Matchbox

Palm Springs, CA
www.matchboxpalmsprings.com



The Order: Bistro Burger, medium rare. Grilled certified angus beef topped with red wine gorgonzola butter, pickled red onions, applewood-smoked bacon, cremini mushrooms, romaine and tomato, on a Brioche roll.
Side Order: Comes with house cut fries
$13
Drink Order: Napa Smith Lost Dog



In Palm Springs for the weekend of my sister's wedding, it was a weekend of delicious food and drink 24/7. And what a weekend it was. For the rehearsal dinner we all went out to Matchbox. Talk about an interesting burger. The ingredients by themselves are not altogether special, but put them together and suddenly you've really got something going here. The combination of the red wine gorgonzola butter, the slightly smokey meat and the pickled red onion was a fantastic blend. Bitter/sour, sweet and smokey all come together and make this burger really tasty. The flavor is all over the place and changes with each time you chew, releasing different tastes from all the various ingredients. Be careful to spread the gorgonzola butter out, as well as the other ingredients so you get all of it in every bite, otherwise you end up with only one or two of the important parts left towards the end.

I had originally critiqued the burger more harshly. On the menu, some of the ingredients weren't listed, but I'll lay this fault at the feet of whoever designed the menu for the rehearsal dinner. The Matchbox Palm Springs website includes all the ingredients in their description of the burger, except for the romaine, tomato and bread.

The fries, however, left a lot to be desired. They were all evenly coated in a thick layer of oil and were all a little overdone. No seasoning on the fries, and not enough salt. I definitely expected more from them, considering the caliber of the burger. Maybe the spicing up the ingredients used in making the fries would help them stand up to their burger counterpart.

The Pony Bar: Part Deux

Manhattan, NY
www.theponybar.com



The Order: Braised Lamb Sliders
Side Order: Comes with hand-cut potato chips and horseradish pickles
$9
Drink Order: Sly Fox Rt. 113 IPA



Having had the burger the last time I went to The Pony Bar, and having been pleasantly surprised, I decided to spring for the braised lamb sliders. These are tasty, but I'm not convinced they're worth the $9 it costs to eat them. Don't get me wrong here, though, there's not really anything bad I can say about them. The sauce and the lamb combined with the soft potato roll are a delight, but two sliders for $9 with no other toppings? Let's be real here. I could either go for another slider, or a more intricate set of toppings if I'm going to be paying that much. For $4 there's a halal food cart on 42nd and 8th that tastes nearly the same (minus the potato roll). You could say you're paying for the atmosphere, but that changes depending on what time you come into Pony. You might also say that you're making up for the fact that all the beers here are $5 and they have a fantastic, ever-changing, selection. That's true, but why do we have to make up for that?

Now, being that this is my second review, I'm inclined to give them a little slack. I've been here probably 5 or 6 times and never been disappointed. I just want more! I'm hungry! More sliders! Is that too much to ask? These were good, but I'd still choose the burger in a heartbeat.



******LA Recap******

Well dear readers, last week was a blast! I ate 12.5 burgers (if you count the Flying Dutchman I got at In N Out as a half burger) in 7 days, the majority of which were actually crammed into 5 days. I could feel the sweat slowly oozing out as it congealed on my skin! And boy did it taste delicious! In all seriousness though, the trip was amazing both because of the substantial number of delicious burgers I ate, but also because of the friends joining me on my ridiculous quest. Thank you all for housing me, and driving me around to eat burgers.

I managed to make it to all of the burgers that I mentioned except for Bucket, which got shafted after my run-in with a 6 hour open bar (I'll win that battle next time I swear!). Oinkster maintained its position as my favorite 'pedestrian' burger. The new top gourmet burger in Los Angeles will be revealed next week.

Throughout the following weeks I'll be sprinkling in the rest of the LA burger reviews. This is partially to give my body a rest. I'm sure my cholesterol level spiked very quickly, and a little bit of salad will do me good. Not for TOO long, but maybe another week or so more. Don't you worry, there will be no shortage of burger reviews in the next weeks. This is ESPECIALLY true because of Groupon's Burger Day celebration. They have 13 burger deals for today only! So head on over there and pick up some amazing Groupons and get a preview of the upcoming weeks of burgers!

