture and flavor, and I haven’t even brought up the side of dipping queso which adds a whole ‘nother dimension.

III. The Sides

Pretty good standard cut, crispy french fries. Goes well with the queso dip if you’re into that. The smash tacos were pretty tasty too; better than the uno but probably not better than the dos.

IV. Miscellaneous

While there’s plenty of parking spots, there aren’t many spots to park your tushie (patio seating only, not many that are kid-friendly). Food comes out pretty quickly though; feels like a eat-and-go kind of place.

V. Value

I asked the members how much they would pay for the burger they ate. Their responses ranged from $7 to $14.

VI. The Verdict

The scores: 3.4, 3.5, 4.0, 4.0, 4.3 – which on average is about a half point higher than the previous tenant, Eat Fantastic. Welcome to the neighborhood, Beasties! Hope you stick around.

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Saturday, December 13, 2025 at noon. The last burger crew meeting of 2025!

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

I. Ordering

Trev and I shared the OG with double beef patties – American cheese, pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup on a toasted Brioche bun ($12) and an order of Parmesan & truffle fries – grated parmesan, truffled garlic salt ($6.50).

Innie got the Korean Banger (I mean, how do you not get a burger named after yourself?) – American cheese, crispy beans, kimchi mayo, crispy onions, pickles, lettuce, Korean sesame jam ($16).

DK got the Fire Starter with double beef patties – white cheddar, fried jalapenos, pickles, haystack onions, American cheese, and honey Chipotle sauce on a toasted brioche bun ($13). He also got the buffalo fries (crispy lemon onions, buffalo sauce, fresh jalapenos, ranch dressing – $7.95) and a side of beef pepperoni chips ($1).

Wayne got the Patty Boy with lamb patties – white cheddar, beef pepperoni chips, tomato, hickory sauce, mustard pickle slaw ($16). Wayne has a thing for ordering a burger named after the restaurant and also lamb. To be fair, I still think about that lamb burger we had at Badmaash 🤔

II. The Burgers

The consensus on this burger was that the meat was good, but could have been improved greatly by more seasoning and more smash. In a world of smash patties, this one seemed half heartedly pressed. Maybe the chef just needs a little more rage to get the proper lace on these burgers to put them over the top.

These are messy burgers with lots of stuff on them. The key is to never put the burger down so you maintain your grip on the burger.

Everything else on the burger was fine. The bun was fine. The toppings were all fine. Innie did note that her Korean sesame jam was not spicy at all; and with a name like Korean Banger, how do you not have any heat?

III. The Sides

The fries were good! They used good potatoes. Our truffle parmesan fries were a little underwhelming. We had quite a spirited discussion about when you name the fries truffle and parmesan, there’s a certain level of expectation that’s often hard to meet. So perhaps, they should just be called fries and when you get some truffle aroma and a dabble of parmesan, you will be happily surprised. The key is to underpromise and over deliver; you know, like when airlines overestimate your flight time.

DK’s buffalo fries were kid of redundant with his burger. He liked the bits with more of the buffalo sauce on it. Also, the beef pepperoni chips were a disappointment. Pepperoni is already so amazing, frying it just looped it around to lame. Let’s just let pepperoni be pepperoni.

IV. Miscellaneous

They have a paid lot in the back where they validate for an hour, but there is also some limited street parking and meter parking that we all opted for. They have nice bathrooms and a good amount of seating that’s appropriate for a lot of different sized parties. We were able to find a booth to seat us all, which is more rare than you might think.

They have fountain drinks (Coke products because Pepsi is never okay) and the food came out fast. Important to note that it’s in a good neighborhood and we didn’t need to fear for our lives (which may partially explain the lower ratings since danger = better flavor; at least according to Wayne).

There is also a candy shop attached to it, but you need to get someone to let you in.

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $7.50 to $14. A lot of variance here. Apparently someone (*cough cough* Trev *cough cough*) forgot we live in LA.

VI. The Verdict

Given that Wayne forgot to pick a place and choose this place in a panic, it was aight. I wouldn’t come back. The ratings: 3.1, 3.2, 3.5, 3.5, and 4.0.

This is a streamlined review of Softies Burger in Los Angeles.

Angela and Trevor got the Crispy Shroom burger with tots, Innie got an Aji double, DK got both an Aji single and Lil Softie with loaded fries, and I got an Aji double with fries.

Crispy Shroom burger: Angela and Trevor were divided, with Angela liking the burger itself and Trevor not liking the burger but liking the fried enoki mushrooms as a standalone food item because the stringiness of the mushrooms doesn’t lend itself well to being a faux burger patty. Angela thought it had good flavor with great battered crunch and didn’t think it was too stringy, but as a single “patty” burger, the patty to everything else ratio was off. Trevor wished the pickled red onions were more pickled to give the burger more acid. Angela said the burger was a good idea for a vegetarian burger but she wouldn’t get it again.

Aji burgers: Everyone thought the aji sauce was really good and that there was a good amount of pickled jalapenos that provided a nice kick and crunch for the burgers. The patties on their own weren’t the most amazing patties but the burger as a whole was greater than the sum of its parts and everyone really liked the aji burgers, including Angela and Trevor after finishing the rest of Innie’s burger.

Lil Softie: Just meat, cheese, and buns. Less of a flavor bomb than the aji burgers but more burger-y on a basic level. The patty was thicker than the aji’s and the meat/cheese/bun ratio was good even for a single.

Tots: Hot and crispy. Great tots.

Fries: Also hot and crispy with good potato flavor. They had a lot of seasoning but could’ve used more salt.

Loaded fries: Basically the fries form of the aji burger, with patty, cheese, aji sauce, and jalapenos. A little heavy on the seasoning and DK wouldn’t get them again if he was also getting an aji burger, but it was otherwise good.

Misc: No fountain drinks, self-serve water, parking at USC Village, plenty of indoor/outdoor seating.

Scores/Value:
Angela: 3.7, $14
DK: 4.1, $13
Innie: 4.6, $16
Trevor: 3.2, $8.50
Wayne: 4.2, $12

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!