Burger Quest: Bill's Burgers

Bill's Burgers is open 8:30am - 4pm weekdays only and it's in Van Nuys, which is a fair trek from our Beverly Hills hood, so we were a little concerned about how we'd manage to fit Bill's into our quest.

However, the Boy was delighted to find himself in North Hollywood last week for a meeting, and stopped by Bill's with his work buddy for a morsel. He is convinced that by simply bullet pointing a few facts about this place he can demonstrate its greatness without too much description.

- It's been around for 45 years

- They don't do fries

- It's under a billboard for McDonalds

- Bill, 85, is still flipping the burgers

There's a sign inside that says 'This isn't Burger King. You Get It My Way or You Get It No Way'. Or something like that. The Boy doesn't take photos the way I tell him to.

The burger, at a joint like this, seems less important, but it is a pretty solid burger at that, with simply lettuce, tomato and mayo.  But it's enlivened somehow by the depth of the valley history around it and the way Bill flips the burgers on the griddle and presses his fingers into the bun he's going to deliver to you.

That's the man himself!

It's going to compete, big time, for the best joint in Los Angeles when we get round to tallying this quest into a table of results.

Long live Bill. Long live Bill's Burgers.

*Side note: I think this is a burger joint my grandmother used to take my dad and his sisters - She used to sometimes get the first burger of the day!  Glad to know Burger Questing runs in the family! 

Photos found here

Burger Quest: The Bucket

There's nothing nicer than dragging a burger location from the 'Burger To-Do' folder on Google Earth into the 'Burger Quested' folder. And after that we turn out little wrench icon into a flame.

If you don't believe me, here's the complete Burger Map:

A few things to note: look at the size of LA County!  It's vast!  From Sonic in the North to Utro's Cafe in the South it's 62 miles as the crow flies. We're dealing with a vast and densely populated county here. There's no tougher place in America to do a burger quest. Period.

Do I seem like I'm trying to waffle to avoid talking about The Bucket burger? Well, maybe a little.  It's a meaty morsel of a burger.  The place was filled with bikers and men who looked like bikers, and the burger showed why. Their signature burger is simple, no frills, with a glob of mustard that was very unevenly distributed. The joint didn't look like a 1935 establishment, but it could probably have passed for a 1975 joint, and one that maybe Clint Eastwood would have street boxed outside with his orang-utan.

The burger didn't impress us a great deal, but showed a heck of a lot of promise. The meat was superb - juicy, chargrilled and well cooked. But there was nothing much to compliment it in the bun.  Sure, there's other burgers on their menu that may have done the trick - there's one called the Mild Cardiac and another called The Cardiac (sounds a bit scary to be honest.)  But the signature burger kept things pretty basic and low-key.

But overall, the burger was pretty good.  We may return here, but for the time being we're just delighted to drag and drop it.

The Scores:

Meatiness - 4
Succulentiousness - 2
Flavor - 3
Bun - 3
Stay Togetherness - 2
Joint - 4

Burger Quest: Sonic Burgers

So many of you have probably eaten your fair share of Sonic Burgers.  This national franchise calls itself "America's Drive In" and many still have the old drive-in set up where food is brought to your car on a tray.  But there actually aren't many Sonic's in Southern California.  The closest one to us is way out in Palmdale - Which is actually just barely inside the LA county line.  It's far and required more than a Sonic burger to get us to make the trek out there.

Luckily, Palmdale also has a large antique mall that I had been anxious to visit.  So we made a day of it and drove out to shop and eat. 

All in all, we feel pretty confident that we never need to return to Palmdale.  The Sonic Burger was completely unremarkable.  The boy stated that it was the blandest burger we've tasted to date, and I have to agree.  I suppose it wasn't bad - Definitely not as disgusting as Burger King - But it has all the flavor of a cardboard box.  The only thing this burger had going for it was the stay togetherness, which I am sure was in large part due to the mayo that essentially worked as the glue, holding this burger together.  Easily forgettable and certainly not worth the trip. 

