Let’s Talk Burger Restaurants, Los Angeles

For some people, finding the perfect burger is almost a religion, and if you want to talk restaurants, Los Angeles, there’s an abundance of top-notch burger joints that can be considered contenders to the crown. Here are our favorite places to score that most sublime of human inventions, the hamburger.

We begin with Everson Royce Bar, on East Seventh Street in Downtown. Their cheeseburger weighs in at four ounces, and it’s eighty percent prime chuck, twenty percent fat. The beauty is the simplicity of it: it normally comes with just a slathering of Dijon, and a slice of mild Tillamook cheddar. Served with a dill pickle spear, it’s flavorful and satisfying, but with that portion size, they won’t have to roll you away from the table.

Next is Stout, which has multiple locations, but we went to the one on Cahuenga Blvd, in Hollywood. This is a serious burger, six ounces, served on a brioche bun, and there are many different ways to customize it. We recommend medium rare, so a little pink is still showing, then add fig jam and rosemary bacon. It’s magical. If you’ve got a robust appetite going, then get some of the crispy seasoned fries or the tater tots. You can even get them loaded if you’ve given up on your diet entirely.

Love and Salt, in Manhattan Beach, has a bit of an odd name, but they make a mean burger. It’s called the Downlow, and it’s not even on the menu. Since the chef invented it, though, more and more people have been asking for it, and at this point, it’s the poorest-kept secret around. It’s two monster patties, pickles, grilled onions, cheddar, and tomato aioli.

Last, but not least, is Belcampo, which has multiple locations. The Fastburger is on the small side, three ounces, and it comes with cheese, onion, tomato, and lettuce. The real reason to go there is the Cheeseburger, which weighs in at five-point-five ounces, and comes with cheddar, onions, lettuce, and an aioli-ketchup that sets it off perfectly. The tallow-dunked fries are a suitably starchy accompaniment.

The best thing about this list is that you needn’t choose just one. Try them all, and see which one you consider worthy of the mantle “best burger in town.”