Primal Cuts – Whittier – February 7, 2026

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, February 7, 2026 at noon.  

I. Ordering

Primal Cuts offers steakhouse-style mains and sides, including New York strip and Picanha steaks, smash and non-smash burgers, mashed potatoes, fries, and a few roasted vegetable options.  The smash burgers’ patties are 4 ounces each and can be ordered as a single or a double, while the non-smash burgers have a single 8 ounce patty.

Trevor and Angela ordered a double garlic smash burger (two 4 oz smashed beef patties, garlic aioli, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles; $11.50) with a side of tallow fries ($6).  Wayne ordered two OG burgers (8 oz beef patty, cheddar cheese, mustard aioli, caramelized onions, pickles, brioche bun; $15).  DK and Marissa ordered the OG burger, a single garlic smash burger ($8), and tallow fries.  I ordered a double garlic smash burger.

II. The Burger

While it was not the right time of year to celebrate Festivus, our experience on this visit necessitated an airing of grievances.  The patties for most of our burgers, whether they were intended to be smashed or not, did not meet our expectations.  For Angela,  Trevor, and my garlic smash burgers, the patties seemed pressed, rather than properly smashed.  We definitely noticed the absence of sear, and the patties felt too thick to be considered a smash patty. The grind of the meat was very fine, and we theorized that it would have been the perfect texture to complement a deep, lacy sear… if there had been one.  As it was served, though, the grind resulted in a rather spongey patty.  Wayne’s and DK’s OG burgers similarly had a fine grind with no notable sear.  Wayne described them to be very juicy with the medium doneness he requested, but it reminded him of a meatloaf rather than a burger patty.  We all thought the beef itself was flavorful and of good quality, but would have been improved by more seasoning.  

The garlic aioli and crispy pickles helped with adding more flavor back to the garlic smash burgers, but along with the rather unremarkable grilled onions, this didn’t make up for the overall need for salt.

The one shining beacon in our Burger Crew meeting was DK’s single garlic smash burger.  His lone patty outshined all the other belles at the ball, having a thin, smashed halo of lace that draped over the buns.  The ratio of meat to other ingredients also had a better balance of flavor compared to the doubles or the OG.  Unfortunately, this was the one burger that the reviewer forgot to capture for photographic evidence…

The brioche and potato buns were fine, but did get a bit soggy as the meal progressed (particularly for Wayne’s OG burgers).

III. Sides

The french fries are fried in tallow, lending them a subtle beefy flavor and a satisfyingly crisp, golden brown exterior.  The cook and seasoning on these fries were excellent.  

What seems to be turning into Burger Crew custom is our Very Important, semi-regular discussion on fry sizes and standards.  Steak fries? Shoestring? What should we call all those fry sizes that fall into the vast space between those categories?  Where are the metrics for fry categorization?

The fries at Primal Cuts are a bit thicker than the average McDonald’s fry, but far from thick enough to venture into steak fry territory.  Regardless of fry semantics, these fries were delicious.

IV. Miscellaneous

Primal Cuts resides in a food hall called Rodeo 72, one of a few “Rodeo” public market locations throughout California.  The “72” in the name refers to Whittier Boulevard (Highway 72).  The space in the food hall is very comfortable, with a plethora of indoor and outdoor seating options and clean restrooms.  There didn’t seem to be any shortage of parking spots for us when we arrived at the location.

When driving to the food hall, it will feel like you are driving into a random gated community.  Do not doubt your GPS this time; you are indeed on the right path.

V. Value

The crew was asked how much they would pay for their respective burgers. The responses for the double smash burger ranged from $10 to $14, the OG burger ranged from $12 to $13, and DK thought that he would pay $10 for the single garlic burger.

VI. The Verdict

The team at Primal Cuts delivered on their promise of quality meats, but missed the mark this time on the execution.  If you’re looking for a burger at the Rodeo 72 food hall, we recommend that you order a single smash burger and tallow fries, and hope that the chef in the back has enough strength to smash that patty into lacey goodness.

The rating for the single garlic smash was a 4.3. The ratings for the other burgers were 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, and 3.1.

Next Burger Crew meeting is set for Sunday, 3/15 at Palms n’ Patties.