We love burgers. Cheeseburgers are Kaitlin’s favorite thing to eat in the world, and we think Los Angeles has some of the best ones out there. We’ve spent years trying all of the most popular burgers in Los Angeles – from California classics like In-N-Out, to old-school counter spots like Pie’n Burger and The Apple Pan, to newcomer smash burgers like Goldburger and For the Win.
Taste is subjective, of course, so not all of the raved-about burgers in town made our personal best list. Since we are not fans of blue cheese, we didn’t love The Father’s Office burger. We thought the smash burger at Burgers Never Say Die tasted like an overpriced McDonald’s burger. We were eager to finally sink our teeth into the iconic hickory burger at The Apple Pan, but this was the biggest disappointment in our quest.
Despite a few misses, we had a lot of delicious discoveries as well. The burger scene is currently dominated by smash burgers, and it was fun to see so many iterations of this style. On our most recent California trip, we even got to try an Oklahoma-style smash burger from burger legend George Motz, who had a pop-up at Smorgasburg L.A. (Of course, pop-ups are not included in this guide – only brick and mortars.) We tasted burgers from strip malls, from fancy restaurants, and from drive-thrus to bring you our ultimate Los Angeles burger guide. Without further ado, here are our ten favorite burgers in L.A.
Looking for more great spots for food and drinks in L.A.? Check out our city map of Los Angeles!
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Horses
Our new favorite burger in L.A. is the Horses cheeseburger. This is easily the best bistro-style burger we’ve had in the US. (Minetta Tavern, step aside.) It’s simple, only topped with cheddar cheese and onions (both caramelized and raw) – but these supporting acts are just there to shine the spotlight on the star of the show, the meat. The beef is perfectly cooked and well-seasoned, with just the right amount of salt. Even though we had many other dishes during the meal, we didn’t leave one single bite of the cheeseburger behind. It comes with a mountain of fries; these are tasty, but we could barely put a dent in them.
HORSES Address & Contact Information 7617 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram
Everson Royce Bar
Another one of our long-time L.A. burger loves is actually served at a cocktail bar, Everson Royce Bar (ERB). ERB is a really cute bar in the Arts District, with a big backyard with string lights, picnic tables, and bocce balls. The burger is not too fancy; it’s pretty simple, actually, but absolutely delicious. It’s a thin, juicy patty topped with a slice of cheese and an incredible peppery sauce. (And don’t leave without trying the flaky buttermilk biscuits with honey butter – they are to die for.)
EVERSON ROYCE BAR Address & Contact Information 1936 E 7th St, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram Facebook
For the Win
The owners of the French restaurant Papilles Bistro had to adapt their concept to more take-away friendly food when the pandemic hit in 2020. They pivoted to burgers – and, boy, are we glad they did! For The Win serves our favorite smash burger in L.A. Their double smash burger is made with 100% grass-fed beef and comes topped with pickles and grilled onions, and is served on a potato roll. What makes this burger really stand out for us, however, is their “famous fry sauce,” which is a blend of ketchup, mayonnaise, and other secret ingredients. It’s sweet, salty, and tangy – just the way we like our burger sauce. In addition to their Hollywood outpost, For the Win also has locations in Whittier and Glendale.
FOR THE WIN Address & Contact Information 6221 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram
Moo’s Craft Barbecue
A wave of barbecue joints have opened in Los Angeles recently, and Moo’s Craft Barbecue just might be our favorite of the bunch. But it’s not just the slabs of brisket and the ribs you want to chow down on here – you also need to try the smoked brisket burger. Moo’s takes their brisket trimmings and molds them into a patty, which they then season and smoke for extra flavor. They top the burger with cheese, raw onions, and aioli – it’s a little smoky, incredibly juicy, and absolutely delicious. Pro tip: be sure to pre-order the burger online – they sell out!