Check out today's groupon for NYC here: www.groupon.com

The Oinkster

Eagle Rock, CA
theoinkster.com



The Order: Cheeseburger, medium rare. Fresh Nebraska Angus beef, thousand island dressing, house-cured dill pickles, onions, tomatoes and lettuce, with gruyere
Side Order: Add fries and drink for $3
$5.50 + $3 = $8.50
Drink Order: Mr. Pibb



The Oinkster has been my favorite burger place in Los Angeles for a long time. Once I discovered the burger (BEFORE Guy Fieri did), I was eating there at least once a month, if not more. They are consistent with the quality of the burger every single time. You would be remiss to not go here and eat this great burger.

This isn't a fancy burger by any means. Everything about it is simple, but it's made really well. The taste of the mean is superb, and the vegetable condiments are crisp and fresh. The bun is thick enough to absorb the juices but thin enough so it doesn't fill you up completely. And it all works so well together. It's really just a simple and delicious burger.

The other thing that is wonderful about The Oinkster is that they make all of their sauces in house. Two kinds of ketchup (one of them is Chipotle) as well as their Oinkster mustard are delicious. They also make a garlic aioli which comes with the fries. It's super tasty, and extra garlicky. Don't plan on getting near anybody after eating this sauce though. You'll still smell like garlic in the morning. And spreading it on the burger is amazing! The flavor is somewhat overwhelming, but you'll love every bite even more.

The portions here are really generous. The burger is large (you can also order the smaller 1/3 pound burger), and the amount of fries you get is impressive. I've never finished an entire order, and when I've tried, I've ended up with a stomach ache. The fries are pretty good, not anything amazing, and avoid the ones that look extra crispy or you just might crack a tooth. The other fries will be crispy on the outside and really soft on the inside, so they're definitely worth it to get.

They have a decent and ever changing beer selection, though I always just go for a soda. They carry a selection of Eagle Rock Brewery's beers some of the time, and all of their beers are moderately priced. The sodas are free refill.

The Oinkster has never disappointed me yet. And it never will. Come at an off hour to avoid the mad rush of people that flock to this place after seeing a certain episode of Diner, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Umami Burger

Los Feliz, CA
www.umamiburger.com



The Order: Kombu Meal #3: Hatch Burger, medium rare. 4 types of green chilies, house made American cheese
Side order: Kombu Meal #3 comes with Tempura Onion Rings
$16
Drink Order: Kombu Meal #3 comes with a Poleeko Gold Pale Ale



I don't understand what all the fuss is about. Everyone always talks about how good Umami Burger is, and there must be something to it right? I mean, they now have five locations. There has to be something great about this place. I've only been here once before and I wasn't thrilled, but after a friend recommended a specific burger over the signature Umami Burger, I thought I'd give it another shot.

First of all, what is with the letter "U" stamped on the top of the bun? Is it ink? Food coloring? A slight searing? Great. They've put their stamp on the bun. A good thing because honestly, the bun is the best thing about the burger. 4 types of green chilies! Great! No taste. Not even any heat. I didn't feel anything at all in the way of spiciness until I was almost done with the entire burger. And some of you may say that I have a huge tolerance for spiciness. Not true at all. I just happen to really enjoy spicy foods now, even though they burn like volcanoes in my mouth. The house-made American cheese did nothing to add to the flavor of the burger and the meat was cooked past medium rare, even though medium rare is supposed to be the standard preparation for all of their burgers here. So yeah, the bun was sweet and delicious. But that's it. What the burger lacked in flavor it had in price.

These are by no means cheap burgers, and while I haven't had all of the burgers, I'll definitely think twice about coming here again to try something else. The Kombu deals are pretty good for your money, but you still end up having to eat a lackluster burger.

