Author: Trevor

“FOR 100 WE TRY HARDER”
Burger crew meeting called to order on Saturday, September 12^th, 2020.

Members in attendance:  Angela, Trev, Wayne, Innie
Missing member at large: DK
Guest: Christian

We Tripped up and had a last minute change of venue to Burgers 99, the same proprietors as Badmaash.

We are still navigating the format for burger crew meetings in person. The last three meetings (including this one) has taking place in a park and the most recent two has resulted in multiple insect bites! I will need to brainstorm the locale for the next meeting.

I.  Ordering

Burgers99 had a very similar feel to our burger pick last week (Uncool Burgers). The space looks about the same size and they’re both on somewhat trendy streets just in a different part of trendy Los Angeles.

The menu is simple and essentially only has 4 burgers on it

Ordering was very simple at the counter or online

II.  The Burgers

The group collectively agreed that the patties had great seasoning. Even though the patties were ordered medium rare we found it was cooked medium and Wayne’s was overcooked but the meat flavor was still plentiful which could be attributed to quality and freshness in the meat. The tasty patty was accompanied by a great bun. It was soft but firm or firm but soft … basically near perfect.
The cheese was ooey gooey perfect.
Unfortunately not all was great. The onions still had the thin layer on them which prevented clean bites of onions. Given how great everything else was this is a small item to gripe yet still legitimate as it has a direct effect on the joy factor on a per bite basis.

If you find yourself deciding between the single or the double, opt for the double. We found that it had a good meat to bun ratio and lettuce, tomato, and pickles did their job in a supporting “roll” to create a wonderfully messy tasty burger. If you want a less meat forward experience, the single patty does still hold it’s own.

III. Fries

The fries were somewhat crispy. This is by no fault of Burger99. We had ordered to take out and by the time we got to the fries they were okay. No strong feelings one way or another.

IV.  Miscellaneous

As in all things Los Angeles related, the parking can be very tricky especially on a busy street like La Brea. In front of the store there were two small tables on the sidewalk if you opt to eat there. Burger Crew decided to eat nearby at a park and the writer of this review quickly was bit on the legs by insects (probably mosquitos). I spent the rest of the meeting walking laps around the tables to stay moving in an attempt to avoid being bitten any more.

V.  Value

We valued the burgers between $8 and $12 depending on the number of patties and at the time of writing this review, every burger was sub $10 (exception is the triple cheeseburger) which makes this place a great value.

VI.  The Verdict

The ratings were 3.7, 4.0, 4.1, and 4.3 out of 5 which makes also this place an excellent burger. We hope this place has much success and to come back one day post-pandemic.

Next meeting: 10/17/20 at Pop’s Burger in Santa Monica

Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, December 15, 2019

Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, and Innie
Guest member: Isa

I. Ordering

Continuing our pop up trend, Burgerdaddy setup a tent behind Standing Butchery. True to most popups the menu was very simple. You can order either the “single” or the “double.” The owner recommended to get two “singles” if we were hungry instead of getting one “double.” Spoiler alert, she was wrong. Get the double. Always double (except at Cassel’s).

II. The burgers

Along with the pop up trend, Burgerdaddy is another place that smashes their patties. The burger patty came pre smashed super thin before reaching the grill. We found this highly unorthodox. The beef was made from all sorts of grass fed cuts from the butchery (i.e. chuck, steak cuts, other typical meats). With that said, the patty was super juicy and had an amazing sear and was seasoned “full salt bae” status according to Wayne. Great execution.

Cheese was super nice and melty.  The double had two slices of cheese. The consensus was that it wasn’t too much cheese.  Some members felt like there was too much mustard and pickles were a “little heavy” but good. In my book, they get extra points for using mustard in the first place. Great job Burgerdaddy!

After being somewhat disappointed with the meat volume in the single, we went back and ordered the double burger. It was MUCH juicier and meatier.  I may have had the first single off the grill that was a smidge overcooked with a weird crust but I still enjoyed it

Chopped onions were good because they weren’t too strong.  Maybe they’re soaked to mellow them out.

If you haven’t noticed, this burger seems to be another McDonald’s style clone. However, it didn’t taste anything like a McDonald’s burger.  The mouthfeel of the burger is VERY different and tasted excellent.

Innie felt it had a backyard burger vibe.  Angela astutely observed that “well because it was in the… back… yard.”

Wayne’s second burger was a little too salty.  Wayne had two doubles.  A different person made the second burger maybe that was it. So be possibly prepared for inconsistent experiences based on who’s making your food.

III. The fries/sides

FREE CHIPS but probably only today.  They could have sold them.

