A couple of nights ago I had a really terrific burger at Los Angeles’ Horses restaurant. At home I use the dry-aged burger blend from DeBragga. What’s your favorite burger?
Grilled Lamb Burger with caramelized onions and soft goat cheese (preferably with truffle). Serve on a brioche bun with garlic aioli, some Dijon mustard and a leaf or two of red leaf lettuce. To get the ball rolling, we have our butcher grind up an Anderson Ranch leg of lamb. What does’t go in the burgers goes into Kefta Kababs.
I have been making my own burgers for years. 50% chuck, 25% brisket and 25% short rib. 25% fat. FYI, all three are available at Costco. No reason to buy pre-mixed at butcher, and them your money.
All, if you mention a place, please also indicate the city; it could be beyond tragic to go to a place with a the right name in the wrong city! Imagine the disappointment!
I live around the corner from Horses aka The Pikey aka Coach and Horses. Have been going to that location since I was a kid. Haven’t tried Horses yet but if Ruth likes it I know it’s GOLD❤️
I grind my own chuck with the Kitchen Aid attachment. These days, it seems to me that chain grocers think that consumers won't buy hunks of meat that are fatty, so It's been difficult to find a chuck roast with enough fat to make an 80%/20% mixture. I often supplement with butter.
I add a teaspoon of kosher salt per pounof raw meat, then blast thin patties on a screaming-hot stovetop flat griddle until they're well done and crispy, diner style. I sprinkle with cracked pepper and top with Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese after the first flip, then slide two patties onto toasted kaiser rolls with a dab of mayo, a thick slice of tomato, a thin slice of onion, and a leaf of romaine bent in half. Sometimes, I make 1/3-lb burgers and cook them so that they're crispy outside but medium in the middle.
I think the most underrated burger in America is the cheeseburger from Portillo's, which is finally expanding outside IL. The flame-charred burgers are cooked on a roller chain. So good.
In Lima OH, and my fave in the US generally, it's Kewpee. Double with cheese, mustard and onion, beef ground in house daily. They have been around since the 1930s, and were the inspo for Wendy's. Best branch is the art deco downtown one. Here at home in London I have loved Honest Burgers and their rosemary salted chips (fries.)
Lunetta. There is no mention of French fries - which I feel are der rigueur in the conversation. One without the other just shows a lack of commitment. This isn't health food, so if you're fall off the wagon, do it with flair and take a giant leap. So I'd say Lunetta and their fries - and ask them to brown the fries (or extra crispy). And that sets it up. My ex-fav was Hal's - great burger and best fries in the city. Good French fries do exist - (for fast food Hi-Ho burger comes to mind). I've tried Petit Trois' bordelaise burger - and while I love both - not crazy about them together (not bad, but I prefer the classic - ketchup and possibly mayo ("Thousand Island").
No Burger is any good unless accompanied by flawless fries and a glass (or bottle) of red wine. Having said that, smash burger still does an outstanding "smashed" burger, and a lot of places do a traditional burger well (charred on the outside, to preference on the inside.) Also need a bun that's soft enough to not overpower the texture of the meat. Our favorite is at Bricktops in Palm Beach... subject to change on a whim.
This one lives on in my memory, but when my mom would take me and my brother to visit my grandmother in Boyle Heights (East LA), and as soon as we got off the freeway we would always stop at this little taco/burger shack and get these charbroiled burgers, crispy on the outside, with melted cheese, and I remember the lettuce was shredded. I don't know the name of it because I was too little to read, and I'm sure it's gone now. But my favorite burger.
Just the perfect question, Ruth! What a blast reading the replies. Absolutely made me jones for a burger even though I just finished dinner. I'm afraid I have too many ... Father's Office is def up there. The pricey Minetta Tavern burger is pretty great. .Apocalypse Burger in Brooklyn. And let's hear if for the Patty Melt, what a concept! Cassell's come to mind. And years ago, after a hard night, a massive burger at Original Tommy's. I think there was one near the Paramount Lot and another on LaCienega.
For the Win cheeseburger (FTW formally Papilles on Franklin Ave in Hollywood). They switched to take out burgers in Covid 2020 and decided to stick with it.
My favorite burger of all time was at comme ça. Current favorites Father’s Office, Burger Lounge or the Window. Love knowing I might run into you in LA.
I use ground Wagyu beef and a recipe my daughter came up with which includes orange juice, teriyaki sauce, fresh onion and garlic, sesame and celery seeds. Yum
Kuma's Corner in Chicago. The Kuma Burger (1/2 lb beef, cheddar, bacon, fried egg, pretzel roll) is a delight. At 1/2 lb it's a de-heavy delight, I guess.
