No Birdy, for 5 Guys you can go bunless...

For the record, I do have a FIve Guys a few miles from me, and have eaten there. I just haven't taken the shop since they came to CA. I took a Five Guys shop many years ago when I was on a hotel assignment in Atlanta and wanted an excuse to try it, but that was back before I was keeping good records and the computer I had back then has long since passed away.

While I was being facetious about being able to eat a different burger each day of the year, I definitely could eat a different one every day for a month without leaving my neighborhood....and I know of some others that are shopped.

Just within a few miles me, in addition to the ones I have mentioned above, there is:
-Wayback Burger
-Fatburger
-Twin Sliders
-The Counter (I forgot that I used to shop that one too)
-25 Degrees (this is a gourmet burger joint in the Roosevelt Hotel)
-Fat Sals
-Mo Better Burgers
-Cassell's Hamburgers (another L.A. favorite)
-Dog Haus (also shopped. Mostly dogs but they serve burgers)
-The Original Ramen Burger (with a bun made from ramen noodles, in Koreatown)
-Butchers & Barbers (A gastropub with an amazing burger)
-Belcampo Meat Co. (This is a butcher and grill. There are a few locations and people wait up to an hour for a seat to get a burger there)
-Tommy's Original (the classic chili-burger)
-Stout
-The Burger Factory
-Kitchen 24 (I've actually shopped this burger but it didn't make my favorites list)
-Astro Burger

Elsewhere in LA we have a few other famous burger joints, namely:
-Fathers Office (A beer pub with an amazing burger)
-The Apple Pan (An old-school diner with the original favorite burger of L.A.)

Not mention a plethora of Burger King, McDonalds, Johnny Rockets, Cafe 50's, Jack in the Box (have also shopped that one), Wendy's, and Carl's Jr. throughout the city.

Lot of burger options in L.A. That's 32 listed so far within walking distance of my home and I'm sure there are many more.

@SteveSoCal wrote:

For the record, I do have a FIve Guys a few miles from me, and have eaten there. I just haven't taken the shop since they came to CA. I took a Five Guys shop many years ago when I was on a hotel assignment in Atlanta and wanted an excuse to try it, but that was back before I was keeping good records and the computer I had back then has long since passed away.

While I was being facetious about being able to eat a different burger each day of the year, I definitely could eat a different one every day for a month without leaving my neighborhood....and I know of some others that are shopped.

Just within a few miles me, in addition to the ones I have mentioned above, there is:
-Wayback Burger
-Fatburger
-Twin Sliders
-The Counter (I forgot that I used to shop that one too)
-25 Degrees (this is a gourmet burger joint in the Roosevelt Hotel)
-Fat Sals
-Mo Better Burgers
-Cassell's Hamburgers (another L.A. favorite)
-Dog Haus (also shopped. Mostly dogs but they serve burgers)
-The Original Ramen Burger (with a bun made from ramen noodles, in Koreatown)
-Butchers & Barbers (A gastropub with an amazing burger)
-Belcampo Meat Co. (This is a butcher and grill. There are a few locations and people wait up to an hour for a seat to get a burger there)
-Tommy's Original (the classic chili-burger)
-Stout
-The Burger Factory
-Kitchen 24 (I've actually shopped this burger but it didn't make my favorites list)
-Astro Burger

Elsewhere in LA we have a few other famous burger joints, namely:
-Fathers Office (A beer pub with an amazing burger)
-The Apple Pan (An old-school diner with the original favorite burger of L.A.)

Not mention a plethora of Burger King, McDonalds, Johnny Rockets, Cafe 50's, Jack in the Box (have also shopped that one), Wendy's, and Carl's Jr. throughout the city.

Lot of burger options in L.A. That's 32 listed so far within walking distance of my home and I'm sure there are many more.

Yeah, I'll say it out loud. I'm stinking jealous and I only want a decent burger with a drink that costs less than $10. If I have to pay extra for good fries, so be it!

@isaiah58 wrote:

In my area Smashburger now pays a $17 flat fee.

Same here. I get a chicken sandwich, veggie frites and a fountain drink (usually iced tea) for $12, which nets me a $5 income.

I've been wondering if anyone shops Freddy's, I'll have to figure out who the MSC is.

Freddy's is shopped. Happy hunting

Can I get a hint?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/2016 09:15PM by NTALAN.

The Counter has pretty good food and the reimbursement limit for two people is enough for a couple of beers along with the required purchase. I forgot about that one too, but it's a good one.