The best part about Sonic (besides the fact that boys on roller-skates were delivering the food) was the tater tots.  Not many fast food joints offer tots in replace of fries.  So for that (and that only) I salute you Sonic.  Still, you are better as a hedgehog in my opinion. 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 2

Succulentiousness - 1
Bun -1

Flavor - 2
Stay Togetherness - 5

Joint - 2

Burger Quest: Rustic Canyon

When the boy and I attended the "Taste of LA," a long time back, Rustic Canyon won the competition for best burger.  It became a sort of beacon to us - A place we simply had to conquer on the quest.  But it's rather fussy.  We tried to stop in for a dinner once and were turned away for lack of a reservation.  But finally we were able to plan ahead, booked in advance and attended the laid back, yet pricey venue on a cool Saturday evening.  

We ordered a bottle of wine and took in the atmosphere.  The place was full of young, professional types - A mix of yuppies and hipsters - I shall call them yippsters.  The wine was nice and the joint has a low-key vibe about it.  Though in a way, that vibe comes across as slightly pretentious as you start to notice just how contrived it actually is in it's easy-going feeling.  This place is not actually that easy going.  When you ask for water you are asked if you want still or sparkling, and then if you select still, they ask if you want bottled or tap.  If it was actually easy going you wouldn't get a choice.

But of course the focus is the burger...Let me get back to the burger.  

how it should look...source

how mine did look...source

The Rustic Canyon Burger is made with premium beef and comes on a lush brioche bun.  It's the very essence of a high-class burger and yet, it left something to be desired.  Specifically, in the presentation.  I asked for the signature burger sans the cheese (as per the burger quest agreement) and was given a burger with no sauce, no lettuce, no vegetables - just the meat and the bun.  Most of the fixings were given to me on the side, but not all that were listed on the menu, and for $18 I wasn't really that keen on building my own burger.  I don't know what to think of this burger, because essentially I didn't taste it. 

The icing on the cake was the stomach ache I had by the time we got home.  Maybe we hit the Rustic Canyon on an off night, but all in all, our experience was not pleasant.  And we can be yippsters with the best of them!  I really wanted to love Rustic Canyon, but the burger was an overall disappointment.  All I can say is, order it with the cheese....I'm sure that will make all the difference. 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 3

Succulentiousness - 2
Bun -3

Flavor - 2
Stay Togetherness - 4

Joint - 3

Burger Quest: The Honor Bar

Just the fact that a bar opened up in Beverly Hills was exciting for me and the boy.  Now sure, it's not really all that exciting.  Lots of dark oak wood, decent wine list, live jazz on certain nights, you know, the usual.  But still, the Honor Bar is an exciting addition to the Beverly Hills affordable culinary landscape.  And they also have a burger...

I had the pleasure of sampling this burger during a typical lunch break from work.  I only had 20 minutes, so this burger quest had to be fast.  Luckily, the Honor Bar was quick and efficient with my order.  They even managed to refill my Diet Coke twice, despite being very busy with the business lunch rush.  

The burger itself was good.  Extremely juicy and succulent.  It had all the earmarks of a tasty, bistro burger and the skinny fries were a delicious complement.  The bun, another delectable edition of sesame, was actually exceptional.  All in all, a very good burger.   But not quite one that you'd crave.  Still, it's tasty and filling, a better lunch burger than most.  And if you're ever in BH, let me know and I'll meet you at the Honor Bar for a beer and a burger. 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 3

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun - 5

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 3

Joint - 3

Burger Quest: Hook Burgers

The boy and I ventured to Hook Burger in Burbank over the weekend for the first Burger Quest of 2013.  It felt good to be out on the quest again.  It felt right....And tasty! 

Hook Burger is the upscale bistro version of the Habit.  And the joint has about that much character.  But trust me, you're not there for the joint.  Owned by the same people, Hook Burger boasts "bistro quality at quick-casual prices."  It has a delicious, simple, fast-food style menu, but if you stay in and eat you can enjoy table service and a selection of beers and wines.  

We were hungry, so the boy and I each got our own Prime Burger and we shared an order of onion rings.  The rings were scrumptious, though rather hot, with excellent presentation.  As for the main event, this burger held up to it's promise.

It's not a world-beater burger, but it was perfectly cooked (ever so blushing pink inside) slightly sweet in taste thanks to the caramelized onions, and terrifically tasty.  