For me it’s the bun... Everyone seems to be using brioche that falls apart with a mid-rare burger. I like, mid-rare, blue cheese, a thin slice of red onion on a poppy Kaizer Roll.
I like a soft potato bun, with a thin, slightly crispy on the edges beef patty, some sort of burger sauce, tomato and a slice of melted cheese. We have a place here in Dubai called Pickl - and they tend to nail it every time.
Maine Meat is a nose to tail butcher and has terrific dry aged ground beef and sells brioche buns. A good melting cheese, thinly sliced red onions, aioli, and my bread and butter pickles accompany the grilled burgers. I always slather the rolls with butter and toast them. Crunchy lettuce and vine ripened tomatoes are a nice addition if available. Simon Pearce restaurant in Vermont has a delicious lamb burger.
Gotta go with our homemade “tasty burgers” — 50% chuck + 50% venison (deer (wonderful) or elk (better). Home ground in our trusty and loved kitchen aid grinder, with an added heel of good bread to clean out the grinder and give the mix some added panade tenderness. Griddled on a flat pan, topped with Tilamook vintage white cheddar, smeared with the Hubs burger sauce, a thick slice of both tomato and onion and served on Macrina bakery’s (Seattle) ciabatta bun. Heaven! Oh! And homemade twice cooked fries.
Okies, a butcher in Surf City, NJ makes the best burger patties. I don’t know what the blend is but they are juicy, fatty and delicious. The perfect thing to throw on the grill for lunch after a morning at the beach.
Thick rare burger vs Thin burgers. I’m definitely in the thick camp. My favorite local restaurant burger here in San Jose is at the Naglee Park Garage, around the corner from my home. One-half pound, charred outside, rare inside, served with thin, crispy fries. Add a portobello mushroom. Most often though, I make my own from the 100% pasture raised, dry aged beef from Morris Grassfed Beef in Watsonville, CA. Naturally lean, I add olive oil to the meat to up the fat content. Great flavor and the added bonus of knowing that my beef benefitted, rather than hurt, the environment.
In LA, at least pre-COVID, Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks, CA makes an excellent burger and fries, and offers an extensive and appealing beer list. My happy place when visiting LA.
My daughter and I enjoyed Lamb Burgers and Frites at The Delachaise Wine Bar on the St Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans. Accompanied by a lovely bottle of wine and Crescent City ambiance, this was a nice departure from days of gumbo and fried alligator.
Here's the worst burger - I was 6 and a neighbor invited my brother and me over to have lunch with her kids. She served burgers that were awful. Just tasted weirdly unpleasant. I could hardly bear to swallow it without gagging. When my mother came to pick us up the neighbor told her that she put 'l-i-v-e-r' (spelled out) in the burger. Well I could spell and I was so angry. Definitely the last time I ate there. BTW totally agree with David below re: Zuni burger.
I used to love the burger at White Horse Tavern (NYC, rip Dylan Thomas). Since moved, and now a vegetarian, the veg burger at Cyclops (Seattle) is SO good. Recommended!!
Judy Rodgers' Zuni (San Francisco) burger still rocks.
Grilled Lamb Burger with caramelized onions and soft goat cheese (preferably with truffle). Serve on a brioche bun with garlic aioli, some Dijon mustard and a leaf or two of red leaf lettuce. To get the ball rolling, we have our butcher grind up an Anderson Ranch leg of lamb. What does’t go in the burgers goes into Kefta Kababs.
Only Pie ‘N Burger in Pasadena Calif. Only Pie N’ Burger
I have been making my own burgers for years. 50% chuck, 25% brisket and 25% short rib. 25% fat. FYI, all three are available at Costco. No reason to buy pre-mixed at butcher, and them your money.
Prune in NY. made an amazing burger and even though it has closed, you can make it yourself from the Prune cookbook. Worth it!!
All, if you mention a place, please also indicate the city; it could be beyond tragic to go to a place with a the right name in the wrong city! Imagine the disappointment!
Rouge in Philadelphia has a burger with gruyère and caramelized onions that is killer.
I live around the corner from Horses aka The Pikey aka Coach and Horses. Have been going to that location since I was a kid. Haven’t tried Horses yet but if Ruth likes it I know it’s GOLD❤️
What kind of cheese was on your burger?
I grind my own chuck with the Kitchen Aid attachment. These days, it seems to me that chain grocers think that consumers won't buy hunks of meat that are fatty, so It's been difficult to find a chuck roast with enough fat to make an 80%/20% mixture. I often supplement with butter.
