Our Addiction: Burgers & Beers

It’s sad when you live in a city where $20 for a burger and a beer is a deal. But, alas, in LA everything is expensive and the $20 seems well worth it for the deliciousness of red meat + suds.

When we're craving this ultimate combo we head to our favorite neighborhood burger + beer joint: The Golden State. 

The Golden State Burger 

(Photo from LA Weekly)

The Golden State burger (which Jonathan Gold from LA Weekly deems one of the best in LA) is absolutely delicious. The burger comes with your choice of side (the sweet potato fries with curry ketchup are a must), and to compliment your burger Golden State has a great menu of beers from Cali. If you’re feelin' a jones for something sweet you can add a scoop of gelato to your beer for a strange, but tastey, combo called the beer float. Note: Golden State is itty bitty in size and doesn't have reserved tables (its a seat yourself type spot) so don't show up with a giant party.

Golden State Burger: $10 + Tastey Beer: $5-$7 = Under $20 = Score.

But if you live Downtown there’s an even cheaper burger+beer spot. This place not only serves you a burger+beer for under $20, but goes even further to offer a burger + PITCHER OF BEER for under $10. 

The spot? Carl’s Jr. 

Carl’s has sneakily operated three select locations in Downtown LA that serve beer for years now. For just $6.50 Carl's will serve you a pitcher of Bud Light along with your $2.50 Hot Carl Big Carl Burger. 

Granted the burger is not nearly as good as the one at Golden State, but hey – it’s a cheap fix for a constant craving (what? You don’t crave burgers and beers every day?.... Well we do.)

Either way you now have burger+beer options under $20 bucks in LA. We'll probably stick with Golden State for dinner, but Carl's+Beer might be the perfect fourth meal after a night out in Downtown.

 

The Golden State

426 N. Fairfax Ave

Los Angeles, CA 90036

Open:  Tue. - Sun. (12pm - 10pm)

Carl's Jrs that serve beer (Downtown Only):

* Macy's Plaza on 7th & Flower

* California Mart at Main & Olympic

* Citigroup Plaza at 5th & Flower

Burger Bargain

I feel like I am on a constant search to find the best burger in LA, but there are so many options that so far we are at a probably 10 way tie. Sometimes I crave a Father’s Office burger and sometimes I dream of the shoestring fries that accompany my Rush Street burger. And almost always at 3am on a weekend, I want my In-N-Out burger with animal style fries (I know…it’s fast food…and a chain…but you can’t beat In-N-Out).

One place I have yet to try but have heard great things about is the burger at The Counter. And on Tuesdays (today!), they have a great burger special that almost makes me want to leave the house in this rainstorm and head there tonight.

Every Tuesday starting at 4pm, at the Santa Monica and Marina del Rey locations, The Counter has a $12 special where you can get 4 mini burgers and 4 beer pairings. These are not your regular mini burgers either, you can choose from a beef, turkey, chicken or veggie patty and they have a large variety of cheese, toppings, and sauces (including grilled pineapples, caramelized onion marmalade, roasted garlic aioli…yum!)

So if you are in the mood for some burgers and beer get there tonight, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

The Counter. http://www.thecounterburger.com/

Not classy - But It'll Get Ya Fat

St. Nicks is a dive bar. Its grungy and informal and the crowd… well there usually isn’t a crowd. But the drinks are huge (full 12 oz glass when you order a mixed drink) and the burger… oh god that burger is good.

Don’t bother with the rest of the menu – save for the French fries the rest is pretty unpalatable. The thought of their club sandwich makes my stomach turn. But the burger is worth the visit.

If you’ve been drinking – the burger is even better.

Its incredibly greasy and there isn’t anything gourmet about it – no arugula, no caramelized onions. Just the standard patty + cheese + lettuce + tomato. But the meat must be of the least healthy variety because its tastes so good.

I’d recommend dropping by this weekend, grabbing a burger and a beer, and then head to your next drinking destination. Or come here after you're nice and toasted for fourth meal (call ahead to see what time the kitchen closes though so you arn't terribly disappointed when you arrive at 2am and you can't order your burger... and forced to go to Taco Bell...)

St. Nick's Pub

8450 W. 3rd St.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

323-655-6917

Hump Day Specials!

Burger Bargains

TGIW? Just 2 more days left until Friday...and 6 more days left until the premiere of LOST.  I know that is irrelevant to this blog but I can't wait.  If you don't feel like watching the State of the Union tonight, there are some great burger and beer specials around town.

Kings Road Cafe in West Hollywood has $10 burger and beer night, where you get your choice of a regular, veggie or salmon burger + a glass of the beer on tap. Pretty good deal considering it's hard enough to find a $10 beer in West Hollywood.  They also feature live music on Wednesdays.  Be warned you might have to wait a bit, it is a small place and fills up quickly.  Not good for large groups.

If you find yourself in Echo Park there is a $5 burger special at The Park restaurant. The Park offers a 6 oz sirloin burger or a veggie burger, no beer included sadly, but you do get a choice of a side along with your meal.  For $5 that beats the Big Carl (also known as the Hot Carl haha) combo at Carl's Jr so you really can't complain.

Lastly, this isn't really a special but you can order a burger so I think it counts? Every Wednesday night at 7pm and 9pm is Bingo night at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood.  Hosted by Bingo boy and his drag queens, so if you don't play for the other team make sure you are secure enough in your manhood to attend.  $20 for ten games, all proceeds go to charity.

Kings Road Cafe. 8361 Beverly Boulevard. (323) 655.9044
The Park. 1400 Sunset Blvd. (213) 482.9209
Hamburger Mary's. 8288 Santa Monica Blvd. (323) 654.3800

Quick Note on Melgard Public House

Just a quick tidbit:

Following up on yesterday's note about new bars opening up in the area - Melgard Public House (7505 Melrose) has announced (via Urban Daddy) they will be holding a soft opening this Saturday.

They will be offering free food  (pizza, maybe burgers too...) but no beer or wine until their license transfers over next week. There will be an outside patio opening up too in a couple weeks (construction not quite complete yet).

If you're cool with just free food head over Saturday - otherwise we'd recommend waiting a couple weeks until you can get the full food/booze/patio experience.

Happy Hour Alert

Just a quick note before you head out for the weekend,

8oz Burger Bar announced yesterday on Twitter they have a new 2010 Special: Happy Hour Every Day (10pm - Close). Tonight being Friday they should be open until around 2am.

Happy hour specials include discounted beer, wine, and cocktails as well as a limited happy hour food menu. Happy Hour is served only at the bar though so take time to practice your lurking skills so you can score a seat.

80z Burger Bar

7661 Melrose Avenue

323.852.0008

www.8ozburgerbar.com

Grease and Grapes

Yet another wine tasting option (more expensive, fewer wines to taste, BUT it involves In-N-Out Burgers):

Ian Blackburn - the owner of LearnAboutWine.com is holding 'Burger+Wine Blind Dates' starting this month. This Friday (1/8) he's featuring 20 different Merlots to try - and to compliment them he's serving In-N-Out Burgers... you know... so you can experience all the wonderful flavors and all that jazz.

On the 15th he features Zinfandel + Burgers.

We've have never heard of Loft 218 (the map looks like its somewhere north east of downtown) - but again I'd assume cab required. Attendance is $69 and reservations can be made online.

http://www.learnaboutwine.com/