The boy felt the lettuce was a bit too cold, though honestly I didn't notice this.  We both did feel like the soft brioche bun was a bit heavy, though they are the burger trend of the moment.  But all in all, this burger was exceptionally good for the price - Just under 5 dollars!  It was enjoyable, filling and fast; all qualities we like to see in a burger.  

Hook Burgers now has 3 locations: Burbank, Pasadena and Oxnard. We definitely recommend them as a burger to taste and fingers crossed they open more of these delicious shops across LA. 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 4

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun - 3

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 5

Joint - 3

Burger Quest: A Guest Global Review from Dublin!

I think it's pretty swell that so many people from around the globe are reading our little Burger Quest and feeling inspired to take part!  People like Z - A glorious Boston blogger who is currently studying in the Netherlands - for instance.  She was kind enough to contribute to the Burger Quest and I am just so pleased to be able to share another Global Edition of the Burger Quest today! If you want to submit your own burger quest please contact me and let me know!   

Hey guys! It's Z from sometimesztakespictures, and I'm lucky enough to have another international burger quest for you! I've been studying abroad in the Netherlands for three months and have been taking weekend trips here and there to tons of other European cities. A few weeks ago, I was in Dublin and stumbled upon Bobo's...and burger love was born.

I found the joint after some ridiculous google search (if you're ever traveling, never underestimate what a quick "things to do in _____" will get you) and decided that we MUST go. There are two locations and we went to both, but I'll examine the one that was just down the street from us - a cute, tiny little place that was mostly diner bar with a few two-person high tops. But, hey, we're here for the burger.

This is definitely a place that makes their burgers STACKED. They have loads of lovely options - I went with the Conn, which is a beef burger with tomato, lettuce, cheddar cheese, bacon, red onion, sweetcorn relish, and barbeque sauce. I opted out for the relish (gets too messy for me) and asked for extra sauce...because barbeque sauce in Europe is a rare thing. At this point, I hadn't had a REAL burger in about a month, so I might over-score purely because of joy. 

Bobo's flaunts real Irish meat and they deliver - the actual burger was perfectly cooked, provided a nice amount of char, and was tender without being that juicy. All of the toppings melded together wonderfully and the barbeque sauce was on point! The bun, however, was a bit of a disappointed. It was on a poppyseed bun, which just tasted strange with the rest of the flavors. Yet, it was big and toasted to perfection, so there's that at least. And, taking into account how much was on the thing, it stayed together pretty well! (I did need to use the smush method.) 

Overall, this place is great if you're looking for a burger that's both Irish-ly authentic and reminiscent of home. Either place is a great dinner or after-party place (they're open till two!). Also, check out the garlic fries if you get the chance. So glad I got the chance to give a bit of an international flavor! 

The Scores:

Meatiness - 4

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun - 2
Flavor - 3
Stay Togetherness - 3
Joint - 4

Thanks so much to Z for sharing such an awesome Burger Quest post!  Hopefully it will be the first of many as we continue to expand the quest for the perfect burger!  

Burger Quest: Rounds

It's a little embarrassing to admit that I am just now blogging about our Burger Quest experience with Rounds.  We tasted their acclaimed burgers not at their West Hollywood location, but from their food truck at the Unique LA Craft Show....But no, not the most recent Unique LA; this was the one that took place last summer.  Shameful, I know.  

The Rounds burger was really pretty good.  Standard flavors, strong meat, very juicy and sort of greasy, but in that really good way, you know?  The only trouble is, it was so windy on the air strip in Santa Monica where they held the event, it was difficult to keep my hair from blowing all over my face as I tried to eat.  Not the best way to enjoy such a delicious burger!  

Overall, it's a place I would love to visit again.  No question.  But it wasn't life changing.  Although, I think it may be my favorite bun to date...Really so good!  It was a good burger though and being able to enjoy it at a fun crafty venue made it extra special in my estimation!  

Scores:

Meatiness - 4

Succulentiousness - 3
Bun - 5

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 3

Joint - 2 (can't properly judge, but the food truck looked roomy!)

