#43: The Original GastroPub Burger

$12 for a burger?? It's the antithesis of a Big Mac, but the gastropub burger is worth every cent. There are many places around L.A. that have worthy contenders... 25 Degrees in Hollywood, Bouzy in Redondo Beach... but the winner goes to the granddaddy of them all, Father's Office.

Father's Office has two locations--Santa Monica and Culver City. In my experience, it's best ordered take out from the Santa Monica location, due to the limited seating.

So what makes this burger so great? The meat itself is quality stuff--smoky, grill-marked, and juicy. Over the meat are thin layers of Blue maytag and Gruyere cheese. The flavors of the cheese and the arugala covering it are subtle, so what takes over most of the flavor is the caramelized onions tomato and bacon compote. The onions are cooked soft, caramelized until syrupy and sweet with a touch of spiciness. And all of this is sandwiched between a flaky and light French roll that crumbles effortlessly between your teeth with each bite. Delicious.

Don't fall for the imitators. Get the original and see what started all of this L.A. burger frenzy.

Father's Office