Many pose the question, but dare I answer thou? Thine have questioned which Eagle Rockian burger is best; answering thy query was no easy task, but doth I did shoulder it.
I decided to answer the question that has been posed for 17 years of my life. What is the best burger joint in Eagle Rock? My quest took me high and low, deep and dank, but I believe I have found the best burger place in Eagle Rock. I began this journey, by creating a rubric with a 10 point scale with the most important factor being taste, but cost, appeal, and the environment was all substantive factors.
Here are the results:
Pete’s Blue-Chip
The first burger place I went to was Pete’s Blue-Chip, commonly known as Pete’s, and it is one of the oldest restaurants in Eagle Rock and culturally significant to our area. Pete’s proudly displays old photos of its past and present and carries The Boulevard Times, Eagle Rock’s local paper. Pete’s is proud of their aesthetic, as evidenced by the 60s-era booths and they play the music that works well with the 60s vibe of the restaurant. The main problem I found with Pete’s was its inconsistent schedule: on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, they’re open from 6:30 to 4:30, while every other day they are open from 6:30 to 6:30. Pete’s also has a very extensive breakfast menu, but unfortunately for me, I was here to review burgers. I ordered their most sold burger, Pete’s Blue Chip burger. The burger cost $4.25, which caught me by surprise. When most of us think of a $4 burger we may think of a McDonald’s big mac, but readers, this burger was fat. It had two patties, and a bun in the middle! I was genuinely happy when they handed me this fatty. It was a pleasure to devour, the burger. The flavors of bun, patties, and thousand-island sauce were amazing. Overall I rated this burger 9.2/10. I highly recommend trying this burger if you have the time.
Tommy’s:
Next, I went to Tommy’s on a cold Wednesday night. Tommy’s is a classic Los Angeles establishment founded in 1946 in Beverly Hills. Although I don’t go to Tommy’s often, I have heard very good things, and it often has a long line of customers. When I got there, I was surprised by how cold it was outside, and when I ordered their famous Chili Cheeseburger, I was genuinely surprised by how cheap it was. The chili was really good, it was just spicy enough to not be overwhelming, but still, be great. However, while I ate this Chili burger, I genuinely felt gross while eating it. There were puddles of grease splurging from the burger, and although this is definitely more convenient than other burgers, I probably won’t be back for a while due to its unhealthy, grease factor. I gave this burger a 6.8/10.
Foster’s Freeze
Foster’s Freeze is a staple of Eagle Rock Boulevard, mostly known for its ice cream and shakes. Foster’s also serves a variety of other fast foods, including burgers. However, I highly recommend avoiding Foster’s if you want a solid burger. I ordered The Classic, and let me tell you, there’s nothing classic about this burger. The burger alone is no bigger than a McDonald’s burger but much more expensive. This burger would cost less if you didn’t have to order it as a combo that comes with fries, this was 4.99. This burger was as dry as the Sahara and as tasteless as an unadored piece of bread. Although I love Foster’s Freeze for their ice cream and shakes, maybe avoid the burger menu. Overall this burger was 5.2/10.
The Habit
The Habit is relatively new to Eagle Rock, only arriving a few years ago. The Habit itself is a cozy diner-like restaurant and has a really chill vibe with pop music playing in the background. I found their system of buzzers is really effective and much better than employees calling numbers. The item I got was an Original Charburger, which cost me about 3.89, which is pretty cheap for a burger that is decently sized. Although the burger is good and solid, I don’t really have anything special to say about it. The burger was a standard burger, super simple and appetizing. Overall this burger was cheap and simplistic, which is no downside. Most of the time you hear fast food, and you expect some crappy burger, but if you go to The Habit expecting that you’ll surely be surprised. If what you want in a burger is inexpensive, and solid, by far The Habit has got that covered. In conclusion, I gave this burger a 9/10.
The Oinktser
The Oinktser is a burger and sandwich joint on Colorado, and although this place has always been in my periphery, I have only been to The Oinkster like once or twice. When I came in I was taken by how comfortable and chill it was, I felt like I could just sit down and have a pleasant conversation with someone. I was happily surprised by the happy hour deal, which saved me a few dollars; normally a burger would be 7.50, but with the deal, it was 6.50 and it came with fries and a drink. This happy hour deal is from 3 to 6 so if you intend on going to The Oinkster I highly recommend coming during this time frame. Now to the real meat of this article! The Oinkster burger was definitely the biggest burger I had, but as many say size isn’t everything. Luckily for me, this Burger was massive and satisfying, with a juicy patty that was cooked perfectly, and a grilled bun that was just the perfect amount of crispy. Overall this was an amazing burger, but the most expensive one so far, which is definitely a downside for me, but if you have a few extra bucks to spend, I highly recommend this place. This burger was an 8.5/10.
In-n-Out
When I told people In-n-Out would be on this list they assumed it would be the clear winner, and they have good reasons to think that as In-n-Out is an iconic California staple, with a well-known menu. Although I love In-n-Out as much as anyone else, I had to re-examine its value for this review. In-n-Out is by far the cheapest burger on this list, only costing 3 dollars for the standard burger. The wait for the burger was nearly an hour, and I spent half of that time looking for a table. The In-n-Out was so packed, that by the time I got my burger I was so hungry, one hour felt like 3. The burger itself was really good and was everything I expected of an In-n-Out burger. Overall the misleading name ruined the burger for me it’s In-n-Out, not In-n-Out in an hour. Although it was a really good burger nonetheless. I recommend avoiding In-n-Out around lunch and dinner. This burger was an 8.9/10.
The Bucket
Have you ever heard of The Bucket? Because before I started this article, I had never heard about this place. My friend begged me to include The Bucket in my list of the best hamburgers in Eagle Rock, The Bucket is a small restaurant on Eagle Rock Blvd. near York. Although The Bucket has an indoor area the real life of this restaurant is the outside where, there is ample space for many people to sit and relax. The line was short, and they got my food out pretty quickly. The burger was pretty standard, although this was on the more expensive side of the burgers I have acquired so far. I really enjoyed the lightly toasted bun with the combination of a juicy burger. Honestly, The Bucket came out of nowhere to me and even considered voiding this restaurant, but I am very glad I came here. Overall I’d give this burger an 8.2/10.
Although I didn’t have the time or money to go to every possible burger place in Eagle Rock, I felt like I hit most of the main burger restaurants. This is just my personal opinion, and I’m sure everyone has their own favorite burger place, but this is the determined best based on the rubric I devised. The restaurant nearly everyone knows and may ruffle a few feathers by making this the third place, but the third-best burger place in Eagle Rock go to In-n-Out. Although I greatly enjoyed their burger, the wait and crowd of In-n-Out are unavoidable if you want to grab a bite to eat around lunch or dinner, and that’s why In-n-Out is third-best. This next restaurant is a new player to the burger game but surprised me with the burger by being the best of fast food, being quick, simple and tasty. The Habit is the second best burger joint in Eagle Rock. The best burger place in Eagle Rock is a classic to Eagle Rock, being here longer than most residents, featuring an inexpensive menu that is exceptionally amazing. This restaurant is apart of Eagle Rock culture, and definitely deserves the spot of the best burger in Eagle Rock. Pete’s is the best burger in Eagle Rock, and if you haven’t been there before I highly recommend to order one of their amazing burgers.