Irv’s Burgers
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The Details:
8289 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90046-5925
Phone: (323) 650-2456
Mon-Sat 7:30am-8pm
The Los Angeles Foodie Rating:
The Summary:
Irv’s just found a home on my list of the best burgers in Los Angeles. The double cheeseburger is a simple, no-frills creation made with fresh, quality ingredients. Irv’s small, walk-up stand is now 58 years old, which is quite a feat considering that it was almost demolished a few years back. Thank goodness places like these still exist. In addition to great food, small touches like a personalized doodle with each order make a restaurant great.
The Place:
“Irv’s Burgers Since 1950″ reads the faded blue and red painted tile on the front face of this West Hollywood hamburger joint. The entire operation is about 10′x10′, but there is ample seating at a number of plastic tables nearby. In 2005, a group of dedicated fans saved Irv’s from the bulldozer by petitioning the city of West Hollywood to designate the burger shack as a cultural resource. I’m glad Irv’s has fans or I never would have experienced this excellent hamburger. The floors are and counters are run-down (in a good way) but immaculately clean. Mine was a pleasant dining experience.
The Food:
George Motz’s excellent book, Hamburger America guided me to Irv’s. I ordered the double cheeseburger with everything (ketchup, mayo, pickles, onion, shredded lettuce, tomato, cheese), but I’ll probably opt out of lettuce and the tomato next time. Or… maybe not. It was really good even with the extras that I don’t normally go for. The fries were nothing special, but I noticed there is the option to substitute macaroni salad for fries when ordering a combo. I’ll be trying that next time.
The Service:
The excellent hamburgers are reason enough to go to Irv’s. But the service is something truly noteworthy. Owner Sonia Hong goes out of her way to greet all customers enthusiastically and make at least one personal observation about each customer. This personal observation comes back to you when your food is delivered, as Hong typically labels your paper plate with a doodle of your clothing and a short dedication declaring that the food is “just for” the person who ordered it. Since she doesn’t take your name when you place your order, she’s left to invent her own pet name for you. On my visit to Irv’s, my wife did the ordering and paying. Thus, when our food was delivered, my wife’s was labeled as being “Just for sugar mommy,” while mine was labeled as being “Just for sugar mommy’s one? and only? honey.” Both were accompanied by accurately colored doodles of the shirts we were wearing. Our (straight) male friend, who unwisely chose to wear a pink stocking cap into West Hollywood that day, received his burger on a plate that declared the burger to be “Just for Mr. Pinky,” alongside a rough sketch of his very pink cap. In any case, in addition to being quite amusing, the plate personalization makes you feel truly loved. And it’s one of the main reasons I’ll be going back — aside from the awesome burger itself.
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