NO FRIES

IV. Miscellaneous

Pop up tent in the back.  Parking in laBrea is tough.  Started the pop up about 8 months ago.  No place to sit.  Very quick, very simple, super friendly.  Pay cash in butcher shop or pay at the tent with credit.  Every weekend is here at the butcher shop.  We’re writing this review in coffee shop next door.

 DK got mustard on his hand and no hand sanitizer for him.

V. Value

The members were asked how much they would pay for the burger they ordered.  We would pay between $9 and $12 and on average $10.25 for the “double.” Since the double costs $9 we would say the pricing is

.

VI. The verdict

The scores for Burgerdaddy from the members were 3.7, 3.4, 4.2, 4.2, and 3.5.  Solid burger worth checking out if you’re in the area but I wouldn’t go TOO far out of my way to get it. Pink’s hotdogs are around the corner so if you’re friends are waiting in that long line for a hotdog, you can get a burger and meet them back in line and make everyone around you jealous.

Next burger crew meeting will be held January 11 at Electric Owl (coincidentally it’s around the corner from burgerdaddy).

Hot summer day in Los Angeles – 7/27

Members in attendance: Trevor Y., Dennis K., Angela D., Wayne T.,

Members standing in poop water and couldn’t attend: Innie C.

I. Ordering

The menu has one burger listed as the “Regular Burger” for $7.25

double patty

cheese

pickles

ketchup

mustard

onions

II. The Burgers

The patties were super smashed to the point where the edges were nice and crispy. The patties were thin with an ultra nice sear (thanks to the smash and presumably hot griddle). It was cooked well done but still MOIST.

In other words, it was simply amazing. The burger buns were super soft and fluffy. The cheese was super melty. The crew had inconsistent mustard experience. Some felt it was too much however I loved it and wished more places put mustard on the burger. They were also not shy to put a bunch of pickles. The acidity really helps break though the richness of the meat and cheese to achieve perfect balance. Thanos would be proud. (I just watched Endgame last night).

The first bite reaction from the crew was heaven. The beefy-ness of the burger came through very nicely. The balance overall was perfect. Just the right amount of cheese and condiments (except someONE didn’t appreciate the mustard) and DK could use more cheese.

III. The Fries/Sides

Fries were double fried, golden, and a pretty generous amount. Nicely salted

Ice cream was soft serve and very very creamy especially on the hot day it really hit the spot. Great to pair with the fries for those that like the sweet and savory combo. If you don’t want your ice cream right away they will give you a little ticket to bring back later and redeem for one when you’re ready.

IV. Miscellaneious

Outdoor seating only so beware of flies

Very friendly service and the kitchen looked very clean.

Both fountain and bottle soda available

Surprisingly easy parking

no public bathroom

V. Value/Rating

On average we would pay $7.50 for the regular burger. Considering it’s $7.25 it’s priced perfectly. As for rating out of 5, we had a low score 4.2 and a high score of 4.9. The average was 4.6. Definitely a crowd pleaser.

VI Verdict

To us this is basically a mcdonald’s play. The burger is classic with mustard, ketchup, onions (like a mcdonald’s cheeseburger). The ice cream is soft serve vanilla (like macdonald’s), and the fries are shoe string style (again.. like mcdonalds). The only thing not mcdonald’s about it is the incredible quality of all the ingredients used and the execution was spot on. They turned it up to 11 and we LOVE it. I love it 3000.

Next meeting: 8/17 Pickled Monk in Fullerton

Burger crew meeting called to order on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 8:30pm.

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

Guests: Isabel G., Christian Y., Todd W., Cindy W.

I. Ordering

There was only one burger on the menu: ($16) The Comstock Burger – secret sauce, fontiamerican, pickle, shallot, malt vinegar chips. You can have extra add-ons $5 Double (3/4lb) + $3 Seared Pork Belly + $3 Head to Tail Pork Jus

II. The burger

I admit I had to look up “Comstock” in the dictionary and it has something to do with a reformist (as in person who makes changes to something in order to make it better). I hope that means this burger will get better because it has a lot of areas to improve. Based on the collective feedback, the burger was deemed very meaty with a good sear with lots of juices. That would imply that it’s a good burger, HOWEVER we found that even though it looked to be cooked properly the meat was found to be CHEWY to the point one burger felt like it had tendons in it. The pickles were deemed too thin and ranged from noticeable to the only saving grace of the burger. Along with the chewiness came crunchiness from the chips…. sometimes. Some of the chips got soggy which gave a very inconsistent bite to bite experience. Some bites had a good crunch and others led to a messy plate since everything fell out. Two burgers were ordered as doubles and had the pork belly option. The consensus was one patty is enough and don’t bother with the pork belly. It didn’t taste like much and was more ham-like than the eye-rolling pork belly we come to expect.