Nope and you know better. But I have been meaning to tell you I really like your signature line

@NTALAN wrote:

Can I get a hint?

I know, it was a joke. And thanks. My other favorite Buffett quote is "If we weren't all crazy we would go insane."

I had a Fatburger on my last resort shop (on my own dime; it was walking distance). Not worth the money; not worth half the money. In-and-Out is great, but hasn't been the same since Rich died. The Santa Clarita, CA is the best, as far as I'm concerned. Great write-up!

I love the Habit shops! The food it great, the report easy, the reimbursement covers it. I was able to take my son and Dtr n law out for lunch, when it was not the single person shop, for just $.24 over the combined $$. We all had sandwichs, onion rings & fries, drinks and a shake. Plus Bill and Amy are a joy to work with!

@eveb wrote:

Bill and Amy are a joy to work with!

LOL...that's about the most direct hint yet, but I guess you only know who they are if they are if you already work for them.

And last time I shopped The Counter they were no longer reimbursing tips, nor paying a fee, which really turned me off from that shop.

I once took a Denny's shop to try the burger and that might have been the worst burger I ever shopped. Wait, I just did modern burger at the PHX airport last month. That was a huge disappointment too!

The thing that 5 Guys could improve on is SEASON their patty! I like their food, but always think that if they added some flavor to the meat would take it over the top!

@Chix wrote:

The thing that 5 Guys could improve on is SEASON their patty! I like their food, but always think that if they added some flavor to the meat would take it over the top!

Try it with A1 sauce. It gives it a nice flavor in my opinion.

@SteveSoCal awesome descriptions! I'm a burger junkie too but can't seem to get enough shops. Two burger shops that I have done that you didn't mention there:

Buffalo Wild Wings - Yes, they're not only wings, they have great hamburgers too. My favorite: Black and Bleu burger, but I always add a side of their Caribbean Jerky sauce to dip my next bite in, and order my fries with their chipotle BBQ seasoning.

5/8 bar in Minneapolis - Certain company had just a couple of engagements for this bar that claims to be the creator of the Jucy Lucy (another place tries to dispute the honor too, but at least they're one of the first to serve it). Did this shop a couple of years beack when I lived there. For those of you who never heard of a Jucy Lucy (not Juicy, Jucy), it's a burger with cheese inside the patty, which come out completely melted when you bite. Usually American cheese, but newcomers have starting switching for other cheese varieties and different preparation (I myself have cooked an awesome jucy blucy a couple of weeks back...)

@SteveSoCal wrote:

@eveb wrote:

Bill and Amy are a joy to work with!

LOL...that's about the most direct hint yet, but I guess you only know who they are if they are if you already work for them./quote]

I considered end editing it out, cause, yes Steve it could be a hint (sorry!), but I too figured if you do them then you know who they are.
I'd be happy to edit it out if it's to close for comfort.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2016 05:08AM by eveb.

I won't say burgers are my absolute favorite food, but I will say if I had to eat only one thing for the rest of my life a burger is what I would choose.

I want that Habit burger. Unfortunately none near me.

I spend a bit of time in TX and want to try out one of the Grub Burger Bar shops sometime.

As for In-N-Out. I love them but many people compare them to Texans' obsession with Whataburger in that many people just don't understand it. I've heard it said if you like one you hate the other. I'm not saying it's a true statement but I do love In-N-Out and detest Whataburger. Also you are correct in your assessment of the MSC. Nice as can possibly be, quick payment, easy report, helpful, and did I mention nice as can be?

@jnoyolapicazzo wrote:

Buffalo Wild Wings - Yes, they're not only wings, they have great hamburgers too.

I had no idea. My niece works there so I've never considered those shops.

I just thought of a few more that I've shopped in the past, but haven't seen the shops in a while:

-The first is a one-off for L.A. only; I used to do the late night shops of The Pantry in DTLA. The Pantry Burger was one of my favorites there. It's a classic old-school diner.
-Also, Cheesecake Factory had a great burger back when those shops actually reimbursed with $$ and I would take them. Those burgers were enough for two people to share.
-I also just remembered shopping one more specialty burger place in the way-back machine; Fudruckers. Terrible burger, though.
-Another L.A. restaurant with a few outlets and great burger that I've shopped; Granville Cafe.

Uhg!...my initial report was somewhat incomplete.

I love the BWW bleu burger, too, and almost ordered on on Sunday's shop. But the new po'boy sandwich sounded just too good to pass up. It was delish! But next time I'll get the burger.