I add a teaspoon of kosher salt per pounof raw meat, then blast thin patties on a screaming-hot stovetop flat griddle until they're well done and crispy, diner style. I sprinkle with cracked pepper and top with Kraft Deli Deluxe American cheese after the first flip, then slide two patties onto toasted kaiser rolls with a dab of mayo, a thick slice of tomato, a thin slice of onion, and a leaf of romaine bent in half. Sometimes, I make 1/3-lb burgers and cook them so that they're crispy outside but medium in the middle.
I think the most underrated burger in America is the cheeseburger from Portillo's, which is finally expanding outside IL. The flame-charred burgers are cooked on a roller chain. So good.
I like any homemade burger made on a charcoal grill with An Ace bakery bun.
In Lima OH, and my fave in the US generally, it's Kewpee. Double with cheese, mustard and onion, beef ground in house daily. They have been around since the 1930s, and were the inspo for Wendy's. Best branch is the art deco downtown one. Here at home in London I have loved Honest Burgers and their rosemary salted chips (fries.)
Lunetta. There is no mention of French fries - which I feel are der rigueur in the conversation. One without the other just shows a lack of commitment. This isn't health food, so if you're fall off the wagon, do it with flair and take a giant leap. So I'd say Lunetta and their fries - and ask them to brown the fries (or extra crispy). And that sets it up. My ex-fav was Hal's - great burger and best fries in the city. Good French fries do exist - (for fast food Hi-Ho burger comes to mind). I've tried Petit Trois' bordelaise burger - and while I love both - not crazy about them together (not bad, but I prefer the classic - ketchup and possibly mayo ("Thousand Island").
Monk’s Cafe in Philadelphia. Meat from Primal Supply, a nose to tail woman owned local butcher, and a world class beer list!
No Burger is any good unless accompanied by flawless fries and a glass (or bottle) of red wine. Having said that, smash burger still does an outstanding "smashed" burger, and a lot of places do a traditional burger well (charred on the outside, to preference on the inside.) Also need a bun that's soft enough to not overpower the texture of the meat. Our favorite is at Bricktops in Palm Beach... subject to change on a whim.
I enjoy a good black bean burger! I adapted a recipe from the How Not to Die cookbook. Nice with homemade salsa.
SHAKE SHACK!!!
I have my local butcher grind a mix of 50% short rib and 50% brisket. Makes an outstanding burger.
Amboy Quality Meats in LA's Chinatown <3 <3
This one lives on in my memory, but when my mom would take me and my brother to visit my grandmother in Boyle Heights (East LA), and as soon as we got off the freeway we would always stop at this little taco/burger shack and get these charbroiled burgers, crispy on the outside, with melted cheese, and I remember the lettuce was shredded. I don't know the name of it because I was too little to read, and I'm sure it's gone now. But my favorite burger.
Pat LaFrieda blends r the best! From Minetta Tavern to Shake Shack to my home!
Just the perfect question, Ruth! What a blast reading the replies. Absolutely made me jones for a burger even though I just finished dinner. I'm afraid I have too many ... Father's Office is def up there. The pricey Minetta Tavern burger is pretty great. .Apocalypse Burger in Brooklyn. And let's hear if for the Patty Melt, what a concept! Cassell's come to mind. And years ago, after a hard night, a massive burger at Original Tommy's. I think there was one near the Paramount Lot and another on LaCienega.
For the Win cheeseburger (FTW formally Papilles on Franklin Ave in Hollywood). They switched to take out burgers in Covid 2020 and decided to stick with it.
The best burger in Seattle can be found at Renee Erickson's "Boat Bar" the sister restaurant to "Bateau".....a tiny, little, luxurious flavor bomb.
"Heavy Handed" unbelievable short rib smash burgers, duck fat fries - food truck on Abbot Kinney in Venice
My favorite burger of all time was at comme ça. Current favorites Father’s Office, Burger Lounge or the Window. Love knowing I might run into you in LA.
Smash Burger Santa Barbara is pretty darn good. Very much like Pie'n Burger Pasadena but smashed! We have been making the "Jucy Lucy" at home...yum
Have been making Patty Melts as of late. Beef, sauerkraut, Swiss, caramelized onions on grilled rye. Dijon on the side with salt & vinegar chips.
Fun retro departure from traditional burgers.
These burgers sound marvelous. I just ate lunch and reading this made me hungry.
My go-to neighborhood place is Cafe d'Alsace. Their burger is outstanding, served on a brioche bun and with caramelized onions and delicious frites.
Hands down home grilled with meat from Grass Roots Farmers Co-op. All of their ground is unbelievably delicious.
I use ground Wagyu beef and a recipe my daughter came up with which includes orange juice, teriyaki sauce, fresh onion and garlic, sesame and celery seeds. Yum
Kuma's Corner in Chicago. The Kuma Burger (1/2 lb beef, cheddar, bacon, fried egg, pretzel roll) is a delight. At 1/2 lb it's a de-heavy delight, I guess.
