Burger Joints

Southwest Airlines December 2004 issue of Spirit had an excellent article entitled, "Burger Kings: An Impassioned Tour of 7 Legendary L.A. Hamburger Joints" (Daniel Evans, pp110-117). These were the notables.

The Bucket (Eagle Rock, CA)

  4541 Eagle Rock Blvd.
  Eagle Rock, CA
  323-257-5654

From the article:

Cardiac Burger: You can often judge the quality of a burger by the fullness-induced coma its consumption produces. But at The Bucket, a faded structure just east of Dodger Stadium, they're not happy unless your satisfaction escalates into a medical reaction.

The Bucket's big draw is the perfectly named Cardiac Burger: double meat, double cheese, grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, ham, mayo, lettuce, tomato and pickles. The menu brags that its burger is "guaranteed to flatline" and doesn't shy away from the fact that you may not survive long enough to pay the check.

The perpetrator arrives 5 inches high, on a paper plate with a fork and knife. It's the tallest and fattest burger I've seen. Sitting in its shadow, I fantasize that this is how Evil Knievel felt before jumping over the Snake River on a motorcycle: I know it can be done, but the landing's going to hurt.

I go for it. The meat is moist and the bacon crispy. The onions are a little over-grilled, but let's be frank: The taste and texture of a Cardiac burger is an afterthought to the rush of actually finishing one. The end result is a combination of self-satisfaction and self-disgust. -p113

The Original Tommy's (Los Angeles, CA)

  2575 W. Beverly Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA
  213-389-9060

From the article:

Chili Cheeseburger: Tommy's is a Los Angeles institution and, if you ask many Angelenos, home to the best hamburger in the city. For 58 years, the tiny, red-shake-roofed landmark on the corner of Rampart and Beverly has produced burgers so delicious and so beautifully messy it's become trendy to go there and pig out. Tommy's secret is a mildly spicy, lightly textured chili and an extra-thick slice of American cheese -- a combination that, when consumed, moves burger connoisseurs to a state resembling rapture. Watch someone bite into a "Tommyburger" and you will witness a physical reaction.

Don't expect ambience. Eating at Tommy's is a business proposition. The parking lot is lined with counters at chest-height and mounted paper towel holders. You eat standing up, which is strategically brilliant given the likely event of chili spillage. The environment creates a vacuum for table manners and gives eating at Tommy's a serious "fun factor." What's more, a double-cheeseburger (chili comes standard) costs only $2.75. Tommy's is open 24 hours a day. -p114

Marty's Combo (West Los Angeles)

  10558 W. Pico Blvd.
  West Los Angeles, CA
  310-836-6944

From the article:

Blink and you'll miss Marty's. Sandwiched appropriately between a gas station and L.A. Fire Station 92, Marty's is little more than a small box with an unimposing sign, barely visible on busy Pico Boulevard....

If word of mouth is any indication, your order at Marty's is practically predetermined. Go for the Marty's Combo: a well-proportioned cheeseburger with a butterflied and grilled Vienna hot dog on top. A smaller, less expensive take on the Shack Burger, this tasty morsel provides that same satisfying snap with each bite. The pungent flavor of the hot dog and the zing rfom a strong, raw onion linger long after you've swallowed them. -p114

Carney's (Studio City, CA)

  12601 Venture Blvd.
  Studio City, CA
  818-761-8300

  8351 W. Sunset Blvd.
  West Hollywood, CA
  323-654-8300

From the article:

Converted from a 1942 railroad car, Carney's is not easy to miss, even from a street as busy as Ventura Boulevard. Painted bright canary yellow and fire engine red, Carney's lacks the old-fashioned feel of other old L.A. burger joints, but it compensates with curb appeal....

The draw at Carney's is the chili. The chili cheeseburger is piping hot, although rather small. The chili is not at all spicy, but Carney's is expert at one of the lost arts of burger-making: using just the right amount of mustard to make the chopped onions adhere to the top bun without losing their crunch. Six or seven bites are about all it takes to devour a Carney's chili cheeseburger, just long enough to sit outside, enjoy the smoggy Valley air and ogle the pricey hilltop homes across the street. -p116

Others

Hickory Burger, The Apple Pan, West L.A.

  10801 W. Pico Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA
  310-475-3585

Cheeseburger, Cassell's, Los Angeles. Not highly recommended.

  3266 W. 6th Street
  Los Angeles, CA
  213-480-8668

Pastrami Burger, Astro Burger, West Hollywood. Not highly recommended.

  7475 Santa Monica Blvd.
  West Hollywood, CA
  323-874-8041

The secret behind the Craigie Street burger.