The onions rings, however, are delicious. Umami Burger definitely has gotten their side dishes right. A taste of the special Truffle Cheese Fries was great, and the Tempura Onion Rings with Umami Ketchup was fantastic. They had great tempura flavor (the rings are basically just coated with tempura style batter and then deep fried), with the sweet and tangy ketchup working together in a really interesting combination. There could be a few more onion rings in the order, but I won't complain about it.

I wouldn't choose this over the myriad other places to go in Los Angeles. Break the cycle. Tell all your friends to go somewhere else that is better and cheaper.

Lucky Devils

Hollywood, CA
www.luckydevils-la.com




The Order: Kobe Sliders (diablo and bacon bleu)
Kobe Cheeseburger, medium rare. Apricot house-smoked double thick cheddar, tomato chutney, lettuce and crispy fried onions.
Side Order: None
$8.95 + $13 = $21.95
Drink Order: Water



Back in Los Angeles again and I have a long burger road ahead of me! I unfortunately had to skip my burger lunch plans because of last night's festivities (congratulations Vanessa and Mike!). So the beginning of my LA burger adventure was at Lucky Devils, joined by Sarah, Joe and Gloria.

The sliders were a fantastic way to start the meal, especially after a long night of binge drinking (thus.. the water). I started with the bacon bleu (Swiss gruyere, blue cheese, double-smoked bacon, drunkin' beer caramelized onions, wild arugula and roasted garlic aioli). The aioli is really sweet and, paired with the onions, makes this slider absolutely delicious. You don't really taste the bleu cheese at all because it's overwhelmed by all the other flavors. To be honest it's actually not a bad thing. The slider really doesn't need any other flavors to muddy things up.

The diablo wasn't nearly as good as the bacon bleu (white cheddar, double-smoked bacon, avocado, wild arugula, house 1,000 island, and devil hot sauce). The hot sauce is fantastic but that's really all this has going for it. Slightly tangy, and not too hot, but they didn't hit it out of the park with this one.

The Kobe cheeseburger was actually subpar. Everything about the burger was good, except for the flavor of the meat. Come on! When you've got Kobe beef to work with, how can you not make it taste amazing?! The patty was cooked well past medium rare and was essentially flavorless. The cheddar and the bread were both very sweet tasting, but not in any way overbearing, and not strong enough tastes to make up for the beef's shortcomings. The bacon wasn't at all smoky and the crispy fried onions didn't add anything to the experience at all.

The burger doesn't come with fries and $4 to add a side of sweet potato fries wasn't going to happen, but the fries were definitely tasty, and the pastilla garlic aioli was fantastic. The problem with the side of fries is the size of the portion. When you spend $4 for a side, it should be a bit on the larger side. This is not true of Lucky Devils.

Verdict: Get the sliders, but ask if you can have two of the bacon bleus instead of the diablo. Don't get a burger here.

In N Out: Secret Menu

Los Angeles, CA
www.in-n-out.com



The Order: Double Double, medium rare. Animal style, w/ grilled whole onions.
Flying Dutchman w/ chopped chilies. ($2.20)
Side Order: Animal style fries ($2.79)
$3.15 + $2.20 + $2.79 = $8.14
Drink Order: Dr. Pepper. Lemon Up (Pink Lemonade and Seven Up)



Now, I've been going to In N Out for years before living in NY, having lived in Los Angeles for 6 years. I knew about the 'secret menu' which involves things like getting your burger Animal Style (a mustard grilled patty with pickles, grilled onions and thousand island dressing), protein style (no bun, your burger wrapped in lettuce), or a grilled cheese sandwich (self explanatory). I even knew you could get your fries animal style.

I DIDN'T know the full extent of the secret menu though. And oh my god is it amazing. My usual order is a Double Double (a cheeseburger with double meet and double cheese) animal style with animal styles fries and a Dr. Pepper. But after reading Kenji Lopez-Alt's article on Serious Eats about the In N Out secret menu, I had to make some adjustments to my order. I never knew you could get your burger medium rare, or with chopped chili peppers pressed into the patty! Who knew you could get whole slices of grilled onions rather than diced grilled onions! And there's such a thing as the Flying Dutchman, which is just two patties and two pieces of cheese?! Amazing!! So I changed my order a little bit and it made In N Out even better. I couldn't fathom that my fast food experience would ever be this good, but wow. Next time you go to In N Out make sure to check out the secret menu the links below for all your options and make your In N Out trip the best you've ever had.

