burgercrewLA

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Sunday, August 30, 2026 at 7p.

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

Our first Burger Crew meetup post Oahu trip!  We thought we could escape the summer heat and humidity by returning to LA, but the joke was on us…  We came back to literal Amazon rainforest weather.

I. Ordering

The menu consists of a few select burgers: A single, double, or triple smash, a grilled cheese smash, and a special called the Billionaire Bacon Burger.  Wayne, Angela, and Trevor opted to go for the Billionaire Bacon Burger (double meat, double cheese, candied bacon, bacon jam; $15) with a side of crinkle cut fries ($4). DK ordered the double smash burger ($12) with a side of cheese fries ($5).  I also ordered the double smash burger, and somehow managed to unintentionally order an additional single smash burger ($8).  I regret nothing.

II. The Burgers

The resounding opinion of the Billionaire Burger crowd was that it was SWEET.  Not in the figurative, surfer version of the word, but very much in the literal sense.

The bacon jam and the candied bacon joined forces to smother out any other flavors in the burger, which was a shame because the patties had a great beefy flavor and were perfectly seasoned when tasted alone.  The crew said that the burger would have been improved by the addition of pickles and/or mustard to balance out the flavor profile.  Wayne also noted that the candied bacon were in thin slices.  He surmised that the candy to bacon ratio was off, since a single layer of thick bacon wouldn’t be as sweet as many layers of thin candied bacon.

In contrast, the double smash burger was where this place shined.  The balance of cheese, beef, bun, and pickles was excellent, and DK and I found our burgers to be pretty flawless. The single smash burger was also delicious, but needed that extra patty to really achieve perfection.

My emergency surplus single smash burger proved to be useful and was sampled by the members who ordered the Billionaire. After tasting both burgers, the consensus was clearly that the Billionaire was not the flagship burger it initially seemed to be.

III. The Sides

The fries here are of the crinkle cut variety, and the quality of these fries (and all the delicious crinkle cuts in Oahu) really prove that the school lunch lads/ladies of our generation did us dirty.  These fries are thankfully far removed from the pale and soggy crinkle shaped potatoes that we got on our lunch trays; these were super crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and well seasoned. Trevor thought they were a tad overly salted, but Angela appreciated them as a nice palate cleanser between bites of her sweet bacon jam burger.

The cheese fries were relatively underwhelming.  The slice of cheese atop the fries was barely melted when served, and congealed quickly. Comparisons were made to in-n-out cheese fries (hint: not a compliment).

IV. Miscellaneous

Seating is covered patio only, and ordering is done via a Dutch door at the side of a restaurant called Neighbors & Friends. Seating is somewhat limited, but we didn’t observe any crazy crowds or lines when we were there.  Bathrooms are located inside the sister restaurant.  The surrounding area seemed to be a nice, quiet neighborhood and steet parking was plentiful.  The drinks menu had a decent selection of both regular and NA beers/canned cocktails.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers.  The value agreed upon for the double was $14, while the Billionaire burger had a range between $10 – $15. 

VI. The Verdict

Get the double smash!

*The ratings logic varied widely here, but ended up averaging out.  Wayne based his rating on solely the Billionaire burger, while Trev magnanimously gave his rating based on his bite of the single smash. Angela decided on her rating by averaging out her experience between the Billionaire and the double.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeese! This burger’s star was the cheese. And they did it incredibly well! I think the pro move here is to fold the cheese skirt into itself to cover every bite on the burger with this gooey and crunchy cheese. I don’t know how it’s possible that something could be both gooey and crunchy at the same time, but Pit Stop was able to defy logic.

Several different burgers here, so a lot of variety. The most thought and care has been put into “The One” and it was a damn good burger! The buns were good, but pretty dense so felt a bit bready. The Kaheka (beef/Portugese sausage blend) was good, but could have used more sauce! Overall, if you’re coming, be sure to get The One.