Burger Blitz - 4 Burgers for the price of 1

So you may have noticed I have gone a few weeks without posting a Burger Quest post.  This isn't due to a lack of burger tastings.  Oh no, quite the contrary.  The boy and I have been on so many burger quests over the last month that frankly, I got a little overwhelmed with posting about them.  There were some tears, some strongly emphasized words...Suffice to say, I needed to take a little break.  

But now, naturally, I have even more burger reviews to write since before my little hiatus.  Isn't that always the way?  You take a day off and enjoy yourself so much, only to find double the work waiting for you when you decide to come back.  Not that burger quests are work...

Anyway, to make up for my slacker ways I am bringing you a little Burger Blitz today - Four Burger reviews in one quick, easy to swallow post.  Ready?  Here we go!

Blue Palms

This place is a bit of a dive, but in a cool way.  Right next door to the Music Box Theater, Blue Palms is a proper, no nonsense place to grab a beer.  And the burger ain't bad either.  A good balance of meatiness to sauce and flavors.  What makes this place so good is it's obvious lack of pretentiousness.   The boy took me there after I saw Frankenweenie, so I was a bit bleary-eyed through most of the meal.  

Scores:

Meatiness - 5

Succulentiousness - 5
Bun -3

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 4 

Joint - 4

Oaks Gourmet

This was one of the most succulent burgers we've tried yet!  The boy took me here after I gave a somewhat failed ballet performance and needed a bit of cheering up.  The meat was so tasty and tender, the bun so sweet and soft.  All the ingredients were fresh and delicious, making this Franklin Village Market the place to go for one of our favorite burgers to date.  The joint is definitely a market and not the most comfortable place to sit and eat.  Get the burger, but take it to go!  

Scores:

Meatiness - 5

Succulentiousness - 5
Bun -4

Flavor - 4
Stay Togetherness - 4 

Joint - 2

Lucky Devils

I think I liked the decor and the music playing in this Hollywood Boulevard joint more than I expected.  This was a really delicious burger.  The meat has a wonderful flavor and it wasn't overcomplicated with too much of anything else.   The decor of the joint may be a little mixed up as they are clearly going for a sort of trendy gourmet biker bar vibe,  but they were playing radiohead when we walked in and continued to play great tunes throughout our meal.   The meat made this burger stand out,  but the slightly spicy secret sauce was yummy too.  It was juicy without being drippy, and the burger didn't fall apart.  My red wine and rosemary fries were also good, making me suspect that there are lots of tasty things to try at Lucky Devils.  It's a place I want to go back to again, no question!  

 Scores:

Meatiness - 5

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun -3

Flavor - 5
Stay Togetherness - 4 

Joint - 4

Juicy Burger

We ht up  Juicy Burger right after Lucky Devils and perhaps that was a mistake, because Juicy Burger tasted awful in comparison!  The Juicy burger had no personaility and was far too drippy.  It consisted of iceberg lettuce, lots of Thousand Island dressing, concealing a bit of meat that was fine, but didn't add much to the flavor.   The bread-y bun looked better than it actually tasted and while it was a satisfying meal, we deemed this as a Hangover burger at best.  It's decent for the price, but not the best burger by miles.  I also hated the joint - it's a tiny place playing crappy dance house music that made me desperately want to leave, I was so uncomfortable.  Not recommended.  

Scores:

Meatiness -3

Succulentiousness - 2
Bun -2

Flavor - 2
Stay Togetherness - 2

Joint - 1

Burger Quest: Jakes Burgers in Pasadena

We weren't expecting to go to Jakes. It wasn't on our list. But during a hot Saturday day of museum-going we found ourselves in the Old Pasadena neighborhood desperate for a burger and a beer. I'd often walked by the Jakes burger shake, as it's nestled in the middle of Old Town's main shopping high street, Colorado Blvd. But I'd never actually ate there. It seemed like the natural thing to do, so we went for it.

Plus the sign outside clearly states that it's "Pasadena's Best Burger Sing 1947."  With a claim like that we couldn't let the establishment go untasted.  We settled down for a bit of the alleged best Pasadena had to offer.

