Golden State: Better Bun Needed

All this talk about burgers - whether rice burgers or not - got me craving this supposedly awesome burger at Golden State that J. Gold wrote about. The verdict is that the patty is great but bun needs work. The patty was juicy and perfectly cooked medium rare. The problem was the bun, which was far too dense and unfortunately ended up taking over the burger. Like I've said before, the balance between patty, bun and toppings has to be just right.



The burger came with cheddar cheese, bacon, arugula and an aioli and ketchup sauce. Noteworthy is the cozy place offered curry ketchup, which gave the sweet potato wedges an interesting twist. The wedges weren't exactly crispy and there were very few on the plate, but I have a weakness for sweet potato fries so I didn't mind so much.



Another reason to check this place out is the beer selection. I discovered that bitter pale ale goes well with a bloody burger. I was always in the "burger and red wine school" of thought, since red wine goes so well with red meat. But this was a great pairing, especially if you're craving for some ice-cold beer after a long day or week. As soon as I was finished with the burger, I could barely drink the beer solo.

I also had the potato salad and Jalapeño slaw, which were unremarkable. For instance, the slaw hardly had any heat and the potato salad was pretty plain.

I probably don't need to tell you which burger sets the bar for me. Ok, if you must ask, it's the California burger at Houston's, but you knew that if you've been following my harsh burger reviews. So in the realm of all the burgers I've tried in LA, Golden State hovers around the same level as Umami but not quite as high as Houston's, the golden standard (pun intended).

I'd return, though, for the beer + burger experience. Plus, the owner said the fish and chips were good and I'm a sucker for that too.

Golden State
426 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 782-8331