Bottom line, the burger needs to be less chewy and more flavorful. The burger feels like it’s trying to hard. I really really wanted to like this burger but it just didn’t live up to any hype.

III. The Sides and Drinks

What lacked in the burger was probably made up in the delicious sides and drinks. As a saloon they make some top notch cocktails. We had sazeracs made with Dickel, Rittenhouse, and Michters and all were excellent! It’s pretty rare to find a bar that can make a decent sazerac. I also sampled the manhattan which was also excellent. And if rye whisky isn’t you’re thing, all the other cocktails ordered were yummy as well.

ORDER the TATER TOTS and WHITE CHEDDAR CHEXX. You will not disappointed if you enjoy fried potatoes and or cheese.

IV. Miscellaneous 

Live Jazz music played upstairs. It was pretty loud so it made having conversations somewhat challenging. They played typical 40s jazz that I would expect to hear at a jazz concert. However I don’t think that played well in this environment. I would have preferred either a more mellow background or upbeat big band. The jazz played is jazz to be experienced actively. I wasn’t there to listen to jazz. I was there to hangout with friends and eat delicious burgers. At one point in the night someone from the Jazz band came downstair asking for tips so have your small bills ready.

The bar itself felt pretty intimate with the small nook type spaces and darker settings. It’s definitely not ideal for large groups and the fact they were able to fit 10 of us in the restaurant was very impressive.

V. Value

The members would pay between $8 and $10.50 so the $16 price tag on the burger before add-ons makes this a low value burger.

VI. The verdict

On a scale from 1-5 the burger averaged 2.8 with a high of 3.3 and a low of 1.8. Come for the drinks and sides and perhaps stay for the company but don’t get the burger.

Next Burger Crew stop: Wes Burger ‘N’ More

Burger crew meeting notes Oh My Burger Innie’s choice

Burger crew meeting called to order on Saturday Jan 19, 2019 (Innie’s Pick).

Member in attendance: Trevor Y., Innie C., Dennis K., Angela D., Wayne T., Guest member Anuj. Guest member Anella

I. Ordering
Wayne – The Big Homie – #1 burger year after year. Double bacon cheddar burger, OMG signature sauce, lettuce, tomato, red onion. Opted for grilled cheese buns
$13 + 3

Dennis – Lil homie with jalapeños
$10.50 + $.75

Innie – lil homie with jalapeños.
$10.50 + $.75

Trevor/Angela – big homie no cheese swapped with wheat buns instead of brioche
$13

Anuj – grilled cheese with fried egg

Anella – Lil Homie, no onion
$10.50

II. The Burgers
Burgers were over done. A little chewy/tough. We asked for medium and it was more well done than anything else. Super highly seasoned especially with pepper. Every bite of bacon was really good.

Grilled cheese bun was very gooey. Nice and crispy and buttery However, Anuj felt it was too greasy.

Signature aioli OMB sauce was liked by Innie

Wheat bun was better than brioche

Brioche was a little thick and made it a bad meat to bun ratio – dk

Jalapeños not that spicy. Not noticeable by innie. Can taste the roastedness but much prefer the acidity (like from pickled jalapeños) no tang

Wayne didn’t have the beefy flavor but Angela disagreed. Perhaps the grilled cheese got in the way

Dk is over spring mix lettuce on burgers. Shouldn’t be a thing anymore but doesn’t want any other lettuce either.

Tomato was nice and thin even Angela didn’t take it out

Wayne felt the red onion wasn’t over powering so that’s a good thing

Dk thought patty could have been more salty and seared. Everyone else disagreed.

III. The Fries/Sides
Seasoned fries are good. Salty and well seasoned. A little thicker but great chew and mouth feel.

Onion rings were so good. Fried chicken style batter not beer batter. It was made with a butter milk wash. Nice and sweet batter.

Innie like the chipotle aioli. Super flavorful sometimes it tastes just like mayo but not here.

Taco fries are shrug… Inconsistent seasoning some bites had more than other.

IV. Miscellaneous
They don’t cook the patties medium rare.

Orders take a little longer to come out but it shows in the care of the presentation.

Soda machine on the side

Parking in the back. Limited with restrictions. They will tow you. We saw two tow trucks.

They do online ordering and post mates

Indoor and out door seating. Really loud on el segundo Blvd people seem to be in a rush.

Anuj – snarky

V. Value/rating

We found the value of the burger anywhere from $9 to $12 but if the burgers were done to our liking we’d be okay in the $16 range.

VI Verdict.

Innie said there was like no wow. Except it has like bacon. Our ratings ranged from 2.3 to 3.2 making it more of a ho-hum burger experience instead of the oh-my burger experience.