The burger itself was decent...Good even.  It hit the spot for just what one would want from a burger shack on a hot day.  But it wasn't incredible.  It was a bit over-stacked with way too much lettuce which made it hard to keep together.  Flavor was good though.  It tasted...Like a burger.  A solid place to eat if your looking for a no nonsense kind of burger.  And our waiter was really friendly, it has to be said.  I like those nice Pasadenians.  ;)

The Scores:

Meatiness -3

Succulentiousness - 3
Bun - 2
Flavor -3
Stay Togetherness - 2
Joint -4

A Personal Burger Quest: The McGreevey Burger

Ever since the boy and I began the Burger Quest, the people around us in our daily lives have been somewhat intrigued by our process and how we take it so seriously.  In case you weren't aware, we sometimes plan entire weekends around burger quest destinations and we are very calculated as to how we record our data and score our subjects.  That's right.  We are Burger Nerds.  

So, given that this is a proper scientific investigation, my very own parents wanted to submit their own barbecued burger to the mix!  My dad is something of a barbecue king (aren't most fathers?)  And he has always been quite proud of his burgers.  Although, it's a team effort - My mom is the one who prepares the patties and all the fixings, while my Dad's the one who fires them up on the grill.  The result?  A Classic McGreevey Burger!

It's actually quite difficult to judge this burger objectively, but in the name of burger science I will do my best.  The burger was respectfully meaty and perfectly cooked with a nice chargrilled exterior.  Added to it was romaine lettuce, red onion, pickles, tomato and ketchup on mine (the boy substituted mustard for the ketchup and added melted cheddar cheese.)  My mom even bought nice sesame seed buns for the occasion  making the overall burger really quite tasty!  It was a bit dry perhaps, and wasn't the best at staying-together, but had a delicious flavor.  It wasn't a gourmet burger of course, but it had something extra special...

The thing about the McGreevey burger that set it apart from all the other burgers we've tasted is that it was a true, suburban backyard barbecued burger!  It tasted like the summers of my childhood - The late nights of playing hide & seek with our neighbors, and playing baseball in the backyard.  It had a special, homemade quality that only the McGreevey's can create!  It may not be the best burger of the quest, but it will always hold a special place in my heart....and stomach! ;)  

Burger Quest: Bottle Room

Whittier is at the edge of Los Angeles County, which makes it pretty much the final frontier of Burger Quest.  There's a little place in charming downtown Whittier called The Bottle Room, and its burger is highly spoken of by some other burger reviewers on this here internet.

It's a decent spot. Seems a bit lacking in character, but it's a dark bar with some good beers and a vaguely interesting menu of stuff. We ordered their signature burger with no cheese.

source

It reminded us immediately of Fathers Office, which is one of our favorite of the burgers we've tried to date. But it isn't quite Fathers Office epic. It comes with a sweet onion relish and some mild arugula. The meat is a good slab. The combo is tasty. The bun is average. But I dunno, it just leaves something to be desired. It feels sort of like a burger that's trying to emulate, rather than a burger that's just trying to 'be'.

It's a $12 burger and probably just about hits the mark for what that level of burger should be, but it doesn't do anything special. We'd be deeply grateful for it at $8, but at $12...hmmm...we're hoping for more these days.

If you're ever stuck in Whittier - go to the Bottle Room. Go for the beer. Get a burger - it won't disappoint. But it won't make you want to start your own Burger Quest either.

The Scores:

Meatiness -5

Succulentiousness - 4
Bun - 1
Flavor -3
Stay Togetherness - 3  
Joint - 3

Burger Quest: Johnny Rockets

Johnny Rockets restaurants are surprisingly global. If you live in Bahrain, Chile, Kuwait, Panama, Qatar, South Korea or the United Arab Emirates - you can go to a Johnny Rockets without leaving your country.  The list of countries Johnny Rockets have traveled to make them look very much like a CIA front-organization...I'm not saying they are, but it is a strange collection of locations for a burger joint. 

Also, their 'tagline' is 'The Original Hamburger'. They were founded in 1986.  I think hamburgers were around before them.  There's something fishy about the whole thing. We went to the 'original' location on Melrose Ave.  (or is it? maybe Johnny Rockets arrived with the 2001: Space Odyssey obelisk!)

