Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, September 25, 2021 at 9:30am (3rd stop in Burger Crew Does the Best of LA).
Members in attendance: Angela, Sumana, Trev, Wayne, me (Innie), and the first appearance of DK’s alter ego, Decay.
I. Ordering
Ah, The Window (The Win-Dow? The Win~Dow?), our first breakfast burgers of the Best of LA weekend! The morning offerings at The Window consist of their regular burger menu (cheeseburger, double cheeseburger, and their impossible “burger” – the Beauty burger), as well as additional breakfast burger options (their single or double cheeseburger topped with an egg).
DK, Trev/Angela, and I went with the breakfast burger options, with DK and Trangela going for doubles ($7.25), and me getting a single ($4.95). Wayne and Sumana opted to keep their double cheeseburgers undiluted with anything non-bovine, and ordered theirs sans huevos ($6.25). Sumana decided to round out her balanced breakfast with a side of steak and egg breakfast burrito ($9.50).
II. The Burgers
As seems to be a developing theme on this Best of LA tour, opinions were split amongst the group, this time on the topic of the egg in the breakfast burgers. Angela and DK were not fans, while Trev and I really enjoyed the addition of the egg to our cheeseburgers. DK initially had high hopes, because he normally loves a fried egg on a burger, but thought this one took away from the star of the show, the beef patty. While both Angela and DK appreciated the crispy laciness of the edges of the egg, they felt it was a cardinal burger sin to not serve the egg with a runny yolk. Although a nicely runny yolk is always appreciated, Trev and I didn’t mind the doneness of the egg, and thought the flavor was a complement to the beef patty rather than a detriment. One thing we did agree on, however, was that using the additional ketchup packet that came provided on the side really upped the enjoyment factor of our breakfast burgers.
The cheese on everyone’s burgers was nice and gooey and melty. As Wayne so succinctly put it, American cheese is the safe choice and the best choice. The beef patties were just as good as we remembered them, flavorful and meaty, seasoned well with a great char. Wayne’s patties were a perfect medium rare, while the rest of us ended up with more of a medium, but none of us seemed to mind too much. The umaminess of the burger was the biggest impression of our first visit, and they’ve definitely still got it! The buns were soft and slightly sweet. The bottom bun had a bit of a structure problem with the double pattied breakfast burger, but everyone else fared fine.
Some of the crew’s onions were in an odd no-man’s land of doneness, neither caramelized nor crunchy, with some onion pieces pulling out with each bite. Sumana’s chief critique was in regard to the construction of the burger; the pickles were on top of the patty, and the onions were below. The agreed-upon burger crew consensus is that for optimal mouthfeel, those ingredients should be in opposite positions.
II. The Sides
Since stomach real estate is at a premium during the annual burger crew weekend, the crew did not opt for sides of fries. However, Sumana powered through and ordered a steak and egg breakfast burrito to split with Wayne, and they both thoroughly enjoyed it. The description provided by the menu was nice and succinct: House brisket, fries inside.
The steak pieces were large and had a braised quality, pulling apart like a slow cooked brisket. Wayne compared it to barbacoa, since he thought the steak tasted as if it were marinated. The tortilla was satisfyingly chewy, and the whole burrito was grilled on top of the flattop, resulting in nicely charred bits.
III. Miscellaneous
The area in front of the ordering window (win-dow? win~dow?) had changed quite a bit since our last visit in 2019! Gone is the parking lot with scattered plastic stools. The lot is now beautifully landscaped, complete with plenty of tables, umbrellas, and heatlamps. If you’re looking for an instagrammable spot, you’ll be very happy here! There was plenty of seating and parking available when we came in at 9:30a on a Saturday.
There were quite a number of flies on the morning we decided to dine there, but hopefully that isn’t a regular occurrence.
The breakfast menu is available from 8a to 11a, and they do not offer the “classics” part of their menu (fried chicken sandwich, grain bowl, shaved kale salad) until afterwards. Hot coffee is also available, only during breakfast hours ($2).
DK’s order came with the best interpretation of his name ever. Starbucks baristas, eat your heart out.
IV. Value
The members were asked how much they’d pay for the burger they ate. The prices ranged from $7.50 to $14 for the doubles, and $6 for the single. The majority of us were willing to pay quite a bit more than the advertised price for our respective burgers! Even after a couple of years since our last burger crew visit, we still think it’s an amazing deal for a solid burger in LA!
V. The Verdict
The scores for our burgers were 4.0, 4.3, 4.6, 4.5, 4.4, and 4.3. Winning scores all around.
Next stop, Standing Room in Redondo Beach!