This was a last minute addition to our burger tour. We hit some logistical issues and didn’t get our car and therefore, couldn’t make it out of town for Whiskey Smoke 808 or Seven Brothers. So Betty’s Burgers to the rescue! This place is tucked in what feels like an alley and is easy to miss. They have basic diner style burgers. I ordered the teriyaki burger and enjoyed it since we’re in Hawaii! We hadn’t had a teri burger yet! The pineapple was very nice in this burger!

So Sumana (the MVP) waited in line early early early in the morning at the Kaka’ako Farmer’s Market to secure these highly coveted burgers. We can see why there’s the hype! This is a rich burger! Super truffly in the best way. Messy. Saucy. Delicious! Trev described it as if Boarded up by Chubbies and the Daley had an amazingly high achieving burger baby. The sauce on the side was crucial to add in order to add another flavor to break up the richness. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sumana!

This was a tale of 4 burgers. The Wayne, Innie, Trev, and Angela table both ordered the Carolina Onion, but both burgers came out differently. Ours had a random tomato (that was not part of the menu description). The Sumana, Will, DK, Marissa table both ordered the O.P. style and again, both burgers were noticeably different! Perhaps an issue of consistency. Regardless, this was also a solid burger. And just as we had at the Daley, excellent crinkle cut fries!

The Daley has a solid burger. They have a nice lace (on one side). Really nice sauce on this one and a nice flavor, but the patty could have used a bit more seasoning. It has a similar flavor profile to Everson Royce Bar and maybe could have used a hit of acid to round it out. Wonderful way to kick off Burger Crew Does Oahu!

So excited that we’re all in Hawaii and hanging out together again! Here’s a look back at our trip last year!

Now, in an effort to reduce friction and also try to remember things about these burgers, I’m going to be posting a quick summary of each burger. Reviewers are welcome to add on or completely write their own review! And here we gooooooooooooo

Burger Crew Meeting called to order on Sunday, May 3, 2026 at noon.

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

Guest starring: Marissa G.

I. Ordering

Given the name of the establishment, Trev and I had to get All In Combo – locally sourced prime cut beef patty, original recipe farm to table mushroom patty, house sauce, leaf lettuce, beefsteak tomato, diced onions, pickles, bacon, avocado, American cheese, on a fresh brioche bun ($21) that included a drink and fries. Trev also called an audible since they had a limited time offer of a double Poppychee for a low low price of $5.99.

Innie got the double poppychee – Our locally sourced prime cut beef patty, house sauce, pickles, caramelized onions, American cheese, on a fresh golden poppyseed bun ($5.99). After all those singles, she finally learned that double is usually the best way to go. She also got an order of onion rings ($5.25).

In true Wayne fashion, he ordered his food ahead on Door Dash. He got the Double Poppychee Combo witha Jarritos and changed the onions to grilled onions ($13.01) *shout out to Wayne for his excellent book keeping (I kept bugging him as I was writing this the day before our next meeting).

DK got 3 beef sliders – Locally sourced prime cut beef patty, house sauce, pickle, Hawaiian roll; and curly fries. Marissa rounded out their order with a Poppychee as well.

II. The Burgers

There was a lot of variability in these burgers. Let’s start with the sliders. DK said they were good, but could easily be made at home. They were single patties on Hawaiian rolls. Trev has made better sliders for us! Maybe it’s time for another burger crew home edition. DK said the sliders would have been better had they had more than 1 patty and used the intense amount of poppyseeds/sesame seeds as seen on the Poppychee.

Next up was the All In. As someone who loves mushroom patties on burgers (I’m looking at you, Shake Shack), I was sorely disappointed that a place called Mr. Mushrooms Burger Farm had such a terrible mushroom patty. It didn’t have that deep umami flavor that I was looking for in the mushroom patty. And all the rest of the toppings really worked hard to cancel out all the flavor in the burger. I should have followed my gut and never order a burger that has lettuce. Why would I want to add water to my burger?!?!