The burger was ordinary - bun, burger, tomato, lettuce, onions, pickles, mustard, mayo. Too much mayo, pointless shredded iceberg lettuce, floppy meat patty, they cut it in half without us asking us (did they read our minds?), but we wish they didn't do that. It ruins the integrity of the burger.

Plus the place is supposed to be all 1950's, Pleasantville-esque and even that was lacking.  We sat and listened to The Shirelles, we listened to the The Ronettes, we listened to Hermans Hermits, but we also listened to Hall and Oates and a bunch of 80s crap. It was like listening to George Tenet's iPod shuffle.  It wasn't retro.  It was just sad.

I used to really love Johnny Rockets, but now, after having tasted over 50 burgers in the LA area, I think I can safely say that I was wrong.  The burger is ok, but nothing to get excited about.  And with  all the incongruities with their locations and historic burger facts my opinion of them has gone done considerably.  Though they still do draw happy faces with the ketchup...That is something. ;)   Now, on to the numbers....

The Scores: 

Meatiness -3
Succulentiousness - 2
Bun - 2
Flavor - 2
Stay Togetherness - 4

Joint - 3
 

Burger Quest: Good Stuff

The more burgers we eat, the more they seem to fall into categories. Maybe that's a trick of the brain. Every burger is unique, but you want to categorize it somehow. It's a thriller burger, it's an action burger, it's a bro-mance burger, it's a Norwegian drama burger.

It may sound like a lame categorization, but we think there's a 'Solid Burger' category. Solid is a word that people seem to use a lot. Young people. New Yorkers. 'Do me a solid', they say. 'What's that guy like?' 'Oh, he's solid', they say. Solid seems to mean dignified, self-aware and dependable.  There are burgers like this, believe me.

Good Stuff is a So-Cal restaurant chain. Four locations: Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, El Segundo...and a strip mall in a shitty, unpopulated stretch of West LA.

Don't get it. Why there? Terrible location. It's lost among the Coffee Beans and the 7-11s. The Hermosa Beach location is right on The Strand - right there on the beach!

Anyhow - gripes about our nearest location aside (we are delighted to not have to drive to Hermosa Beach for this one) the burger is just solid.  Not life changing or remarkable, just solid. 

I didn't care for the bun - it's what The Boy calls an 'Organic' type bun.  Not because it's organic, but because it's the sort of bun that organic people feel comfortable with (NB: we're not against organic stuff per se, but there's a type of person that obsesses over it, as if no cows die when you eat organic beef).

The burger isn't too drippy, a bit too dry. Just sort of average. Solid. Stayed together. Solid. Not too meaty. Solid. Fresh. Solid.

Solid. A solid burger.  Don't drive too far to buy it!

The Score:

Meatiness -3

Succulentiousness - 2

Bun - 1
Flavour - 3
Stay Togetherness - 4

Joint - 3

Burger Quest: Malibu Inn

Malibu, Claremont, Palmdale, Valencia, Whittier, Compton - these are some of the outer reaches of our LA County restricted Burger Quest.

We certainly don't discriminate against the burgers for their distance from our home, but we do hope they make the drive worthwhile. The Malibu Inn does not warrant a drive.

The place is a complete metaphor for Malibu, with its reality shows, sceptic tank issues, crumbling bluffs and disreputable residents: Despite having some pretty cool vintage elements, interesting wallpaper and some of the best colored chairs I've ever seen, the place is about as soulful as a university cafeteria.  Everything is too spaced out, and no ocean view (despite being right by the ocean.)  Perhaps the atmosphere is better at dinner, but for lunch it just seemed strange and uncomfortable.

But here's the burger - beef, stunningly cold lettuce, tomato, red onion, decent bun. They say on their website that their beef is proprietary.  It did seem quite nice, but very, very salty and was served with a big hunk of nuthin'.  They did serve a pail of popcorn with the meal.  I'm still unsure if I find that quaint or just cheap, but then, I'm not much of a popcorn fan.  

Probably my favorite detail was in the women's restroom...Enter the stalls and you're greeted with collages such as this....

I can't help but find that funny!

Their burger is $13. It should be $7.  But what of the score you ask?  Let's crunch the numbers:

Meatiness - 2

Succulentiousness - 2

Bun - 3
Flavour - 3
Stay Togetherness - 3

Joint - 3