MOO'S CRAFT BARBECUE Address & Contact Information 2118 N Broadway, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram Facebook
Goldburger
Popular smash burger brand Goldburger started as a pandemic pop-up, and now has two locations in Los Angeles, in Highland Park and Los Feliz. The burgermeisters at Goldburger have a completely unique style of smashing their patties – they plop a burger sphere on the griddle and use a spatula to drag out the sides in a circular motion, leaving a thick center to the patty with a very thin edge. When stacked on top of each other (the Goldburger double smash burger is the move here), the edges of the patties hang out of the bun, fluttering in the wind like a lace made of meat. Because of all the different textures at play, it’s a really fun burger to bite into. If you want to get even crazier, try the “L.A. Special,” which throws some pastrami on top of the double smash burger. It’s like a bacon burger, but better.
GOLDBURGER Address & Contact Information 1820 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram Facebook
Amboy Quality Meats & Delicious Burgers
Amboy is a burger shack and butcher shop from Filipino-American celebrity chef Alvin Cailan, the creator of the egg sandwich chain Eggslut. The name is a tribute to Cailan’s roots; “amboy” is a nickname used for a Filipino raised in America. The idea for the shop originated during the pandemic – Cailan opened up shop in the Far East Plaza in Chinatown to offer a place for Angelenos to get high quality cuts of meat to cook at home. And burgers! There are six different burgers on the menu. Our favorites are “The Grizzly” – a double burger with American cheese, shaved red onions, pickles and yellow mustard in a squishy bun, and “The DH” – dry-aged beef patty with caramelized onions, provolone, garlic confit mayo, and pickles.
AMBOY Address & Contact Information 727 N Broadway No. 117, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram
In-N-Out
Our first stop when we land in California is always In-N-Out. Call us old-fashioned, nostalgic, or even cliché, but if you’re an Angeleno through and through, the second you get off the plane you head to In-N-Out. It’s a classic for a reason. Kaitlin keeps it simple – she orders a cheeseburger with onions. Anders likes a double-double, animal-style (a mustard-fried patty topped with grilled onions and extra spread). Skip the fries and the shakes – it’s all about the burger here.
IN-N-OUT Address & Contact Information Los Angeles, California Website Instagram Facebook
Cassell’s
In 1948, a real estate office worker named Al Cassell was disappointed with the lunch options in Los Angeles. That year, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Back before anyone was making fancy burgers, Cassell was grinding his meat by hand every day and making his own mayonnaise. “If Cassell’s has a flaw, it is that the meat is too good, the preparation is too careful.” – Jonathan Gold, 1992. Now, over 70 years since its opening, this classic L.A. hamburger stand has grown from a humble lunch counter to an icon in the Los Angeles food scene, now with a location in Koreatown and in Downtown L.A.
CASSELL'S Address & Contact Information 3600 W 6th St, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram Facebook
Petit Trois
Chef Ludo Lefebvre’s French bistro, Petit Trois, is the closest thing we have to Paris in Los Angeles. You’ll find classic French dishes here with rich, buttery sauces served at the bar in a tiny space. But don’t stop at the escargot and the French onion soup – Ludo’s signature “Big Mec” burger is also one of the best burgers in L.A. Two thin patties are topped with caramelized onions, garlic aioli, American cheese, and red wine bordelaise sauce. Be warned: it’s a rich, hefty burger, not for the faint of heart. True burger fanatics only!
PETIT TROIS Address & Contact Information 3200 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California Website Instagram Facebook
HiHo Cheeseburger
A group of passionate burger lovers had a dream of creating a delicious and affordable cheeseburger with high-quality ingredients. After two years of experimenting in the test kitchen, HiHo Cheeseburger was born – the only burger joint in L.A. that serves 100% grass-fed wagyu beef. The best part? They serve it for under $10! HiHo is one of our all-time favorite burgers in Los Angeles, now with three locations – in Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, and Mid-Wilshire.
HIHO CHEESEBURGER Address & Contact Information 1320 2nd St Ste. B, Santa Monica, California Website Instagram Facebook
What’s your favorite burger in Los Angeles? Let us know in a comment below.
Love your reviews and guides! I’ve only had 4 of these burgers (which were definitely worthy of this list) so it looks like it’s time to get busy and try the others!
Can’t wait to hear what you think of the others!
I enjoyed watching and read your blog about this, because burger is the one popular snacks in the Philippines also this is my one of favorite food. Thankyou for this blog i learned a lot about burger.