Kenji Lopez-Alt on the In N Out Secret Menu

Davis Wiki on the In N Out Secret Menu

Stand4 Burger

Manhattan, NY
www.standburger.com



The Order: HELL Burger, medium rare. Wasabi, caramelized onions, Thai chilies, sweet chile sauce, with white cheddar ($1)
Side Order: Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Parmesan ($5)
$11 + $1 + $5 = $17
Drink Order: Six Point Sweet Action
Dessert Order: Mini Ricotta Pistachio Milkshake $6

Mike's Order: STAND Burger, Medium. Specially seasoned beef, red onion, lettuce, tomato, house sauce, with white cheddar ($1)



After a multiple enthusiastic recommendations from fellow burger enthusiast Malia, I finally found the time to go and try Stand Burger. Or is it Stand. Or is it Stand4. Actually, not even Stand itself can agree on the name. If you look at their website, they call themselves any and all of the above names. We'll stick with Stand.

Apparently my choise of side was agreeable to our waitress ("good choice!"). Again, joined by Mike and Vanessa, Mike and I decided to split our two burgers. He ordered the STAND burger and I ordered the HELL burger.

Starting with my half of the HELL burger first may have been a mistake. The first bite instantly cleared my nose (the wasabi). If you want to try something that is beyond spicy, go for this burger, but it isn't so much the wasabi that gets you as it is the Thai chillies. They made it so hard to eat the burger that by the time I finished my half I was glad it was ONLY half the burger.

The STAND burger on the other hand was delicious. The seasoning on the meat was an explosion of flavors complimented perfectly by the house sauce, and the other toppings, and the meat was perhaps the juiciest I've had in the past few months. Both burgers were definitely high quality burgers, and a good size for their prices, but I'll definitely be going with the STAND next time.

Our burgers came with fried pickles on the side, which were fantastic and a wonderful surprise. The butter pickles that they were made with weren't too sweet, and they were just a little sour. If you have had the fried pickles at Corner Burger, come try these and be amazed at home much better they are. No offense Corner Burger, but these have you beat by a big margin.

The sweet potato mash was excellent, but just a little too sweet, and there definitely could have been more Parmesan on top. In fact, perhaps a more bold choice of cheese topping could have worked better. The dish was interesting, but if they were really looking to wow with it, they were just a little off the mark.

I have only three words left for you. Ricotta. Pistachio. Milkshake. This is EXPENSIVE, but AMAZING. Giant chunks of pistachio throughout, a healthy amount of whip cream, and the ricotta flavor poking through every once in a while make this one of the best milkshakes I've ever had. If you come here, you can not leave with out trying one of the milkshakes, and there are definitely other interesting flavors to order. Toasted Marshmellow. Honey Lavender Chocolate. Blueberry Pie. Maple Almond. AND they have alcoholic shakes.

Come here early to avoid the lines, or come for lunch when they offer a few lunch specials. Definitely worth a try... or two.



Coming up next week:
Dear readers! Beginning this Friday I will be in Palm Springs, CA and Los Angeles, CA eating burgers! I'll also be watching my sister get hitched, but there will be tons of burgers! It will be raining burgers! A thunderstorm of burgers has been forecast and I'm going to be getting soaked in it!

But seriously. Next week I will be making it to 9 different burger establishments in Los Angeles and 1 in Palm Springs. That's a total of 10 burgers for my dear readers to read about. I will choose 4 of them to review immediately, that is to say, as soon as I can get to a computer after eating that burger, you'll have that post. The other 5 will be sprinkled in between the regular weekly reviews. Those 10 are the definite places, but there are a couple others that I MAY get a chance to go to somehow. So get excited! And check back often.

Here is the definite list:
In N Out (I know, its fast food, but I'm going because its amazing)
Oinkster
Umami Burger
Father's Office
Yardhouse
Lucky Devils
Tommy's
Bucket
Stout Burger
Matchbox