A Grub Burger just opened not far from me. I just saw assignments posted. Need a change from 5 Guys. I haven't picked up a SmashBurger yet.

Wow, I love this type of comparison post! Thank you for sharing

The places that I shop that serve the best burgers also serve steak and lobster.

I have gone back to a fine dining bar on my own dime and eaten a burger during happy hour because I saw how great the wood grilled Angus burger looked from the customer next to me. With half price drinks and a $10 burger that is better than all of the places mentioned above as they grind the trim from the dry aged choice steaks daily and use that to make the burger.

Shopping has brought me to places I thought were out of my price range to find deals at happy hour at the bar that are not that expensive and worth paying a little bit extra for the huge difference in quality. Drinks made with fresh squeezed fruit make all the difference in the world.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2016 07:28PM by scanman1.

Had two more burgers on shops recently that blew me away. No $10 burgers here!


The Churchill Burger
Meal reimbursement (for 2) = $113.48
Burger cost = $15
Shop payment = $15.00

This burger was as thick and juicy as they come, and comes standard with bacon. The one issue was the cheese. These was so much of it that it was dripping out of the burger as I ate it. Now that can be a good or bad thing, depending on your love of cheese. I paired this with a nice Côtes du Rhône to help the cheese down my gullet. The rest of the meal was pretty unremarkable so definitely order the burger if you take this assignment:




Zoom Burger
Burger cost = $16
Shop payment = $15.00

The picture does not do this one justice. I highly recommend a visit to Zoom if you find yourself in Park City. The server told me that the burger was ‘award winning’ and I ordered it based on that, but was not prepared for the deliciousness that I encountered. Thank you Robert Redford!:

GREAT post! I rarely eat burgers since leaving Los Angeles. I don't think anything out here can compare to In & Out.

Steve started it! I have Burger porn too.


Sunday Burger

Fried Egg, Aged Cheddar, Red Onion-Bacon Marmalade, Brioche Bun, Crispy Onion Rings $15



House-Blend Angus Beef Burger $14

Aged White Cheddar, Red Onion-Bacon Marmalade, House-Made Smoked Ketchup and Pickles, Brioche Bun (served with Crispy Onion Rings)


Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2016 10:14PM by scanman1.

When I'm at places like the Marmont or one of Daniel Boulud's joints I couldn't fathom ordering a burger there when there are so many more things on the menu.

I'll chime in with my own ode to Shake Shack, which could arguably be called the NY equivalent of In-N-Out in its fans' slavish devotion. It pays well- $22 I believe- and there's no reimbursement limit per se; you order what you're told to, which changes month to month (last month I couldn't get a burger; had to get a chicken sandwich). The schedulers are a delight to work with, and it's a small, personal MSC that only has one other client. The report is quick, maybe taking a half hour front to back, and the only problem is the places are so packed it's hard to find a table, because you need to be able to sit down and snap a pick of your grub.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2016 07:18PM by Misanthrope.

Yay!...they just opened a Shake Shack in West Hollywood this week. I've been to the one in NYC but happy to have them in CA now!

@SteveSoCal wrote:

Yay!...they just opened a Shake Shack in West Hollywood this week. I've been to the one in NYC but happy to have them in CA now!

Tell ya what, I'll trade you a shack shack for a trip to the Maldives. You tell Tami and I'll tell my scheduler.

Get the cheese fries; they're worth it.

I almost got arrested at Johnny Rockets at Kennedy Airport. Not a shop, but getting a burger while my plane was delayed to Boston. I usually take the bus but wanted to get home faster. It took me 1.5 hours LONGER to fly. Getting to the airport, security, flight delays due to high winds in Boston. I asked for a burger w ketchup. It arrived without ketchup and like a hockey puck. I slammed teh tray down on a community table and teh patty rolled off the tray and landed in front of a nice timid old lady. She saw that was angry, but I said very calmly in a fake British accent, "I believe that is mine, Madam." I gathered the patty and reassembled the burger and marched to the manager . I yelled, "There's no ketchup! I want my money back and I want it back NOW!" I was tense because there was a possibility I could make an earlier flight if I checked in at the gate. The manager motioned to a cop. He came over and was about to do something I don't want to think about. I immediately calmed down and said calmly that I was not satisfied and stressed. The manager offered to remake the burger and borrow ketchup from another store. 10 years later there was a Johnny Rockets on a cruise I was on. Guess where I did not eat?