And I saved the best for last. Instead of Mr. Mushroom Burger Farm, maybe it should have been called Mr. Poppyseed Burger Farm because the poppyseeds and the sesame seeds on that bun were amazing. The double was the correct meat-to-bun ratio and the caramelized onions were chunky, the cheese was cheesy, and the sauce was very good. The pickles were very sweet bread and butter pickles, but the burger benefitted from that hit of sweetness. I miss when the default bun was a sesame seed bun instead of the glossy brioche buns we’ve gotten used to. This bun brought me back to better bun days.

III. The Sides

The fries were described as “long coated fries” and they were in-fact long and coated. They were more like steak fries that had been roughed up. They were crispy on the outside with a nice texture, but fluffy on the inside. The best steak fries we’ve had! To be fair, you don’t see steak fries all that often.

The curly fries were good! Standard, seasoned curly fries executed well. They spurred a spirited discussion on the difference between curly fries and curled fried potatoes.

The onion rings were fried well, but didn’t have much onion flavor to them. It definitely needed a dip. Good if you just want fried dough dipped in ranch, but pretty forgettable.

IV. Miscellaneous

The drinks are all in a fridge (so no fountain sodas). I love that they had Jarritos as well as Ito En teas (my fave). It’s Pasadena so street parking is limited, but there’s also a structure nearby for $12. Also, be careful on the ramp to the bathroom. Trev claimed it was slippery, but no one else had that issue. Maybe it’s time for new shoes 🤔

V. Value

I ask the members how much they would pay for their burgers. We would pay anywhere from $10 to $14. So that limited time deal for the Poppychee burger is a steal! Get it while you can!

VI. The Verdict

It was fun getting out to Pasadena (many of us hadn’t been in a while). The poppychee was a winner. I’m going to keep thinking about that bun. But don’t get any other burger on the menu! The ratings (these were only ratings for the Poppychee burger. Trust that you don’t want to see the ratings for the other burgers we ordered): 3.9, 4.2, 4.2, 4.2, and 4.4.

This is a streamlined review of Salt & Pearl. Members in attendance were Angela, Trevor, Innie, and Wayne. DK was too busy scuba diving to join.

Everyone got the smash burger since it was the only burger on the menu (double patty, American cheese, pickles, 1000 island, grilled onions), and it comes with fries by default. Angela and Trevor also ordered portabello fries (crispy garlic panko mushrooms, soy ginger dipping sauce) and the BBQ Oysters (cooked 3 ways: classic, New Orleans, and crispy bacon parm).

Smash burger:
Everyone agreed the burger was technically very solid. The sear had really good crispy and charred edges that gave the patty great texture without drying it out. It was juicy, well-balanced, and the American cheese added a nice richness. However, the burger didn’t really stand out and rise above “decently good” status. The toppings overall felt a bit underwhelming: the onions were in an awkward middle ground (neither raw nor caramelized), the tomato could’ve been better, and the pickles blended in rather than popping with acidity. It was also on the small side for the price, but it did come with fries. Overall, we liked it and would eat it again, but we wouldn’t go out of our way for it.

Fries:
Shoestring-style fries that were crispy, well-salted, and had a fluffy interior. The portion size was generous, but the fries were cut strangely short.

Portabello fries:
The batter was light and not overly thick, which allowed the mushroom to shine. The portabello itself was flavorful and meaty, and as fries they didn’t feel overly greasy. The dipping sauce was also really good. This would be a strong reorder if we came back.

BBQ oysters:
They were good but pricey. The crispy bacon parm ones in particular overwhelmed the oyster flavor. This was more like a one-time try than something to reorder.

Drinks:
Angela got a watermelon basil mule mocktail and didn’t like it, describing the taste of the alcohol as kind of like Robitussin. Trevor liked his beer and Innie liked her boulevardier.

Misc:
Indoor and outdoor seating available, and the outdoor seating had heaters, which was necessary for the chilly night. Service was friendly and attentive. Bathrooms were clean, though lighting in one was noticeably dim. Metered parking in the area was somewhat limited but manageable.

Scores/Value:
Angela: 4.2, $8
Innie: 3.8, $16
Trevor: 2.9, $7
Wayne: 4.0, $10