JG Melon burger.
For me it’s the bun... Everyone seems to be using brioche that falls apart with a mid-rare burger. I like, mid-rare, blue cheese, a thin slice of red onion on a poppy Kaizer Roll.
Monty's on Pico in West LA
Cassell's in Los Angeles is still my number 1
I like a soft potato bun, with a thin, slightly crispy on the edges beef patty, some sort of burger sauce, tomato and a slice of melted cheese. We have a place here in Dubai called Pickl - and they tend to nail it every time.
I too love a delicious burger, Ruth. Here are some especially good ones in Los Angeles to try while you are here. That is, if you haven't already:
- Goldburger (Highland Park/Los Feliz), grass-fed smashed double cheeseburgers
https://www.goldburgerla.com/
- Love Hour (Koreatown), smashburgers with delicious sauces
https://love-hour.com/pages/menu
- Petit Trois (Hollywood/Le Valley), absolutely decadent double cheeseburger with bordelaise
https://petittrois.com/menu
- Amboy (Chinatown), quality meat, delicious pickles
https://amboyqualitymeatsanddeliciousburgers.com/
- Pie 'N Burger (Pasadena) & Apple Pan (West L.A.)
2 classics that many of us will love forever
Maine Meat is a nose to tail butcher and has terrific dry aged ground beef and sells brioche buns. A good melting cheese, thinly sliced red onions, aioli, and my bread and butter pickles accompany the grilled burgers. I always slather the rolls with butter and toast them. Crunchy lettuce and vine ripened tomatoes are a nice addition if available. Simon Pearce restaurant in Vermont has a delicious lamb burger.
Definitely Burger She Wrote for the best smash burger ever!
King Marcel in Paris. Outstanding !
Turn 12, Monterey, CA
If you’re looking for a California-style burger with a thin smashed patty and classic condiments:
Pie n Burger in Pasadena
Bill’s Burgers in Van Nuys
For the Win in Hollywood/Franklin Village Lowboy in Echo Park
(Not above a Yuca’s burger in a pinch.)
Gotta go with our homemade “tasty burgers” — 50% chuck + 50% venison (deer (wonderful) or elk (better). Home ground in our trusty and loved kitchen aid grinder, with an added heel of good bread to clean out the grinder and give the mix some added panade tenderness. Griddled on a flat pan, topped with Tilamook vintage white cheddar, smeared with the Hubs burger sauce, a thick slice of both tomato and onion and served on Macrina bakery’s (Seattle) ciabatta bun. Heaven! Oh! And homemade twice cooked fries.
Okies, a butcher in Surf City, NJ makes the best burger patties. I don’t know what the blend is but they are juicy, fatty and delicious. The perfect thing to throw on the grill for lunch after a morning at the beach.
Thick rare burger vs Thin burgers. I’m definitely in the thick camp. My favorite local restaurant burger here in San Jose is at the Naglee Park Garage, around the corner from my home. One-half pound, charred outside, rare inside, served with thin, crispy fries. Add a portobello mushroom. Most often though, I make my own from the 100% pasture raised, dry aged beef from Morris Grassfed Beef in Watsonville, CA. Naturally lean, I add olive oil to the meat to up the fat content. Great flavor and the added bonus of knowing that my beef benefitted, rather than hurt, the environment.
In LA, at least pre-COVID, Blue Dog Tavern in Sherman Oaks, CA makes an excellent burger and fries, and offers an extensive and appealing beer list. My happy place when visiting LA.
My daughter and I enjoyed Lamb Burgers and Frites at The Delachaise Wine Bar on the St Charles Streetcar Line in New Orleans. Accompanied by a lovely bottle of wine and Crescent City ambiance, this was a nice departure from days of gumbo and fried alligator.
Here's the worst burger - I was 6 and a neighbor invited my brother and me over to have lunch with her kids. She served burgers that were awful. Just tasted weirdly unpleasant. I could hardly bear to swallow it without gagging. When my mother came to pick us up the neighbor told her that she put 'l-i-v-e-r' (spelled out) in the burger. Well I could spell and I was so angry. Definitely the last time I ate there. BTW totally agree with David below re: Zuni burger.
I used to love the burger at White Horse Tavern (NYC, rip Dylan Thomas). Since moved, and now a vegetarian, the veg burger at Cyclops (Seattle) is SO good. Recommended!!
When we go out, Black Sheep Burgers 11313 Mississippi off of Sawtelle. home was 50/50 chuck and shortrib Now it is a bit too fatty, but still good.